Gulf Savannah Experience

Arrive in Cairns and make your own way to your accommodation. If time permits, take a self-guided tour around Cairns. Stroll along the Esplanade, soak up the outdoor lifestyle at the many restaurants and cafés or spend time exploring the Cairns Aquarium (own expense). Overnight at Cairns Plaza Hotel.

An early start this morning for a full day of travelling by coach to Karumba. Travel over 700 kilometres, as you journey along the Savannah Way. Heading west from Cairns, wind your way up the Kuranda Range onto the Atherton Tablelands and then onto remote, untamed reaches of the Outback. Pass through the historic outback towns of Mount Surprise and Croydon before arriving in Karumba late afternoon. Stay the next two nights at Ash’s Holiday Units, Karumba.

The town of Karumba is a popular Barramundi fishing port on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Spend the morning at leisure. Choose to take a cruise through the Port of Karumba estuary or try your luck with a fishing tour (all own expense). In the afternoon transfer to the Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre and join a behind the scenes tour. Get to see the hatchery operations and learn about the species of the Southern Gulf strain of Barramundi. Finish the day with a sunset cruise on the Norman River (own expense).

After breakfast, transfer to Normanton railway station for your journey to Croydon onboard the Gulflander. Take in the diverse Gulf landscape and its rich history as you travel along the Heritage listed Normanton to Croydon line. Make a stop at Blackbull Siding for morning tea. Arrive in the historic gold mining town of Croydon and enjoy lunch at the Croydon Hotel before transferring to Forsayth. Enjoy dinner at the Goldfields Hotel followed by a one hour Forsayth By Night tour. Learn about the history of how Forsayth was built during the gold rush and how the rail line development impacted on the town. Stay the next two nights at Finnigan’s Rest, Forsayth.

Transfer from Forsayth to Cobbold Gorge. After
lunch, gain an informative insight in to the geology of the rugged sandstone formations before taking an interpretive walk to the escarpment. Cross over Australia’s first fully glass bridge and take in the view of the gorge’s impressive sandstone walls. Then explore Cobbold Gorge as you glide through the spectacular sculpted gorge walls on a boat cruise. This gorge is vastly different from others owing to its extreme narrowness, measuring a mere two metres width in places and featuring spectacular 30 metre cliffs on either side. After the cruise, return to Forsayth and spend the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

Depart on the Savannahlander from Forsayth. The train travels through the Einasleigh Ranges before arriving at Mount Surprise. Arrive at Mount Surprise and join an afternoon tour of the Undara Lava Tubes. Savour rustic Australian flavours as you relax over dinner. After dinner, take part in a truly authentic outback experience as you gather around the campfire and listen to live entertainment. Overnight at Discovery Parks – Undara.

This morning rejoin the Savannahlander. Along the way, stop at Bullock Creek Café for a morning tea break and then onto Almaden in time for lunch. After lunch, the Savannahlander will travel through World Heritage-listed rainforest, stopping briefly at Kuranda and Din Din (Barron Falls) before travelling down the range to Cairns where your tour concludes.