Community Service & Sustainability Tour

• Presentations by researchers, scientists and/or James Cook University professors
• Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef and collecting coral bleaching data
• Visits to a wind farm, bio-dynamic dairy and a university research station
• Local controversial environmental issue debate
• Outback farmstay
• Discovering the Daintree Rainforest & medicinal plants with an Indigenous elder
• Learning solutions to global food security through aquaponics and how to make a mini-system at home
• Service work planting trees, monitoring a revegetation site, and making a meal for homeless people

15+ students: $3698 per person (inc GST)
10-14 students: $3764 per person (inc GST)

Includes:

• Risk assessment
• Cairns airport transfers
• All activities as described in the itinerary
• All transportation
• Small World Journeys guide for Days 1-4, 6-7
• Marine biologist Days 5 & 8
• Specialty guides and Indigenous educators
• 6 nights central Cairns budget hotel (2, 3 or 4- share rooms)*
• 1 night outback cattle station (students in single-gender dorm-style accommodation)
• 1 night Daintree eco-lodge (students in single-gender quad-share cabins)*
• All continental breakfasts
• All lunches
• All dinners (except on Day 8)
• 101 Animals of the Wet Tropics field guide for each student
• 101 Animals of the Great Barrier Reef field guide for each student
• Mask, fins, and snorkel on the reef trip
• National Park and Marine Park taxes and levies
• Trees for replanting
• Contents of hygiene packs to be distributed to local homeless and needy people
• 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)
• NEW: we offset the carbon emissions from your trip activities AND your flight to Cairns through Reforest

*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. 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 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 times: 1-7 April  | 21 June – 13 July | 19 September – 6 October 2026

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

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.

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.

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 quite a few activities:

Tree Planting

There are no accessible toilets at the tree planting site 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 plant the trees and those with vision impairments will also be assisted by our guides.

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.

Dairy Farm Visit

The dairy farm 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 but terrain is uneven, on grass, pebbles or dirt. The property does not have an accessible toilet. 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 butter. Those with vision impairments will be assisted by our guides.

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.

Mossman Gorge Walk

The Visitors’ Centre and toilets are accessible for wheelchair or mobility devices. People using a wheelchair or mobility device can access the the river track & first 500m to the look-out on board walk. Groups can be kept to under 10 people for guests with mild to moderate hearing impairments so guide can project their voice loud enough for guest to hear; guides like to have one on one conversations & questions if guests needed.  There are many quiet spots in the park where people who are neurodivergent can rest.

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

• One boat in the fleet can accommodate persons using wheelchairs (again, if a wheelchair user is in the group, kindly let us know in the planning stage for your 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.
• 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 which are displayed for guests at the buffets. Most dietary restrictions (gluten or lactose free, vegan, nut-free) can be accommodated.
• Students with ASD can retreat to the boat whilst the other passengers are on the pontoon for quiet and 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.

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.

Excursion Safety & Compliance Checklist

1. Check Small World Journeys Safety Record

• ☐ Demonstrated excellent safety record with thousands of high school students – both Australian students and international students

• ☐ Teacher safety references available on request

• ☐ Proven experience delivering school excursions and educational tours

2. Risk Management & Documentation

• ☐ Written risk assessment completed for every excursion

• ☐ Risk assessment provided to organising teacher prior to departure

• ☐ Activities governed by documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• ☐ Crisis Management Plan in place and available to schools

• ☐ Daily risk review conducted by guides during the program

3. Student Safety Briefings

• ☐ Mandatory student safety briefing delivered during program orientation

• ☐ Briefing addresses local environmental hazards and regional risks

• ☐ Clear expectations for student behaviour and group safety

4. Transport Safety

• ☐ All buses fitted with seatbelts for every passenger

• ☐ Vehicles exceed Queensland minimum legal requirements

• ☐ Daily vehicle safety checks conducted by guides

• ☐ Buses undergo Department of Transport inspections every 12 months

5. Guide Qualifications & Child Safety

• ☐ All guides hold current Senior First Aid certification

• ☐ All guides hold current CPR certification

• ☐ Valid Driver’s Authority held by guides when driving

• ☐ Valid Working With Children Check (Blue Card)

• ☐ Guides have undergone thorough background screening

• ☐ Guides trained in duty of care, code of conduct with teenagers and risk management

6. Supervision & Duty of Care

• ☐ Appropriate student-to-guide supervision ratios

• ☐ Teachers supported by experienced trained guides

• ☐ Clear lines of responsibility for student wellbeing and incident response

7. Compliance Assurance

• ☐ Program aligns with school excursion policies and approval requirements

• ☐ Documentation suitable for principal approval and risk review

• ☐ Ongoing communication with schools before and during the excursion

Arrival in Cairns:

Welcome to the tropics! On arrival at Cairns Airport, you are met by a Small World Journeys staff member and provided with a comprehensive safety briefing and program orientation. This introduction outlines regional conditions, excursion expectations, and risk management procedures, ensuring students are well prepared for their Far North Queensland school excursion.

Sustainability Introduction:

Your first learning experience is an interactive sustainability workshop designed to explore students’ ideas about being “green” and living sustainably. Delivered in a lively, game-show style, this session quizzes students on their current knowledge while introducing key sustainability concepts, global challenges, and real-world solutions. The activity encourages critical thinking, sparks discussion, and sets an engaging tone for the rest of the sustainability-focused program—combining learning, laughter, and meaningful reflection.

Accommodation: Cairns 3-star hotel
Meals Included: Dinner

Native Tree Planting:

Your first hands-on community service project focuses on restoring native ecosystems through tree planting. With guidance from your facilitator, you explore how land clearing, agriculture, and development contribute to habitat loss and declining biodiversity. Equipped with shovels and gloves, you plant native seedlings that help regulate temperature, improve soil health, and create vital habitat for local wildlife. Located within a recognised biodiversity hotspot, this project supports a protective buffer zone for a nearby World Heritage area. Working alongside local volunteers, you actively contribute to environmental regeneration while learning how grassroots conservation strengthens communities.

Bio-Dynamic Dairy Farm and Butter Making:

Next you visit an innovative bio-dynamic dairy farm to discover what it means to farm “beyond organic.” You learn how biodynamic agriculture—one of the earliest sustainability movements—integrates environmental care, animal welfare, and long-term economic viability. Through engaging discussions and farm demonstrations, you see how closed-loop systems support healthy soils and ecosystems. You’ll also sample delicious dairy products, including soft cheeses and yoghurts, and take part in a fun, hands-on butter-making activity that connects sustainable farming with everyday food choices.

Wind Farm:

On the edge of the outback, you stop at Windy Hill Wind Farm, Queensland’s first commercial wind farm. Producing enough renewable energy to power approximately 3,500 homes, the site provides a practical case study in clean energy and climate action. You learn how wind turbines generate electricity, why Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are required under Australian energy policy, and how renewable infrastructure supports national sustainability targets while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Outback Cattle Station and Wildlife:

Crossing the Great Dividing Range, you enter classic Australian outback landscapes where red earth, open savannah, and eucalypt forests dominate. You are welcomed to a working cattle station and historic homestead, opened exclusively to your group. A guided hay-truck tour takes you across the property—large sections of which are managed as wildlife sanctuary—offering opportunities to spot kangaroos, crocodiles, and other native species. You also learn how pastoralists balance livestock production with land stewardship and conservation.

Aussie BBQ and Stargazing:

After a traditional Australian barbecue, you gather around a campfire beneath vast outback skies. Far from city lights, the night sky comes alive with stars, providing exceptional conditions for stargazing. You learn to identify southern hemisphere constellations, including the Southern Cross, many of which are invisible from the northern hemisphere. Students stay overnight in simple, single-gender dorm-style bunkhouses, while teachers enjoy private cabins—ending the day with reflection, connection, and a true outback experience.

Accommodation: Outback Cattle Station
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Cattle Station Life:

This morning you experience authentic Australian outback life on a working cattle station. A visit to the cattle yards introduces you to traditional mustering practices, humane livestock management, and the realities of food production in rural Australia. You also learn how this resilient family adapts to challenges such as flooding, drought, and fluctuating markets. Importantly, the station is actively involved in a catchment restoration program aimed at improving water quality in the Herbert River system and reducing sediment runoff to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Through major gully reshaping, revised grazing practices, stock exclusion fencing, off-stream watering points, revegetation, and weed control, the project demonstrates how agriculture and reef protection can work together. You enjoy a one-on-one discussion with a station representative to explore the project’s goals, methods, and successes to date—an excellent real-world sustainability case study.

Cow Milking, Animal Feeding and Whip Cracking:

Get hands-on with station life as you feed goats and chickens, learn how to milk a cow, and try your hand at whip cracking in true outback style. A guided walk through the historic homestead offers a step back in time to the era of early Australian pioneers, where you can see and touch well-preserved furniture, tools, and family memorabilia that bring rural history to life.

Service Project for the Homeless — Preparing Hygiene Packs:

This afternoon you put sustainable tourism into action by giving back to the local community. You take part in a service project preparing hygiene packs for people who travel to Cairns from remote Indigenous communities for medical care and often arrive with very few personal belongings. Working together, you assemble practical care packs containing essential items such as toothbrushes, soap, and shampoo. The activity is simple, hands-on, and rewarding—showing how small acts can make a meaningful difference to dignity and wellbeing.

Cuisine & Culture:

This evening you enjoy a powerful cultural exchange as a Palestinian refugee now living in Cairns shares her personal story and passion for food. You learn to prepare a traditional meal from her homeland and gain insight into the experiences that lead people to migrate and seek refuge. In a world where migration is often discussed in abstract terms, this shared cooking experience humanises global issues, builds empathy, and celebrates cultural resilience. You finish the day with new culinary skills, a memorable shared meal, and perhaps a new friendship. (Please let us know if you prefer a restaurant dinner instead of this activity.)

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

Aquaponics Activities:

Today you visit the home of an innovative aquaponics gardener for an engaging, hands-on exploration of sustainable food production. You discover how aquaponics systems grow organic vegetables, herbs, fruit, and fish together in a closed-loop cycle—perfect for schools, communities, or backyards. Through practical activities, you learn how nutrient-rich fish waste feeds plants, how crops like tomatoes, lettuce, and mint thrive without soil, and how natural solutions such as “worm tea” help manage pests. The system also showcases native stingless bees producing honey, a breeding box that creates fish food, and solar power that keeps the entire setup running—demonstrating real-world sustainability in action.

Make Your Own Sustainable System:

The highlight of the day is designing and building your own mini aquaponics system—simple, affordable, and easy to replicate at home or school. This creative challenge encourages teamwork and problem-solving while sparking discussion around global food security, sustainable agriculture, and reducing environmental footprints. By applying permaculture principles, students see firsthand how small-scale systems can promote self-sufficiency and resilience in a changing world.

Future of the Reef Presentation:

Back in Cairns this evening, you attend a thought-provoking presentation on the future of the Great Barrier Reef. Led by a marine naturalist, the session explains the current state of the reef, separating scientific facts from common myths about coral bleaching and climate change. You explore the four major threats facing the reef, examine the impacts—both positive and negative—of reef tourism, and learn about cutting-edge research such as “assisted evolution,” where scientists breed corals with greater heat tolerance. Most importantly, you leave with practical actions and advocacy tips on how individuals can help protect the reef long after the trip ends.

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

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

Wildlife Park:

This morning your guide takes you to a leading wildlife immersion park featuring three open, interactive habitats—Rainforest, Wetlands, and Grasslands—designed to reflect natural ecosystems. Here, visitors and animals share the same space, creating an engaging and educational experience. The park is home to hundreds of native Australian animals, including kangaroos, wallabies, kookaburras, goannas, quolls, snakes, lorikeets, tree kangaroos, owls, and koalas. Many of these animals have been rescued, rehabilitated, and cared for through the park’s dedicated wildlife rescue program, highlighting the importance of conservation and animal welfare.

Wildlife Presentations:

During your visit, you may attend a range of informative wildlife presentations. These can include up-close encounters with reptiles, learning about the endangered southern cassowary—an iconic, flightless bird endemic to Far North Queensland—and witnessing a saltwater crocodile feeding demonstration. Each presentation offers insight into species behaviour, adaptations, and the conservation challenges facing Australia’s unique wildlife.

Optional Photo – You and a Koala!

If you’ve always dreamed of a classic Australian photo with a koala, this is your opportunity (additional cost). Koala interactions are strictly regulated, ensuring minimal human contact and prioritising the health and wellbeing of these iconic animals.

Rainforest Walk with Indigenous Guide:

This afternoon you travel to Mossman Gorge, a culturally significant area within the Daintree Rainforest and sacred to the Kuku Yalanji people. Guided by an Indigenous custodian, you explore the rainforest through First Nations perspectives. You learn how the Kuku Yalanji navigated dense rainforest, used native plants for food, fire, and medicine, and lived in harmony with seasonal cycles. Your guide also shares how modern influences have impacted culture and spirituality, offering a respectful and authentic insight into one of Australia’s oldest living cultures.

Daintree Rainforest Eco-Lodge:

Later you venture deeper into the ancient Daintree Rainforest—the oldest continuously surviving rainforest on Earth. Your eco-lodge accommodation is set within the rainforest and features a swimming pool, guest laundry, BBQ facilities, and comfortable cabins with ensuites and air conditioning. As night falls, the sounds of the jungle surround you, providing a memorable and immersive rainforest stay.

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

Environmental Debate:

After waking to birdsong and the sounds of the rainforest, you take part in a dynamic environmental debate focused on the management and planning of Australia’s urban future. Students are provided with background information on a real proposed development in the Cairns region and assigned stakeholder roles representing different community perspectives. Working in teams, you argue for or against the project to persuade the “council” (teachers), evaluating current and future land use, human modification of biomes, and the interplay of biotic and abiotic factors. This engaging activity builds critical thinking and decision-making skills while exploring a contemporary issue that has attracted significant national media attention.

After a safety briefing and an expert introduction to the significance of this rainforest research site, you choose one of the following hands-on fieldwork activities:

Tree Growth Data Collection:

Students participate in a meaningful service-learning project supporting ongoing rainforest research. Hundreds of trees planted for regeneration are monitored as you learn how biologists and botanists conduct vegetation condition assessments. Using professional field tools such as clinometers and DBH tapes, you measure tree growth, examine pioneer species, assess herbivory, and evaluate plant health. Your collected data contributes directly to James Cook University research investigating the success of rainforest restoration and succession processes.

– OR –

Water Quality Data Collection:

Explore freshwater ecosystems by learning how water chemistry influences biodiversity and species survival. Using nets, buckets, and testing equipment, you measure key indicators such as pH, nitrates, phosphates, and dissolved oxygen in both a stream and an on-site pond. These results help identify potential impacts from nutrients, fertilisers, or environmental stressors and support discussions around eutrophication and ecosystem health. Samples are examined under microscopes, and findings are interpreted using the easy-to-use SIGNAL biotic index.

Beach BBQ:

Later in the day, you unwind at one of the region’s most beautiful beaches. Enjoy swimming, music, beach games, and a classic Australian BBQ—an ideal way to relax, reflect on the day’s learning, and celebrate your time in Far North Queensland.

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

Boat Ride to Reef:

Your day begins with a comfortable, air-conditioned catamaran journey to the outer Great Barrier Reef—one of the world’s most extraordinary natural environments and a UNESCO World Heritage site. En route, your marine biologist provides an engaging briefing on reef ecology and the incredible biodiversity you are likely to encounter. You are also introduced to the Eye on the Reef program, including an overview of the Rapid Monitoring Survey used by scientists and reef managers to assess reef health.

Snorkelling and Data Collection:

On arrival at the floating pontoon, you step into a vibrant underwater world. During a guided snorkelling session led by your marine biologist, you explore colourful coral gardens and observe a wide variety of marine life, including hard and soft corals, green sea turtles, butterflyfish, parrotfish, the iconic giant Maori wrasse, and clownfish made famous by Finding Nemo. This guided experience helps you build confidence in the water while learning to observe reef systems scientifically.

Data Collection & Service:

You then take part in hands-on citizen science by completing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Rapid Monitoring Survey. After in-water training and a practice survey, you undertake a timed snorkel to record key observations. Using waterproof slates, you identify marine species, estimate benthic cover, and look for indicators of reef health such as coral bleaching and coral predators. Your collected data is submitted to GBRMPA’s central reporting system, contributing directly to long-term monitoring and management of this globally significant ecosystem.

Other Activities:

Back on the pontoon, you can continue your reef exploration through a range of optional activities, including a semi-submarine tour, glass-bottom boat ride, underwater observatory, and marine life touch tank. The double-storey pontoon also features a unique highlight—a fun waterslide that plunges straight into the reef. A tropical buffet lunch is served onboard, keeping you fuelled for a full day on the water.

Field Guide:

To extend your learning beyond the snorkel, you receive your own copy of 101 Animals of the Great Barrier Reef by Dr. Martin Cohen—a valuable resource to help you identify species and deepen your understanding of the reef’s extraordinary biodiversity.

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

After breakfast this morning you have free time for last-minute shopping or souvenir purchases.

Later you are transferred to the Cairns airport for your flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast