Eclipse Tour
by Tropical Island

Overview - 5 Days / 4 Nights

Indulge your tropical island fantasies during the total solar eclipse of November 14, 2012 and watch this event occur from an island paradise.

Especially for the occasion, we ferry you out to a luxurious resort on Fitzroy Island (the only accommodation on the island!), located on the inner Great Barrier Reef. There you can snorkel the reef, wander the lush rainforest protected in a national park, and hike to the lighthouse for a spectacular view over the ocean of the early-morning eclipse.

After your island adventure, view the tropical rainforest canopy from above on the Skyrail, get a taste of aboriginal culture in Kuranda and meet kangaroos & koalas. Wind your way back to Cairns via historic train through the emerald green Barron River Gorge.

In addition, astronomer and Nobel Laureate Dr. Brian Schmidt will undoubtedly marvel you with his knowledge of the stars and planets. He will speak in simple terms about the expanding universe and what to expect during the eclipse, which will allow you to more fully appreciate this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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Day 1 (12 Nov): Arrival and Astronomy Presentation

After transferring from the Cairns airport, you settle into your accommodation at the 3-star Cascade Gardens in Cairns. Your accommodation is in Cairns' restaurant and shopping district, and only two blocks from the waterfront and Esplanade. All rooms have ensuites and air-conditioning, flat screen TVs with Austar and tea & coffee making facilities while the hotel also offers WiFi access, guest laundry, and a refershing tropical pool and spa.

As a special treat tonight, you have Nobel Laureate Dr. Brian Schmidt introducing you to total solar eclipses. By studying exploding stars, astrophysicist Dr. Schmidt helped discover the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2011. He has extensive public speaking experience, having given last year's Halley Lecture (named after Edmund Halley, as in the comet) at Oxford and appearing occasionally on ABC Television's Catalyst. Speaking only to Small World Journeys' guests, Dr. Schmidt will cover a variety of topics, conversing in layman's terms about astronomy and the significance of total solar eclipses. There will also be time to chat with Dr. Schmidt after the presentation about your eclipse-related questions.

Accommodation: Cascade Gardens Hotel
Included: Dinner

Day 2 (13 Nov): Great Barrier Reef Snorkelling & Optional SCUBA Diving, Transfer to Resort

Today your tropical island fantasies are fulfilled! Your day begins with an air-conditioned catamaran ride to the outer Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World-Heritage site and one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet. On the way, you enjoy a reef presentation by a marine naturalist to help you understand the marine species you will find at the reef.

Upon arrival, you dock at a floating pontoon, and an underwater universe greets you: clear turquoise waters host a 1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral. With full use of snorkeling gear, you can expect to see hard and soft corals, turtles, and a variety of fish species including butterfly fish, parrot fish and the ever-popular clown fish, also known as "Nemo".

A semi-submersible craft, glass bottom boat ride and underwater observatory allow those who prefer not to swim to still enjoy viewing the marine life at The Great Barrier Reef. Kids will love the on-baord touch tank and the shallow childrens' swimming area. A scenic 10-minute flight over the reef is available as an optional extra. SCUBA diving is also available for certified divers and an Intro Dive for those who would like to try diving with a dive instructor (extra cost).

At the end of the day, you are taken to the pristine Fitzroy Island – a green gem in a turquoise sea. The island was once connected to the Australian mainland before being separated by rising waters. Over time a fringing coral reef surrounded the island, providing a sheltered home for a variety of fish and coral species. The island is now protected as a national park, with 94% of the island covered in lush rainforest and surrounded by waters ripe for discovery.

Your accommodation is at the lovely eco-friendly Fitzroy Island Resort – the only accommodation on this tropical island. Your ocean suite at the resort features a large queen-size master bedroom, a spacious lounge area with doubel sofa bed, ensuite bathroom with shower, hairdryer, kitchenette, lounge and dining area and private balcony, which are ideally located parallel to the beachfront. The resort facilities include a contemporary restaurant, large pool with a pool bar and swim up bar, games room, resort mini supermarket and wellness area. You can spend the evening enjoying a cool drink at the island bar, listening to music, or watching a complimentary movie in the resort indoor cinema.

Accommodation: Fitzroy Island Resort
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3 (14 Nov): Total Solar Eclipse and Island Activities

In the early morning, you prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - the chance to see a total solar eclipse as the shadow of the moon passes over you. The Cairns region will be the best place in the world to witness this exciting event, and your position on an island at The Great Barrier Reef will allow for the best line-of-sight of this early morning eclipse. For the best views, you can walk a gorgeous but steep rainforest track—keeping an eye out for the yellow-spotted monitor—to the summit of the island, where a historic lighthouse stands and views of the Coral Sea are magnificent. Special solar eclipse glasses will allow you to view the eclipse when it commences. Totality will last around two minutes after which the shadow will move out across unpopulated areas of the South Pacific.

Afterwards you can wander the Secret Garden track, relax by the resort pool, or have fun on the giant marine trampoline! You can also discover the mosaic of wildlife--from mudskippers and mud whelks to birdlife and crustaceans—that depend on these tidal wetland systems and don't miss the resort's afternoon fish feeding. You can also take the trail to Nudey Beach -- a spectacular swimming spot once a hang out for "naturists", but now appropriate for everyone.

Accommodation: Fitzroy Island Resort
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

PLEASE NOTE: guests should have at least a moderate level of fitness in order to ascend the track to the lighthouse on Fitzroy Island. Walk is 1.8 kilometres one way --approximately 30 minutes with some steep sections.

Day 4 (15 Nov): Rainforest Cableway, Aboriginal Culture, Aussie Animals and Historic Train

After breakfast, you are ferried from Fitzroy Island back to the mainland. You are then transferred to a historic train that travels along the Barron River Gorge, a track once used for carrying supplies to miners in the Tablelands. Brilliantly restored, the train still evokes the classic journeys of yesteryear. Informative commentary walks you through the points of interest and historical details of the ride. A highlight is viewing Barron Falls, a massive set of cascades that tumbles into the gorge.

At the end of the train line lies the mountain village of Kuranda, where you are free to browse the local markets before transferring to Rainforestation Nature Park. Here you can watch aboriginal dancers perform, learn to properly throw a boomerang, and hear a demonstration of the didgeridoo. For those of you who have always wanted a photo with a koala – here's your chance! You will have the opportunity to meet Aussie animals up close and ride an amphibious Army duck through the rainforest.

Finally you experience Cairns' premier eco-attraction and winner of numerous ecotourism awards – the Skyrail. You ride this unique rainforest cableway for a fantastic journey over Australia's World Heritage listed tropical rainforest canopy and deep into the forest. Spanning 7.5 kilometres over Barron Gorge National Park, the Skyrail experience includes a scenic cableway ride and stops at two rainforest mid-stations. You can descend from the cableway onto rainforest boardwalks, where interpretive information is provided through guided boardwalk tours, signage and an interpretive centre. This is a fantastic way to enjoy the rainforest while making the least impact possible. Your day ends with a transfer back to your Cairns hotel and a delicious meal on the waterfront.

Accommodation: Cascade Gardens Hotel
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 (16 Nov): Departure or Trip Extension

After breakfast, you can transfer to the airport for your trip home or extend your holiday with a few optional activities such as a guided day in the Highlands to explore parks and waterfalls, an aboriginal culture day, or a ride on a jungle canopy zip line.

Included: Breakfast

What's Included:

• All activities as described in the itinerary
• 2011 Nobel Laureate guest speaker and astronomer Brian Schmidt
• 2 nights at the 3-star Cascade Gardens Hotel, standard room (based on double occupancy)
• 2 nights at the 4-star Fitzroy Island Resort, ocean suite room (based on double occupancy)
• All breakfasts
• All lunches
• All dinners
• Mask, fins and snorkel rental on the reef trip
• Glass-bottom boat and semi-sub ride at the Great Barrier Reef
• Return ferry transfers
• A basic field guide of local flora and fauna
• Water bottle and cloth carry bag
• Special eclipse-viewing solar filter glasses
• Local 24-hour emergency local assistance
• Background information and cultural etiquette tips
• 5 square metres of Daintree rainforest adopted in your name by Rainforest Rescue
• Climate Care™ carbon-offsetting for a carbon-neutral trip

What is not Included:

Airfare to Cairns, travel insurance, airport transfers (about $10-20 AUD one way), alcohol, items of a personal nature (internet, phone, laundry etc.), $10 AUD marine park tax payable on board the boat, optional photo with koala, and optional add-on activities listed below.

SCUBA Diving:

Certified SCUBA diving at the outer reef: $80 AUD for one dive and $125 AUD for two dives. Includes wetsuit and equipment hire.

Intro Dive with a dive instructor: $125 AUD for one dive and $190 AUD for two dives. Includes wetsuit and equipment hire.

"Sea Walker" Platform Helmet Dive: Walk among the reef fish on a spacious underwater platform. The excitement of SCUBA diving but ideal for non-swimmers. $140 AUD per person

All divers must fill out a diving medical form, and some medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and certain medications may disqualify a guest from diving. Tell us if you are interested in SCUBA diving, and we will forward you the medical form in advance.

Fitzroy Island Options:

Certified diving from $65; Mask, snorkel and fins hire: $15 per day; stinger suit hire $15 per day; water trampoline from $5; AquaJet hire from $39; kayak hire from $20 and kayaking tours from $40

Other Post-Trip Optional Add-Ons:

Jungle Canopy Zip Line and Wildlife Sanctuary: The ultimate jungle adventure! Fly between the treetops and over the rainforest canopy on a flying fox zipline. The day includes a visit to an open-air wildlife park where the crocs are huge and the kangaroos roam freely. $199 AUD adult and $159 child (to 14 yrs.) and includes transport from your hotel.

Aboriginal Culture Adventure: the Kuku Yalanji are the last rainforest tribal people to have retained their own language and customs – learn from an indigenous guide who will show you how to catch food the traditional way, cook up what you've caught, and share in an aboriginal art experience with an indigenous artist-in-residence. $189 AUD adult and $139 child (to 14 yrs.) and includes transport from your hotel.

Waterfalls and Crater Lakes: In the company of a vivacious guide and a small group, explore the Highlands natural wonders. Swim in an ancient volcanic crater, glide down a natural waterslide in the jungle and see the magnificent Milla Milla Falls from behind its watery veil. $109 AUD and includes transport from your hotel.

Other Destinations in Australia, Pre or Post Trip:

Ask us about continuing your Australian adventures in Sydney, Melbourne & The Great Ocean Road, or Uluru (Ayers Rock) and The Red Centre!

Once I arrive at the Cairns airport - what next?

Please plan to transfer on your own to Cascade Gardens Hotel at 62 Abbott Street Cairns when you arrive at the Cairns airport. The transfer is approximately 10 minutes. You may take a taxi cab (immediately outside terminals; fare is about $18 AUD) or use Sun Palm Transport (airport shuttle bus service located in arrival halls at either terminal; fare is $10 AUD per person to Cairns)

When you arrive at your hotel, a hard copy of your detailed itinerary (you will have already received an electronic copy of your itinerary 2 weeks before your trip) will be waiting for you at reception.

What is a total solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse happens during the day. When the moon passes between the earth and the sun and covers the sun, a solar eclipse occurs. This creates a shadow on the Earth, which moves in a narrow path across the planet. When a solar eclipse begins, it appears as though a bite is being taken out of the sun. In the last few minutes before the total eclipse, points of light around the moon appear, which are called Bailey's Beads. When the eclipse finally occurs, the sun is completely blocked out, with only a ghostly corona visible. This occurrence has been described as eerie and unearthly—animals become quiet, the temperature drops, and you are shrouded in darkness. It is truly one of nature's greatest spectacles.

Where will be the best place to view the eclipse?

Our research has concluded that a viewing spot over the ocean at the Great Barrier Reef will provide a location with the least likelihood of coastal cloud cover and a direct line-of-sight of the eclipse.
 
In Cairns, warm winds from the Coral Sea (the SE tradewinds) carry moisture-laden air towards the coast, and clouds form when it hits these mountains.  Therefore, a viewing spot free from these coastal mountain effects is highly desirable.   

It is fortunate that the eclipse occurs in the early morning when the least build up of cloud has occurred.

According to The Astronomical Society of Australia, “The best places to view are likely to in the vicinity of Cairns in North Queensland. From Cairns any viewing spot selected should have an unobstructed view over the ocean so that a clear view of totality can be obtained with the Sun low in the eastern sky.”   

Australian veteran eclipse chaser and climate researcher Joe Cali recommends, “Locate as far off the centre line as possible on the 2m 01-04s isochron, e.g. Fitzroy Island, to maximize the potential length of the diamond ring and Baily's Beads without any loss of eclipse duration.”

WARNING: Do not look directly at the sun. All Small World Journeys guests will be provided with special eclipse-viewing glasses.  The only time that the Sun can be viewed safely with the naked eye is when the moon completely covers the disk of the Sun during the total eclipse.

What will the weather be like?

It will be impossible to predict the weather or cloud cover for the day of the eclipse.  However, we can consider seasonal averages. Cairns has a tropical climate, and it is highly likely there will be scattered to broken clouds on the morning of the eclipse.  According to The Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s climate statistics for Cairns, in November the mean number of clear days is 7.9, while the mean number of cloudy days is 7.6.   

Taking into account the eclipse occurs in the early morning, chances are greater that the skies will be clear at that time of day.  Please note that while we can hope for sunny skies, we cannot guarantee them!

Is the eclipse on November 13th or 14th?

Both are correct. In Universal Time, the total eclipse begins in northern Australia at 20:35:08 UT on November 13 (which is November 14 Australian time), and ends in the South Pacific at 23:48:24 UT on November 13.

What should I bring with me?

We will provide you with a suggested packing list in your Confirmation Packet. Some important things to remember to bring are lightweight clothes for the tropics, sunscreen, hat, swim suit and SCUBA certification card (if applicable).

What about sharks or jellyfish?

The ocean is home to sharks, but the ones you may encounter at the Great Barrier Reef are small and pose little threat to swimmers. In fact, divers and snorkelers often consider themselves lucky to spot one of these shy, magnificent creatures. Australia's famed Great White sharks prefer cold water, and therefore are not found at the Great Barrier Reef.

Box jellyfish, irukandji and other jellyfish, collectively known as “stingers” breed along the coast in estuaries and are not commonly found at The Great Barrier Reef. Therefore, they do not pose a major threat to snorkelers or divers at the reef. As a precaution you can choose to hire a full body lycra suit from the reef boat or your resort ($5-15 per day). Stingers are only a consideration between November and April/May.

Do I need a visa to visit Australia?

All visitors to Australia need a visa, with the exception of visitors from New Zealand. An Australian entry visa, commonly known as an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) will let you spend up to three months in Australia. In most countries it is easily obtained by the travel agent who issues your ticket, and should be free of charge. You can also get an ETA on line by visiting www.eta.immi.gov.au. There is no need for you to visit an Australian diplomatic office to submit an application, and you do not need a stamp or label in your passport. Upon check in at the airport, the airline agent will be able to confirm your ETA electronically. All visitors will also need a passport, valid for at least six months after the planned return date.

Do I need to bring my own snorkelling or dive equipment?

You may bring your own equipment if you wish; however mask, fins and snorkel are provided on the outer Barrier Reef trip for snorkelers and all dive equipment is included in the dive package. Mask, fins and snorkel are available for hire on Fitzroy Island for $15 per day. 

Why should I travel with Small World Journeys?

LOCAL SUPPORT & KNOWLEDGE
Our office is in Cairns – this means we are right around the corner for 24-hour support, to answer your questions, or if you have an emergency in the middle of the trip. 

Local knowledge means we know the restaurant owners who catch their own fish (and then deliciously prepare it for you!), where to buy the real indigenous-made souvenirs, and where the mobs of people will be on the morning of the eclipse (hint: we’re not going there.)  

ECO-CREDENTIALS 
Being an “eco” tour operator means more to us than just offering walks outdoors. It means we pay to offset the carbon emissions from your trip, give a percentage of profits to local environmental and community organizations, plant trees, recycle, and participate in Rainforest Rescue’s Adopt-a-Square program.  See 10 Reasons Why We’re Eco for more on what we do for our environment and community.

HUNDREDS OF HAPPY GUESTS
We could tell you that we provide highly professional customer service, respond attentively and consistently exceed our guests’ expectations.  But don’t believe us! Read some of our testimonials or ask us for references from past guests who are willing to tell you all about their experience with Small World Journeys.

GOODIES! 
You get a Small World Journeys water bottle, a cloth carry bag, a regional field guide, eclipse-viewing glasses, and a 5 square metre of Daintree rainforest adopted in your name, plus a certificate detailing where your rainforest square is located. Plus you get an unforgettable trip too.

Other Questions?

Once you book your trip, we will send out a Confirmation Packet to you with detailed information that should answer most of your questions. In addition, you can feel free to email us anytime at: info@smallworldjourneys.com.au