Original
Explorer
East Coast Australia Adventure
19 days • 4.8
5
Excellent
6 reviews
19 days
Start
Sydney, Australia
Finish
Cairns, Australia
Trip Code
PZSVC
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 16
Physical Rating
Meals
8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
Private vehicle, Ferry, Overnight train, Boat, 4WD
Accommodation
Hotel (10 nights), Cabins (5 nights), Overnight train (1 night), Holiday Apartments (2 nights)
From £4,652(19 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Witness the expansive and iconic Great Barrier Reef on a snorkelling adventure and see colourful corals and tropical fish as you swim with turtles off the Daintree coast.
Take a 4WD adventure through the breathtaking landscape of K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). Ride across sand dunes and vast golden beaches in search of the iconic outback creature – the dingo.
Visit Daintree Rainforest – the oldest rainforest in the world – and Cape Tribulation on a stunning day that ticks off two UNESCO World Heritage areas (nature lovers rejoice!).
Soak up the beachside vibes of Byron Bay with a free day in this surfer’s haven. Go for a dip in the ocean, take a kayaking tour, listen to buskers by the beach, join a yoga class or just hang loose in a quirky café.
Embark on a full-day tour of the Whitsundays, where you’ll head out on a bushwalk to Hill Inlet Lookout, go snorkelling among giant tropical fish and corals and then relax on the 7 km stretch of Whitehaven Beach as the sun descends.
Is this trip right for you?
This trip covers around 2500 km (1550 miles) over fourteen days. There are some long travelling days but it’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers.
This trip includes an overnight train, which is super comfortable and features RailBeds, charging stations and USB ports. The overnight train is in RailBed class and is not accompanied by a tour leader. Should the train not operate due to track works or other factors outside of our control, it will be replaced with alternative transport and an additional overnight stay. Please see the daily itinerary for more details.
Multiple activities on this trip are subject to weather and water conditions and on occasion, may be cancelled for safety or operational reasons. In the case of cancellation, we will endeavour to find a suitable replacement activity.
Itinerary
Explore the full extent of Australia’s iconic eastern coast
Start in Sydney, finish in Cairns and leave no stone unturned on this 19-day adventure along Australia’s diverse east coast. You’ll tour all the postcard-perfect spots – snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef and the corals of the Whitsundays, go on a 4WD drive adventure in K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) and immerse yourself in the ancient wonder of Daintree Rainforest. With stops at wineries in the Hunter Valley, the beachside vibes of Byron Bay, Mission Beach, Hervey Bay and more – this is a true-blue intro to everything Australia.
Inclusions
Meals
8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
Private vehicle, Ferry, Overnight train, Boat, 4WD
Accommodation
Hotel (10 nights), Cabins (5 nights), Overnight train (1 night), Holiday Apartments (2 nights)
Included activities
Hunter Valley - Winery Visit & Wine Tasting
Sydney - The Rocks Dreaming Walking Tour with Aboriginal Guide
Crowdy Bay National Park - Diamond Head Hike
Port Macquarie - Koala Hospital guided tour
Dorrigo National Park - Short Hike
Dorrigo National Park - Rainforest Centre & Skywalk
Coffs Harbour - Red Rock Gumbaynggirr First Nations experience
Byron Bay - Lighthouse Walk
Springbrook National Park - Natural Bridge
Byron Bay - The Farm visit
K'gari - Full day tour
Airlie Beach - Full day Whitsunday Islands & Whitehaven Beach Tour with Snorkelling
Paluma Range National Park - Crystal Creek
Townsville - Castle Hill Lookout
Mungalla Station - Nywaigi First Nations Guided Tour
Cairns - Mandingalbay First Nations tour
Atherton Tablelands - Tolga Bat Hospital
Mareeba Wetlands - Forever Wild sunset wildlife experience
Kuranda - Kuranda Markets
Barron Gorge National Park - Din Din Barron Falls lookout
Daintree National Park - Mossman Gorge
Daintree National Park - Nature Walk
Great Barrier Reef - Half Day Cruise & Snorkelling Experience
Cape Tribulation - Kulki walk & lookout
Cape Tribulation - Mason’s Swimming Hole
Optional activities
Hervey Bay - Whale Watching (Jul-Oct) - AUD122
Airlie Beach - Coral Beach walk - Free
Cairns - Art gallery - Free
Cairns - Botanical Gardens - Free
Kuranda - Skyrail Rainforest Cableway - AUD68
Kuranda - Kuranda Scenic Railway - AUD55
Dates and availability
Starting
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Important notes
START & END TIMES
The trip starts in Sydney with a Welcome Meeting at 9 am on Day 1 at our joining point hotel and finishes on arrival in Cairns on Day 19 at our finish point hotel around 5 pm. Accommodation is not included on this day but can be booked on request.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
A Single Supplement can be booked if you prefer not to share a room on this trip, subject to availability.
OVERNIGHT TRAIN
The overnight train is in RailBed class and is not accompanied by a tour leader. Luggage weight (max 20kg for main luggage, 7kg for hand luggage) and size (23cm x 34cm x 48cm) limits apply for our overnight train journey. Please note that throughout the year scheduled railway track works may take place on the route from Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach, sometimes at short notice. Should the train not operate due to track works or other factors outside of our control, you will be driving with your leader instead, with an overnight in Tannum Sands, taking approximately 15 hours split across two days. Currently we are aware of Queensland Rail having track works tentatively scheduled for the following departure dates, likely affecting your departure as described above:
• East Coast Australia Adventure, departing Sydney on 14th March 2025 (trip code PZSVC250314)
• East Coast Australia Adventure, departing Sydney on 21st March 2025 (trip code PZSVC250321)
• East Coast Australia Adventure, departing Sydney on 3rd August 2025 (trip code PZSVC250803)
COMBINATION TRIP
This is a combination trip made up of three shorter trips. This means the composition of your group may change in Brisbane and Cairns as some group members leave and new ones join you in these locations.
Reviews (6)
5 stars
5
4 stars
1
Francesca
May 02, 2025
This was my first tour and I will 100% be using Intrepid again. Rach and Brandon were both brilliant, knowledgeable and very approachable
Lisa
Feb 25, 2025
Both of our trip leaders were very accosting, knowledgeable, and friendly. Loved the itinerary. We did everything we wanted to and more. Our trip leaders provided a lot of extra ideas of places to eat and things to do. Every restaurant they recommended was great! I highly recommended Intrrpud!
Sean
Jan 25, 2025
A wonderful introduction to the East Coast of Australia. The itinerary packs in so many wonderful sights and activities, with a focus on nature and culture. From wine country and surfer towns to the rainforest and everything in between, this trip covers everything you would miss if you just flew from Sydney up to Cairns. Well worth it!
Violet
Jan 23, 2025
A trip of a lifetime full of amazing places, scenery, nature and fun activities! The tour is well constructed with each day being something new and exciting. Some of the destinations are breathtaking and forever memorable. There is lots of travel but I found it added to the enjoyment of the tour. The guides Rach and Brendan were fantastic, engaging, knowledgeable, fun and caring! They always made sure we had everything we needed and gave plenty of options to any activities at each destination. I’m glad I got to have this experience with them and the other wonderful people on the tour, I would highly recommend not only for international traveler’s but for all Australians like me, including solo females.
George
Jan 22, 2025
This really was the trip of a lifetime! Rach and Brendan were fantastic guides for their respective legs and made the trip really exciting and enjoyable. Thank you both for a fabulous 3 weeks :-)
Ashley
Oct 29, 2024
Great little trip covering diversely different parts of Australia with great leaders if you get Cai or Rachael your gonna have a good time they were excellent and put a lot of effort to include everyone and make everyone happy.
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