Agriculture & Agronomy

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 In Aboriginal Culture, Agriculture, Biology, Cairns & The Great Barrier Reef, Ecosystems, Environmental Studies, Sustainability, Tours

Agriculture & Agronomy

Agriculture systems around the world are facing significant challenges under pressure from climate change, land and water limitations, and the demand for more food. On this educational tour, students explore solutions to these challenges by exploring both traditional methods by Australian farmers—with crops ranging from bananas to coffee to sugar. You also explore the sun-splashed Great Barrier Reef from an eco-friendly boat and learn about medicinal and edible plants with Australian Traditional Owners while walking in the rainforest. Through in-depth talks with farmers, observation of operations, and discovery of new techniques, you leave with a greater ability to make informed decisions on the use of agricultural technologies and natural resources while planning for a more sustainable future.

Length
9 Days/8 Nights
Location
Cairns, Australia
When
Year-round
Size
Minimum 10 paying participants
Price
$2612 AUD per person (including GST)
for 15 or more students (Add $50 per person for peak time of 15 June – 15 July)
Price
$2698 AUD per person (including GST)
for 10-14 students (Add $50 per person for peak time of 15 June – 15 July)

Details

  • Learn from Aussie farmers about a wide variety of crops and growing styles
  • Make cheese on a dairy farm and learn about bio-dynamic growing principles
  • Crack whips and milk the cows on a family outback cattle station
  • Visit a native plant nursery to learn about their special clonal seed propagation
  • Understand resource management  with an Aboriginal guide
  • Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and learn how farmers hurt and help it
  • Taste delicious coffee at a plantation and learn about the bean growing process
  • Explore highlands and lowlands rainforest, savannah land, and outback country and learn the challenges of growing in each location

  • Risk assessment
  • All airport transfers
  • Small World Journeys guide for Days 2-7
  • Specialty guides and educators
  • All activities as described in the itinerary
  • Transportation to activities
  • 6 nights central Cairns hostel (4 or 6 share dorm rooms)
  • 1 nights outback cattle station (single-gender dorm-style bunk houses)
  • 1 night Daintree Rainforest cabins (4 share dorm-style rooms)
  • All continental breakfasts
  • All lunches
  • 6 dinners
  • 101 Plants of the Wet Tropics field guide for each student
  • 101 Animals of the Great Barrier Reef field guide for each student
  • Mask, fins, snorkel, and wetsuit on the reef trip
  • National park taxes and levies
  • Donation made to Rainforest Rescue on behalf of your group (we give you a certificate on your trip)
  • Reusable water bottle and cloth shopping bag
  • Donation made to Reef Restoration Foundation to the “Care for Coral” program on behalf of your group (we give you a certificate on your trip)
  • Starting in 2024: we offset the carbon emissions from your trip activities AND your flight to Cairns!

*Two teacher rooms (private twin or triple share rooms) are included in the trip price for groups of 15 students or more. For trips with low numbers (10-14), one teacher room is included. A single supplement  is charged if an additional private room is required for the trip. If teachers are happy to share a room, no additional costs are incurred.

Small World Journeys reserves the right to change the order of activities for logistical reasons. Prices are valid for travel until 31 March, 2024.

  • Airfare to Cairns
  • Travel insurance (highly recommended)
  • Two dinners
  • Personal expenses (phone, laundry, etc.)

  • Optional Intro OR certified SCUBA dive ($75 for 1 dive, includes equipment)

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SCUBA DIVING: In order to participate in SCUBA diving, you will be required to fill out a medical form which can be forwarded to you in advance. Some of the medical conditions that may disqualify you from diving are, but not limited to, the following: Diabetes, Asthma, Ear/Nose/Throat Conditions, Migraine Headaches, Previous Head Injuries, Epilepsy/Seizures/Convulsions, Pregnancy and/or Poor Physical Conditioning. We can forward you this medical form before the start of your trip.

Planning Your Trip

ACCESSIBILITY MENU: Small World Journeys’ website provides an accessibility menu. Visitors to our website can click on the “person” icon on the right side of the screen to bring up this menu. Options include increasing/decreasing font size, increasing/decreasing contrast, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and the ability to hide images, among other things.

BOOKING FORM: On our online booking form, we ask all participants to list any special needs they have, be them medical, dietary, or accessibility needs. We also offer free sensory packs to our guests who are neurodivergent, which include headphones, a timer for transitions, a squeezy fidget toy, and other treats to appeal to the senses like flavoured lip balm.

WAIVER FORMS: We understand that not all of our participants’ parents have a strong command of written English and therefore understanding and signing our on-line waiver may prove challenging. We therefore have our wavier form available in the following languages on request: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

 

Arrival at Cairns Airport

ACCESSIBLE TOILETS: Public toilets are located throughout the terminals. Each toilet facility includes an accessible toilet suitable for wheelchair access.

TGSI and HEARING LOOPS: The Cairns Airport makes use of Tactile Ground Service Indicators (TGSI) and Hearing Loops to assist people with vision impairments and hearing difficulties, respectively.  For example, Braille is included on toilet doors/signs to assist a person with vision impairment locate the correct facility.

ASSISTANCE FOR HIDDEN DISABILITIES: If you or someone you are travelling with has a hidden disability, you can request a hidden disability lanyard through a form here.  Wearing a sunflower lanyard when you are at Cairns Airport is a discreet way for you to indicate to the airport team that you may need a little extra help, guidance or time with the airport processes. The airport team has been trained to recognise the lanyard and provide the assistance and support you may need. Some of the airport staff will also be wearing a Sunflower badge on their shirts or lanyards to help you feel a little more at ease.

VISUAL AND WRITTEN STORY GUIDES: Visual Story Guides are available for Domestic Arrivals and have been designed to help you to understand how an airport works and what to expect. Written Story Guides are also available for Domestic Arrivals.

 

Our Safety Talks

Our arrival safety talk is done verbally but is supported by cards that illustrate the main talking points. Similarly, our snorkelling safety talk is done in the same manner, supported by cards with pictures and illustrations.

We can provide a transcript of our safety talk to any hearing-impaired guest.

 

Transport

Our buses have two steps up of approximately 40 cms to get inside. There is no lift for a wheelchair or mobility device. Similarly, on occasion we hire large coaches for bigger groups and those buses also have two steps up of about 40 cms to get inside. All buses are equipped with seatbelts.

 

Presentations & Workshops

OUR OFFICE & PRESENTATION SPACE: We use the Small World Journeys office space for presentations, workshops and some community service projects. There is a rise of approximately 2 cm to enter the presentation room. We have one accessible, gender-neutral toilet block with shower.

In the outside area of our office, planes fly overhead frequently and the noise can be startling and confronting. However, as part of the terms of construction, the entire building has sound mitigation devices (double glazed windows, etc.) which creates the opportunity for multiple breakout spaces for neuro-divergent people who desire a quiet space with reduced stimuli.

Our presentations are designed to appeal to both visual and auditory learners.   We can provide a transcript of our presentations to any hearing-impaired guest.

NOVOTEL PRESENTATION SPACE: We also use Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort for presentations at dinnertime.

Overall accessible resort information:

  • All entries to the hotel are wheelchair-accessible
  • 2 accessible spaces in the on-site car park, near lifts
  • 1 accessible toilet in hotel lobby (hand rail | grab bar)
  • Most walkways within the hotel are wheelchair-accessible
  • Well-lit main areas
  • All meeting rooms are accessible
  • Braille call buttons for lifts on each floor (external)
  • On-site restaurant & breakfast buffet is mostly accessible – Please ask for assistance at hot food station.


Hotels

FLEXIBILITY WITH ACCOMMODATION: We have flexibility with the accommodation we choose; therefore if we know in advance that we have a guest with a wheelchair, mobility scooter or is short statured, we can choose hotels that cater accordingly.

PREFERRED HOTEL 1:  One of our preferred Cairns hotels is centrally located and one block from the waterfront.  The reception and breakfast room are widely accessible through a double automatic door as there are no steps or thresholds. Accessible guest rooms are all on the ground level.  The staff are happy to move the furniture around if required, and the rooms are fitted with a zipped-together queen bed or two single beds depending on preference. The under-bed clearance is 40mm, and there’s around 1000mm of space between the side of the bed and the wall. Unfortunately, the balconies have sliding door tracks and may not be completely accessible. Light switches are all large dish-style type and located 1000mm from the floor in accessible locations. The air conditioning can be remotely controlled. Moving into the bathroom: the hotel boasts accessible showers and toilets that are hobless and fitted with a fold-down seat. Both horizontal and vertical grab rails are fitted and the shower is home to a hot and cold flick mixer tap. The lifts which provide access to the third accessible room provide ample space for wheelchairs, and also boast buttons fitted with Braille.

PREFERRED HOTEL 2:  A second preferred hotel is also centrally located.  With accessible rooms that boast a double bed and a single bed, the staff at Coral Tree Inn are also happy to move the room furniture around to suit guests who use a wheelchair or mobility device. With a coffee and tea making space and a small bar fridge at hand, the TV can also be controlled by the remote. It’s worth noting that at this hotel the air conditioning unit cannot be operated by a remote. There is an accessible combined toilet and shower facility fitted with grab rails and a fold-down set. The shower is also hobless for added accessibility. Unfortunately, the balconies have sliding door tracks and may not be accessible to all guests, and there are also no designated accessible parking bays. However, there is ample room for drop offs immediately in front of reception.

Entering the reception may also be a little difficult as the door is manual, but staff are always happy to assist (and man the desk 24 hours). There are wide paths that lead from the reception to every area of the resort, including the BBQ area, the pool and the adjoining dining room.

PREFERRED HOTEL (DAINTREE): Wheelchair users will be pleasantly surprised by how accessible the property is. The two Escape Cabins are especially convenient. There are no lifts to these two cabins, no stairs, the room is large and the light switches are low. The bathrooms is suitable for wheelchair access. There are spots on site where a person who is neurodivergent could find a quiet space with reduced stimuli or retreat to his/her room.

Meals & Restaurants

FLEXIBILITY WITH RESTAURANTS & CATERING: We have quite a bit of flexibility with the restaurants we choose; therefore if we know in advance that we have a guest with a wheelchair, mobility scooter or is short statured, we can choose restaurants that cater accordingly.

We offer flexible menu options for people who have food allergies or intolerances, and in many cases religious requirements relating to food.

Guests are given space on our online booking form to specify their allergy, intolerance or religious requirement. On arrival we then give them a bag containing, for example, lactose-free milk, nut-free cereal and snacks, and/or other food items that cater to this allergy or intolerance. Unfortunately, we are not able to guarantee catering for preferences like low carb meals or FODMAP.

Similarly, we inform all caterers and restaurants of our guests’ food allergies or intolerances.  Breakfast is typically served at the hotel, whilst lunches are often boxed lunches as we move around quite a bit on our tours.


Activities

If we are informed in the planning phase of your trip about  any participants or (potential participants) who have disabilities or special needs, we can suggest certain activities over others or suggest certain boats to the reef.  For example, one boat that travels to the reef has a lift for a guest in a wheelchair to get in and out of the water which is a great choice for guests with wheelchairs or mobility devices. Conversely, we know that the facilities on the boat that travels to the Fitzroy Island reef is not well set up for those with wheelchairs or mobility devices.  We also can include activities such as the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which recognises and supports the Sunflower program for people with hidden disabilities.

On this particular trip, there are quite a few activities:

Farm Visits

Some farms are better equipped than other for wheelchair and mobility device users –please let us know in the planning phase if you have a wheelchair or mobility device user in your group and we can make informed decisions when choosing farms. Generally at farms there are spots on site where a person who is neurodivergent could find a quiet space with reduced stimuli. There are not necessarily provisions for those with hearing impairments, and those with vision impairments will find that most of the farm visits involve verbal descriptions of planting, harvesting and farming practices.

Millaa Millaa Falls

Millaa Millaa Falls in the lower carpark at the base of the falls which has an accessible viewing platform nearby. There is no access to the swimming area at the falls, with no provisions for people who use a wheelchair or mobility device. There are accessible toilets adjacent to the car park.  There is a spot on site where a person who is neurodivergent could find a quiet space with reduced stimuli. People with hearing impairments can read the interpretive panels at the falls.

Outback Cattle Station

The property has an accessible toilet and shower. Bunk houses are suitable for people using a wheelchair or a mobility device. Eating area is located on a rock & slate surface, which is relatively smooth but slightly uneven in some places. The pioneer homestead and the hay truck (for wildlife viewing on the property) is not accessible for people using a wheelchair or a mobility device. There are many places on site where a person who is neurodivergent could find a quiet space with reduced stimuli. People with hearing impairments can receive safety instructions for cow milking, boomerang throwing and other activities in a visual format. People with vision impairments can receive verbal safety instructions for cow milking and other activities in a visual format, however boomerang throwing is not recommended.

Great Barrier Reef Trip

  • The boat cannot accommodate persons using wheelchairs and mobility devices.
  • Safety instructions are given verbally (no written instructions available).
  • The captain is the first point of call for any questions or queries in regards to accessibility and/or special requirements that guests may have on the day.
  • Assistance dogs are permitted, but must be confirmed with the reservations team prior to the trip.
  • The boat uses pictogram signs (for example a pictogram showing feet standing on coral with a red line through it) to assist people with low literacy levels or who speak English as a second language. The company also has risk snorkel assessment forms in Japanese & Chinese for those nationalities.
  • The distance from the Reef Fleet terminal to the vessel is approximately 150 metres; unfortunately no assistance is available for guests with mobility impairments.
  • Lunch catering is sourced from a third party contractor who supply very detailed ingredient lists on request. Most dietary restrictions (gluten or lactose free, vegan, nut-free) can be accommodated.
  • Although the boat itself does not have a specific low-stimulus quiet area, there are places on the island that could serve in this capacity.
  • The island has dirt tracks and uneven terrain to get to the turtle rehab centre, and the beach front is mostly coral rubble

Wooroonooran National Park: Josephine Falls

The toilets, picnic shelter and picnic tables in the car park area are wheelchair and mobility device-accessible. Wheelchair and mobility device access is available to the viewing platform at the top area. Stairs lead to the bottom pool where swimming takes place. People with hearing impairments can read the interpretive panels at the falls. There is a spot on site where a person who is neurodivergent could find a quiet space with reduced stimuli.

Optional Aquaponics Workshop

There are no accessible toilets at the site of the aquaponics workshop and no provisions for people who use a wheelchair or mobility device. There is a spot on site where a person who is neurodivergent could find a quiet space with reduced stimuli. People with hearing impairments can easily be shown visually how to make the aquaponics systems and visual guides are available on paper. Those with vision impairments will be assisted by our guides.


Departure at Airport

VISUAL AND WRITTEN STORY GUIDES: Visual Story Guides are available for Domestic Departures and have been designed to help you to understand how an airport works and what to expect. Written Story Guides are also available for Domestic Departures.

Itinerary

Arrive Cairns: Welcome to the tropics! You are met at the airport by a member of the Small World Journeys team and then you are transferred to your accommodation.

Field Guide: 101 Plants of The Wet Tropics, written by Dr. Martin Cohen, helps you to better understand species native to the region and is yours to keep (and the book makes a great souvenir!)

Accommodation: Cairns budget accommodation
Meals Included: Dinner

Banana Farm Visit: This morning you visit a banana farm that produces the red-tipped banana.  As a shining example of fruit produced without the use of fertilizers or pesticides, the company is a great model of sustainability.  You have the opportunity to speak with the owners of the plantation about their “Ecoganic” farming, witness their growing techniques, and enjoy a delicious banana smoothie!

Agronomist Talk:  Accompanying you  is an agronomist and research director of Scientific Advisory Services (SAS – SAS specialises in plant protection and the development of integrated pest management in horticulture). He has more than 15 years experience living and working on plant protection in the tropics, on a range of tropical fruit crops including banana, papaya, lychee, mango and passionfruit. He conducts research on disease diagnostic methods, pheromone trapping and monitoring systems and novel biological control technologies. In addition he is involved in conducting efficacy and residue trials for registration of new pesticides.  You discuss plant protection at length.

Tully Sugar Cane Mill: During this one hour tour you will be shown the inner workings of the Tully Sugar Mill. The Tully Mill is one of the largest in Australia and their principal activity is to produce raw sugar. (Please note this activity is only available during crushing season, June-November)

Josephine Falls: Finally you make a stop in Wooroorooran National park. You take an easy walk through the jungle, where Josephine Creek plunges down a gorgeous set of cascades. Below the falls, boulders surround a swimming hole and a natural water slide down a smooth sloping rock face.

Accommodation: Cairns budget accommodation
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Farm Visit: Today with your guide you spend your time on a farm in the Atherton Tablelands, the major agricultural area of the region. You have time to talk with the farmers about their techniques, view their equipment, and ask specific questions about their methods.

Bio-Dynamic Dairy Farm and Making Butter or Cheese: Next you visit a family-owned farm in the heart of dairy country. You learn what it means for farmers to “go beyond organic” by applying a diligent set of practices to the land. At a forward-thinking dairy farm, you learn how biodynamics—one of the first sustainable agriculture movements—accounts for ecological, social and economic sustainability. With a chance to sample delicious soft cheeses and creamy yogurts, you taste the magic that makes dairy products so yummy. You also have the chance to learn the art of making either homemade butter or rich ricotta-style cheese.

Millaa Millaa Falls: After lunch you visit Millaa Millaa Falls, the icon of tropical north Queensland and one of the most photographed natural sites in the region.  For those who are keen, you can swim out to the peculiar columnar basalt and view the falls from behind – a perfect tropical swimming hole.

Wind Farm: On the edge of the outback, you stop at Windy Hill Wind Farm for a look at the first wind farm that was constructed in Queensland. The Windy Hill Wind Farm produces 12 megawatts of electricity, or enough energy to supply 3,500 homes. You learn about why Australia requires energy retailers to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to achieve renewable energy targets, and how this wind farm is helping with these sustainability efforts.

Outback Cattle Station and Wildlife: As you cross the Great Dividing Range, you enter outback country, where the dirt turns red and gum trees prevail. Here you are welcome guests at a traditional working cattle station and homestead, opened to your group.  On arrival, you hop in the hay truck to trace a route through the station – much of which has been set aside as a sanctuary for wildlife—and look for the kangaroos and crocodiles that roam the property.

Aussie BBQ and Stargazing: After a classic Aussie “barbie”, you have a fire under starry outback skies. From this remote outback station, views of the southern hemisphere stars are phenomenal. You’ll learn how to find southern constellations—including the Southern Cross—most of which cannot be seen from the northern hemisphere. Students sleep in single-gender dorm-style bunk houses, while teachers sleep in single cabins tonight.

Accommodation: Outback Cattle Station (dorm-style bunk beds in a cabin)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Farm Activities & Sustainability Efforts: This morning you get a sample of true outback life on a cattle station. You visit the cattle yards to learn about the cattle musters and branding, and what this robust rural family does to survive flooding, and drought. You also learn the efforts the station is making to reduce fine sediment runoff to the Great Barrier Reef and why the station is considered a Far North leader in protecting the Reef.

Urban Farm: Next you visit a local “urban” farm that is unique in its operations.  While the farmers grow chemical free organic produce to supply locally, they also grow everything on recycled, repurposed and salvaged materials. Depending on what’s in season, you can sample strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and more, all that have come straight from the vine.  Throughout your tour you will discuss topics such as sustainable urban farming, soil and compost building, guerilla farming – and what it means, and how you can easily practice container gardening at home. This is a great opportunity for you to taste delicious “clean” fruits and veggies that you can’t do in most places, as well as the chance for a Q and A session direct with the farmers. Any projects in progress at the time of your visit you are invited to get hands on and assist with; this may include planting or harvesting a crop, making compost, building up garden beds and more.

Accommodation: Cairns budget accommodation
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Sugar Cane Farm: With its origins in the late 19th century, the Queensland sugar industry has played a significant role in the development of many regions in Queensland. Today you visit a family-run farm in Mossman where they farm 185 hectares of sugarcane.  Your host is Gerard Puglisi – member of a number of key agriculture advisory boards—who leads you on an exploration of his property. You also witness the harvesting of cane if the season is not yet finished.

Cocoa Plantation:  An on-site 2 hectare cocoa plantation was one of the first in Australia, and it’s the origin of chocolate lovers’ dreams.   The plantation is one of a small handful of “Plantation to Plate” cocoa producers (meaning they have total control over every stage of processing).  You see how cocoa moves from the trees through the fermenting and drying processes, and you then get to sample some of the end product of chocolate for yourself!

Daintree Rainforest & Eco-Lodge: Later you enter the magical Daintree Rainforest – the oldest continuously growing rainforest on earth.  Your Daintree lodge boasts an attractive swimming pool, guest laundry, BBQ area, and a superb location in the rainforest.  Students sleep in dorm-style cabins with ensuites and air conditioning, and the sounds of the jungle surround you.

Accommodation: Daintree Rainforest cabins
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Cape Tribulation and Swimming Hole: After a night of immersion in the rainforest, you wake to birdcalls and the chatter of the jungle.  Nearby is a crystal-clear rainforest swimming hole used by locals and a perfect place to cool off.  You then have free time to explore the surrounding rainforest, lounge by the pool, take a beach walk or climb the nearby challenging Mt. Sorrow.

Organic Fruit Orchard: Next you visit a unique 22-acre site encircled by rainforest-clad mountains that showcases lush tropical gardens and unique sweeping vistas (a rarity in rainforest ecosystems normally covered by canopy). In keeping in harmony with the surrounds the orchard is organically farmed and the best is done to work with the natural systems. Being in the rainforest, there is no need to irrigate and all trees are watered by mother nature. The Daintree Ice Cream Company’s orchard contains more than 15 species of rare and exotic fruit trees as well as dedicated revegetation/wildlife areas…and you get to try their delicious flavours!

Accommodation: Cairns budget accommodation
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Local Aboriginal Culture:  This morning you meet an Aboriginal Yirrganydji elder to see the region through his eyes. Having worked with the Historical Society for more than 20 years to research Indigenous artefacts as a “surface archaeologist”, your guide is also an author and a source of many compelling stories. Starting at a local museum, your guide tells of life sanctioned on Aboriginal Reserves in Cairns and about the significance of land and sea country to his people.

Bush Tucker Walk: Tracing a route on land that has had significance to the Yirrganydji people, your Aboriginal guide also shows you what is currently blooming and in season.  Sweet berries, fruits and other bush tucker becomes central to your discovery today, and your guide also shares with you his personal stories of living his whole life in this area. This is a great way to better understand flora from a traditional owner and get insight into local Aboriginal way of life.

Marine Biologist Reef Presentation: During this presentation taught by a marine naturalist, you learn more about biodiversity and the significance of the Great Barrier Reef.   From colourful corals that take whimsical shapes like broccoli, brains and baskets to a host of fish such as the chocolate-dipped damsel, the Picasso triggerfish and the giant Maori wrasse, you learn how to identify the most common creatures at the reef.  You find out about threatened species and coral predators – such as the Crown of Thorns—and the consequences of climate change and human activity on the reef.  More importantly, you learn about the real hazards at the reef (like the innocent-looking cone shell) versus the imagined ones (like scary sharks) fuelled by Hollywood myths.  You leave with a greater understanding of the reef environment and an appreciation of the natural wonder you are about to experience.

Accommodation: Cairns budget accommodation
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Biodiversity at The Outer Reef: For students, the outer Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the world’s best classroom in which to witness the interconnectedness of species and biodiversity.  Today at the outer Barrier Reef you witness why this is one of the most complex natural systems on Earth.

Eco-Friendly Catamaran: Today you sail to the Reef aboard an eco-friendly catamaran, recipient of the Advanced Ecotourism Climate Action Innovator Award and the most eco-friendly reef boat in Cairns.  No worries if you are new to snorkelling – staff will ensure you are safe and relaxed, and you can join in a guided snorkel tour with one of them.

Snorkelling: Snorkelling can be done right off the back of the boat.  For snorkelers, giant clams, angel, butterfly and parrot fish, turtles, sea stars and corals of a thousand hues are all within reach.  Among the 1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral, you can expect to see Wally the giant wrasse, fan corals, sea cucumbers and just about the entire cast of “Finding Nemo”.   You also may see beauties such as luminescent parrot fish, the chocolate-dipped damsel, the Picasso triggerfish and several species of turtles.

Buffet Lunch:  Lunch is a tropical buffet of delicious hot and cold items, including prawns, pasta salads and fresh fruit.

Fish and Coral ID:  A field guide for the creatures at The Great Barrier Reef is included in your trip so that you better understand the creatures you’re looking at (and the book makes a great souvenir!) You return to Cairns in the late afternoon and have a delicious dinner on the town to celebrate the week’s adventures.

Optional SCUBA Diving: Snorkellers can also opt to learn about SCUBA diving from a dive instructor—an intro dive (also known as “resort diving”) is a fantastic way to see the reef without having a certification. (Extra cost and medical restrictions apply, please see end of document).

Accommodation: Cairns budget accommodation
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning after breakfast you have some time to do some last-minute shopping. If you have a late afternoon or evening flight you may wish to consider the following option:

OPTIONAL Aquaponics Workshop – Make Your Own Sustainable System: You gather at the property of an “aquaponics gardener” for a fun and intensive look at how to produce organic fruits, herbs, veggies AND fish in a sustainable way in your school or back yard.  Through hands-on activities, you learn how fish poop makes veggies develop, how things like sweet tomatoes, crunchy lettuce and fragrant mint grow without soil and how the icky-sounding but effective “worm tea” keeps insects away. Native bees on the property produce honey for collection, a breeding box makes fish food, and solar power keeps all systems running.  The best part of the day learning how to make your own mini-aquaponics system that you can easily and cheaply re-create at your home or school to produce your own food.  This is a creative exercise to spark discussion about the global themes of agriculture, hunger issues and sustainability and to show students how, through principles of permaculture, anyone can be self-sufficient.  (extra cost, ask us about pricing for your group size).

Then eventually all good things must come to an end. You are transferred back to the Cairns Airport for your flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

 

Check out this tour's educational outcomes
“The trip was well planned in advance, very good organization – thanks Deb! Linguistic and cultural goals achieved. Students and teachers would have liked to go to a retail store selling sugar cane harvesters and big machinery. Yann [SWJ guide] is great–always trying to make things easier, good contact with the students and teachers, lots of cultural benefits! Hostel – very convenient to have the big room! Fitzroy [Island] was excellent! Favourite things were the sweet potato farm and the banana farm. Eco-friendly and educational tours are the main reasons [we come back] and definitely we’ll come back again. Good destination, good organization, friendly and helpful people.”
–Gabrielle Crepel, agriculture teacher, MFR La Pignerie, Laval, France (Nov ’13, ’14, ‘15 and ’18)

How Your Trip Makes The World A Better Place

We’re not talking rainbows and unicorns. We’re talking about how we have put significant thought into how to make our student tours as safe as they possibly can be while still being fun; encouraging students to learn about and contribute to the community they are travelling in; and teaching them what “sustainability” really means.

Sustainability

OUR COMMITMENT: We are determined and motivated to be the most sustainable business we can be. This is why we run our office on renewable energy, voluntarily offset our carbon emissions (AND your flights to get to us!), and fulfilling our policy to give at least 5% of our annual net profits to local environmental and community organisations and charities. Here’s what else we are doing:

HELPING THE REEF: In addition to the coral tree we sponsor, we pay to care for a coral at Fitzroy Island through our partner. The coral propagation happening there is unprecedented and is being celebrated as a significant project to help save the reef. Each of our groups that visit the reef receives a certificate on the tour


ADOPTING A RAINFOREST PLOT IN YOUR NAME: We make a donation to Rainforest Rescue for every group that visits the rainforest. On your excursion...


your group will be presented with a certificate detailing the significance of this gift to the environment. In the last two years, we purchased more than 100 square metres of rainforest adopted in our groups’ names.

CREATIVE WASTE REDUCTION: We give you your own water bottle and cloth shopping bag to eliminate the need for disposable bottles and plastic bags (and saves them from going in landfills!) We also recycle BOTH our hard plastics and soft plastics (through RedCycle) and have transitioned into NO WASTE snacks and NO WASTE lunches. Our food scraps get composted and put into our community garden, our bin liners are paper (not plastic) and we even wipe our bums with Who Gives a Crap 100% recycled toilet paper!

Community

SUPPORTING OUR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY: It is our policy to include a talk or an activity with an Aboriginal person on every trip we offer. By taking this trip, you are supporting grassroots Indigenous tourism ventures and encouraging Aboriginal pride in culture. Additionally, our student community service project involves students in making “Moon Sick Care Bags” which supply re-usable sanitary products to Aboriginal women in remote communities — this helps both Indigenous women AND the environment! (Ask us how your group can do this on their tour)

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES: It is our policy to use locally owned suppliers and businesses unless their standards are not up to par (for example, if they have a bad environmental record).

VOLUNTEERING IN OUR COMMUNITY: Small World staff are incentivised to volunteer in the community...


and are given time to do so during work hours. As a team, we also clean up our local mangroves once a quarter, recognising their importance at the nursery to the Great Barrier Reef.

Safety

SUPERB SAFETY RECORD: We’ve had thousands of students travel with us, and our safety record is excellent. Ask us for teacher references specifically regarding safety.

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR EVERY TRIP: We do a risk assessment for every student tour we run, and is sent to your organising teacher. We have safety protocols for our activities and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Manual that documents these protocols. We also have a complete Crisis Management Plan. In addition:

SAFE BUSES: All of our buses are equipped with seatbelts for every seat. While this is not a Queensland law to have them, we feel your safety is a priority. Our guides do safety checks at the start of each day of the trip. In addition, vehicles go through a Department of Transport safety inspection every 12 months...

students are given a safety briefing during orientation that addresses hazards and risks for this region.


SAFE GUIDES: Small World Journeys’ guides hold current Senior First Aid and CPR certificates, along with government-issued Driver’s Authority (if driving) and Working With Children cards (also known as a Blue Card) after passing a thorough background check. For more information on our guides, see About Us.

We do custom trips!

Still haven’t found exactly what you are looking for? All our tours are fully customisable and can be catered to suit your time-frame, student interests and budget. A geography excursion to the Great Barrier Reef? A biology excursion to the Daintree Rainforest? An Aboriginal culture excursion? Our educational trips in Queensland and New South Wales are hand-crafted for those who cannot find exactly what they want from the inflexible set itineraries of large tour operators.

If you are looking for a science trip, ecology trip, Aboriginal culture, or just a sample of the best of Australia – we can help.

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