On this Sydney to Cairns tour, you’ll discover that life between these two cities revolves around water and sand, with Australia’s most fabled islands and beaches strung along the coast. Think, blinding Whitehaven in the Whitsundays, surf meccas in Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, steamy Mission Beach and Fraser Island’s 75 Mile Beach. In contrast to these, try tasting the outback on a working cattle farm.
(B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner (SD) Specialty Dinner Tour Code: QSC
An absolute beachfront tropical style resort, positioned on the stunning Northern New South Wales Coastline, in Coffs Harbour. All accommodation is low-lying, tastefully decorated and includes the comforts of home including cable television and a DVD player. There are endless recreation facilities, including an outdoor rock pool with slide, children’s pool and play area, cave spas, tennis courts, mini putt putt golf, beach volleyball and Diggers Beach, just a short stroll from your accommodation. When hunger strikes, relax over award-winning food and wine at Casay on the Beach, which offers amazing ocean views. For the ultimate in relaxation treat yourself to a Mi-Time Day Spa treatment.
Perfectly placed to allow you to make the most of this vibrant, friendly and popular Gold Coast holiday destination. A mere stroll from the beach, you can also easily make your way to dining, entertainment, arts and culture or the great outdoors. The onsite facility options include playing tennis on the full-size court; work up a sweat at the fitness centre; or simply do a few lazy laps in the sun-soaked pool open all year round for your enjoyment. With a daily breakfast and a la carte all day dining menus in BLVD Cafe & Bar, light snacks, poolside dining, take away picnic hampers and room service. Bold flavours, fresh ingredients, and perfect presentation are all part of the Novotel experience.
Kingfisher Bay Resort has won six Australian Tourism and nine Queensland Tourism Awards as well as Trip Advisor’s 2020, 2021 and 2022 Travellers’ Choice. Blending seamlessly amongst the native surrounds, this hidden paradise is perfect for a relaxing island retreat. The chefs at Kingfisher Bay Resort draw their inspiration from the island’s traditional owners – the Butchulla people – and turn out exquisite dishes that reflect their Aussie bush heritage with a hint of Fraser Island on the plate. Rooms are peaceful and private – linked by walkways that meander through World Heritage-listed surrounds while still just a short stroll to the Centre Complex.
Centrally located in the centre of Rockhampton, the Quality Hotel Regent Rockhampton is set in a beautifully refurbished, heritage-listed building. The rooms have lovely high ceilings and sophisticated, classic furnishings. The hotel offers a very convenient location, right in the centre of Rockhampton, and is just three kilometres from the airport. It is also just a short walk to restaurants, cafes and a supermarket, as well as the Rockhampton waterfront. The fully licensed Regent Café serves up modern Australian meals with a warm and inviting atmosphere, from Monday to Friday. There is also an on-site cocktail bar where guests can socialise and relax with one of the extensive selection of cocktails on offer.
Located on Shute Harbour Road within a few minutes walk of the Whitsunday Shopping Centre and five minutes drive to the vibrant main street of Airlie Beach. This property is housed in a traditional Queenslander style building offering a glimpse into the region’s past, contrasted by its contemporary accommodation and tropical laid back vibe. Hotel rooms have freshly designed interiors with coastal inspired décor, along with modern amenities to ensure a comfortable stay. There is a 24 hour reception, large lagoon pool with adjoining spa, tropical gardens, bistro style restaurant and gymnasium.
This oceanfront hotel in Cairns is surrounded by landscaped, tropical gardens with views of the Coral Sea. Just a short walk from Cairns Aquarium, Cairns Art Gallery, the Esplanade Lagoon, and city centre. Cairns Airport is five kilometers away. Enjoy the 24-hour fitness center and outdoor pool with plenty of seating. Wake up to a delicious continental or buffet breakfast with a view of lush tropical gardens and Trinity Inlet in the Atrium Restaurant or chill out on the Esplanade or take-away at the Vine Room Urban Provedore. It’s urban cool, shabby chic and has the perfect vibe for every occasion. From grazing boards and Cubano to Australian wines and craft beers, The Vine Room has you covered.
Coffs Harbour is a city on the north coast of New South Wales. It’s known for its beaches and the Big Banana monument and amusement park. In the waters off Coffs Harbour Marina is the Solitary Islands Marine Park, home to abundant wildlife, seasonal whales and coral reefs. Just east is the Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve, with its large population of wedge-tailed shearwater birds and learning centre. There are gorgeous beaches like Jetty Beach and you can enjoy spectacular views at Sealy Lookout. The wheelchair-accessible platform extends out over emerald rainforest escarpment. The vistas from Muttonbird Island are breathtaking. The harbour breakwater bridges the nature reserve where wedge-tailed shearwaters nest. With views of the Solitary Islands Marine Park, the Eastern Side lookout on the island is a top vantage point for whale watching. Explore underwater worlds with Jetty Dive or cruise to see whales between May and November. Coffs Harbour is also one of the only places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales.
Coastal aerial of Coffs Harbour township.
The Gold Coast is a metropolitan region south of Brisbane on Australia’s east coast. It’s famed for its long sandy beaches, surfing spots and elaborate system of inland canals and waterways. It’s also home to theme parks such as Dreamworld, Sea World and Wet’n’Wild. The Gold Coast’s star attraction by far is its beaches, including the world-renowned stretch of sand at Surfers Paradise. Beyond the beaches, it has laid-back neighbourhoods, a booming culinary scene and the Gold Coast’s famous theme parks. Nearby is a subtropical hinterland for rainforest walks and waterfalls. The Gold Coast is a major tourist destination with a sunny, subtropical climate and has become widely known for its world-class surfing beaches, high-rise dominated skyline, nightlife, and the rainforest hinterland. The city is part of the nation’s entertainment industry with television productions and a major film industry.
Rockhampton is a city in Central Queensland. Straddling the Fitzroy River, it’s known for beef production and has several bull statues around town. It is a modern throwback to the heydays of Queensland’s colonial past, offering all your cosmopolitan conveniences in a contemporary riverside setting. Rockhampton is the heart of the Fitzroy Basin, Australia’s second largest river system, and bordered by the brooding Berserker Ranges, ultimately delivering the best of both worlds for outdoor and adventure buffs. The Southern Great Barrier Reef prides itself on quintessential Queensland heritage and you simply can’t experience the Rockhampton of today, without an appreciation of days’ past. Once upon a time, Rockhampton was Australia’s northernmost city and even touted as the future state capital, thanks largely to the region’s thriving resource and beef industries, which continue today.
The Whitsundays is an archipelago of 74 tropical islands located just 55 kilometres (34 miles) off the Queensland coast, next to the Great Barrier Reef. Visitors travel to the Whitsundays from all around the world to relax on the pure white sands of Whitehaven Beach, soar over Heart Reef in a sea plane and stay in world-class accommodation on luxury islands. The clear, protected waters around the island’s secluded beaches and hidden bays are also ideal for sailing, snorkelling, diving and swimming. You can swim with turtles, spot whales, walk barefoot along one of the world’s most beautiful beaches and sail around the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef while on holiday in the Whitsundays.
Cairns, considered the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, is a city in tropical Far North Queensland. A thriving tropical city where unparalleled natural beauty, spectacular reefs, ancient rainforests, rich culture, and an alfresco dining scene blend into one. It is a place that’s about as laid-back as you’ll find anywhere in Queensland, and certainly not short on a natural wonder or two. In Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, you’ll find UNESCO World Heritage sites begging to be explored in between cities and towns like Cairns and Port Douglas. Cairns is a must-visit for nature-lovers. Hit the morning markets, swim in the sparkling Esplanade Lagoon, taste fresh seafood off the back of a fish trawler, dine in laid-back style like a local, or drink in the view from a rooftop bar. But here, connecting with nature goes deeper. Learn about and experience the local Indigenous culture through the guided tours on offer; or explore the rainforest with Kuku Yalanji people at the Mossman Gorge Centre an hour north of Cairns.
Iconic for being the world’s largest sand island, World Heritage-listed K’gari (Fraser Island) offers unusual – and exhilarating – surprises at every turn. Not only is it the only place on Earth where tall rainforests grow on sand dunes at elevations of more than 200 metres (656 feet), but it also has half the world’s perched lakes (lakes formed when depressions in dunes fill permanently with rainwater). Within minutes of landing on K’gari, you’ll feel its magic. Drive on wide-open beaches with the wind in your hair, marvel at shifting sand blows, swim in iridescent waters and witness playful marine life just metres from shore. Complete with a blend of luxury resorts and back to nature camping, there’s a wilderness adventure for everyone on K’gari.
Fraser Island is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland. Your 4WD tour takes you for a bumpy ride around the island’s must-see sites. Visit Lake McKenzie, ringed with magnificent white sandy beaches. Walk through the ancient rainforest at Central Station and Wanggoolba Creek with its huge satiny, scribbly gum and kauri trees. Across the island to 75 Mile Beach, the sand highway will take you up the eastern coast to the Pinnacles Coloured Sands; cooling, calm waters of Eli Creek and the famous sinking Maheno Shipwreck.
Embark on a fascinating journey of discovery with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, just 15 minutes north of Cairns, over and deep into Australia’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area that has survived against all odds to become the home of the world’s oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest. Enjoy a truly unique perspective of this ancient landscape; glide metres above the pristine jungle canopy before descending to explore the rainforest close up.be amazed as you travel over and through World Heritage rainforest, journey across the canopy of Barron Gorge National Park. You’ll disembark at the Rainforest village of Kuranda with free time to explore quaint Kuranda village.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres. Get ready for an experience of a lifetime – board a high-speed catamaran and cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef. You can snorkel and view this natural living wonder up close (equipment provided) or stay dry and explore the stunning reef from the comfort of a semi-submersible craft, just one metre underwater.
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