8 Day Driving and Flying Adventure
Once in a Lifetime
Australian Adventure
Cape York consists of Australia’s largest unspoiled wilderness. Picture this: red dirt highways, rolling granite hills, stunning wetlands and rainforest-clad mountains. Cape York is home to historic gold towns and bush cattle stations – it’s remote and requires a sense of adventure to be truly appreciated.
Bring your binoculars with you as you explore the diverse flora and fauna found in this region. Cape York is home to thousands of species of birds, reptiles, and other animals.
Running parallel to Cape York is the Great Barrier Reef, home to thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands.
Cape York is truly one of the most beautiful areas in the world.
Your memorable
adventure starts here
Itinerary & Accommodation Snapshot
Day
1 Cairns to Cooktown
Leaving Cairns behind we head north entering the 180-million-year-old Daintree Rainforest. Immerse yourself inside protected forests as we take you on a guided walk to view ancient plants and amazing wildlife.
The Daintree is a place of spectacular beauty, rugged mountains, deep gorges and flowing rivers. Our next stop is at one of the magical beaches that adorn the coastline of Cape Tribulation; here our guides will highlight the amazing wildlife and ecosystems unique to this part of the world.
We then continue north, engaging 4WD and travelling along the legendary Bloomfield Track. Enjoy this part of the adventure as we travel through thick Rainforest and cross several shallow creeks. We make a stop at the Bloomfield Falls before continuing on and arriving into Cook Town.
2 Cooktown Touring
Visit the Grassy Hill Lookout, with a spectacular vantage point offering incredible views of the Coral Sea. From here, it is easy to see Captain Cook’s dilemma when he arrived in Cooktown unexpectedly in 1770.
From there we visit the fascinating James Cook Museum. The museum houses the original anchor from James Cook’s HMS Endeavour, along with an amazing collection of artifacts, highlighting Captain Cooks’s voyage along the East Coast of Australia.
From there we make our way to the Cooktown Botanical Gardens. Your guide will show you around the spectacular display of tropical and sub-tropical plants before entering Nature’s Powerhouse, a large interpretive centre that houses nationally significant botanical illustrations and a wonderful natural history display.
3 Cooktown to Musgrave Station
Today we head west along Battle Camp Road towards Lakefield National Park and the town of Laura. Just North of Laura we make a stop at the Split Rock Aboriginal Rock Art Site. The rock art in this area forms some of the oldest in the world. Your guide will walk you up to the site so you can see firsthand the amazing detail in the 40000-year-old paintings at this well-known and significant gallery.
Our next stop is at the historic Old Laura Homestead. You will have time to wander the site and learn all about this heritage-listed building and the remarkable history behind it.
4 Musgrave Station to Weipa
Today we head northwest towards the mining town of Weipa. The country changes to savannah grass lands as we make our way towards the west coast of Cape York.
Enjoy a wonderful sunset tour of the local area. Join an informative boat tour and discover the local flora and fauna as you experience the sun setting over the ocean while enjoying a glass of sparkling wine or cold beer.
Keep a look out for the elusive saltwater crocodiles and many native birds!
5 Weipa to Merluna Station
We start our day with a visit to the incredible Bauxite Mine. Don a hard hat as you have the opportunity to get close to the massive machinery and see firsthand how the mining is conducted in a harsh environment.
Afterwards we visit the Western Cape Cultural Centre. The cultural centre is supplied with arts and crafts from the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities.
From there we head towards Merluna Station, a working cattle station and our overnight accommodation. On arrival we have arranged for the station owners to give you an exclusive tour of this magnificent working cattle station. Discover what station life is like on the cape and admire the beautiful property.
6 Merluna Station to Roko Island
Continuing north we pass through one of the Cape’s largest cattle stations, Batavia Downs, making another stop at the interesting Morton Telegraph Station; this important link in communication to the far north and the cape operated till 1960, was the main reason why Cape York was opened up in the first place.
From here we enter the famous Telegraph Track. It is along this section that we drop into the beautiful Fruit Bat Falls to enjoy a swim and cool off in the crystal-clear waters.
It’s not far now before we are at the tip of Australia. We cross the river before arriving at the town of Seisia where our boat to Roko Island will be waiting for us. Roko is a part of 274 islands which form the Torres Strait, and at less than 9000 m2, it is one of the smallest. It consists of only 2 permanent residents, and it is where we will spend the next two nights on Cape York.
7 Horn Island
After a leisurely morning we take a private boat to the nearby Horn Island. Horn Island was an important outpost during World War II where almost 5000 Australian and US troops were stationed, defending Australia from the advancing Japanese through Papua New Guinea.
Today we have arranged a behind-the-scenes tour at the many relics left behind from during that time including underground rooms, gun emplacements, magazines, the airstrip, abandoned aircraft, slit trenches and more. Learn of the history and hear the stories from a local guide.
The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy. Maybe take in a spot of fishing, continue exploring the island, enjoy a drink at the bar, or just relax amongst the stunning surrounds of your accommodation.
8 Tour to the Tip and fly to Cairns
Today we will be travelling to the very tip of the Australian mainland. Meet your guide at Seisia Wharf and board your vehicle to head north. We make our way along rainforest tracks before stopping at the well-known Croc Tent to get some local souvenirs.
Continue along before the ocean can be seen on both sides of the vehicle. We are getting close. The last 400 meters to the tip is a walk as we climb across rocks to eventually arrive at the most northerly point of mainland Australia. Enjoy the wild and pristine views out across the Torres Strait. An amazing and truly iconic Australian
experience. You will have time to soak in the moment and take some photos. Afterwards, your guide will transfer you to Bamaga where you will meet your onward flight back to Cairns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all meals included?
All meals are included except breakfast on the first day and dinner on the final day.
What don’t you include?
Travel insurance (highly recommended), alcoholic (and some non-alcoholic) beverages, additional activities not mentioned in the itinerary, gratuities, souvenirs and snacks. We’ve got everything else sorted for you so you can kick back and enjoy your holiday!
Do you arrange transport back to my hotel from the airport?
On arrival in Cairns, we arrange a private transfer to your Cairns accommodation.
Is there a minimum level of fitness required?
Minimum level of fitness is required as there are a number of short walks included in the itinerary.
How much luggage can I bring?
A maximum of 20kg per person is allowed in a small, soft-sided bag, plus a carry-on/ day bag to take with you in the vehicle.
When is the next tour departing?
22 May 2023
26 June 2023
17 July 2023
7 August 2023
18 September 2023
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