Sample Detailed Itinerary for Couples

Day 1:Arrival and Sunset Cruise

Welcome to Cairns. Step off the plane and get whisked away to your 4-star hotel only a block away from Cairns waterfront. Take in the sights of the city centre, visit the Botanic Gardens, or take a stroll along the Esplanade. In the evening, board an intimate cruise boat, look for crocodiles and other wildlife in the mangroves of Trinity Inlet. Whilst sipping champagne, watch as the setting sunlight bathes Cairns’ lush coastal mountains. Follow on with an elegant 3-course dinner at one of Cairns premier restaurants. (D)

Day 2: Wooroonooran National Park, Josephine Falls and The Waterfalls Circuit

Wooroonooran National Park is one of the most scenic places in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and hosts some of the oldest continually surviving rainforest in the world. More than 500 rainforest trees thrive here, including blackbean, milky pine, and red tulip oak. Take an easy walk through the jungle, listening for the call of the king parrot and the bowerbird and emerge at Josephine Falls, where Josephine Creek plunges down a gorgeous set of cascades. Below the falls, boulders surround a fun swimming hole and a natural water slide down a smooth sloping rock face. End the day with an exploration of the Waterfalls Circuit: a series of three grand waterfalls under which you can swim or view from above. Tonight settle in to your accommodation in the Cairns Highlands—award winning eco-friendly tree houses with deluxe amenities. (B)

Day 3: Private Nature Reserve and Outback Tour with Renown Naturalist

Today professional birder and noted naturalist, Jonathan Munro, takes you for an exploration of his private highland rainforest preserve in the Misty Mountains. The preserve adjoins a State Forest fauna sanctuary within the largest single tract of tropical rainforest remaining in Australia and here you are privileged guests. With the help of Jonathan’s expertise, look for unique animals such as Golden and Tooth-billed Bowerbirds, Victoria's Riflebird, Chowchillas, Lumholtz's Tree kangaroo and many other locally endemic species. Walk in a significant climax rainforest and observe ancient trees, rare orchids and primitive flowering plants that were here with the dinosaurs. At the end of the day, after traversing a diversity of habitats and landforms, the focus turns to the classic savannah country, where wildlife lovers will delight in viewing a host of kangaroos before a crimson sun sets over the outback. (B, L)

Day 4:Cairns Highlands, Mountain Spa Retreat and Horse Riding

The jungle-draped mountains of the Dividing Range rise up from Cairns, and today you settle into a mountain spa retreat known as a bird-watchers paradise. Look for a mosaic of tropical birds, such as the Lovely Fairy-Wren, the Double-Eyed Fig Parrot, and the Rainbow Lorikeet. Options for the afternoon include a rainforest horse ride with an authentic Australian "jillaroo" (cowgirl), a short walk through the forest to a freshwater swimming hole, yoga class on a cool lakeside platform, or a soothing spa treatment like a hot stone massage. as evening falls, watch the sunset from the veranda of your private bungalow and then savour a home-cooked meal by your Australian family hosts. (B,D)

Day 5: Daintree Rainforest National Park

Today explore the Daintree Rainforest which, at one hundred and thirty-five million years old, is the oldest rainforest in the world. Approximately 430 species of birds live here, including 13 species that are found nowhere else. Take a short walk to Cape Tribulation beach and see why this area, part of the Kuku Yalanji tribal area, also has great spiritual and cultural significance. Explore the Dubiji boardwalk that runs through rare tropical lowland forest; look for primeval goannas, the giant tree frog, or the musky-rat kangaroo. If you’re lucky you’ll spot the Peppermint Stick insect on the pandanus palms, or the Daintree’s endangered and giant flightless bird, the cassowary. (B)

Day 6: Sea Kayaking, Aboriginal culture, Astronomy & Star Gazing

Today you transfer to a 5-star eco-lodge located on a stretch of beach just south of Port Douglas. There an expert guide will take you in kayaks along the coast to his secret places to look for marine turtles, stingrays, dolphins and dugongs (manatee). Keep a look out for green turtles that frequently swim and play in these waters. This evening enjoy a special visit with an aboriginal elder from the Kuku Yalanji tribe to hear the telling of Dreamtime legends and the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo. Then later join in an astronomy lesson and star gazing, during which you get an introduction to the myriad southern constellations—including the Southern Cross—most of which can not be seen at all from Europe or North America. With 10 inch telescopes, you are also able to look closely at star clusters, red giants, nebulae where stars are being born, globular clusters, distant galaxies, and our favourite: the multi-coloured “Jewel Box”. (B)

Day 7: The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—lies just off the coast of Port Douglas, luring snorkelers and divers alike to its underwater universe. It is one of the richest, most complex, and diverse ecosystems in the world. Aboard a magnificent eco-certified catamaran, travel to the reef in style. At the reef’s best snorkeling sites, you can expect to see a kaleidoscope of hard and soft corals, angelfish and “Nemos” in anemones, fascinating but elusive white-tipped reef sharks, giant turtles, and a host of other undersea creatures. SCUBA divers can also “have a go” at exploring what has been considered as one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. This evening go into Port Douglas, a seaside town known for its sugary 4-Mile Beach and its status as a preferred holiday destination for the likes of Bill Clinton, Nicole Kidman and Keanu Reeves. (B, L)

Day 8:Trip Conclusion or Extension

After breakfast, prepare for your journey home or enjoy a few optional activities such as the Kuranda Skyrail, a sunrise balloon flight or a day of whitewater rafting. If departing, you are transferred to Cairns International Airport. (B)

Price for this sample itinerary:
$2995 Australian Dollars per person

What’s Included:

• 2 nights in a highlands "tree house" eco-lodge
  
  
• 2 nights at a mountain spa retreat
  
  
• 1 night at a luxury eco-friendly beach resort
  
  
• 2 nights in a central Cairns boutique hotel
  
  
• All breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners
  
  
• Small group activities as specified in the itinerary
  
  
• Private services of a professional naturalist on Day 3
  
  
• Yoga class at the mountain spa retreat
  
  
• 6 days economy hire car
  
  
• Detailed maps and driving directions
  
  
• Private transfers to/from Cairns International Airport
  
  
• Snorkeling gear rental
  
  
• Cairns local support
  
  
• Comprehensive travel notes, background and logistical information
  
  
• A tree planted in your name by the Australian Rainforest Foundation and certificate
  
  
• myclimate™ carbon-offsetting for a carbon-neutral trip

 

What's not Included:

Airfare to Cairns, alcohol, travel insurance, items of a personal nature,petrol, Daintree River ferry ($20 AUD return), meals that are not specified in the itinerary, optional SCUBA diving, optional horse riding, and optional spa treatments.

 

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