Tropical Queensland: Gold Coast to Cairns

The Gold Coast boasts a sparkling reputation – for good reason. It enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year, which you can bask in when you touch down in the Queensland city and start to take its pulse at your leisure. But before you do, we have lofty treat for you. Join a guide to head 77 stories up into the air in the iconic Q1 building, where the city unfolds before you from the SkyPoint Observation Deck. At your Welcome Dinner we’ll give you tips on how to spend tomorrow, whether padding along beaches (there’s 57km of coastline to explore), discovering colourful neighbourhoods or heading to the hinterland.

The Gold Coast may have a laid-back vibe, but this is Australia’s sixth-largest city. There’s a lot to pack in, so bring your stamina. The hardest thing you have to do is decide today which direction to set your compass. Begin the day on the sand, perhaps, whether at legendary beaches like Surfers Paradise or further afield in hamlets of the south or along calm estuaries. Foodie? Hop between cafes, restaurants, bars and vibrant markets. Discover the city’s cultural vibe browsing museums and galleries. Or feel the cool of the Gondwana rainforest in the hinterland, where walking tracks lead to distilleries and wineries between time-forgot villages (own expense). We challenge you to do it all.

Say farewell to the Gold Coast and fly north to Airlie Beach, the gateway to the dazzling 74 tropical islands of the Whitsundays. Life moves at a slow pace in Airlie, in keeping with the balmy climes. Follow the lead of locals and soak it all in – slowly – while getting a taste for the produce of the region at any number of alfresco restaurants and bars. Or splash about in Airlie’s enormous man-made lagoon, particularly pretty at sunset. The choice is yours this afternoon and evening.

The Whitsundays is home to some big-name islands, Hayman, Hamilton and Daydream among them. But there are endless others to discover, whether from the air or the water. Today we’re letting you choose. Perhaps rise early for a scenic helicopter ride over Heart Reef. Or catch a catamaran to Whitehaven Beach, with sand so high in silica it squeaks underfoot. You can also opt to go chasing waterfalls in the lush hinterland, where hiking trails weave through the emerald canopy and lead to gem-like waterholes (all own expense). Whichever way you go, be sure to pack your swimsuit.

Just off the coast of Townsville, to which you've travelled by coach, Magnetic Island is a very special pocket of national parkland. In fact, more than two thirds of the land here is protected, woven with 25km of hiking trails. Alight your ferry and get your bearings with a local guide, to glimpse palm-fringed beaches backdropped by enormous granite boulders, hidden waterfalls and forests of lush hoop pines and eucalypts where koalas like to hang out. Fun fact: the island is home to the largest population of koalas in northern Australia. It’s all enveloped by opaline lagoons that glimmer in Queensland’s tropical sun.

Those gleaming coral reefs you glimpsed yesterday? Today on our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, you’re getting a close-up look on a cruise around Magnetic’s 23 bays and endless beaches. Jump aboard your floating chariot to glide across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, learning about what’s being done to protect this fragile ecosystem. It can get warm in these parts; thankfully you’ll have plenty of time to cool off with a dip or snorkel before heading back to land. Tonight, discover the island’s restaurants and bars at your own pace.

From the reef to the rainforest – today you’re heading even deeper into Tropical North Queensland. Return by ferry to dry land and travel by coach from Townsville to Cairns, a place where two World Heritage Sites converge: the Great Barrier Reef meets the Wet Tropics of Queensland. Needless to say, it’s a pretty special destination. Touch down and take your time soaking up the tropical surrounds of this city, whether you’re wandering along the buzzy Esplanade, enjoying seafood by the marina or checking out one of the hip bars and lounges that now call Cairns home.

Things cool down when you journey to Kuranda, set high on the eastern edge of the Atherton Tablelands. This village in the rainforest comes with personality to spare. It’s also an important floral and faunal corridor, as you’ll discover when you arrive and explore at your leisure. You’ll take in the natural drama from your ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, offering you a bird’s-eye view over strangler figs, orchids and palms, not to mention gushing waterfalls. Keep watch for the elusive cassowary, which calls this part of the world home. The rest of the day and evening is at your leisure.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest of its kind in the world. Today you’ll get to dive into part of it on a high-speed catamaran cruise over the Coral Sea. Pull on your mask and snorkel (equipment provided) to swim with turtles, moray eels, giant clams and a menagerie of tropical fish. Your guides will tell you how important this ecosystem is to the biodiversity of the planet. If you prefer to keep your hair dry, the marine wonderland can also be glimpsed from an underwater observatory and glass-bottom boat. A tropical buffet lunch will be served before you return to Cairns. Endless sunshine, countless beaches, memories of coral reefs and tropical fish, rainforests and waterfalls... you'll be glowing when it's time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers after your Farewell Dinner.

We bid you farewell after breakfast. We wouldn’t blame you for lingering to catch a final few rays before you fly home, though.