An Australian Safari NEW ITINERARY
The world’s largest Sand of Fraser island, a private beach on the Great Barrier Reef, the remote gorges of the Great Dividing Range and the outback itself; a range of unique landscapes filled with the colourful animal, bird and plant life which makes a visit to this beautifully rugged continent so special.
- Carnarvon Gorge: towering
sandstone icon of the Australian
outback
- Fraser Island and 8 of Australia’s
finest national parks
- Travel in style to the famous
Great Barrier Reef
Detailed information
2009 Tour Itinerary |
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Day 1: Meet in the sub-tropical city of Brisbane
(1 night) with its relaxed riverside lifestyle.
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Days 2-3: Travel north to Noosa (2 nights) for walks
in the Glass House Mountains. We also take a
full-day 4WD beach safari on the world’s largest
sand bar, Fraser Island, a World Heritage Site with
its multi-coloured sands and unusual land
formations. |
Days 4-5: Travel up the beautiful Queensland coast
to the spot where Captain Cook first set foot on
Queensland soil, and stay at Agnes Water (2 nights)
our base to explore the Great Barrier Reef. We
travel by catamaran to the secluded paradise bay of
Lady Musgrave Island, where we can snorkel and
go out in glass bottom boats to see an amazing
array of tropical fish as well as turtles, rays and
maybe dolphins and walk on white coral sands.
Days 6-8: We journey into the outback, past plains
with kangaroos and emus, to the Carnarvon Gorge National Park (3 nights), its towering sandstone
walls bursting with geological history and extensive
ancient Aboriginal rock art. We’ll explore the main
gorge and canyons, with their ‘living fossils’,
chattering parrots and haunting side gorges with
evocative names like ‘Hellhole Gorge’, ‘Cathedral
Cave’ and ‘Moss Gardens’.
Day 9: Journey through the pioneering country of the
outback to St George (1 night).
Days 10-12: Continue to the Girraween National Park
(3 nights) where we will be greeted by mobs of
kangaroos and wallabies in their natural environment.
We spend two days enjoying another of inland
Australia’s ancient landscapes, with walks on
steep-sided, heath-laden granite hills and large angular
tors. We climb to the summit of Bald Rock, the largest
granite monolith in the Southern Hemisphere which
towers above the surrounding bushland.
Day 13: Head for historic Armidale (2 nights), taking
time to visit Tenterfield, birthplace of the nation and the
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
Day 14: Walk to Wollomombi Falls, and enter the
wilderness expanse of World Heritage listed New
England National Park, featuring every habitat from
sub-tropical rain forest to high country snow gums.
Day 15: Head for Australia’s most easterly point at
Byron Bay (1 night) where we take a sunset walk
along one of its celebrated beaches and dine on the
waterfront.
Day 16: Return to Brisbane via the renowned
Gold Coast.
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| About the walks |
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Explore Australia’s finest beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, primitive rainforests, towering gorges, grand
granite monoliths and boulder strewn landscape in search of living fossils, abundant wildlife and the
Australian spirit of adventure.
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Guided Walks:
The average length of a day’s walking will be about 5-6 miles with a range from 2 to
12 miles. Ascents are easy, the greatest being 1,200ft on Day 5, with many walks on the flat. |
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| Dates and prices |
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| 19 April 2009 (15nts) |
Price on request* |
£3,499 |
| 18 October 2009 (15nts) |
Price on request* |
£3,499 |
*Flights are not priced as we know many guests wish to stop off en route to Australia or spend some extra time at the beginning or end of their holiday. A guide to the flight times we can book are shown below.
Independent travellers who book the no flight option can join the HF Holidays' airport transfers for £20 per person return.
Airport Parking: To book secure airport parking throughout the UK visit Purple Parking or Holiday Extras to book on-line.
Airport Hotels: To book airport hotels throughout the UK visit Holiday Extras to book on-line.
Airport Lounges: To book airport lounges visit Holiday Extras to book on-line.
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| Temperatures |
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There will be considerable variation in temperature depending upon the distance from the coast and elevation. Expect warm days and cool nights in most places with much cooler days at Girraween and on the New England heights.
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| Accommodation |
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We stay in comfortable motor inns, luxury safari
style tent/cabins at Carnarvon Gorge and park
lodges. All accommodation is en-suite.
Where you'll stay
Brisbane - 1 night
Noosa - 2 nights
Great Barrier Reef - 2 nights
Carnarvon Gorge National Park - 3 nights
St George - 1 night
Girraween National Park - 3 nights
Armidale - 2 nights
Byron Bay - 1 night
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| Flight information |
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Latest HF Holidays Flight Information - updated 25.09.2008 (provisional and available on request)
Singapore Airlines
Heathrow - Brisbane (via Singapore)
Out 22:05 (Fri) - 06:50 (Sun)
Brisbane - Heathrow
Return 23:45 (Mon) - 19:10 (Sun)
*Holidays with flights start and finish two days before and after no flight holiday dates.
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| What the holiday includes |
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- 15 nights' accommodation in twin-bedded en-suite rooms.
- Full Board from lunch on day two to lunch on day of departure.
- Services of a local tour conductor and walking guide.
- Walks, sightseeing, entrance fees for the itinerary as
described.
- Travel by air-conditioned tour coach.
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