Soar above Barron Gorge National Park on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, gliding over canopies to boardwalk lookouts at Red Peak and Barron Falls. Return via the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway, threading hand-cut tunnels and towering bridges.

Browse Kuranda’s markets and arts scene before the clack of steel and rainforest vistas accompany your descent. This heritage-and-nature pairing is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with commentary enriching each leg.

Glide along Trinity Inlet as golden light silhouettes the rainforest ranges and city skyline. Settle on deck to enjoy tropical breezes, gentle commentary, and uninterrupted harbour views at golden hour.

The mangrove-fringed estuary reveals birdlife, working boats, and the shifting colours of dusk over Gimuy (Cairns). This relaxing cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with onboard beverages available for purchase.

Stroll a short, steep trail to Hawkings Point Lookout for a golden-hour panorama over Picnic Bay and the sapphire sweep of Cleveland Bay. Find a perch among time-rounded boulders as the sea turns molten and lights twinkle to life.

The island’s classic granite-and-pine scenery glows under the fading sun, a calm contrast to daytime adventures. It’s a perfect moment to pause for photos and reflection while the horizon melts into pastel layers.

Toast the day with a glass in hand as sunset over Uluru paints the rock in cinnabar, copper, and crimson. Watch shadows lengthen and the desert sky cool to indigo while cameras capture those final, luminous minutes.

This relaxed gathering highlights the textures and curves revealed by low light, a reflective close among new friends. Savour the evening calm of the red desert as constellations begin to pierce the dusk.

• 2 Lunch (L)
• 3 Dinner (D)
• 7 Breakfast (B)

• 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: Grab your new buddies, snorkel round the reef, see ‘the world’s best beach’ and eat lunch on a boat. A proper ‘pinch yourself’ moment. 
• 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!)
• Daintree Rainforest: Check out the oldest rainforest in the world, home to frogs, butterflies, bats and more.
• Daintree Rainforest: Tour the world’s oldest rainforest with an expert. Sir David Attenborough called Daintree: ‘the most extraordinary place on earth’. 
• Daintree Rainforest: Learn how ancient ‘Dreamtime’ stories were shared through art. Then unleash your inner Banksy and create a masterpiece at the Janbal Gallery. 
• Gimuy (Cairns): Time to take to the sky. Uluru, here we come!
• Uluru: Chill with your new BFFs over dinner at Uluru.
• Uluru: Start the day the right way – by enjoying the sunrise over Uluru. This should be on everyone’s #lifegoals list. 
• Kata Tjuta: Walk around this sacred site. See the Valley of the Winds and Walpa Gorge, with its towering domes that change colour in the sunlight. 
• Uluru: Does it get any better than a ‘Big Brekkie’ cooked up on the BBQ? We think not. 
• Uluru: Salute this sacred landmark with drinks and nibbles as you watch the sun set. A moment you’ll replay in your mind forever. 
• Kings Canyon: Climb the ‘stairway to heaven’ to the aptly named Garden of Eden, Kings Canyon.

Contiki

Explore the pristine Whitsundays on a full-day adventure to Whitehaven Beach, famed for its powder-fine, 98% silica sands and glassy shallows. Swim and snorkel vibrant coral gardens where parrotfish and butterflyfish flicker over bommies in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Absorb sweeping island vistas and shifting turquoise hues as you relax on one of Australia’s most celebrated shores. Guides share reef etiquette, local marine life insights, and the geological quirks that give Whitehaven’s dazzling sands their signature glow.

Cruise across Cleveland Bay from Townsville to Magnetic Island (Yunbenun), feeling the trade winds and sea spray as granite headlands and hoop pines draw near. Settle on deck to enjoy skyline views of Castle Hill receding behind you.

This short, scenic crossing sets the stage for the island’s bush-fringed bays and wildlife encounters. Learn how Yunbenun sits on Wulgurukaba Country, with landscapes shaped by ancient forces and WWII history hidden among rocky ridges.

Walk the iconic Forts Track, scanning eucalypts for snoozing koalas and pausing at exposed ridgelines for views over the Palm Island Group. The path climbs between granite boulders to wind-buffed lookouts ideal for photography.

Discover concrete command posts and gun emplacements built in 1943 to defend Townsville. Your guide reveals how coastal batteries, signal stations, and rugged terrain shaped this strategic outpost—today a serene trail alive with birdsong and sea breezes.

Wander to Geoffrey Bay as shadows lengthen to observe Magnetic Island’s rock wallabies emerging from their boulder homes. Watch delicate whiskers twitch and tails balance on ledges as these nimble marsupials navigate the rocks.

Guides outline wildlife-friendly etiquette—no feeding, slow movements, respectful distance—so you can savour a quiet, close-to-nature encounter. The soft rustle of palms and coral-scented air sets a tranquil Outback-meets-ocean mood.

Taste Australia’s living food culture during an interactive workshop where you sample native ingredients like lemon myrtle, pepperberry, and wattleseed before a chef-led meal featuring native game. Smell citrusy leaves, grind spices, and compare flavours plate-to-plate.

Hear how First Nations knowledge shaped seasonal harvests and sustainable techniques on Country. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER experience connects local stories with contemporary cuisine, pairing bold bush flavours with modern cooking for a memorable dinner in Gimuy (Cairns).

Enter the emerald world of the Daintree Rainforest, where fan palms and ancient ferns thrive beneath a living green canopy. Walk forest boardwalks, listen for birdsong, and breathe the earthy scent of leaf litter and warm tropical air.

Meet Kuku Yalanji hosts for a welcoming smoking ceremony and an Aboriginal art session—often at the Janbal Gallery—where you’ll learn stories of Dreamtime and create your own canvas. This UNESCO-listed realm boasts a lineage older than the Amazon, a place Sir David Attenborough called “extraordinary.”

Witness first light wash over Uluru from the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku platforms as desert air cools and the monolith deepens from violet to apricot. Camera in hand, feel the hush that settles on the red centre at dawn.

Guides share Anangu cultural perspectives while you admire a sandstone giant that rises 348 metres above the plains. Subtle textures and ancient fissures sharpen in low sun—an unhurried moment of reverence in Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park.

Hike between the 36 domes of Kata Tjuta, where the Walpa Gorge funnels desert winds and the Valley of the Winds track reveals sweeping red-rock vistas. Feel shade and heat trade places as you weave through spinifex and desert oaks.

Learn how water and time shaped these conglomerate giants and why this country is sacred to the Anangu. Look for zebra finches and hardy shrubs clinging to rock as your guide ties geology to culture at each viewpoint.

Venture into Watarrka National Park on a guided hike along soaring sandstone walls and beehive domes nicknamed the “Lost City.” Descend to the shaded Garden of Eden, where cycads and ghost gums surround a cool, permanent waterhole.

Hear stories of ancient seas, fossil layers, and desert adaptation while you pause for photos and reflection from natural lookouts. The contrasts—sun-baked rim, lush gorge—capture Central Australia’s dramatic, life-sustaining geology.

Fuel up Outback-style with a hearty BBQ breakfast at Kings Creek Station, a working cattle and camel property near the canyon. Savour smoky flavours and strong billy tea as the morning light warms desert grasses and dunes.

Station hosts share tales of life on the land—water, weather, and long distances—bringing modern pastoral history to life. It’s a convivial, bush hospitality moment before your day’s Red Centre explorations.

Board a fast catamaran to outer reef pontoon sites and snorkel kaleidoscopic coral, or upgrade to an introductory or certified scuba dive. Expect coral gardens, giant clams, and curious anemonefish beneath clear tropical waters.

Marine crew deliver reef talks on ecology and conservation while you refuel between sessions. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; all equipment is provided, with flotation aids and guided snorkel tours available.

Pick your rush: leap from the rainforest bungy tower, freefall on a 15,000 ft tandem skydive, or tackle Grade III–IV whitewater rafting on the Barron or Tully River. Professional guides handle the gear and briefings.

Each option showcases Tropical North Queensland from a thrilling angle—canopies, coastlines, and churning rapids. Experiences are at additional cost and bookable on tour; photos and videos can usually be added on the day.

Walk pathways through Field of Light—50,000+ solar-powered stems shimmering across the desert in a spectrum of colour. The artwork, titled Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku (“looking at lots of beautiful lights”), spreads beneath the southern sky with Uluru’s silhouette beyond.

Created by artist Bruce Munro, the exhibition invites quiet contemplation as hues ebb and flow like a living canvas. Entry is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with dedicated viewing areas and transfers.

Cover more ground on a guided Segway tour around Uluru’s base, stopping at rock art shelters and waterholes while your guide shares Tjukurpa (Anangu law and stories). Smooth, silent travel lets you focus on textures and desert scents.

Expect training, helmets, and interpretive stops at key sites such as Mutitjulu. This active exploration is at additional cost and bookable on tour, offering a low-impact way to appreciate sacred landscapes.

Take to the sky for a window-seat panorama over Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet’s swirling sands, and the famous Heart Reef in Hardy Reef. The reef’s patterns and shallow lagoons reveal themselves in vivid blues from above.

Pilot commentary pinpoints islands, channels, and protected zones within the Great Barrier Reef. This aerial experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; flight durations vary, with guaranteed window views on small aircraft.

Step to the door for a tandem skydive above the Whitsundays, feeling up to 60 seconds of freefall before your canopy opens to sweeping views of islands, reef, and turquoise shallows.

Certified instructors handle the technicals while you savour the glide back to earth—often landing near the coast. This adrenaline hit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with optional photo and video packages.