Australia: Outback Reef and Rainforest

Tours for International students at New Zealand schools

April 2016 info@learningjourneys.co.nz

www.learningjourneys.co.nz

Day 1 - Cairns

Arrival, Orientation, Swimming at the Esplanade and Laser Tag

Meeting at Airport: Welcome to the tropics! You arrive in Cairns in the afternoon and are warmly greeted

by your guides at the airport. You are then transferred to your

accommodation for introductions. (Plan to arrive between 9 am-2 pm)

Accommodation: Your accommodation is at a breezy award-

winning hostel in the centre of

Cairns’ restaurant and shopping

district, and only a few blocks from

the waterfront. Well shaded by

tropical trees and plants, the hostel

features an outdoor pool, pool

table, large kitchen, guest laundry and

free internet and Wi-Fi.

Orientation and Games: As a group

you walk to the Esplanade where you

have an orientation and time to swim

in the giant lagoon.

Afterwards you enjoy a delicious dinner in town.

Evening Activity: Tonight you split into colour teams for

games of laser tag. Inside a purpose-built labyrinth of

walls, forts, ramps and caves, you compete for your team

to score the most points. This is a perfect way to get to

know the other students on the trip.

Accommodation: The Northern Greenhouse

Included: Dinner

Day 2 - Cairns Highlands and Outback

Aboriginal Culture Park, National Parks & Waterfalls, Outback Cattle Station and Pioneer Homestead

Aboriginal Culture Park: Today you visit a unique Aboriginal

culture park that showcases aboriginal rituals, dance and

traditional arts. You witness the telling of creation stories and

Dreamtime legends, learn about medicinal properties of “bush

tucker” (food), watch (or participate!) in a dance performance,

and learn to throw spears and boomerangs and how to play the

didgeridoo. Indigenous

people also paint your

faces with designs if you wish. For

students wanting to personally

interact with Aboriginal people,

this is an ideal cross-cultural

experience for international

students.

Josephine Falls: One of the most picturesque places in the entire Wet

Tropics! You take an easy walk through the jungle, listening for the call of

the king parrot and the bowerbird and emerge at Josephine Falls, where

Josephine Creek plunges down a gorgeous set of cascades. Below the falls,

boulders surround a fun swimming hole and a natural water slide down a

smooth sloping rock face.

Outback Cattle Station and Wildlife: As you cross the

Great Dividing Range, you enter outback country, where

the dirt turns red and gum trees prevail. Here you are

welcome guests at a traditional working cattle station and

homestead, opened to your group. On arrival, you hop in

the

hay

truck

to

trace a route through the station – much of which has

been set aside for as a sanctuary for wildlife – and

look for the kangaroos and crocodiles that roam the

property.

Aussie BBQ and Stargazing: After a classic Aussie steak “barbie”,

you have a fire under starry outback skies. From this remote

outback station, views of the southern hemisphere stars are

phenomenal. You'll learn how to find southern constellations—

including the Southern Cross—most of which cannot be seen at

all from the northern hemisphere. Students sleep in single-gender

dorm-style bunk houses with shared bathrooms.

Accommodation: Outback Cattle Station

Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 3 - Cairns Highlands and Outback

Outback Cattle Station Activities, Boomerang Throwing, Waterfalls and Glow-worms Farm Activities: This morning you get a sample of true outback life

on a cattle station. You visit the cattle yards to learn about the

cattle musters and branding, and what this robust rural family does

to survive flooding, drought and economic hardships. You can

channel your inner Indiana Jones by learning to crack a whip, taste

real milk fresh from the cow when you learn how to milk it, and

tour the old homestead. Here old trinkets, furniture and

memorabilia that you can touch take you back to the age of the

early Australian pioneers.

Boomerang Throwing: Yes, they actually come back to you!

Your guide teaches

you the significance

of the boomerang

and how they were

cleverly used for

hunting. You learn

proper throwing

technique and what

makes them return.

Millaa Millaa Falls: Millaa Millaa (meaning “plenty of water” in the local Aboriginal language) is the icon of

tropical north Queensland and one of the most photographed natural sites in the region. The waterfall

flows over thousand-year- old, pure basalt rock, in a dramatic burst. There is a fantastic swimming hole at

the base of the falls, and you can climb on the peculiar columnar basalt for a unique perspective of the falls

from behind.

Glowworms: Later you settle into your dorm-style

accommodation next to a gorgeous waterfall. With your guide

after dark you can also creep down a path through the

rainforest to view some of Australia's most unusual creatures -

glow worms - that attract mates through bioluminescence and

make twinkles in the night.

Accommodation: The Northern Greenhouse

Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4 - Cairns Highlands and Daintree Forest

Platypus Spotting, Landslide, Daintree Rainforest & Beach Bonfire

Platypus Spotting: Early this morning with your guide you look for the unique

and elusive duck-billed platypus--without question the most unique mammal

on earth--in its natural habitat. Seeing a platypus in the wild is a truly

fascinating experience and your guide describes the habits of these creatures.

The unique features of the platypus (an egg-laying mammal) make it an iconic

symbol of Australia.

Landsliding: Grab a helmet for today’s second activity: landsliding! With the

help of a mat and a steady stream of water, you plunge down the hillside on a

giant chute, landing at the bottom in a pool of water. This is a hilarious

activity that leaves everyone screaming for more. Set in the gorgeous green

countryside, landsliding is one of the most popular activities for young

people, and makes for great photos.

Daintree Rainforest: Later you enter the magical Daintree

Rainforest –some of the oldest continuously growing

rainforest on earth. You travel to a locals-only rainforest

swimming hole used by locals and a perfect place to cool off.

Rainforest/Beach Eco-

Lodge: Your Daintree

lodge boasts an attractive

swimming pool, guest

laundry, BBQ area, and a superb location in the rainforest but directly on

the beach. As a recipient of Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence 2015,

the lodge also uses grey water for irrigation, locally-sourced food for its

restaurant, and recycles 80% of its waste. Students sleep in dorm-style cabins with ensuite, and the sounds

of the jungle surround you. A highlight is a beach bonfire under starry skies.

Accommodation: Cape Trib Beach House

Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 5 - Daintree Forest and Port Douglas

Daintree Rainforest, Jungle Canopy Zip Line & Wildlife Park

Jungle Canopy Zip Line: This morning at Cape Tribulation

experience the art of "jungle surfing": an exhilarating zip line

ride among the tree tops. By clipping into a series of steel cables

arranged in the trees, you can fly across the rainforest canopy

and get a bird's eye view of the world. The longest span is over

75 metres and the platforms vary in height from 2.5 to 19.5

metres above the ground. At the highest point you fly over 22

metres above the valley, and the flight choice is yours – slow, fast, or even

upside down! During this unique adventure keep an eye out for Boyd's

Forest dragons and the brilliant blue Ulysses butterfly.

Wildlife Park: You visit a refuge for Australian animals such as crocodiles,

kangaroos, koalas, and countless exotic birds. Your guide will teach you

about these different species, and you’ll have an opportunity to interact

with the animals up close, whether

it’s holding a python, feeding a lorikeet or meeting a mother

kangaroo and her joey.

Photo with Koala: If you have always wanted to get a photo with a

koala- here’s your chance! (extra cost).

Night Markets: Back in Cairns, you have

the chance to explore the night markets that offer up Aussie crafts, clothes and

souvenirs.

Accommodation: The Northern Greenhouse

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 6 - The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef – Sailing and Snorkelling

Boat Ride to The Outer Barrier Reef: No trip to Australia is complete without a visit to the outer Great

Barrier Reef—the second UNESCO World Heritage Site on our journey and easily one of the world's top

natural wonders. Today you sail to the Reef aboard a locally owned

eco-friendly catamaran, recipient of the Advanced Ecotourism

Climate Action Innovator Award.

Snorkelling and Optional Glass Bottom Boat: At your first stop

snorkelling can be done right off the sand cay, and for those who

prefer not to snorkel, an optional glass bottom boat will still give you

a glimpse of this

underwater universe.

Snorkelling Paradise Reef: Second stop is the gorgeous

Paradise Reef, that truly lives up to its name. For snorkellers,

giant clams, angel, butterfly and parrot fish, turtles, sea stars

and corals of a thousand hues are all within reach. Among the

1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral found on the

reef, you can expect to see Wally the giant wrasse, fan corals,

sea cucumbers and just about the entire cast of Finding Nemo.

Fish and Coral Book: A field guide for the creatures at The Great Barrier Reef is included in your trip so

that you better understand the creatures you're looking at (and the book makes a great souvenir!)

Accommodation: The Northern Greenhouse

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 7 - Cairns

Rainforest Swimming Hole and Departure

Rainforest Waterfalls and Swimming Hole: Crystal Cascades is a secluded

freshwater swimming hole hidden in the tropical rainforest. A series of

small waterfalls flow into large pools surrounded by boulders, and rainforest

trees hang over the water, keeping it cool and refreshing. This is largely a

locals-only spot, unreachable by public transport, and a perfect place to

soak up the beauty of the tropics.

Then eventually all good things must

come to an end. After breakfast, you

are transferred to the Cairns airport

for your flight back to New Zealand.

Meals Included: Breakfast

International Student Australia Holiday Programme Trip Length: 7 days / 6 nights

Begins/Ends: Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Price: NZ$1881 per person, including GST

Sign Up Deadline: Friday, 11 March 2016

Trip Fees Include:

All activities and entrance fees as described in the itinerary

Fully supervised trip with experienced, professional guides

Additional specialty guides and educators

Cairns airport transfers

Transportation to activities

All breakfasts

2 lunches

5 dinners

3 nights at Cairns budget accommodation (single-gender 6-share rooms w/ private bathroom)

1 night Cairns Highlands cabins (single-gender dorm-style cabins with shared bathrooms)

1 night at outback cattle station (single-gender dorm-style cabins with shared bathrooms)

1 night Daintree Rainforest cabins (4-share cabins with private bathrooms)

101 Animals of the Great Barrier Reef souvenir field guide for each student

Mask, fins, snorkel and wetsuit hire on the reef trip

Marine park and national park fees

Free WiFi or computer use at Cairns accommodation each day

Carbon offsetting through Sustainable Travel International (STI) for a carbon-neutral trip

Trip Fees Exclude:

Airfare and travel insurance

Optional professional photo with koala or crocodile ($18 AUD)

4 lunches and 1 dinner

Personal expenses (phone, souvenirs, laundry, etc.)

We reserve the right to change the order of activities for logistical reasons.