Aussie Explorer (Start Sydney) View More Reviews

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Fly over the international date line on your way to Australia.

Check in to your hotel and head straight out into Sydney. From the high-energy downtown area to its popular beaches, Sydney has something for everyone.

Hotel

Meet up with your fellow travellers and Tour Manager in
Sydney, and start your trip with a sightseeing tour around the city. We head into the historic district where you’ll get an overview of the glistening harbour from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, a famous sandstone seat carved by convicts. You’ll soon understand why this is one the world’s most beautiful harbour cities. See the sails of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Sydney Opera House and the iconic Harbour Bridge.

Chill out on the coach today and chat with your travel buddies as we head north. We stop by the seaside for lunch before heading to Coffs Harbour, home to surf beaches, fishing and banana plantations.

This is a chance for a real Aussie overnight as we arrive at our Special Stay experience at our Aussie Surf Camp. Maybe get to know your Contiki team & travel buddies over a few drinks. Our cabins are right on the beach so soak up the surf vibes and relax by the open fire under the stars.

Surf Village Breakfast, Dinner

This morning wake up to one of our Aussie highlights, a surf lesson! An awesome Aussie experience – hit the waves & learn to surf with some professional instructors as you have a go at surfing! Join some of the coolest people on the planet as you get involved with Australia’s beach culture. It’s a fun way to learn how to surf as our professional local instructors show you just how it’s done. The perfect Aussie experience & will top off your Coffs Harbour stay!

Later, it’s time to hit the road for our next overnight stop, gorgeous Byron Bay – one of Australia’s gems & a great place to hang out! With a laid-back lifestyle, cute little shops, organic food, alternative therapies and around 30km of pretty beaches, it’s a must see. Byron Bay is also known for its incredible marine life. Head out to Cape Byron, Australia’s most easterly point and see dolphins and humpback whales if you’re lucky, then grab some lunch back in town and maybe take a swim at the beach & soak up the hippy vibes & easy going atmosphere.

Byron Bay is situation on a marine park also known for its incredible marine life. Head out to Cape Byron, the mainland Australia’s most easterly point and see the local pod of dolphins and if you’re lucky the seasonal humpback whales. Grab some lunch back in town and maybe take a swim at the beach.

There are loads of other things on offer here too, like a sea kayaking adventure where you catch up with a family of dolphins at Wategos beach, their curiosity often brings them right up next your kayak, and snorkeling at Middle reef home to turtles, rays, corals, eels, starfish and sharks.

Hostel Breakfast

This morning we cross over into Queensland and visit Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary where you’ll get up close to Australia’s amazing native animals. Cuddle a koala, feed the kangaroos and see wombats, emus, crocodiles, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and colourful birds. You can feel good about doing this too, as our visit to this not-for-profit organisation goes towards the sanctuary’s animal hospital which helps over 4,000 injured animals every year.

Tonight we pull into legendary Surfers Paradise, the Gold Coast’s party hot spot and home to some of the best surfing beaches in the world.

Grab some of your new friends and join the party atmosphere of Surfers tonight. With heaps of restaurants and a buzzing nightlife, there’s something for everybody. Head to the happening Orchid or Cavill Avenues, where clubs and bars line the street or shoot some pool at a pub.

Resort Breakfast

With a free day, hang out among the bronzed bodies, bikini babes and surfer dudes on the golden sands. Check out what Surfers is most famous for, the three kilometers of gorgeous natural beaches. Kick back and spot some locals showing off their talents in the waves.

If you want to get amongst the action there’s so much happening in Surfers Paradise you are spoilt for choice. You could head up into the Hinterland Mountains on a 4WD trip, visit South Stradbroke Island on a kayaking safari or spend all day at Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's Zoo, Australia Zoo.

For adrenaline-junkies, there’s an optional tandem skydive or Tiger Moth biplane flight, where you can get your thrills and an amazing bird’s eye view over the Pacific Ocean and myriad of rivers and estuaries that make up the area.

Our hotel is only a short walk from both the beach and downtown Surfers Paradise so you could also hit the shops – Surfers has some great places to shop and a huge outlet mall for bargains, so get some tips from your Tour Manager on where’s best to head.

Hotel

As we make our way up the coast, we make a stop in Brisbane to see what this city is all about. You’ll get a feel for the capital of Queensland’s laid-back atmosphere when we have a look around town. Noosa is up next. It’s a trendy beach resort town. You could take a stroll through the shops or sunbathe and swim at the beach before we check into our resort. Tonight, go local and enjoy a taste of Aussie as we head to the surf club for dinner and champagne overlooking the beach. Later, if you want to take it up a level, head out into the town & explore Noosa by night.

Resort Breakfast, Dinner

This morning you have a few options of how to spend your day. If you like there’s more time to explore Noosa this morning, before making your way up north to Fraser Island.

Fraser Island is a slice of paradise. This UNESCO World Heritage listed site is the largest sand island in the world and is 800,000 years old. Packed with around 40 fresh-water lakes, lush rainforests and diverse wildlife, Fraser Island lives up to its amazing reputation.

There’s a regular shuttle from our accommodation down to the main resort area so you can take off and explore at your own pace.

If you want to explore as much of the island as possible, you have the option to jump on a full-day 4WD tour. Meet your Local Guide in the morning and be shown some of the island’s best spots and hidden treasures, taking you through the island’s sandunes, rainforests & freshwater lakes. Make sure you keep your camera handy - this is one of Australia’s most beautiful regions.

Eco Lodge

Back on the mainland this morning, we continue inland to an authentic country homestead, right in the heart of Queensland’s cattle country.

During our time at Langmorn, a working cattle station, you’ll experience a taste of real Aussie country life. The owners will show you around the enormous property in a behind-the-scenes look at daily life on the farm. Taste local hospitality tonight as your welcoming hosts pile your table high with a hearty roast beef and vegetables (like you've never tasted before) followed by an indulgent home made decadent desert.

Later, have a go at whip cracking an authentic leather stock whip under night lights before heading back inside for traditional Aussie bush dancing. Have some fun and a giggle with some evening karaoke. See if you can spot the 'Southern Cross' amongst a chandelier of stars, a constellation only visible in the southern hemisphere & featured on the Australian flag.

Country Homestead Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we stop off in Rockhampton, the beef farming capital of Australia that spans the Tropic of Capricorn.

As we make our way up the Capricorn Coast, the landscape becomes more tropical. Plug in your MP3 or chat with friends as we drive through scenic Mackay, with the countryside full of vibrant green vegetation and sugar cane plantations.

In the afternoon visit the backpackers’ hub of Airlie Beach with its turquoise waters and busy café scene before boarding a boat out to stunning Daydream Island in the Whitsundays.

As we cruise soak up the crystal clear waters, white sands and mountain peaks of the islands.

Resort Breakfast, Dinner

After an included continental breakfast, the first day is free to enjoy the picture-perfect Whitsundays.

If you’re keen to explore further afield and see the UNESCO listed Great Barrier Reef first hand, choose our optional trip to the Outer Barrier Reef. Our fun Local Guides will kit you out with snorkel gear and show you around this natural wonder.

Otherwise, slow the pace down, kick back and make the most of the fantastic facilities available at the resort. Go for a rainforest walk, swim in the pool, get into some beach or water sports, try your hand at fish-feeding, catch a film at the big outdoor cinema or laze about on the beach.

On the second day, get away from it all with our optional day sail. Check out some of the Whitsunday’s 74 islands from the boat - you’ll soon understand why this region is so famous. Experience what is known as one of the top ten beaches in the world, the uninhabited Whitehaven Beach.

Swim off the boat and play beach volleyball or cricket with the local skipper and crew before enjoying a tasty lunch and a few drinks on the way back to Daydream Island.

Resort Breakfast, Breakfast

After a ferry back to the mainland, we head deeper into the tropics of Australia today when we hit Townsville for some free time. Check out the colonial buildings and get a feel for its maritime past as we drive along the esplanade and into town where you can grab some lunch.

See vistas over Magnetic Island, a National Park and bird sanctuary, before we continue our travels up north.

Back on the road, we cruise past waterfalls, waterholes, fruit plantations and thick, tropical rainforests into Tully, home to some of Australia’s best white-water rafting.

Then it’s on to the popular traveller’s hub of Cairns. With a colourful tropical setting, vibrant restaurant scene and happening nightlife, this gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and rainforests is one of Australia’s hottest destinations.

In your free time on the first night in Cairns, walk around the buzzing night markets. It’s the perfect place for shopping and with everything from fun, kitsch treasures to local crafts like boomerangs and didgeridoos.

Resort Breakfast

Wake up to the warm waters of Cairns where there’s something for everyone. This is your chance to experience the Great Barrier Reef on an optional day trip.

If you have always wanted to go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef then this is your chance! There are scuba diving options for both certified and introductory divers (no experience necessary). Check out the amazing World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, you are sure to see one of Nemo's cousins, tiny schooling fish right up to giant Maori wrasse and if you're lucky, even a small reef shark! There are local marine biologists on board to answer 'which fish is that?'

Tonight you have the opportunity to try kangaroo fillets, amongst other delicious Australian delicacies during your included dinner at one of Cairns' most awarded restaurants.

On day 2, for those who are keen for a fun and thrilling ride on the rapids of the Tully River, join our optional whitewater rafting adventure activity with our professional Local Guides. There are loads more activities available in Cairns like hot air ballooning, sky diving and bungy jumping – just ask your Tour Manager for some more info.

Catch up with your new buddies to swap stories on your day at a local hot spot. The food and entertainment is sure to leave a lasting impression!

Resort Breakfast

Catch a flight today as we cut across the state to land in the Northern Territory. We touch down in Alice Springs, smack in the middle of Australia and in the middle of nowhere. This original outback town is also the artistic core for Aboriginal culture. Easy-going and compact, it’ll be our base for the next 2 nights.

Check in to our hotel and meet some of the people who are joining our tour. With a free night, you could head out with the group and get to know the new comers.

Hotel

You’ll get a real feel for this rustic and remote outpost as your Tour Manager introduces you to the local area. We visit the Desert Park where you’ll walk through different habitats found in the Northern Territory, including creeks, woodlands and sand dunes and learn about the plant and wildlife that survive in some of the world’s toughest conditions. You’ll also see animals from the Central Australian deserts that are almost impossible to see in the wild.

Later, we head into the stunning West MacDonnell National Park. We’ll stop at the important spiritual site for Aborigines, Simpsons Gap, where you’ll see rock-climbing wallabies, gum trees and a small water hole. Don’t forget to bring your swimming gear.

Use your free time this afternoon to check out the galleries and local Aboriginal art scene – this is the perfect opportunity to pick up some different gifts for back home.

Later, you’ll understand just how remote Alice Springs is and get an insider’s view on life in the outback at the Royal Flying Doctors. Our Local Guide will fill us in on the distances these doctors travel! We also visit the Old Telegraph Station, the original European settlement in the area, then head to Anzac Hill for full blown views over the desert.

Tonight, relax back at the hotel and tuck into a buffet dinner.

Hotel Breakfast, Dinner

Jump start the day by learning about surviving in the bush with our included Aboriginal Bush Tucker tour. Our expert Aboriginal Guide will fill you in on the dos and don’ts of life in the bush and you’ll even get to taste insects and plants if you’re adventurous.

Next up, Kings Creek Station. This working camel & cattle station serves up a real bush experience. Tonight, “go bush” and sleep under the open sky at our overnight bush camp where you’ll see the desert sky light up with thousands of stars.

Outback bush camp Breakfast, Dinner

After packing up camp, we hike through Kings Canyon.

Your Tour Manager will tell you all about the incredible rock formations and show off this scenic landscape. Navigate your way through the “Lost City” (a series of giant sandstone domes) and hike to the “Garden of Eden” – a gorge packed with palm trees and a shaded water hole.

Back on the coach, we drive by ancient Mt Connor for 360 degree views over the red desert before arriving at Yulara Resort. This environmentally designed resort is all about the outback and has a pool for you to cool off in after the drive.

Tonight, catch the sun set over the UNESCO World Heritage listed Uluru (Ayers Rock). If you all put in some change, you can grab some nibbles and a bottle of champagne to toast this amazing view.

Lodge Breakfast

Start off the morning nice and early and watch the sun rise over this iconic natural wonder from the viewing area.

Get familiar with Uluru when your Tour Manager takes you around its base and gives you the background of the spiritual significance of this site for Aboriginal people.

For something different, choose an optional Harley Davidson ride or scenic flight.

Learn more about indigenous culture at the Cultural Centre before visiting Kata Tjuta, which means “many heads” – this spot is famous for its 36 different rock formations.

After sunset, you can kick back beside the pool at the resort, wander around town or just hang out with your friends.

Lodge Breakfast

It’s an easy-going start to the day today. Your Tour Manager will cook up a storm for breakfast, so load up on bacon & eggs!

We swing by a traditional Australian roadhouse, and then pull back into Alice Springs.

Tonight, join the group for an optional dinner at the Overlander Steakhouse, where you can try out kangaroo, crocodile, camel & steak while listening to Aussie folk songs.

Hotel Breakfast

Get above it all in an optional hot air balloon ride over the red MacDonnell Ranges at dawn this morning. Enjoy a bird’s eye view over these stunning, massive rock formations.

On the road, we stop by Ti Tree, an Aboriginal community, where there’s a chance to pick up authentic artefacts, paintings and didgeridoos at the cute Aboriginal art gallery.

Chill out on the coach as we cut across flat plains and travel through a patch of no man’s land. Stretch your legs at Karlu Karlu (the Devils Marbles), a strange grouping of enormous boulders, and maybe even sight a UFO in Wycliffe Well.

We overnight in Tennant Creek, a “true blue” Aussie outback town, where you’ll get a feel for the size of Australia. In the middle of nowhere, this town is the only point of contact for the million-acre cattle stations of the surrounding area.

Hotel Dinner

Heading north, we stop by Renner Springs, which serves as a border between the lush tropics of the north and the red desert of Australia’s centre.

Next up: the oldest pub in the Northern Territory, Daly Waters, licensed since 1893. Check out the knick-knacks and memorabilia that cover the walls of this Australian institution. Grab a bite to eat here and maybe meet a local character or two.

Afterwards, we pull into Mataranka Thermal Springs where you can have a swim in the thermal pools at a bush resort, where the mineral waters are a comfortable 34°C/93°F.

In the afternoon, we arrive in riverside Katherine – it’s a total change of scene after the dry desert. Your Tour Manager will organise an optional dinner tonight, so you can relax by the pool.

Hotel Breakfast

Kick start the day with a hike, walk or take our optional cruise through the gorgeous Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. This National Park serves up vivid orange cliffs and rock formations that have been carved out by the river over hundreds’ of years. Keep an eye open for fresh water crocs and learn about local wildlife and folklore from our Local Guide.

Later on, cool off in the swimming hole at Edith Falls, deep in the heart of the national park.

We overnight near Australia’s largest national park, Kakadu, known for its ancient rock art, some of which is up to 20,000 years old.

Hotel Breakfast, Dinner

We spend the day exploring some of this 20,000 sq km World Heritage-listed site. It’s packed with swamps, rainforest, wetlands, woodlands, plants, insects and 75 different types of reptiles.

Our included boat cruise takes us out onto Yellow Water, a lush inland lagoon. You’ll see some rock art, birdlife and even learn about the Aboriginal history of the area.

We get the background on local indigenous culture at the Warradjan Cultural Centre before we explore the “rock galleries” of Ubirr, where time-old paintings line the cave walls. Depending on the season, you can watch the sun set over this stunning site before we head back to the hotel for dinner.

Hotel Breakfast

Today, we head to stunning Litchfield National Park on our way to Darwin. We stop by the termite mounds, a local natural curiosity, which are up to 4 metres high and are literally magnetic – your Tour Manager will fill you in on the details.

Then we hit the famous falls that make up the park - 4 waterfalls pour over a wide plateau into deep, picture-perfect waterholes surrounded by thick rainforest. Experience this natural playground and take a dip in the transparent waters.

This evening, we make our way to Darwin where we maybe try lucking out at the casino or go dancing & party the night away.

Hotel Breakfast

Today we crusie around Darwin on a city sightseeing tour before we hit the Darwin Museum and find out about the unlucky past of the Northern Territory’s capital.

This afternoon enjoy some free time ot explore Darwin, where you could jump on a relaxing Harbour cruise or if you feel the need for speed, perhaps a Jet Boat ride. Later this evening, we head back to the hotel where your tour ends. Say goodbye to your new friends and Tour Manager.

Breakfast