Scale the arch on a fully-guided Harbour Bridge Climb for 360° views over the sails of the Sydney Opera House, glittering coves and the Pacific horizon. Harness up, clip in and ascend steel catwalks to the summit platform.

Along the way, guides share engineering feats and city lore that shaped this 1932 icon. Expect sea breezes, wide skies and triumphant grins. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Board a comfortable vessel to cruise Trinity Inlet at sunset, watching mangrove silhouettes and mountain ridgelines soften as golden light skims the water. The city glows behind the marina while seabirds settle for the night.

Crew share insights into this tidal estuary’s wildlife and history as tropical hues fade to indigo. A relaxed, photogenic evening on the water. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Paddle out with accredited coaches for a beginner-friendly surf lesson on Byron’s golden sweep. Learn to read sets, pop up and ride whitewater before trying your luck on the mellow green faces rolling towards shore.

Between waves, take in lighthouse views and the easygoing rhythm that made Byron a surf mecca. Boards, wetsuits and beach briefings keep it simple. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Glide above the rainforest canopy on the Skyrail, with stops to walk boardwalks and view cascades, then return on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway as it winds past waterfalls and ravines.

This pairing showcases engineering ingenuity within the Wet Tropics and offers two perspectives—bird’s-eye and mountainside—on one lush landscape. Time in the village adds markets and murals to the mix. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Set sail aboard a converted racing yacht and cruise the turquoise Whitsunday Islands, dropping anchor at the luminous Whitehaven Beach. Swim and snorkel above fringing coral reefs where parrotfish and turtles patrol kaleidoscopic gardens.

Life on deck is salty and sun-warmed: sea breezes, island silhouettes and clear water that shifts from jade to electric blue. Your crew share reef insights and sailing lore while freshly prepared meals fuel a classic Aussie maritime escape.

Walk the historic Forts Walk, a hillside trail linking WW2 gun emplacements and command posts. Keep your eyes peeled to see koalas in the wild, dozing in eucalypts along the path, as views open towards the Palm Island Group and Cleveland Bay.

Interpretive signs reveal how these WWII fortifications guarded the coast, while granite boulders and hoop pines frame the track. It’s a perfect blend of history, wildlife and coastal scenery unique to Magnetic Island (Yunbenun).

Stroll to Hawkings Point Lookout for a golden-hour panorama as the sun slides behind the mainland. The trail climbs through granite outcrops and low forest before unveiling a wide-angle view of sunset over the Coral Sea and Cleveland Bay.

From this rocky perch, island bays curve like commas and Townsville shimmers on the horizon. The mood is unhurried—gentle breezes, seabirds wheeling, and the last light skimming granite headlands and fringing reefs below.

Head to Geoffrey Bay as evening settles to observe the island’s resident rock wallabies emerging among the boulders. Watch their nimble leaps and curious glances in the twilight glow, with the bay’s calm waters reflecting pastel skies.

Your Trip Manager will brief you on respectful wildlife viewing so the colony remains healthy and wild. It’s a serene, close-to-nature moment that captures Magnetic Island’s gentle rhythm at day’s end.

Ride a scenic coastal train journey through sugar-cane country, paperbark wetlands and rainforest-clad ranges on the way to Cairns. Windows frame changing light over paddocks and Wet Tropics landscapes as the North Queensland coast unfurls.

Settle in for unhurried viewing—country towns, distant reef horizons and mountain silhouettes—while learning how rail linked Queensland’s far-flung communities. It’s transport with a view, turning a necessary connection into a laid-back slice of regional life.

Join an interactive bush food tutorial to touch, smell and taste native spices and fruits used for millennia. Hear how ingredients connect to stories of Country, then sit down to a chef-guided dinner featuring native game and seasonal produce.

The experience blends culinary craft with cultural context, revealing how Australia’s First Nations knowledge shapes flavor, sustainability and respect for place. It’s a warm, convivial evening that lingers on the palate and mind.

Skim across the harbour on a high-thrill jetboat ride, carving spins and power-brake stops with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as your backdrop. Spray flies, engines roar and the skyline flashes by in cinematic bursts.

Between adrenaline surges, soak up stories of bays and headlands that define the world’s most celebrated waterway. Dry bags and commentary keep it fun and fuss-free. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Leap into blue from up to 15,000 ft on a tandem skydive, freefalling before the canopy blooms and you float above surf-lined headlands and patchwork suburbs. Your instructor handles the technicals so you can drink in the big-sky views.

From plane door jitters to soft grass touchdown, it’s pure sensory overload and slow-motion serenity in one ride. Available in select destinations during the trip. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Rise early to watch first light break over Australia’s most easterly point at Cape Byron Lighthouse. Sea cliffs blush pink, whales or dolphins may silhouette offshore, and the headland path carries the hush of a new day.

Built in 1901, the lighthouse crowns a ridge sacred to the Bundjalung people and beloved by surfers. It’s a calm, contemplative start that frames Byron’s coast in soft morning color. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Greet the day with instructor-led beachside yoga, moving through gentle flows as the Pacific hums beside you. Stretch out travel knots, deepen your breath and settle into Byron’s slow cadence.

This mindful hour connects movement to place—salt air, warm sand, the hush of early light—and leaves you loose, alert and ready for the day’s adventures. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Launch tandem kayaks into the Cape Byron Marine Park for a guided paddle alongside headlands and beaches. Keep watch for bottlenose dolphins and turtles as you kayak clear swells with the lighthouse standing guard.

Guides share marine ecology and local stories while you practice safe surf entries and exits. Expect salt on your lips and big smiles. This is an optional wildlife experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Pedal quiet backroads at dusk to a rainforest gully where thousands of glow-worms create a living constellation on mossy banks. Park the bikes and walk short trails to witness their bioluminescent glow in darkness.

Guides explain the insect’s delicate lifecycle and how light pollution impacts colonies. It’s a gentle, enchanting encounter with nocturnal nature. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Board a 4WD bus to cruise the world’s longest sand highway, stopping to float in Lake McKenzie’s crystalline water and wander rainforests rooted in pure sand. Towering dunes, rust-red cliffs and surf beaches frame this island of superlatives.

Guides share Butchulla Country stories and the geology that shaped the planet’s largest sand island—now protected as World Heritage. A packed day of variety and wow-factor landscapes. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Glide through mirrored waterways on a guided paddle of the Noosa Everglades. Tannin-tinted channels reflect paperbarks and tea-trees so perfectly they’re nicknamed the “River of Mirrors.”

Birdsong rings through national park silence as guides interpret fragile wetland ecology and seasonal wildlife sightings. The pace is tranquil, the scenery pristine. This is an optional nature experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Journey to the world’s oldest tropical rainforest for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience that weaves ecology with culture. Walk beneath ancient ferns, join a smoking ceremony, hear Dreaming stories and create artwork alongside a Kuku Yalanji artist.

Rivers, mangroves and fan palms set a lush stage while guides explain how Country is cared for and interpreted through art. A profound, place-based encounter. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Sail by catamaran to outer reef sites for guided snorkelling or introductory diving among hard and soft corals. Drift above bommies where clownfish, rays and giant clams thrive in UNESCO-listed marine gardens.

Onboard marine biologists explain reef ecology, conservation and how to minimise impact while exploring. Tropical lunch, gear and reef briefings keep the focus on color, clarity and that weightless glide. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Grab a paddle and tackle tropical rapids with certified river guides. The Barron River delivers splashy, scenic Grade II–III thrills; the Tully River ups the ante with longer Grade III–IV runs through rainforest gorges.

Between drops, drift under fan palms and volcanic cliffs while guides share geology and river lore. All gear and safety briefings provided. This is an optional adventure at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Step to the edge, count down and launch into the tropics on a bungy jump framed by palms and mountain backdrops. Choose classic swan dives or playful dips as your courage allows.

The jump crew keep vibes high and safety dialled while you trade nerves for euphoria and a brag-worthy certificate. Pure adrenaline, pure grin. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Visit The Farm Byron Bay for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience focused on regenerative growing and community. Wander between orchards and veggie plots, meet heritage-breed animals, and learn how sustainable agriculture supports soil health and local livelihoods.

Hear how paddock-to-plate principles guide the onsite producers and taste seasonal bites that showcase chemical-free methods. This meaningful stop reveals the region’s food culture beyond the beach, connecting your journey with the people and practices that keep Byron nourished.

Join a guided orientation walk through the city’s waterfront precincts to admire the Sydney Opera House, the sweep of the Harbour Bridge, and leafy pathways of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Your Trip Manager points out neighbourhoods, vantage points and local spots you’ll want to revisit.

Hear stories of Gadigal land, colonial beginnings and bold 20th-century design as ferries criss-cross the glittering harbour. This walk helps you tune into Sydney’s pace and personality—part seafaring port, part creative capital—so you can explore with confidence during your free time.

• 5 Breakfast (B)
• 5 Dinner (D)
• 2 Lunch (L)

• Sydney: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
• Sydney: Contiki acknowledges the Traditional and Torres Strait Island owners of the land, sea and waters of the spectacular Australian continent. Dual-naming reflects that, as we explore this remarkable land, we recognise and respect Indigenous custodianship of a unique, ancient culture and country.
• Gimuy (Cairns): It’s best to wait at least 24 hours after your last dive before flying.
• Yunbenun (Magnetic Island): During your 2-night stay in Magnetic Island, you’ll stay in multi-share rooms with the same sex even (if you’ve booked single or twin room for the trip duration). But if you’d like some privacy, you can request a paid upgrade to a single or twin room, but the confirmation would depend on availability.Please note that this is a modular trip. That means you’ll be joining a trip that started 1 week earlier – if you wish to do the full version, please refer to the Ultimate Australia trip.
• Airlie Beach: Pretty darn epic, if you ask us. It’s a converted racing yacht that sleeps up to 20 people with all the basic amenities. It’s snazzy – perfect if you’re all about fun adventures out on the sea. 

• Sydney: Your Trip Manager will hand out a 2-day Opal Card on your first day of the trip. Which means, access to the city’s trains, buses, ferries and light rail. Beach this morning, harbour views by afternoon, hidden neighbourhoods by night – it’s all on the cards. 
• Sydney: The Opera House. ANZAC Memorial. Royal Botanic Gardens. It’s all here for you to post on social and make your friends jealous!
• Sydney: Step onto the golden stretch of one of the world’s most famous beaches. The ultimate sandy nirvana for sun worshippers. 
• Sydney: Passports at the ready folks.
• Noosa Everglades: The gateway to tree-lined waterways and ancient rainforests of Noosa Everglades. And if that doesn’t tempt you: there’s a micro-brewery onsite. 
• Noosa Everglades: We’ll say hey to Scottish cows and English pigs. We’ll explore a unique 80-acre farm, where the farmers share a passion for sustainability. We’ll sample food that’s grown using traditional methods and is 100% chemical-free. What ‘moo’ could you ask for?
• Noosa Everglades: Our Special Stay Eco Lodges are in the heart of the action. You may even have a jumping joey as a friendly neighbour.
• Brisbane: Time to take to the sky. Airlie Beach, here we come!
• Whitsunday Islands: Set sail from Airlie Beach for two nights of pure Whitsundays magic. Think snorkelling, hiking, and sunset vibes (with a top crew and experienced skipper leading the way). All decked out with delish food – brekkie, lunch, dinner, and dessert – plus all the snorkelling equipment you’ll need.
• Whitsunday Islands: Float around the reefs, marvel at rainbow-coloured fish, then chill out on deck (and secretly hope no one brought a ukulele). 
• Whitsunday Islands: Visit the World’s Best Beach!! Seeing Whitehaven Beach is like seeing a little piece of heaven. With 15 of your new best friends! #lifegoals 
• Whitsunday Islands: Step aboard a converted racing yacht – where your friendly captain trusts you enough to let you try steering it. 
• Whitsunday Islands: The Great Barrier Reef is home to nearly 9,000 species of sea creatures. This means it’ll impress even the saltiest ‘sea dogs’.
• Townsville: Catch a boat from the mainland to Magnetic Island.
• Magnetic Island: Pack some comfy shoes and climb up to Hawking’s Point for sundown. Yoga poses for Insta: optional. 
• Magnetic Island: Go koala-spotting, see WWII fortifications, or just have a beer in the sun. There’s something for everyone on this trail. 
• Magnetic Island: Mingle with Magnetic Island’s resident Rock Wallabies at dusk. Just watch these cheeky little guys don’t steal your wallet! 
• Magnetic Island: Catch a boat from Magnetic Island to the mainland. Wave goodbye to your new BFF Reggie the Koala and promise you’ll write. 
• Townsville: Things heat up as the landscape gets even more tropical. Soak up the scenery on this train trip from Townsville to Cairns. 
• Cairns: Eat like a local with this chef-guided bush food tutorial and dinner (thankfully, not a witchetty grub in sight!)

Contiki