Raft, Ropes and Reef

7 Day trip- All meals, lodging and activities included

Highlights:
• Whitewater Rafting the Tully River
• Abseiling (rapelling) and ropes course for confidence
• Raft-building and other teamwork initiatives
• Highlands rainforest discovery and meeting the wildlife
• Diving and snorkelling at The outer Great Barrier Reef

Overview
Itinerary
Inclusions
FAQs

Overview - 7 Day Adventure

Fuel your confidence with a fun rock climbing or abseiling challenge!

This is a student trip full of adventure with a "learn by doing" focus. The exhilaration of helping sail a boat at The Great Barrier Reef, learning to abseil, or snorkelling for the first time will produce courage and confidence.

And building a raft together, helping one another through an obstacle course or paddling as a team down whitewater rapids will foster a sense of teamwork and cooperation.

A naturalist guide will introduce you to the area's UNESCO World-Heritage rainforest chock full of unique wildlife, ferns, flowers and hidden waterfalls.

Meals are a variety of all-you-can-eat buffets, BBQs, fresh salads and tropical fruits, and unique restaurants. Accommodation is in a clean and safe central Cairns hostel, and cozy cabins in the highlands perfectly placed next to a waterfall.

We invite you to stretch your comfort zone with fun new activities, and learn more about your world.

Click on an image to view the gallery.

Day 1: Arrival and Orientation

Welcome to Cairns! You are met at the airport by one of our staff and transferred to your award-winning hostel in the town's restaurant and shopping district.

Located only a few blocks from the waterfront, attractions, restaurants and the marina are all within easy walking distance. Your hostel features an outdoor pool, laundry facilities, large communal area with couches and pool table, free internet and WiFi. Each room has its own bathroom, and sleeps six students. Theses immaculate rooms also have ample luggage storage, hairdryers and linen. This excellent accommodation was recently inducted into the Tourism Tropical North Queensland's Hall of Fame for consistently rating excellent in the budget accommodation category.

Before dinner, explore the nearby celebrated Esplanade – a lively stretch of waterfront with night markets, occasional performers and an expansive swimming lagoon. This evening you have an orientation and a delicious dinner at one of Cairns' top seafood restaurants (non-seafood options available).

Accommodation: Cairns Central Hostel
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Whitewater Rafting the Tully River

The Tully River ranks high with rafting enthusiasts around the globe for its stunning course through national parklands, thrilling Class III-IV rapids, and its reliable year-round flows. We find that whitewater rafting brings the river to life in a way many have never known and often it is while paddling rapids as a team that young people develop personal inner strength.

From Cairns you travel to your put-in at Tully Gorge National Park. There you are fitted with life jackets and helmets and after a safety briefing you are on the water. You raft through UNESCO World Heritage rainforest and below waterfalls that tumble from the walls of the gorge. Rousing rapids with evocative names like The Staircase, Corkscrew and Alarm Clock mark the start of your day, and with each rapid comes a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration that only pure adrenalin can produce. You paddle through 41 rapids total, stopping midway for a riverside BBQ.

At the end of the day, you get to watch the video footage that was taken of your group on the river and purchase photos of your adventure to take back home.

[No previous rafting experience is necessary. However, the Barron River, with its Class II-III rapids, is a milder option for the day].

Accommodation: Cairns Central Hostel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Cairns Highlands, Crater Lakes, Giant Trees and Platypus Spotting

This morning you ascend the Great Dividing Range explore Lake Eacham, an ancient volcanic crater—or maar—now protected in a national park. A 3-kilometre track around the lake passes through several different rainforest communities, and here your guide explains the differences between the highlands and lowlands rainforests you'll being seeing in the next few days, including a visit to rare type of endangered mabi rainforest.

With your guide you will look for the enchanting creatures of the rainforest like the Dainty Green Tree Frog, Boyd's Forest Dragons and one of the few species of marsupial active during daytime — the small Musky Rat-Kangaroo. After your walk you can take a refreshing dip in the clear waters of the crater.

You also pay tribute to a local high-profile residents –massive fig trees hundreds of years old, and learn how these giants straight out of Lord of the Rings eerily "strangle" their hosts.

Later you settle into your dorm-style accommodation in the highlands next to a gorgeous waterfall. Here you can enjoy the cool, mountain fresh climate of the tropical highlands at 600 metres above sea level. Nestled amongst 220 hectares of green pastures, manicured lawns and tropical rainforest bordering on the Bellenden Kerr/Wooroonooran National Park, your base accesses a fantastic waterfall by way of a short walk.

At dusk you follow along a stream to look for the timid and elusive duck-billed platypus--without question the most unique mammal on earth--in its natural habitat. Seeing a platypus in the wild is a truly fascinating experience and the unique features of the platypus (an egg-laying mammal) make it an iconic symbol of Australia.

Option for younger students: as an evening activity, you can learn Aussie "bush dancing" with local children. A local performer supplies the music and instruction, and you join together with the Aussie children for traditional songs, dancing and an unforgettable evening.

Accommodation: Cairns Highlands Cabins
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Abseiling, Obstacle Course and Raft Building

This morning you participate in fun activities designed to strengthen your sense of teamwork. First you band together in teams to make your way through an army-style obstacle course designed to test your skill and speed. The course is tailored to your group, and we can add curriculum-based challenges for extra learning opportunities.

Next you use your intellect and creativity in a raft-building exercise. Using only tyres, ropes and some plastic containers, you must work together to produce a floating raft for your team, and then successfully make your way across a pond! This is a true test of your ingenuity and always produces lots of laughs.

Later under the care of a professional instructor you are introduced to the exhilarating and empowering sport of abseiling. Starting with the basics, our guide teaches us how to enjoy abseiling while staying safe. In the process, you discover that we don't need big muscles to participate — just agility and good technique! For some, abseiling --a slow controlled descent down a rope with a friction device - can be more demanding than climbing. First-time rapellers will be particularly well-cared for, and experienced climbers can hone their skills on the rock. Through your activities today, you challenge yourselves to overcome your fears and have fun in the process!

Tonight after dark, creep down a path through the rainforest to view some of Australia's most unusual creatures - glow worms - that attract mates through biluminesence and make tiny twinkles in the night.

Accommodation: Cairns Highlands Cabins
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Land Sliding, Waterfalls and National Park

Grab a helmet for your next activity: landsliding! With the help of a mat and a steady stream of water, you plunge down the hillside on a giant chute, landing at the bottom in a pool of water. This is a hilarious activity that leaves everyone screaming for more. Set in the gorgeous green countryside, landsliding is one of the most popular activities for young people, and makes for great photos.

Next you head to the iconic Millaa Millaa Falls - one of the most photographed sites in the country. Here a set of cascades pours out of the rainforest into a perfect pool lined with ferns and giant fan palms. This is a picture of paradise, and swimming beneath (and behind) the falls is irresistable.

Then you head down the Great Dividing Range to a special spot tucked away in the national park. Your guide takes you on a short walk through the jungle, teaching you about the endemic species of the Wet Tropics, while keeping an eye out for the green-spotted triangle butterflies, the electric blue Ulysseys butterfly, and the reptilian lace monitor. You emerge at another perfect swimming hole, where the clear waters of Josephine creek tumble over giant boulders, and down an exhilarating natural waterslide! You return to Cairns late this afternoon.

Accommodation: Cairns Central Hostel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Sailing and Snorkelling at The Great Barrier Reef

Found perhaps on every traveler's "must-see" checklist, The Great Barrier Reef—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—lies just off Cairns' coast, luring snorkelers and divers alike to its underwater universe. Snorkelers will find most of the abundant life and colours exist right beneath the surface at the reef.

Within reach are giant clams, angel, butterfly and parrot fish, turtles, sea stars and corals of a thousand hues. Among the 1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral, you can expect to see "Nemo" clown fish in anemones, Wally the giant wrasse, fan corals, sea cucumbers and stag horn coral gardens. Later you enjoy a delicious buffet lunch and then sail to Green Island. Here you can sunbathe, stroll the boardwalk in the national park, or walk right into the water to view the reef. Options on Green Island include a ride on a glass-bottom boat, a cruise in a semi-submarine, and a visit to Marineland Melanesia (extra cost).

On the return, the crew is happy to get you involved with hoisting the sails and those who are keen can captain the sailboat. The friendly crew also offers up a fruit and cheese plates, cakes and other goodies.

You return to Cairns in the late afternoon, and have a dinner in town to celebrate your adventures over the past week.

Accommodation: Central Cairns hostel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Cairns Options and Departure

This morning after breakfast you have free to shop for souvenirs, swim in the Esplanade lagoon, or get a photo with a koala at the Cairns Widllife Dome (extra cost). Then eventually all good things must come to an end. You are transferred to the Cairns Airport for your flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

What's Included:

Small World Journeys guide
All activities and instruction as described in the itinerary
Specialty guides and educators
Cairns airport transfers
Transportation to activities
All breakfasts
All lunches
All dinners
4 nights at a Cairns central hostel (6-share single gender rooms w/bathroom)
2 nights Cairns Highlands cabins (single gender dorm-style cabins with bathrooms and showers)
Mask, fins, and snorkel hire on the reef trip
Your own FACEBOOK trip page, so parents can follow along during the trip
Marine park and national park fees
Small World Journeys reusable water bottle for every participant
Pre-trip educational information
Risk managment assessment on request
A 5 square metre plot of Daintree rainforest adopted in your group's name
ClimateCare™ carbon offsetting for a carbon-neutral trip

What's not Included:

Airfare
Travel insurance - not required but highly recommended
Optional evening bush dancing activity with local kids
Green Island optional activities
Optional photo with koala
Personal expenses (phone, internet, laundry, etc.)

Other Destinations in Australia:

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

Where does the trip start?

Your trip leader/guide will meet you in the Cairns Airport Baggage Claim when you arrive on Day 1 in Cairns. We suggest you arrive between 1:00 - 4:00 pm on the first day, and schedule your departure before noon on the last day.

What qualifications do your trip leader/guides have?

Our guides have a government-issued Working With Children approval (also known as a "Blue Card") that is only given after an extensive background check, and allows them the ability to work with children. Each guide also has a Senior First Aid and CPR certification and government-issued Driver's Authority.

Many of our student trip leaders have higher degrees in environmental science, marine biology or experiential education, and there is one thing which unites them: a love for teaching young people about the outdoors.

We choose guides with extensive experience having worked with young people. They will be with the group the entire trip, and are responsible for the supervision and safety of all students.

For more information, see Our Guides

How do we make sure our educational goals are met?

If you have specific educational goals, or wish to include certain topics or areas of study, please tell us. Our guides have a range of knowledge about flora, fauna, natural history, geology, botany, and marine science and can tailor this program to include topics your students are studying in school, for example, rainforest ecology.

Can we change this itinerary to fit our budget or to include different activities?

Yes! This itinerary is just a sample of what we can arrange for your group. Have a look at our other itineraries - you can mix and match activities you like and we'll create a custom trip just for your group. We are happy to discuss custom options that are tailored to your budget.

What kind of insurance do you have in place?

Small World Journeys has public liability insurance up to $10,000,000 and is required for us to maintain our commercial permits for the national parks.

What is the weather like in Cairns?

Cairns is a tropical place, and outdoor activities can be enjoyed year-round. In our summer (December-February), the weather is at its warmest and wettest. You can expect hot days with occasional tropical storms, producing lush green hillsides and plenty of waterfalls. Average temperatures are 23-31 degrees Celsius/73-87 Fahrenheit.

In our winter (June-August), the climate is at its most mild, with warm days, cool nights, and little rainfall. Average temperatures are 18-26 degrees Celsius/64-78 degrees Fahrenheit.

In spring (September - November), days are warm to hot and in autumn (March - May) temperatures are still warm to hot, with more chances of rain than in spring.

What is your safety record?

Our safety record is immaculate. Yes, we have had students receive minor cuts and bruises, but no injury requiring a hospital visit. We carry a first aid kit in our vehicles, as well as on the guide's person when in remote areas.

Safety is absolutely our number one concern at all times. We do everything in our power to make sure each trip is as safe as it can possibly be. Small World Journeys' trip leaders adhere to a comprehensive Risk Management Strategy.

What should we bring with us?

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, (but a jacket for cool winter nights in the highlands), sunscreen, hat, and swim suit.

Do you do risk management assessments?

Yes. We evaluate and re-evaluate the safety of each of our destinations and activities, and we always reserve the right to modify or cancel an itinerary if the guide feels that conditions are unsafe. We will gladly provide a risk management assessment specific to your trip on request.

Small World Journeys' staff also adhere to a comprehensive Risk Management Strategy.

What kind of food will we have?

We understand how important food is to young people – and heaps of it!

A typical breakfast will be a continental breakfast including juices, cereals, toast & jams (and optional vegemite!) and a typical packed lunch will be a meat and salad sandwich, drink, chips, biscuits and a piece of fresh fruit. Cooked lunches include hot dogs and hamburgers and on the reef trip you are treated to a cold buffet lunch.

Dinners include all-you-can-eat Italian, modern Aussie and seafood restaurants, and we place a big emphasis on variety and healthful options.

Best of all, we carry our Bottomless Snack Box when we travel to ensure that no one is ever hungry.

Where will we sleep?

We have chosen accommodation that is safe, clean and unique. In Cairns, you stay at a clean and safe hostel close to the waterfront. Rooms are single gender, shared ONLY with students in your group (no "strangers" in the room). You also stay in comfortable dorm-style cabins in the Cairns Highlands where students are separated by gender.

The hostel has laundry facilities so you may wash your clothes during the trip.

We have a 24-hour mobile number that parents may ring at any time during their child's trip if there is an emergency, and we will also provide the group coordinator with contact details of where the group is staying each night.

How active will we be on this tour?

You do not have to be an athlete to join this trip; however, our trips are NOT “sight-seeing tours”. Our trips are active, and we will be outside the majority of the day, every day. We can accommodate a range of fitness and skill levels within one trip, and you will always have options.

How do we arrange airfare?

We do not arrange airfare in house, however we do work closely with several travel agents. In Australia, we recommend Kim Salter, our Sydney-based travel agent. Contact Kim at kims@travelmanagers.com.au or call + 61 0433 324 455 or toll free within Australia 1 300 640 821.

Why should we 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 best swimming holes are.

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 STUDENTS
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, carbon offsetting, and a 5 square metre of Daintree rainforest adopted in the group's name. Plus you get an unforgettable trip too.

For international groups: do we need a visa to travel to 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.


Minimum group size:	12 students
Days:	7 day trip
Dates:	Year round, your choice
Starts/Ends:	Cairns, Australia
Free Teacher:	For every 8 paying students
Topics Covered:	Team Building Leadership Skills Rainforest Ecology Marine Science Problem-Solving
For a more academic trip:	Add our marine biologist to one or more days of the trip
Options:	This trip is fully customisable!