ConTours AUSTRALIA TOUR ITINERARY

DAY 1 - MON 6 Sep – MELBOURNE / ADELAIDE                                                                                         
Fly Melbourne to Adelaide

• Transfer from the Convention Centre in Melbourne to the airport (You are responsible for getting your luggage to the Convention Centre)
• Arrive in Adelaide and transfer from the airport to the hotel

• Dinner in the hotel this evening

Accommodation: Adelaide Paringa Motel (D) – 2 nights

DAY 2 - TUE 7 Sep - ADELAIDE                                                                                                            
Breakfast at our hotel 

•  We will go on a walking tour of Adelaide, including visiting the city’s square mile with its distinctive squares,  terraces, parks and gardens, bluestone mansions, and row cottages; a stroll through the Central Market, rich in atmosphere and fresh product (Tues, Thurs, Fri, and Sat); a visit the Jam Factory and South Australia’s Centre of fine crafts. Experience Tandanya, Australia’s National Aboriginal Cultural Institute. Our afternoon will be at leisure.  Dinner will be in the hotel.

Accommodation: Adelaide Paringa Motel (B, D)

DAY 3 - WED 8 Sep – ADELAIDE / KANGAROO ISLAND
Breakfast at our hotel

• We will depart our hotel and take a scenic drive through some of Adelaide’s southern metropolitan beaches, including Port Noarlunga and Moana, before heading into the wine making region of McLaren Vale, best known for producing outstanding Shiraz. Spend an hour in McLaren Vale and discover the best of the town, including the delicious cheeses at Blessed Cheese. Taste some of the fine wines at any of the 60 cellar doors or grab a coffee at one of the many cafés. We will then head to Victor Harbor, one of South Australia’s most popular seaside villages, where you can take a ride on the Horse Drawn Tram over to Granite Island. It’s here you’ll find the Little Penguins and you might even catch a glimpse of a Southern Right Whale during the winter months. Learn more about these magnificent creatures of the deep at the Southern Australia Whale Centre. Back on the coach, we will visit Horseshoe Bay and take in the spectacular views of South Australia’s southern beaches before passing through the river township of Goolwa, where the Murray meets the sea. We’ll continue on to the historical Scottish settlement of Strathalbyn, best known for its thriving arts community and antique stores, before heading to Cape Jervis to take the ferry to Kangaroo Island.

• Ferry to Kangaroo Island (45 minutes)
• Transfer to your hotel for check-in and dinner at the hotel

Accommodation:  Wisteria Lodge Kangaroo Island (B, D) – 2 nights

DAY 4 - THU 9 Sep – KANGAROO ISLAND                                                                                        
Continental breakfast at hotel

• Our first stop is Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, a bush-engineered eucalyptus distillery that makes the most of its environmental resources. After a two-course lunch at the Vivonne Bay Bistro, we head to a Birds of Prey free-flight demonstration. At Seal Bay, we’ll walk along the beach with a National Parks Ranger amongst a breeding colony of wild and rare Australian Sea Lions.  From Seal Bay, we travel to the Pardana Wildlife Park, where we can feed kangaroos, have our photographs taken with a koala, and take a guided tour of this wildlife and bird park. The last attraction for the day is Island Pure Sheep Dairy, a unique and enterprising farm. Here we will have an opportunity to observe sheep being milked and sample delicious yogurts and various sheep cheeses. Our coach will return to our overnight accommodation
• A two course lunch will be included during the day

• Dinner at the hotel

Accommodation:  Wisteria Lodge Kangaroo Island (CB, L, D)

Continental breakfast at hotel

• Our touring begins with a visit to Clifford’s Honey Farm to enjoy an informative talk by the beekeeper, followed by tastings and an opportunity to sample homemade honey ice-cream. At Kelly Hill Caves, a guided tour will take us deep into the cave to view the unique limestone formations. After a two-course lunch, we head on to Flinders Chase National Park, renowned as a sanctuary for native Australian animals, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and echidnas. The tour of the park will take us to the rugged southern coastline for a walk on Remarkable Rocks and Admiral’s Arch.  After a short stop at the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre, we travel back to Kingscote to watch the pelican feeding and learn a little about these fascinating and ancient birds.

• A two-course lunch is served during the day
• Fly Kangaroo Island to Adelaide.  On arrival, we will be transferred to the hotel

Accommodation: Adelaide Paringa Motel (CB, L) – 1 night

DAY 6 - SAT 11 Sep – ADELAIDE / ULARU(AYERS ROCK)                                                                      
Breakfast at the hotel

• Transfer from hotel to Adelaide Domestic Airport

                        Fly from Adelaide to Ularu/Ayers Rock

• Arrive at Ularu/Ayers Rock and transfer to our hotel for check-in

• Tonight, we go into the desert for a Sounds of Silence Dinner. Enjoy a glass of champagne, listen to the haunting sounds of the Aboriginal didgeridoo, watch the magical sunset over Ayers Rock, dine on a BBQ feast of local specialties, and learn about the galaxies of the southern skies with a qualified astronomer, before returning to our hotel in the middle of the desert.

Accommodation: Outback Pioneer Ayers Rock (B, D) – 2 nights

DAY 7 - SUN 12 Sep – AYERS ROCK
Breakfast at our hotel

• After breakfast, we depart for our morning base tour of Ularu (aka Ayers Rock), including option to climb, before transferring to the airport. Enjoy touring the base of this amazing monolith, with time to look around the Cultural Centre to further understand this vast and ancient land and how important this area is to the Aboriginal people.  The first view of Uluru, measuring 9.4kilometers around the base and rising up to 348 meters, will explain why it is not only a treasured icon to local Aboriginal people, but also one of the great wonders of the world.

We will return to our hotel to have lunch (own expense).

• This afternoon, en route to Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), a stop will be made to view the immense scale of this formation that dominates to western skyline of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.  Kata Tjuta is a collection of weathered red domes, the tallest of which stands 200 meters, taller than Ayers Rock/Uluru. The forces which thrust it out of the Inland Sea 300 million years ago created cracks and fissures that have been eroded to form the smooth domes we see today.  In the Anangu language, Kata Tjuta means “many heads.” On arrival at Kata Tjuta, take a guided walk into Olga Gorge following the natural creek which flows between two domes.  Learn of the domes’ formation and of the flora and fauna of the region.  Some of the plants we will see are so rare that they are only found in and around these rocky domes. Late in the day, we arrive back at our hotel.

Accommodation: Outback Pioneer Ayers Rock (B, D)

DAY 8 - MON 13 Sep – AYERS ROCK / ALICE SPRINGS                                                                 
Breakfast at our hotel 

• Transfer from our hotel to Ayers Rock domestic airport

Fly Ayers Rock to Alice Springs

• Arrive in Alice Springs and transfer to our hotel for check-in
• Enjoy an afternoon Town Tour of Alice Springs, including a visit to the Old Telegraph Station, Royal Flying Doctor Service, School of the Air, and Desert Park.
• Dinner in the hotel this evening

Accommodation: Aurora Alice Springs (B, D) – 1 night

DAY 9 - TUE 14 Sep – ALICE SPRINGS / CAIRNS                                                                            
Breakfast at our hotel

• Today, we learn about traditional sources of food and bush medicine and sample bush foods such as witchetty grubs, bloodwood apples, bush bananas, and various seeds.  We’ll depart our hotel and join the Walpirri tribe as they demonstrate amazing boomerang and spear throwing techniques before we give it a try. The Warlpirri tribe members dress in their traditional decorations and we will have an opportunity to find out about their customs and traditional ways of life.  A fully decorated corroboree is the highlight of the tour.  Learn about its meaning to the Aboriginal people and then enjoy morning tea.  Finally, witness first-hand the methods of traditional Aboriginal art and maybe take the opportunity to purchase a piece of art to take home.

• Transfer from our hotel to Alice Springs Domestic airport

      Fly from Alice Springs to Cairns

• Arrive in Cairns and transfer to our hotel for check-in and dinner

Accommodation:  Novotel Oasis Hotel Cairns (B, D) – 3 nights

DAY 10 - WED 15 Sep - CAIRNS
Breakfast at our hotel

• We depart for our transfer to the Reef Fleet Terminal, where we’ll board our catamaran to Green Island, a true coral cay located on the inner Great Barrier Reef. What to bring: Bathing suits, towels, sunscreen, hat, comfortable shoes and spending money for drinks & souvenirs. Our Green Island Day adventure includes a full day on Green Island, morning tea and coffee served until departure, hot and cold buffet lunch, use of snorkeling equipment, return via air-conditioned catamaran, guided island eco walk, and glass bottom boat coral reef viewing tour - experience the reef while keeping dry in one of our modern coral explorer glass bottom boats. Enjoy several hours to relax, swim, snorkel, or take a ride in the glass bottom boat. The underwater observatory located at the Green Island jetty is a piece of marine history. This old diving chamber, used during World War I, was converted into the world’s first underwater observatory, Marineland Melanesia, home to Cassius - the largest captive crocodile in the world. Hold a baby croc, view the diversity of the reef through aquariums and a marine turtle pool, or see one of the world’s largest private collections of primitive art and marine artefacts. Entry to island swimming pool and use of day visitor facilities, as well as lunch, are included. At day’s end, we will be returned to Cairns by ferry, arriving back at our hotel for dinner.

Accommodation:  Novotel Oasis Hotel Cairns (B, L, D)

DAY 11 - THU 16 Sep - CAIRNS                                                                                                            
Breakfast at our hotel

• We travel one of Australia's great scenic highways before arriving at the Daintree River. We then cross the river and continue on to the Daintree Environmental Centre for morning tea. An expert guide will take us on a walk while explaining some of the fascinating secrets of one of the world's oldest rainforests. After the walk, we can learn more through the interactive displays or obtain a closer look at life in the rainforest by ascending the Rainforest Canopy Tower. Afterwards, we continue on to Cape Tribulation Beach while our driver explains the rich history of the area. Walk the beach or boardwalk and relax in this tranquil setting. Our next stop is for lunch in a rainforest setting - relax and enjoy the delicious food. We then stop en route to enjoy the panoramic view from Alexandra Lookout. Re-crossing the river, we join a water cruise of this important waterway, observing the wildlife that inhabits this environment. Our guide will point out the different types of wildlife and plants that make their home along the river. Keep your eyes peeled for the elusive and fearsome estuarine saltwater crocodile! The cruise terminates in Daintree Village, where there is time to indulge in a cup of tea or coffee before heading back to our hotel. Dinner will be served at Kani’s Restaurant (where the steaks are huge).  We then return to the hotel.

Accommodation:  Novotel Oasis Hotel Cairns (B, L, D)

DAY 12 - FRI 17 Sep – CAIRNS / BRISBANE                                                                                     
Breakfast at our hotel

• We’ll depart for historic Freshwater Rail Station and "All Aboard" for an historic rail journey, which will take us past sugar cane fields and up the slopes leading to the Barron Gorge. The journey ends in Kuranda, principal town of the Atherton Tablelands, located some 2000 feet above sea level and a rich farmland area. Free time will allow us to stroll around this beautiful tropical village, enjoy the train station, and discover the market independently (free shuttle transfers to / from train station are available). We will pay a visit to the Butterfly Sanctuary. Enjoy a tranquil village walk to the Kuranda Skyrail Station, where we catch the scenic Skyrail Gondola for the journey back to the coast, literally passing through and over the heights of the rainforest. On arrival at the base of Skyrail, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Brisbane.

• Transfer from our hotel to Cairns Domestic airport.

      Fly from Cairns to Brisbane
 

• Arrive in Brisbane and transfer to our hotel for check-in and dinner

Accommodation: Metro Hotel Tower Mill Brisbane (B, D) – 2 nights

DAY 13 - SAT 18 Sep - BRISBANE                                                                                                       
Breakfast at our hotel 

• Depart the hotel on the full day tour of Brisbane and its surroundings. Discover Brisbane's convict and colonial past and see its oldest buildings. See the magnificent St John's Cathedral and City Hall, Treasury Casino, Parliament House and the Commissariat Store. Pass the City Botanical Gardens and stop on top of Kangaroo Point Cliffs for great views of the river and the city skyline. Cross the Story Bridge, passing Chinatown, to Bartley's Lookout for a panoramic view of Brisbane.  See Queensland's oldest home and enjoy sweeping views from Mt. Coot-tha Lookout.  Enjoy a typical Aussie barbecue lunch at Brisbane’s famous Breakfast Creek Hotel before continuing on to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary.  Lone Pine offers over 130 koalas.  Here, Australia's native flora and fauna are waiting to delight, including getting up close and personal with Australia's precious wildlife. We can cuddle Australia's best known ambassador, the koala, at anytime of day and have a souvenir photograph taken. We can hand feed over 130 kangaroos and wallabies at any time of day or feed the beautiful wild lorikeets at two daily feedings and the wild catfish in the Brisbane River during warmer months of the year. We can even hold a snake and have a souvenir photograph taken. At the conclusion of the tour, we will be returned to the hotel by coach.

• Enjoy dinner at the hotel

Accommodation: Metro Hotel Tower Mill Brisbane (B, D)

DAY 14 - SUN 19 Sep BRISBANE / LIGHTNING RIDGE                                                                    
Breakfast at our hotel

•  We’ll depart the hotel for a 10-hour trip from Brisbane to Lightning Ridge, located in outback New South Wales, southwest of Brisbane. Lightning Ridge sits on the world’s richest deposit of black opal and is a place that abounds with colourful characters and experiences.  Famous for the elusive and distinctive Black Opal, unique to the area, it is also a thriving frontier town, full of the iconic Australian characters that remind the traveller that the Australian spirit is not a thing of folklore. Experience sculptures underground; bottle-houses, antique lamps; castles; astronomy monuments; unique gardens; hills named “Lunatic,” “Pig,” and “Raid,” and even tour underground mines.
• Dinner at the motel

Accommodation:  Bluey Motel Lightning Ridge (B, D) – 2 nights

DAY 15 - MON 20 Sep -  LIGHTNING RIDGE                                                                                      
Breakfast at our motel

• Full day touring around Lightning Ridge with time at leisure during the day for lunch (own expense)
• Dinner at the motel

Accommodation:  Bluey Motel Lightning Ridge (B, D)

DAY 16 - TUE 21 Sep -  LIGHTNING RIDGE / SYDNEY
Breakfast at our motel

• We depart Lightning Ridge and journey to Sydney by coach – 9 hours drive time.
• Arrive in Sydney and transfer to our hotel for check-in

Accommodation:  Park Regis Hotel Sydney (B) – 3 nights

DAY 17 - WED 22 Sep - SYDNEY                                                                                                                                  
Breakfast adjacent to our hotel

• Morning at leisure in Sydney
• This afternoon, we transfer from our hotel to the wharf to join a Sydney Harbor Coffee Cruise, taking in the delights of the harbour and city sights.  Sit back and relax over a cup of tea as we cruise under the Sydney Harbor Bridge and past some of the world’s most magnificent homes on the rim of the harbour.  The cruise will terminate at Circular Quay, a short walk from the Sydney Opera House.  Enjoy a guided walking tour of the Opera House. See the many performance venues and main foyers offering uninterrupted views of the harbour.  Remember to wear flat, comfortable shoes, as this tour will take in over 1000 steps overall.  After the tour, we will dine at the famous Guilluame at Bennelong, the signature restaurant of the opera house.  A performance at the opera house will be offered as an option at extra expense.

     
Accommodation:  Park Regis Hotel Sydney (B, D)

DAY 18 - THU 23 Sep - SYDNEY                                                                                                                       
Breakfast adjacent to our hotel

• We depart our hotel for our full-day Blue Mountains excursion. We’ll travel to the Featherdale Wildlife Park where we will hand feed kangaroos; see koalas, wombats, emus, and dingoes (the native Australian dog); plus crocodiles, owls and more.  Depart the Park, then continue on to discover the remarkable beauty of Blue Mountains National Park.  From the quaint little village of Leura we skirt around Cliff Drive to Katoomba where we will find ourselves looking out over the magnificent Jamieson Valley (Australia’s Grand Canyon) and the Three Sisters. Enjoy lunch (at own expense) at Skyway Brasserie, which offers quality meals with Australian flavors. After lunch, ride on the Scenic Railway or Sceniscender down into the rainforest. Our tickets entitle us to a one way ride on the Scenic Railway and one way on the Sceniscender. We can enjoy a walk in the forest and views of the Three Sisters, before heading back into the city. We will go via Sydney Olympic Park to view Stadium Australian and experience the most advanced sporting stadium in the world.  We then travel back to our hotel.
• Dinner is on our own

Accommodation:  Park Regis Hotel Sydney (B)

DAY 19 - FRI 24 Sep – DEPART SYDNEY                                                                              
Breakfast adjacent to our hotel

• Transfer from hotel to Sydney International airport for departure flight (one group transfer).

• Fly Sydney to your home country (own arrangements)

TOUR PRICE: $5263.00 land only (based on double occupancy and a minimum of 15 tour participants: Single Supplement: $1523). Internal air $709.00 if using Qantas internationally, otherwise $1525.00 (We will need a copy of your eticket); Tax on air approxamately $160.00 (to be determined on ticketing).  If we do not have at least 15 on the tour, it will not be a “go.”  If we have substantially more than 19 participants, the price is likely to go down somewhat.

TOUR INCLUDES

• 18 nights share twin accommodation
• 18 cooked or continental breakfasts
• 4 lunches (beverages not included)
• 14 dinners
• Air within Australia
• Transfers
• Hotel porterage, where applicable
• English speaking meet and greet guide on arrival in Adelaide on 6 September.
• Coaching in deluxe, air conditioned sole use coach with professional commentary driver
• All sightseeing and transfer services

TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE

* Air fare from and to home country
* Gratuities

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