HIGHLIGHTS:

• Quinkan Rock Art
• Musgrave Telegraph Station
• Twin Falls
• Cape York - Australia's Most Northerly Point
• Thursday Island (optional)
• Iron Range National Park
• Weipa
• Lakefield National Park
• Cooktown
• Black Mountain
• Bloomfield Track
• Cape Tribulation

ITINERARY

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, T = Toilets, S = Showers, L = Laundry, Bc = Bush Camp

Day 1 – CAIRNS – LAKEFIELD N.P.(LD)
Your adventure begins as we travel over the Great Dividing Range into "Quinkan Country" to view ancient Aboriginal rock art at Split Rock near Laura (reasonable fitness and suitable footwear required). Travel on into Lakefield National Park, Queensland’s second largest at 537,000 hectares (1.25 million acres) and a great wildlife spotting opportunity. We camp in the National Park tonight.

Day 2 – LAKEFIELD – MERLUNA (BLD)
Waterlily covered billabongs, wildlife and a great variety of birdlife in Lakefield National Park this morning. Visit the historic telegraph station of Musgrave before travelling on to Coen and the Archer River. Continue on to “Merluna”, a remote family operated cattle station, where we camp tonight.

Day 3 – MERLUNA – WEIPA – WENLOCK RIVER (BLD)
On to Weipa on the Gulf of Carpentaria and an opportunity to learn about this remote community and its bauxite mine. Leaving Weipa, we travel east through Batavia Downs Station to our camp at the historic Moreton Telegraph Office on the Wenlock River.

Day 4 – WENLOCK RIVER – TWIN FALLS (BLD)
4WD action, adventure and fun on Cape York's rugged Telegraph Track today. Cross rivers and creeks, swim and relax, see prehistoric palms, giant termite mounds and carnivorous plants. You'll be enchanted by the magic of Twin Falls - swimming here, in pristine spring-fed pools landscaped by nature, will be a life long memory. We camp here tonight in the company of millions of stars.

Day 5 – TWIN FALLS – CAPE YORK (BLD)
Onward across the mighty Jardine River to our beach front campsite on the tropical shores of Torres Strait. This afternoon a fascinating visit to the beautiful “Lockerbie Scrub”, an isolated pocket of monsoon rainforest on our way to an emotional walk to the very top of Australia – CAPE YORK!

Day 6 – FREE DAY (BD)
Choose from a tropical cruise to Thursday Island or fishing with a professional guide (both optional). Alternatively, take your bird book and binoculars for a bushwalk or relax at the beach with a good book.

Day 7 – FREE DAY (BD)
A relaxing day at leisure in this tropical paradise. Go fishing, bushwalking, birdwatching, stroll along the beach or simply relax with a good book

Day 8 – CAPE YORK – WENLOCK RIVER (BLD)
Across the mighty Jardine River we travel through Cape York's wilderness and on to Fruit Bat Falls for lunch and a swim in its pristine spring-fed waters. Continue on to our overnight camp at Moreton on the Wenlock River.

Day 9 – WENLOCK RIVER – IRON RANGE N.P. (BLD)
Today we head east across the Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers to the fabulous Iron Range National Park (conditions permitting), Australia’s largest remaining area of tropical lowland rainforest. The area is renown for its Eclectus Parrots, Palm Cockatoos, Magnificent Rifle Birds, Green (Condra) Pythons and Spotted Cuscus to name just a few. We camp in the rainforest or at Chili Beach.

Day 10 – IRON RANGE N.P. – ARCHER RIVER (BL)
This morning we visit the tiny outpost of Portland Roads before returning to see other secrets hidden in the Iron Range rainforest. We leave the National Park through Tozers Gap and travel on to visit the historic Batavia gold fields. Onward to Archer River where we camp tonight.

Day 11 – ARCHER RIVER – JOWALBINNA (BLD)
South to Coen then on to the historic telegraph station of Musgrave. Continue to Jowalbinna Rock Art Safari Camp, an epicentre for Quinkan Rock Art over 30,000 years old in picturesque sandstone valleys. Camp at Jowalbinna tonight.

Day 12 – JOWALBINNA – COOKTOWN (BL)
A morning rock art exploration, delving into the traditional lives of the region’s first inhabitants (optional). Travel to historic Cooktown and walk where Captain Cook once walked, enjoy Grassy Hill's spectacular views and relive the gold rush days strolling past heritage buildings. We camp near Cooktown tonight.

Day 13 – COOKTOWN – CAPE TRIBULATION – CAIRNS (BL)
Visit eerie Black Mountain and the quaint Lion's Den Hotel this morning. Now 4WD adventure on the Bloomfield Track (conditions permitting) into the World Heritage Listed rainforests of Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Nearing the end we cross the Daintree River by cable ferry and continue on to Port Douglas or Cairns completing your fascinating adventure of discovery and fun in Australia's far north.

The operator reserves the right to use alternative location of accommodation or camp site if necessitated.

2010 DEPARTURE DATES

May 18, June 1, 15, 29, July 13, 27, August 10, 24, September 7, 21, October 5, 19

RATES

$ 40.00 PER PERSON FUEL LEVY PAYABLE ON BOARD