North Queensland Savannah and Gulf Country

Day 1

Brisbane - Cairns - Atherton
Your tour begins with a transfer to Brisbane Airport ready for your flight to Cairns. On arrival, your Coach Captain and Hostess will be waiting to greet you. Once on board, we will make our way to The Tablelands, stopping for lunch along the way. This afternoon, check into our overnight accommodation.

Day 2

Atherton - Georgetown
Today we'll travel The Savannah Way. Upon arrival at Undara Lava Lodge, tour the visually spectacular Undara Lava Tubes-the world's largest and longest lava tubes and home to a fascinating array of remnant plants and wildlife. Enjoy lunch in a unique railway carriage setting before travelling on to Georgetown.

Day 3

Georgetown - Forsayth - Georgetown
This morning visit to the unique multi-award winning TerrEstial and the Ted Elliott Mineral Collection in Gorgetown.Travel into the heart of the Gulf Savannah Region and on to a hidden outback oasis - Cobbold Gorge. After luch take a guided tour which includes a walking visit to pioneer John Corbett's grave, fresh water crocodile viewing and a boat cruise of the gorge. Glide through the spectacularly sculpted gorge in almost eerie silence, to ensure minimal disturbance to the wildlife. Late afternoon return to Georgetown.

Day 4

Georgetown - Karumba
Today we travel the Savannah Highway to Croydon, just south of the base of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Croydon is a small town with a big history that started with the discovery of gold in 1885. Today it's the eastern terminus for the Gulflander train service. Visit Croydon's True Blue Visitors Centre where you will learn some of the history of this outback area before travelling alongside the railway track following the Gulflander line from Croydon to Normanton. After arriving in Kurumba this afternoon, we board the 'Ferryman Karumba' for a sunset cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Karumba has some of Australia's most fantastic sunsets so make sure that you have your camera ready. Return to our accommodation for a later dinner.

Day 5

Barramundi Centre - Gulflander
Karumba, at the mouth of the Norman River in the Gulf Savannah, is the easiest access point for the Gulf of Carpentaria which is why the town is the centre of the Gulf's booming prawn and barramundi industries. This morning we will visit The Barramundi Discovery Centre and then travel to Critters Camp via Normanton to board the legendary Gulflander train. Your journey will take you through the old gold territory with a history to match the incredible terrain. After your historic rail journey, we return to Karumba.

Day 6

Karumba - Cloncurry
Depart Karumba after breakfast and join the Burke Developmental Road. Rivers, spinifex and extensive cattle runs, spectacular outcrops of rock, roads that go on forever and that seemingly lead to nowhere, are all part of the scenery today. We will travel by the Bang Bang Jump Up - an unusual solitary rocky hill formation located in the middle of expansive flat grassland, before stopping at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse, actually located on the route taken by the intrepid explorers Burke and Wills (hence its name). Continue on to Cloncurry where we will stay overnight.

Day 7

Cloncurry - Mount Isa
This morning visit John Flynn Place, which houses a museum commemorating the work of John Flynn and the beginnings of the Royal Flying Doctor Service - originally the Aerial Medical Service. Also in the grounds of John Flynn Place is the Fred McKay Art Gallery and the beautiful Cloncurry Gardens. See the original Qantas Hanger at the Cloncurry Airport before spending some free time in Cloncurry Town Centre where you can purchase your own lunch. Travelling on the Flinders Highway from Cloncurry towards Mount Isa, stop at some places of interest. You will notice a vast difference in the landscape with the unexpected hilly countryside. Described as the 'oasis of the outback', Mount Isa is nestled among the ochre-red Selwyn Ranges, on the banks of the Leichhardt River and its existence and main financial base is the huge mine - the world's largest single producer of copper, silver and lead. Visit the Mount Isa Underground Hospital where when World War II inched closer to Australia, miners in Mount Isa volunteered their sweat and toil to dig and fit out Australia's first and only underground hospital. Settle into your accommodation before dinner.

Day 8

Mount Isa - Brisbane
After a leisurely start to the day, we will take the opportunity to discover more of Mount Isa today. Travel to Lake Moondarra, before visiting the Outback at Isa Complex. Enjoy a Bush Tucker Cooking Experience, where on a guided tour of the native botanical garden with our Indigenous heritage tour guide, we will learn about traditional bush methods used to make tools, medicine and food, collecting native plants to use during our cooking experience. After lunch, discover the displays at the Isa Experience History Museum, a multi-media museum presenting the Indigenous, cultural and mining heritage of the Mount Isa region. We will also take a guided tour of the Riversleigh Fossil Display and wander the Art Gallery where local and outback artists have their work on display. Late afternoon, it's time to transfer to the airport, ready for your flight back to Brisbane.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner