Day 2 Archerfield, Brisbane
Transfer for the day to Archerfield to meet your plane and our crew. A CFI will be on hand to perform the check rides, sign off for your Australian licensing, and conduct the tour briefing. Afterward, enjoy a tour around the region and a “welcome” dinner with your travel companions.

Day 3 Brisbane to Fraser Island
Landing at nearby Hervey Bay, then ferrying to the island, you will discover that Fraser Island is one of the true wonders of Australia. At 184,000 sq km (114,332 sq miles), it is the largest sand island in the world. See the extraordinary freshwater sand dune lakes, quiet streams, white beaches, rainforest, eucalyptus forests and massive cliffs of multi colored sand. This World Heritage listed national park will be our stop over for the night.

Day 4 and 5 Hamilton Island
If you didn’t take the opportunity to enjoy the beach at Fraser Island, here is another opportunity at Hamilton Island. First, however, a trip out to the reef to experience one of the most beautiful wonders on Earth. If you don’t dive or snorkel, that’s fine too. The dive instructors can give you a lesson on both. Getting into the water isn’t mandatory, but having fun and enjoying the day is. Back on shore, there are 20 kilometers of bushwalking trails and endless beaches. By the marina, a village has been built to overlook the harbour. You can find everything from souvenirs to ice cream as well as a cocktail to end the day.

Day 6 and 7 Cairns
There are so many activities available in this town that you may have a difficult time choosing. As we will be here for two days, you get to decide your itinerary. Will it be beach, reef diving or snorkeling, botanical gardens, the 7.5 kilometer (4.6 mile) long skyrail, Fitzroy Island’s 324 hectare (800 acre) rainforest, a trip to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure Park to see the “Best Crocodile Show in Australia,” or just resting by the motel pool? These two days are yours. You decide, we book it. It’s included in your tour. Be sure to have your picture taken by the 7 meter (21 feet) tall Big Captain Cook and the 8 meter (24 feet) tall Marlin statues in town. (You thought they made everything big in Texas!!!)

Day 8 Karumba
Karumba, situated on the mouth of the Norman River, is the center of the Gulf of Carpentaria's prawn aand fishing industries.  Nearby wetlands create a series of meandering  tidal estuaries providing habitat for saltwater crocodiles and an array of birds.  Enjoy the day relaxing or fishing for barramundi. 

Day 9 Karumba to Katherine via a stop over in Borroloola
Long flying day today, but due to the fact that these tiny little towns have limited accommodation, we press onward. Stop in Borroloola for lunch and fuel and keep heading northwest to Katherine. 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Katherine, lays a series of gorges cut into the banks of the Adelaide River. The Katherine Gorge National Park, an 180,352 hectare (445,659 acres) park, is comprised of 13 gorges each of which are separated by rocky areas during the “dry season.” Our cruise up the river is made interesting not only by the gorges themselves, but by the guides, who aren’t timid about creating fanciful stories for visitor’s entertainment. We are reminded to keep our hands inside the boat, for in the words of the John Williamson song, “don’t use your hands for a paddle…crocodile waiting for you.”

Day 10 and 11 Katherine to The Kimberley
Today we head west towards the area of Australia called The Kimberley. Some people claim that warm sunny days and balmy nights make The Kimberley a tropical paradise. The next two days’ stop over is at Drysdale River Station, a one million acre working cattle station located on the dirt track, between the towns of Kimberley and Kalumburu, in the extreme northern part of Western Australia. Experience for yourself how isolated this area can be just after the “Wet.”

Day 12 The Kimberley to Broome
Continuing west, fly over the horizontal waterfall before turning slightly southwest towards the town of Broome. Broome, founded in the 1880’s due to the discovery of rich pearling grounds just offshore, is home to 22k (13mile) Cable Beach which is considered to be the most beautiful beach in Australia. At the southern tip of the beach is an outcropping of impossibly red rocks that are in extreme contrast to the blue of the Indian Ocean. At Gantheasume Point, dinosaur footprints, estimated at over 130 million years old, are visible at low tide. On the events calendar for the day…a camel ride on the pristine sand of Cable Beach.

Day 13 Port Hedland
Port Hedland is a massive port on the Western Australia coast exporting the extensive iron ore deposits found in the region. No tour today. Spend the day hanging out in the town’s main attraction, Pretty Pool, a popular picnicking, swimming, and shell fossicking area. Be careful in the water, though. Sharks, sea snakes, stonefish and blue ringed octopus frequent these waters. The fishing, turtle watching, mangrove crabbing, and whale watching (seasonal) is incredible. If you’re interested, a trip can be arranged.

Day 14 Port Hedland to Monkey Mia
Leave early so that you can spend the afternoon, swimming with Monkey Mia’s famous wild resident dolphins, which come to shore to “visit” the tourists. If you prefer not to spend the day with “flipper,” then be sure to take a trip out to Hamelin’s Pool; a landlocked, hyper-salinated pool filled with cyan bacteria. Known as “living fossils”, the cyan bacteria has grown into large stromatolites and is believed to be one of the oldest forms of life on earth. This area lays claim to being one of Australia’s most important historical sites. The juxtaposition between the early Dutch explorers, the romance of pearl fishing, and white sand beaches edged by aquamarine waters that stretch to the horizon, is more apparent here than anywhere else in Australia.

Day 15 Monkey Mia to Geraldton
Located between beautiful coastlines to the west, and rolling hills to the east, is the town of Geraldton. You have the option of two tours today. One is a wildflower tour. It is said that Western Australia has over 12,000 different wildflowers that bloom between April and October. Surprisingly, only 4,000 of these have been categorized and named. If flowers are a passion for you, you will love this tour. The other is a sightseeing tour of the town. First off, is the Memorial to the HMS Sydney, a WWII battleship that sank during a confrontation with a German battleship and remains lost at sea. Continuing on with the nautical theme, is the Shipwrecks Gallery, which is a wonderful example of how a museum allows us to vicariously participate in daily life on a 1670’s exploration vessel.

Day 16 Geraldton to Margaret River
It wouldn’t be a trip Down Under without a winery tour. Margaret River is a relatively new wine producing region for Australia, but that hasn’t slowed down the award winning vintages coming from the region. The year round Mediterranean type weather, combined with cool, frost free winters, good soil, low summer rainfall and a long, slow ripening period makes this region perfect for grapes and other berry type fruit. Should you decide to skip the winery tour, take a stroll along the Heritage Walk beginning at Rotary Park where “Kate” an 1889 locomotive sits in memory of early logging pioneers.

Day 17 Perth
Welcome to Perth, the “friendly city.” After all of the smaller towns, Perth is a well received oasis on our journey. There are many things to do in Perth: take a river cruise, cuddle a koala or wombat at nearby Caversham Wildlife Park or hit the golf course. Even though upon landing in Perth, the tour is officially over, we would be happy to assist in arranging activities for you for the day. Transportation back to the hotel is already organized as is a farewell feast tonight.