Reef & Rainforest Immersion

• Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef where “the rainforest meets the reef”
• Soar high into the Daintree rainforest on a jungle zipline
• Participate in CoralWatch service project and collect primary data on coral bleaching
• Meet Indigenous rangers on country and learn about history, lore and crafts
• Trace a pathway on a tropical island that leads to one of the country’s best beaches
• Opt for a visit to a wildlife park famous for its crocodiles
• Spend two nights in the heart of the rainforest at a special research station
• Delight in tasting ice cream made fresh with rainforest fruits from the orchard

• Risk assessment
• Cairns airport transfers
• All activities as described in the itinerary
• Transportation to activities
• Small World Journeys guide on Days 1-3, 5
• Marine naturalist/marine biologist on Day 4
• Expert speakers and Indigenous guides
• 2 nights Cairns 3-star hotel accommodation (2 or 3 share ensuite rooms)*
• 2 nights Daintree Rainforest research station (single gender dorm-style rooms)
• All continental breakfasts
• All lunches
• All dinners (except on Day 4)
• Mask, fins, snorkel hire on Fitzroy Island and outer reef trip
• Stinger suit hire during the wet season
• 101 Marine Animals of the Great Barrier Reef and 101 Marine Animals of the Wet Tropics field guide for each student
• Care for A Coral donation through Reef Restoration Foundation
• Small World Journeys BPA free reusable water bottle and cloth shopping bag
• National Park and Marine Park taxes and levies
• NEW: we offset the carbon emissions from your trip activities AND your flight to Cairns!

*Cairns accommodation – 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 supplement is charged if an additional private room is required for the trip (please ask us for pricing). If teachers are happy to share a room, no additional costs are incurred. Single supplement is not available at the Daintree Rainforest Research Station, teachers and guides may be required to share dorms here.

Small World Journeys reserves the right to change the order of activities for logistical reasons.
Prices are valid for travel 1 April 2026 until 31 March, 2027 outside of peak travel times.
(If you wish to travel before 1 April 2026, ask us about 2025-26 pricing)

Peak travel times: 1-7 April 2026 | 21 June – 13 July 2026

• Airfare to Cairns
• 1 Dinner – free choice in town
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, laundry, etc.)

• Travel insurance (highly recommended)
• Substitute wildlife & crocodile park for the Daintree Discovery Centre (add $15 per person)

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 accessible

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.

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 two reef excursions: one to the inner reef and the other to the outer reef.

The Inner 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.

The Outer Reef Trip

• 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.
• Some walking in water from the beach to the boat is required; unfortunately no assistance is available for guests with mobility impairments.
• Students with ASD can retreat to the boat whilst the other passengers are in the water for quiet and reduced stimuli.

Indigenous Culture Activity

This particular trip includes a beach walk/coastal exploration where accessible toilets are not available nor are there provisions for wheelchair or mobility device users. There are  quiet places available where a neurodivergent person could find with reduced stimuli.

JCU Research Station

The station is not well-equipped for people using wheelchairs or mobility devices. All of the activities we do on site are within a 5 minute walk from the station, terrain is uneven, on grass, pebbles or dirt.  There is an ambulant bathroom and toilet in the block directly opposite the students dorms, without walking up or down stairs.

Daintree Discovery Centre

• While the Aerial Walkway was designed to accommodate most wheelchairs and prams, some sections do have slight gradients. Visitors using a mobility device may need assistance.
• Due to natural variations in the terrain, the lower level boardwalks and walkways may not be accessible to all visitors using mobility devices.
• It is recommended that Guide Dogs be fitted with appropriate ‘shoes’ due to the metal-grated surface of the elevated walkways.
• Audio guides are available that have been fitted with a T-switch. These are suitable for use with hearing aids.
• A new Canopy Camera at the base of the tower for visitors that are unable to climb to the top.
• The more details throughout the park, you may find by clicking the title “Accessibility”.

Wildlife & Crocodile Park

The park is about 98% fully accessible for wheelchair and mobility device users. Wheelchairs are available free of charge from Admissions (need to be pre-booked). The pathways to Gondwana Gateway and Cassowary Walk are moderately steep and assistance may be required. The only area not suitable for a person in a wheelchair is the Crocodile Farm Tour as they cannot see into the pens; however they can still listen to the information given on croc farming. Ambulant access toilets are located at Lilies Restaurant and at the Gallery of Living Art. People with hearing impairments can read the interpretive panels at the different areas of the park. Support dogs for people with vision impairments have limited access to certain area’s i.e.: restaurant, shop and limited croc area, but some areas with wallabies, kangaroos, koalas and birds the dogs are forbidden access; clients CAN leave the dog with us in the air-conditioned office.

Rainforest Zipline

• Weight limit applies to this activity – 120kg max
• Participants must be able to climb, walk and take on steps.
• There is no convenient places to watch if someone in the group does not participate, because the group is met at the bottom of the site and driven, in the Treetops van to the course start point. There is no viewing platform.
• Small World Journeys can contact the zipline company directly to discuss individual needs for any participants with disability or medical conditions.

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.

Arrival: Welcome to the tropics! You arrive in Cairns and are warmly greeted by your guide at the airport. You are then given a safety talk and orientation. (Plan to arrive no later than noon today)

Daintree Rainforest ice Cream Company & Fruit Orchard: Next you travel north and enter the magical Daintree Rainforest – the oldest continuously growing rainforest on earth. 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 orchard contains more than 15 species of rare and exotic fruit trees as well as dedicated revegetation/wildlife areas. You get to try four scoops their delicious flavours, which vary according to the season…expect rare delights like wattleseed, jackfruit, and black sapote.

Daintree Rainforest Research Station: By special arrangement with Small World Journeys, you arrive at James Cook University’s Daintree Rainforest Observatory, an eco-monitoring site and research station. It lies in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest, and claims the highest biodiversity of anywhere in Australia! You get a safety induction and orientation about the significance of this rainforest and then settle in to your accommodation. Your home for the next two nights is in the new facilities at the rainforest research station. Rooms for students are single gender, six and 10-bed rooms and teachers stay together in a separate dorm. You have access to a communal industrial kitchen, and an amenities block nearby provides laundry, bathroom and shower facilities.

Night Walk in The Daintree: After dinner, you can embark on a rainforest walk under the cover of night—an opportunity to witness the Daintree come alive in a way few ever experience. You can search for crepuscular and nocturnal species, paying close attention to endemic wildlife found nowhere else. The night setting offers a rare glimpse into behaviors and biodiversity hidden during daylight hours, deepening students’ understanding of ecological relationships and the intricate web of life within this ancient rainforest.

Accommodation: Daintree Rainforest Research Station
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Snorkelling The Great Barrier Reef: You begin your morning at Cape Tribulation, the only place on Earth where two World Heritage sites—the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef—collide in spectacular harmony. After a warm welcome and safety briefing, you’ll board a high-powered eco vessel for a thrilling 25-minute ride across turquoise waters to the outer reef. Your destination: Mackay and Undine Reefs, part of the same reef system where Captain Cook’s Endeavour famously ran aground in 1770. These pristine sites are teeming with life and largely untouched by mass tourism, offering a rare glimpse into the reef’s raw beauty. With full snorkel gear provided, you’ll slip into the warm, crystal-clear waters and find yourself surrounded by a dazzling underwater world: vibrant coral gardens in every hue imaginable; parrotfish and lionfish weaving through the reef; sea turtles gliding gracefully past; cuttlefish and rays dancing in the currents. On clear days, you can even look back toward the shore and see the lush canopy of the Daintree Rainforest—a surreal reminder of the dual ecosystems you’re immersed in.

Daintree Rainforest Ziplining and Canopy Tour:  The Daintree Rainforest Treetops zipline offers a rare opportunity to glide above one of the world’s oldest ecosystems. With nine ziplines, aerial bridges, and a 360° viewing platform, the experience blends adventure with breathtaking rainforest views. The gentle pace allows you to appreciate the sounds, sights, and biodiversity, while expert guides provide ecological insights throughout. Designed for accessibility and safety, it’s a serene and educational way to connect with nature from the canopy. This activity is always a student favourite!

Accommodation: Daintree Rainforest Research Station
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rainforest 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.

Daintree Discovery Centre: Next you learn more about the precious lowland rainforest at The Daintree Discovery Centre–an award-winning all-weather interpretive facility that allows you easy access to this unique rainforest wilderness via a boardwalk tour, a 23-metre high Canopy Tower, Aerial Walkway and comprehensive Display Centre . You discover what’s tasty on the Bush Tucker Trail, follow the flight of the brilliant blue Ulysses butterfly, look for the endangered giant cassowary in the underbrush, and learn why the Idiot Fruit was Australia’s most important biological find! A hologram attraction featuring interpretation by a local Kuku Yalanji guide provides an insight into the culture and country of these First Nations people.

OPTIONAL Wildlife Park: Instead of the Discovery Centre, you can opt for a wildlife park famous for its crocodiles! This multi-award winning eco-adventure attraction is the best place to see crocodiles in Australia. You learn why saltwater crocodiles were almost hunted to extinction, and their importance in ecosystems today. Lagoon boat rides enable safe, guaranteed viewing of giant saltwater crocodiles in a natural setting. You won’t want to miss the crocodile feeding, snake and wildlife presentations as well. In the Gondwana Gateway you also meet animals of far north Queensland, like monitors, snakes and the giant endangered cassowary. If you have always wanted to get a quintessential photo with a koala or a crocodile – here’s your chance (extra cost).

Accommodation: Cairns 3-star hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ferry Ride: This morning you are ferried to the pristine Fitzroy Island. A fringing coral reef surrounds the island, part of the inner Great Barrier Reef, providing a sheltered home for a kaleidoscope of marine life: colourful corals, butterfly, angel and surgeon fish, turtles, rays and giant clams nestled among the coral, their iridescent lips aglow.  Your marine biologist gives you some background about signs of a healthy reef, resilience at the reef before reviewing safety and use of your snorkel gear.

Guided Snorkelling: With full use of snorkel gear for the day, you can walk right into the water to explore the magnificent reef system that surrounds the island. Your marine naturalist leads you to underwater examples of biodiversity as well as examples of the reef’s most interesting features. Green sea turtles are often spotted at your guide’s favourite snorkel spot!

CoralWatch Data Collection: Next you collect primary data in an activity that addresses climate change and coral bleaching. During this exercise you find out more about how and why coral bleaches. You learn how to identify different kinds of coral, match its colours to a waterproof chart, and then record what you observe in teams of two. The data then goes back to the University of Queensland’s Coral Watch scientists, where they analyse the results over time and look for any long term trends. Your data results are collected and provided post trip for students to upload to a database for tracking bleaching around the world, once you have added your data your group receives a graph of your results (Note: students must be confident swimmers to participate in the Coral Watch data collection).

Island Walk: In the afternoon, you traverse the island’s tropical forest, keeping an eye out for reptilian skinks and yellow-spotted monitors, to emerge at the fantastic Nudey Beach (not for nudists!). Nudey Beach was rated “Australia’s Best Beach” by Australia’s beach ambassador Brad Farmer.

Accommodation: Cairns 3-star hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

On Country Cultural Experience with Indigenous Rangers: Your trip to Far North Queensland finishes with an exclusive experience on country. You head south from Cairns to Australia’s largest discrete Aboriginal community–traditional country of the Gunggandji and Mandingalbay Yidinji people. After a welcome to country smoking ceremony, Indigenous rangers share stories about the history of the community and life in community. Students are led into discussion of the importance of the ranger program and managing country and how land and sea rangers play an important role in their local communities. Rangers work closely with their Elders to plan caring for country as well as their community contribution through modelling leadership, cultural connection, and assisting with inter-generational knowledge sharing. Other topics include the types of activities rangers are undertaking, in particular how drones are used by rangers to monitor crocodiles. A spear making and throwing demonstration and/or a weaving activity will educate students of how they were traditionally made and traditional practices. (Allow 6.5 hours total for travel to and from location & activities – not available on weekends or public holidays)

Airport Transfer and Depart:  Eventually all good things must come to an end, you travel back to Cairns with your guide and to the airport for your departure flight. (Plan to depart no earlier than 4 pm)

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch