Sail by fast catamaran to the Great Barrier Reef for a day amid coral gardens. Snorkel vibrant coral gardens with teeming reef fish, or opt for an introductory scuba dive under instructor supervision to drift past bommies, clams, and soft corals.

Marine biologists deliver engaging reef talks on ecology and resilience while quality gear, stinger suits and flotation aids keep time in the water easy and safe between hearty deck breaks.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Glide above the canopy on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, stepping off at Red Peak and Barron Falls for boardwalk lookouts into the gorge. Browse Kuranda’s artisan markets before the return on the heritage Kuranda Scenic Railway, clattering past waterfalls, stone bridges and hand-cut tunnels.

Interpretive signage reveals the Wet Tropics’ World Heritage story—ancient floras, shifting geology and human engineering—in landscapes that change with every bend in the range.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• 2 Dinner (D)

• 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.

• 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

Walk the Forts Walk on Yunbenun (Magnetic Island), tracing eucalypt ridgelines to wartime outposts with sweeping views over the Palm Island Group. Move quietly among granite boulders and hoop pines, keeping your gaze skyward to see koalas in the wild resting in the canopy.

Built in 1943, the WWII fortifications once guarded approaches to Townsville. Guides and local tips help with ethical wildlife viewing and photo points, inviting you to pause for photos and reflection atop the island’s sun-warmed rocks.

Hike from Picnic Bay to the Hawkings Point Lookout, stepping across granite slabs to a boulder-top vantage with sea breezes and far horizons. As the sun sinks, Cleveland Bay glows, and the mainland ranges silhouette in golden-hour colours ideal for wide-angle shots.

This short, steep track showcases Magnetic Island’s classic landscape of rounded boulders and hardy coastal flora on Wulgurukaba Country. Wayfinding signs and natural rock benches invite a mindful moment to pause for photos and reflection.

Stroll to Arcadia’s shoreline for a Rock Wallabies at Geoffrey Bay meet-up, arriving as soft evening light falls over the granite headlands. Watch these agile marsupials navigate boulder fields with delicate hops during a gentle dusk encounter.

Learn how the allied rock-wallaby is adapted to this rocky habitat and why gentle wildlife etiquette—no feeding, calm voices, respectful distance—matters. Listen for waves on shingle and spot tiny joeys peeking from pouches as the sky turns coral pink.

Taste your way through a chef-guided bush food tutorial and dinner in Gimuy (Cairns). Sample native spices and fruits—lemon myrtle, wattleseed, finger lime—before a sit-down feast showcasing seasonal produce and native game paired with bright, herbaceous flavors.

Hear stories of Country and the traditional uses of ingredients shared by Indigenous communities. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience explores provenance, respectful sourcing, and the modern revival of First Nations foodways for a dinner that’s equal parts learning and lingering aroma.

Cruise the Whitsundays to step onto Whitehaven Beach, a seven-kilometre arc of silica-white sands and turquoise shallows. Swim, laze on warm sands, and snorkel fringing reefs alive with darting reef fish and luminous corals under the guidance of the boat crew.

Learn about marine park conservation and the unique, fine-grained quartz sands that stay cool underfoot. Quality gear and stinger suits keep the focus on colour, clarity, and calm water time.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Lift off for a scenic flight tracing turquoise channels, chalk-white shoals and coral lagoons. Circle the photogenic Heart Reef on Hardy Reef and frame aerial views of the Whitsunday Islands where sandbars braid vivid blues into abstract patterns below.

Pilot commentary orients you to reefs and cays while oversized windows maximize photography. Weather and tides shape the palette, rewarding keen eyes and quick shutters.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Clip in for a tandem skydive from up to 15,000 feet above a tapestry of islands, coral cays and reef lagoons. Feel a roaring freefall before the canopy blooms and you glide toward the coast, savoring one of Australia’s most beautiful drop zones.

Professional instructors handle the technicals so you can focus on horizon lines and the rush. Photo and video packages capture that wind-in-the-ears grin.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore the oldest tropical rainforest on Earth in the Daintree, walking shaded boardwalks alive with fan palms and birdsong. Venture onto Kuku Yalanji Country at Mossman Gorge and stand at Cape Tribulation, where the reef meets the rainforest in a sublime coastal panorama.

Guides interpret ancient ecosystems, mangrove nurseries and cassowary habitat, linking biodiversity to culture and conservation. Expect varied microclimates, rich scents of leaf litter, and ocean breezes at the headlands.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Drift along Trinity Inlet on a sunset boat cruise, watching mangrove-fringed channels glow in tropical light as the city softens to evening. The water mirrors mountain silhouettes while seabirds trace lazy arcs overhead.

Crew share insights on Cairns’ working port and surrounding wetlands, adding local colour to a tranquil hour afloat. Gentle breezes and skyline views make a relaxed pre-dinner ritual.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose your thrill: launch from a rainforest tower for a bungy jump in the rainforest, or tackle wave trains and drops on whitewater rafting on the Barron River. Tropical air, river spray and the pure adrenaline rush deliver peak Queensland energy.

Expert crews fit helmets and PFDs, manage safety, and suss the right challenge level. Rafting suits beginners; upgrades to the bigger Tully River run may be available seasonally.

This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.