Day 1 Home Ports to Cairns

Passengers depart home ports this morning to arrive in Cairns by mid afternoon. You will be greeted at the airport by our friendly and professional tour guide before being taken on a leisurely and informative tour of Cairns. Later this afternoon we check-in to the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel located on the Esplanade. This evening enjoy a sumptuous welcome dinner at the hotel.

Day 2 Port Douglas - Daintree National Park - Cape Tribulation

Depart Cairns this morning and enjoy one of Australia's most scenic drives along the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas. After a brief tour we continue through Mossman and on to the Daintree River for our 1 hour cruise with an expert guide. After our cruise we begin heading into the oldest rainforest on the face of the earth, the Daintree. Inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 1988 the rainforest is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. To gain a true appreciation of the Daintree we visit the Daintree Discovery Centre. This world class interpretive facility features many boardwalks, an aerial walkway and a canopy tower for views across the top of the rainforest.

Continuing north this afternoon we arrive at the luxurious Cape Tribulation Resort, set within the magnificent rainforest only metres from the beach. Relax on the beach or take a short walk before enjoying dinner in the restaurant.

Day 3 Cape Tribulation - Bloomfield Track - Cooktown

This morning we depart Cape Tribulation and begin our journey along the Bloomfield Track. This road is completely impassable in the wet season and should only be tackled by 4WD vehicles. There are numerous steep climbs through the rainforest and several creek crossings to negotiate. Sit back and enjoy the adventure as your experienced tour driver does the hard work! Once across the Bloomfield River we take a quick look at the Bloomfield Falls and shortly after the Lions Den Hotel. We stop off at the Black Mountain Range before arriving into Cooktown early in the afternoon.

Cooktown is the place where Captain James Cook beached the Endeavour in 1770 after striking the Great Barrier Reef. Later Cooktown became a 'boom town' after the discovery of gold. This afternoon we visit the James Cook Museum, the Botanic Gardens, the historic cemetery with its Chinese Shrine and Grassy Hill lookout. We check-in to the 4-star Sovereign Resort later this afternoon for our overnight stay.

Day 4 Laura - Lakefield National Park - Lotus Bird Lodge

This morning we depart Cooktown to head along the Peninsula Developmental Road to Laura and then further on to Old Laura. Inspect the Old Laura Homestead before entering the second largest National Park in Queensland, Lakefield National Park. Travel through grassy plains, woodlands and swamps and tackle several creek crossings. We stop for lunch at Kalpowar, a delightful spot next to the Normanby River. After lunch we continue on through the park to arrive at Lotus Bird Lodge late afternoon. Our accommodation this evening is in timber cabins (with ensuite facilities) set amongst magnificent wetlands.

Day 5 Coen - Archer River - Iron Range National Park

This morning we depart Lotus Bird Lodge en route to the Iron Range National Park. We pass by the Musgrave Roadhouse and through the township of Coen before arriving at Archer River Roadhouse. Set on the banks of the Archer River this little oasis is an excellent spot for some lunch and a short break. This afternoon we cross the Archer River and begin our trek into the Iron Range National Park.

The Iron Range National Park covers 47,000ha and features the largest area of tropical lowland rainforest remaining in Australia. Surrounded by drier eucalypt and paperbark forest, the rainforest is a refuge and strong hold for rare fauna and flora including the vibrant Eclectus Parrot, the Raucous Palm Cockatoo and the Green Python. The drive into this unique region of the Cape York Peninsula includes numerous river and creek crossings, impressive coastal and mountain scenery and a visit to the heath-covered Tozer Range which rises 543m above sea level. Later this afternoon we arrive into Lockhart River and overnight at the Iron Range Cabins. This evening we enjoy a BBQ Dinner followed by a guided spot lighting tour through the rainforest.

Day 6 Exploring Lockhart River - Weipa

Lockhart River is famous for the energetic group of artists, known locally as the 'Art Gang' who work at the Lockhart River Art and Cultural Centre. The Iron Range area was also used as an American Air Force base in World War II and in 1942 it was home to 48 B-24D Liberators.

This morning we enjoy a visit to the Art and Cultural Centre followed by an informative tour around the local area including a visit to an old bunker site. We depart for Weipa late morning, arriving at around 5pm to spend the night at the Albatross Bay Resort.

Day 7 Rio Tinto Bauxite Mine - Batavia Downs - Moreton Telegraph Station

This morning we take a guided tour of the largest bauxite mine in the world, operated by Rio Tinto. After the mine tour we visit the Western Cape Cultural Centre to learn about the indigenous culture and history of the area. We depart Weipa late morning and pass by Batavia Downs to join up with the Telegraph Track. We begin heading north again and arrive at the Moreton Telegraph Station mid this afternoon. Dating back to 1887, the Moreton Telegraph Station served as a repeater station for the Overland Telegraph Line (OTL). Today it serves as a stopover point for travellers heading up and down Cape York. Tonight enjoy dinner and a yarn around the campfire before spending the night in new ensuite cabins, provided by Outback Spirit.

Day 8 Telegraph Track - Heathlands - Fruit Bat Falls - Bamaga

Today our adventure brings us to some of the most scenic and interesting sections of the Telegraph Track. The track came into existence after the building of the Overland Telegraph Line in the 1880's. The last Morse telegram code was sent from Brisbane to Thursday Island on the 24th June 1964, yet the line remained in use until 1987 as the local telephone line. There is still the odd telegraph pole standing today.

The Telegraph Track passes through some wild and rugged countryside. There are numerous creek crossings, dense pockets of tropical forest and spectacular waterways along the way. However, there are some sections of the Telegraph Track that are simply impassable and unsafe. We therefore utilise sections of the northern and southern bypass roads to avoid the unsafe sections. This afternoon we stop off at Fruit Bat Falls for a refreshing swim in the crystal clear water. We later pass over the Jardine River by vehicular ferry and enter into the Jardine River National Park. We continue heading north to arrive in Bamaga late afternoon. Our next two nights are spent at Resort Bamaga, a modern 4-star motel/resort complex.

Day 9 Bamaga - The Tip of Cape York

This morning we venture to the most Northerly point on the Australian mainland, a Cape traveller's ultimate destination. The tip can be reached only on foot using a walking track that commences at Pajinka. The walk is well worth it as the scenery at the 'Tip' is quite dramatic. If road conditions permit we will venture into Somerset, a place rich in history being once the home of Frank Jardine and the official Government residence on the Cape protected once by British marines. We return to Bamaga later in the afternoon after having a tour of some of the local Aboriginal communities such as Injinoo, Umagico and New Mapoon.

Day 10 Seisia - Endeavour Strait - Thursday Island

This morning we head for Seisia, the departure point for Thursday Island. Situated 35km northwest of the tip of Cape York Peninsula, Thursday Island has a population of around 3000 people. Our Captain gives an informative talk about the Torres Strait Islands and the history of the area on our ferry trip across Endeavour Strait. Today we enjoy a guided tour of the island with a visit to an Old Fort that takes you back to the rich history of this interesting settlement. We overnight at the Jardine Resort on the Island.

Day 11 Thursday Island - Horn Island - Cairns

This morning we catch a ferry across to Horn Island and enjoy a tour of this once prominent WWII air base. After some lunch we visit the Torres Strait Heritage Museum that has enormous detail on the area's involvement in WWII. Mid this afternoon we board our QANTAS flight down to Cairns. We arrive late this afternoon and check-in to the Shangri-La Hotel for our final evening together.

Day 12 Cairns - Home Ports

After breakfast enjoy the morning at your leisure. You will then be transferred to the airport for your return flights home. Bon Voyage!