Ultimate Australia (25 Days)

Guide

Expert Trip Manager & Local Guides

Meals

18 Breakfast (B) 5 Dinner (D) 3 Lunch (L) 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. Uluru: Chill with your new BFFs over dinner at Uluru. Magnetic Island: Enjoy a chef-cooked breakfast at Selina Koala Village, where you’ll meet these furry little guys and learn what makes them tick. Cairns: Eat like a local with this chef-guided bush food tutorial and dinner (thankfully, not a witchetty grub in sight!)

Others

Sydney: Dramatic scenery. Fresh mountain air filling your lungs. A World Heritage Site. If that’s your thing, prepare to be impressed. Sydney: Get around the City with an Included 3 Day Sydney Transport Pass. 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. Byron Bay: You’re booked in for an afternoon surf lesson. Side note: schedule some chillout time afterwards – you might ache from wrestling the tides. 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: Our Special Stay Eco Lodges are in the heart of the action. You may even have a jumping joey as a friendly neighbour. K’gari: Sand dunes. Check. Lakes. Check. Rainforest. Check. World’s longest sand highway. Check. Possibly one of the coolest places we know. K’gari: Thanks to the white sand and turquoise waters, you’ll think you’re stranded on a paradise island. K’gari: Ready for some true tranquillity? Today you’ll have the chance to dine and unwind on the simply stunning island of K’Gari (Fraser Island). 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’. Airlie Beach: Think you’ll catch some zzzzs on the train to Townsville? Think again. You won’t want to miss a moment. 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. Daintree Rainforest: Check out the oldest rainforest in the world, home to frogs, butterflies, bats and more. Cairns: Off we soar to our next destination. Darwin: We’ll uncover the very best of this cultural hotspot, with a local guide on hand to answer all our burning questions. Kakadu National Park: Climb to the top and be rewarded with a sunset to rival the African savannas. You’ll half-expect a lion to walk into the frame! Kakadu National Park: See the work of Aboriginal artists and craft-makers and learn more about the indigenous tribes. Kakadu National Park: Some Aboriginal art on Nourlangie Rocks has been around for 20,000 years! It makes our nan look like a spring chicken. Katherine: Kick back and take a refreshing dip in the crystalline plunge pools, surrounded by monsoon forest. Pure bliss! Litchfield National Park: One for the bucket list. Take it easy in the relaxing plunge pools, or swim under the cascading Florence Falls. Litchfield National Park: WTF? You say. Trust us. This a weird but unmissable highlight at Litchfield National Park. Darwin: Time to take to the sky. Uluru, here we come! 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. 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? 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. Kakadu National Park: Immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture at Pudakul. Meet a local family in their home and learn about the significance of the Didgeridoo.

Transport

Mini-Coach + Internal flights + Train

Accommodation

All accommodation is included on this trip 14 nights in Hostel, 2 nights in Contiki Special Stay, 3 nights in Hotel, 2 nights in Cabin, 3 nights in Lodge

Hygieneprotocol

All guests travelling with Contiki through December 31, 2022 are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which may include a booster shot to keep the vaccination status current and valid, depending on the travel destination. Children not eligible for vaccination and/or booster at the time of travel must provide a verifiable and negative Covid-19 test result, taken within 72 hours prior to the start of the tour (taking time zones into consideration) for all tours departing until December 31, 2022. For guests travelling with Contiki from 1 January 2023, Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters are highly recommended, but no longer required. Please note that regardless of time of travel guests will need to comply with specific vaccine and/or booster requirements imposed by airlines and/or authorities in the destination visited, as well as requirements for accessing restaurants and venues, which may be more restrictive than above. It is guests’ responsibility to ensure that they comply at all times with these requirements. No refunds will be given if guests are unable to undertake some or all of their vacation due to their failure to comply with these requirements.

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Flights

International flights are not included

Insurance

Travel Insurance is not included

Optional

See Sydney's skyline at its best as you take the climb of your life up the famous Harbour Bridge A$ 250.00 Australian Cheese and Wine Tasting A$ 40.00 Sydney Harbour Sunset Cruise A$25.00 Sydney Harbour Jet Boat Ride A$ 60.00 Sydney Highlights Bike Tour A$ 70.00 Taronga Zoo Entry A$47.00 Taste craft beer at the Stone and Wood Brewery in Byron Bay A$ 40.00 Byron Bay Lighthouse at Sunrise Cape Byron Sea Kayaking A$60.00 Find your zen with morning yoga on the golden sands of Byron Bay Noosa Everglades Canoe Trip A$55.00 Airlie Beach Skydive $209.00 Sea Kayaking - Salty Dog $85.00 Reef and Island Scenic Flight $249.00 Scuba Diving (in addition to Outer Barrier Reef Cruise) from A$65 (certified dive); from A$100 (introductory dive) Great Barrier Reef Cruise A$200 Jungle Swing or Bungy Jump A$95/ A$135 Cairns Skydive From A$209 One way Skyrail Experience & One Way Kuranda Scenic Railway A$115 Return Skyrail Experience From A$105 Half Day White Water Rafting Barron River A$ 145.00 Visit the inspirational Royal Flying Doctors in Darwin A$25.00 See local flora and fauna on a scenic flight in Kakadu National Park A$145.00 Katherine Gorge Cruise Glide across Darwin Harbour on a sunset cruise $60.00 Visit the Field of Lights, a spectacular art installation of 50,000 lights near Uluru A$42 See a different side of Uluru on a Segway tour A$170 Take a Dot-painting workshop with a local Aboriginal Anangu artist & create your own art piece A$70 Soar over the sacred sites of Uluru & Kata Tjuta on a scenic flight From A$ 155 Take a peaceful camel ride over the rich red sand dunes A$ 127.00