ITINERARY

Pacific Coast Touring Route,

Queensland – Cairns

Brisbane – Fraser Island – – – Mackay – Townsville – Cairns

Capture some of Queensland’s biggest shipwrecks near Mackay and go sailing AT A GLANCE coastal attractions – from the World in the postcard-perfect Whitsundays. Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef to the Walk the white sand of , pristine islands and rainforest national near Townsville and further north visit parks. Four wheel drive Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook, Australia’s largest island the world’s largest sand island and see national park. The vivid colours, smells manta rays and turtles at Mon Repos, and sounds of this splendid coastline near Bundaberg. Stay in Rockhampton will stay with you long after your and visit Great Keppel Island and the journey ends in Cairns, at the gateway . Snorkel or dive reefs and to Queensland’s tropical north.

DAY ONE

BRISBANE TO FRASER ISLAND Drive through Noosa and stop to explore the elegant boutiques, bistros and beachfront >> Brisbane – Fraser Island apartments of Hastings Street. Take a short stroll through the beaches and bush of (3.5 hours, 50 min ferry) , pausing at lookouts with panoramic views. Back on the road, >> Fraser Island – Bundaberg you’ll pass through the gold rush town of Gympie and Maryborough, Queensland’s (50 min ferry, 1.5 hours) oldest provincial city. Watch whales from Hervey Bay or catch a boat to World Heritage- >> Bundaberg – Rockhampton (3 hours) listed Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, just north of Rainbow Beach. Hire >> Rockhampton – Mackay (3.5 hours) a four wheel drive or join a tour to see the island’s attractions, from beautiful Lake McKenzie to the rainforest near Central Station and the coloured cliffs of the Cathedrals. >> Mackay – Townsville (4.5 hours) You could extend your stay with a few nights in a resort, cabin or tent on the beach. >> Townsville – Cairns (4 hours) ITINERARY

DAYS TWO TO SIX

FRASER ISLAND TO BUNDABERG at Shelving Beach, Monkey Point Airlie Beach, both mainland gateways or Clam Bay or wander the Botanic to the Whitsundays. Explore some of Cross back to the mainland and continue Gardens. When you’ve worked up the 74 palm-fringed islands on a day your journey to Bundaberg, a historic an appetite, test out Rockhampton’s trip or chartered sail boat. Don’t miss sugar cane city and gateway to the reputation as Australia’s beef capital Whitsunday Island and the white, silica southern Great Barrier Reef. Wander and order a mouth-watering steak. sands of Whitehaven Beach. Your journey past gracious colonial buildings and continues north through mango cruise down the Burnett River. Watch ROCKHAMPTON TO MACKAY orchards and green sugar cane fields sea turtles nest and hatch on the small Head to the Capricorn Caves, spectacular to Townsville. Wander the scenic beach beach of Mon Repos. Then snorkel and promenade, soak up the balmy nightlife dive the coral reefs and cays of Lady above-ground caves in a limestone ridge. Further north is the charming and take a catamaran to the beaches Musgrave Island and Lady Elliot Island, and national parks of Magnetic Island. also home to a large population of manta tropical village of , gateway to the Capricorn Coast and Byfield National rays. Swim or fish at Elliot Heads, dive TOWNSVILLE TO CAIRNS from Coral Cove and Innes Park or spot Park. Here you can birdwatch, bushwalk kangaroos in Woodgate Beach – just some through rainforest and fish from the Known as the Great Green Way, this of the attractions along Bundaberg’s beach. Continue north to Mackay, where 350 kilometre journey takes you pristine 140-kilometre long coastline. you can lunch at the marina, do a heritage through 12 national parks and over 20 walk and walk, swim and fish from the tropical islands. Drive through the living BUNDABERG TO ROCKHAMPTON city beaches of Lambert, Town, Illawong, museum of Charters Towers, detour to Harbour, Bucasia, Blacks and Eimeo. Paluma National Park or explore Tyoto Journey north through Gin Gin and Meet possums, kangaroos, bush turkeys Wetlands near Ingham. Visit Wallaman the scenic beachside Town of 1770, and echidnas on the beaches of Cape Falls, Australia’s highest single drop named after the year it was discovered Hillsborough National Park. Do a day trip waterfall. Explore Hinchinbrook Island, by Captain Cook. On a detour inland, to the Brampton and Carlisle Islands in Australia’s largest island national park or you can bushwalk the lush rainforest the southern Whitsundays. Snorkel or dive walk along breathtaking Mission Beach. of Cania Gorge National Park and the Llewellyn shipwreck and pristine coral Check out the Chinese temple and art marvel at the ancient Mystery Craters gardens near uninhabited Scawfell Island. deco buildings in Innisfail and go white in Eurimbula National Park. Next stop is water rafting in Tully Gorge National the green city of Gladstone, surrounded MACKAY TO TOWNSVILLE Park. Discover wetlands and rare plants by rainforest gorges, lakes and beaches Detour west to the subtropical oasis of Eubenangee Swamp National Park and stretching to the Great Barrier Reef. spectacular waterfalls in Wooroonooran Arrive in Rockhampton and take a coral of . Back on the coast you’ll pass through Proserpine and National Park. Your trip ends in the cruise to Great Keppel Island, snorkel relaxed, international city Cairns.