7 Day Gulf of Carpentaria Fly/Drive Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• World Heritage Daintree Rainforest
• Cape Tribulation
• Bloomfield Track (weather permitting)
• Black Mountain & Lion’s Den Hotel
• Guided Tour of Historic Cooktown
• Guided Tour of "Quinkan" Aboriginal Rock Art
• Lakefield National Park
• Musgrave, Coen & Archer River
• Wenlock River & Moreton
• The "Telegraph Track"
• Fruit Bat Falls
• Lockerbie Scrub
• Historic Somerset
• The Top of Australia - Gulf of Carpentaria!
• Thursday Island (Island Tour included)

Itinerary (Drive/Fly)

Day 1 - (Drive/Fly)

Day 1 - Your Gulf of Carpentaria adventure begins with a fascinating day in the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics Daintree rainforest. Enjoy a scenic cruise on the Daintree River to experience the fabulous birdlife and wildlife along the river, including the fearsome Estuarine Crocodile.

We now cross the river by cable ferry and travel on into the primeval jungle, the oldest rainforest on earth. We visit Jindalba. This area contains one of our very few remaining pockets of undisturbed lowland coastal rainforest, rich with magnificent examples of primitive flowering plants and spectacular trees and vines. Here you’ll walk with your guide to experience some of the intriguing plants and animals of this wonderful region. We overnight at Heritage Lodge.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2

Today we wind our way north. We stop for morning tea beside a pristine creek on our way to the rugged 4WD Bloomfield Track (weather permitting). We travel on gravel roads, cross beautiful rainforest creeks and are afforded the most spectacular views from the steep climbs and descents.

We cross the Bloomfield River near the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal. Lunch is at the quaint Lion's Den Hotel. After lunch we visit eerie Black Mountain on the way to historic Cooktown. Walk where Captain Cook walked and enjoy Grassy Hill’s spectacular views on a tour of Cooktown where we stay tonight.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

This morning travel through the agricultural district of Lakeland with the opportunity to buy locally grown coffee, on our way to “Quinkan Country” near Laura. Here we climb (suitable footwear and reasonable fitness required) the sandstone escarpment at Split Rock to view ancient Aboriginal rock art, dated in excess of 13,000 years old, depicting traditional activities and culture.

Explore Lakefield National Park, Queensland’s second largest at 537,000 hectares (1.25 million acres). Waterlily covered billabongs, wildlife and a great variety of birdlife makes for a memorable day before arriving at the century old Telegraph Station and now working cattle station of Musgrave, our overnight stop.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

This morning we cross the Great Dividing Range to visit the old gold mining town of Coen. Onward we cross the sprawling sandbanks of the Archer River and the Wenlock River, site of the historic Moreton Telegraph Office. Time for exploring, bushwalking, birdwatching or simply relaxing. We overnight at Moreton’s delightful permanent tent safari camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

4WD adventure and fun today on the famous Telegraph Track through Gulf of Carpentaria”s unique wilderness of gigantic termite mounds, crystal clear creeks, carnivorous pitcher plants and prehistoric cycads. Lunch at picturesque Fruit Bat Falls and a great chance to swim in its pristine spring-fed waters.

Across the mighty Jardine River and on to the northern-most settlements on mainland Australia where we stay for two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

A fascinating visit to the beautiful “Lockerbie Scrub”, an isolated pocket of monsoon rainforest, on our way to historic Somerset on Albany passage where you can ponder the past, our explorers, pioneers and the Gulf of Carpentaria’s traditional owners. Now, an emotional walk to the very top of Australia –Gulf of Carpentaria!

Meals: Breakfast ,Lunch ,Dinner

Day 7

We say farewell this morning as you board your boat to cruise to Thursday Island, capital of the Torres Strait Islands. Enjoy a guided tour of the island (included). After lunch (own expense today) transfer by ferry to Horn Island to board your aircraft to fly over The Great Barrier Reef to Cairns ending your fascinating safari of adventure and discovery of Gulf of Carpentaria The safari terminates at Cairns airport.

Meals: Breakfast

 

Itinerary (Drive/Fly)

Day 1

This morning make your own way to Cairns Domestic Airport to meet your Gulf of Carpentaria tour representative. Your adventure begins when you board your aircraft to fly over the Great Barrier Reef to Horn Island. Transfer by ferry to Thursday Island, capital of the Torres Strait Islands. Time now to enjoy a guided tour of the island (included). After lunch (own expense today) transfer by ferry to the northern-most settlements of mainland Australia where we stay for two nights.

Meals: Dinner

Day 2

A fascinating visit to the beautiful “Lockerbie Scrub”, an isolated pocket of monsoon rainforest, on our way to historic Somerset on Albany passage where you can ponder the past, our explorers, pioneers and the Gulf of Carpentaria’s traditional owners. Now, an emotional walk to the very top of Australia – Gulf of Carpentaria!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

Across the mighty Jardine River we travel through Gulf of Carpentaria’s unique wilderness of gigantic termite mounds, crystal clear creeks, carnivorous pitcher plants and prehistoric cycads. Visit picturesque Fruit Bat Falls, a great chance to swim it its pristine spring-fed waters. Continue on to the Wenlock River where we overnight in Moreton’s delightful permanent tent safari camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Meet some locals at classic outposts today. Cross the Wenlock River and the sprawling sandbanks of the Archer River to the old gold mining town of Coen. Later we arrive at Musgrave, the century old Telegraph Station and now working cattle station, our overnight stop.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Explore Lakefield National Park, Queensland’s second largest at 537,000 hectares (1.25 million acres). Waterlily covered billabongs, wildlife and a great variety of birdlife makes for a memorable morning. We then enter “Quinkan Country” near Laura.

Here we climb (suitable footwear and reasonable fitness required) the sandstone escarpment at Split Rock to view ancient Aboriginal rock art, dated in excess of 13,000 years old, depicting traditional activities and culture. Travel through the agricultural district of Lakeland with the opportunity to buy locally grown coffee, on our way to Cooktown, our overnight stop.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

Walk where Captain Cook walked and enjoy the spectacular views from atop Grassy Hill on a tour of Cooktown. Leaving Cooktown we visit the quaint Lion's Den Hotel for lunch before crossing the Bloomfield River near the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal. 4WD action on the rugged Bloomfield Track (weather permitting).

We travel on gravel roads, cross beautiful rainforest creeks and are afforded the most spectacular views from the steep climbs and descents. At Dubuji we’ll walk to Myall Beach on the southern side of Cape Tribulation. Further south we cross the Noah Range, pass by Thornton Beach and arrive at our overnight accommodation in the middle of the Daintree rainforest. Overnight at Heritage Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

A fascinating day in the World Heritage listed rainforest of the Daintree. This morning we’ll pass a Daintree tea plantation, visit a forest of spectacular “fan palms” which feature in all pictorial works on the rainforest and Cow Bay so named for the Dugong, or Sea Cow. We visit Jindalba.

This area contains one of our very few remaining pockets of undisturbed lowland coastal rainforest, rich with magnificent examples of primitive flowering plants and spectacular trees and vines. Here you’ll walk with your guide to experience some of the intriguing plants and animals of this wonderful region. Further south we cross the Daintree River on a cable ferry on the way to our lunch stop.

An afternoon scenic cruise on the Daintree River to experience the fabulous birdlife and wildlife along the river, including the fearsome Estuarine Crocodile. Now we return to Port Douglas and Cairns ending your fascinating safari of adventure and discovery in Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Due to limited accommodation in remote areas of
Gulf of Carpentaria we may have to use alternative accommodation of a similar standard from time to time.

Pick-up and Drop-off Details

Drive / Fly Itinerary

Departs: Hotels in Cairns / Beaches / Port Douglas from 7:00am

Returns: Cairns Qantas Domestic Airport at approximately 5:30pm - flight times to be confirmed. The safari terminates at the airport.

Fly / Drive Itinerary

Departs: Cairns Qantas Domestic Airport at approximately 8:00am - flight times to be confirmed. Guests are to make their own way to the airport by 7:00am and meet near the check-in counters. A Gulf of Carpentaria tour representative will be at the airport to distribute luggage tags, a Thursday Island Information Pack and assist with a group check-in.

Returns: Hotels in Port Douglas / Beaches / Cairns from approximately 5:00pm

 

INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS

This tour operates with a minimum of 4 passengers and a maximum of 13 passengers

Inclusions

6 nights accommodation · Meals as coded · Cruise to or from Thursday Island · Tour of Thursday Island · Flight between Cairns and Horn Island

Exclusions

All soft and alcohol drinks · Optional tours · Transfers to/from Cairns Airport · Items of a personal nature