Magical Tropics (start Cairns) View More Reviews Write a review

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

Check into the Rydges Esplanade Resort & meet your Contiki crew then we're off to town, so you can get a feel of the area you will be spending the next three nights. This evening get to know your new travel buddies over dinner, later on perhaps check out the Cairns night markets, or head out for a night on the town!

Resort Dinner

Wake up to the warm waters of Cairns. For those who are keen for a fun and thrilling ride on the rapids of the Tully River, join our optional white-water 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.

In your free time in the evening, 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. There’s something for everyone.

There's another chance to experience the Great Barrier Reef on an optional day trip. Put on your snorkel gear and check out colourful fish, turtles, vivid coral and the incredible clear waters.

Later, hit the seaside esplanade back in Cairns, sit down with a coffee and people watch. For your last night with the group in this city, there’s a chance to head down to a local hot-spot for dinner if you’re up for it.

Resort Breakfast, Breakfast

Relax on the coach with some tunes as we cruise past thick, tropical rainforests into Tully, home to some of Australia’s best whitewater rafting.

Slowly leaving the tropics behind us, we hit Townsville for some free time. Check out the colonial buildings and get a feel for its maritime past as we drive down 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 south and board 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

Say a final farewell to your new friends as your trip ends this morning.

Breakfast