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 TENTATIVE ACTIVITIES CALENDAR — AUSTRALIAN DOWN UNDER & OUTBACK TOUR |
Thursday,
May 12 |
Depart — Charlotte to Chicago, Chicago to San Francisco, SF to Sydney. |
Friday,
May 13 |
In flight, crossing the International Date Line. |
Saturday,
May 14 |
Arrive in Sydney, Sydney to Cairns, Cairns to Port Douglas.
Check-in at Parrotfish Lodge. Port Douglas walkabout. |
Sunday,
May 15 |
Port Douglas — Daintree Rainforest. Depart at 8:30.
Daintree River cruise — Look for crocodiles, birds, snakes, along with trees and other plants typical of this riparian ecosystem.
Interpretive Centre — A walk through with a guide to learn about the plants and the reasons why there are not too many mammals in this area. Even the birds can be hard to see through the thick forest.
Cape Tribulation — Where the forest comes down to the beach. It was here that Captain James Cook pulled in with his ship Endeavour as it had been damaged on the reef. That is why it is called Cape Tribulation!
Return to Port Douglas. |
Monday,
May 16 |
Port Douglas — Habitat. Depart at 8:30.
Rainforest Habitat — An opportunity to see many of the Australian animals in a recreated environment: koalas (you may have a picture taken standing by one), kangaroos, wallabies, Lumholtz tree kangaroo, bettongs and other creatures and many of the birds and smaller mammals.
Return to Parrotfish in the early afternoon. Afternoon free. |
Tuesday,
May 17 |
Port Douglas — Reef trip. Depart at 8:10.
Walk over to the Marina. Board the Quicksmart. We will make three stops for snorkeling. Lunch is served for a limited time on the boat, so don't miss it. Return to Port Douglas Marina around 4:30pm. |
Wednesday,
May 18 |
Port Douglas — Mossman Gorge — Cairns. Depart at 9:00.
Check-out from Parrotfish. Pack up all your belongings as we are traveling to a new location. Hike and lunch at Mossman Gorge. Afternoon drive to Cairns. Overnight in Cairns. |
Thursday,
May 19 |
Cairns to Uluru (Outback Pioneer). Depart at 7:00.
Bus transfer to the airport. Flight to Uluru (Yulara resort) in the Northern Territory. Bus transfer to the Outback Pioneer. Settle in when rooms become ready.
Afternoon visit to Kata Tjuta for a hike into Walpa Gorge. We will return in time for sunset at Uluru. |
Friday,
May 20 |
Uluru to Alice Springs. Depart at 8:00.
Return to Uluru for a ranger tour of an area at the base of Uluru and a visit to the Cultural Centre.
Continue to Alice Springs which will take approximately 5 hours. See Mt. Connor (often mistaken for Uluru), the saltpans, the Finke River. Stop at the Camel Farm nearer to Alice Springs.
Check-in at Desert Rose Inn in Alice Springs. Alice Springs walkabout. |
Saturday,
May 21 |
Alice Springs — Telegraph station, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Radio of the Air. Depart at 6:00.
Early morning hike (6am) toward the Telegraph Station to see Rock Wallabies and other creatures out for morning feeding time. Return to town for breakfast.
Visit to the Telegraph Station — This was originally going to be the site for Alice Springs and it was the station between Darwin in the North and Adelaide in the South. It also served as a camp for some children of the Stolen Generation.
Visit to the Royal Flying Doctor Service — In the 1930's Rev. Flynn realized there had to be a service for the outback cattle stations as people were traveling many miles if they hurt themselves, or got sick and some died before reaching a town and doctor or hospital. (The Air Service where the first plane came from is today known as Qantas — taking the initials of the original Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service; that is why there isn't a U in Qantas).
School of the Air — See how the outback children benefited from the air service because not long after it started, the School of the Air came into being. A teacher in Alice Springs talks to children many miles away on the cattle stations, teaching them using a two-way radio.
Return to Desert Rose Inn. Afternoon free. |
Sunday,
May 22 |
Alice Springs — Simpson's Gap, Standley Chasm. Depart at 9:00.
A day out to the West McDonnell Ranges. This is the land of the Arrente Aboriginal tribe. Travel to Simpsons Gap, and walk along the creek bed which is lined with huge river red gums to a small waterhole.
Continue on to Standly Chasm. The Chasm located on Iwupataka Aboriginal land is part of the Termite Ancestress Dreaming. A walk past cycads and ferns that flourish in the protected environment brings you to a narrow cleft in the range.
Return to Alice. The rest of day on your own. |
Monday,
May 23 |
Alice Springs to Sydney (via Adelaide). Depart at 10:00.
Transfer to the airport for flight to Adelaide and then to Sydney. On arrival we will take the train to Central Station and the YHA Sydney. We will be arriving in Sydney rather late. |
Tuesday,
May 24 |
Sydney — Australia Museum, Sydney Opera House, The Rocks. Depart at 8:30.
Walking tour from the YHA to the Circular Quay. We will go through Hyde Park and the Botanical Gardens with stops at the Australian National Museum and St. Mary's Cathedral. Lunch on your own at the Circular Quay.
Sydney Opera House tour in the afternoon. We will walk over to the Rocks area after the Opera House tour. Walk or take the train back to the YHA. |
Wednesday,
May 25 |
Sydney — Blue Mountains. Depart at 8:00.
The bus will take us out of town traveling through Parramatta, the second town built after Sydney, to the Blue Mountains.
We will go to the Leura / Katoomba area for lunch and a hike. Lunch will be on your own then we will meet and take a 2-3 hour hike in the area of the 3 Sisters, a feature carved by millions of years of erosion. Aboriginal legend has it that the rock was formed when an Aboriginal father changed his 3 daughters into stone to protect them from an evil man.
Return to Sydney late in the afternoon. |
Thursday,
May 26 |
Sydney. Depart at 9:00.
Walking tour down Macquarie Street to the Circular Quay. Board the ferry for a trip across the harbor to Manly. We will walk to the North Head for a look at the entrance to Sydney Harbor and visit the Quarantine Station. |
Friday,
May 27 |
Hunter Valley Wine Tour. Departure TBA.
A tour of 4 wineries and a cheese factory with a tour and tasting at each. Lunch is included. |
Saturday,
May 28 |
Sydney.
Free day. |
Sunday,
May 29 |
Sydney — St. James Church, Hyde Park Prison Barracks, Parliament House Church service at St. James (optional).
We will tour Hyde Park Barracks to see some of the early convict accommodations. Continue on to the Old Sydney hospital (1894), and Parliament House, which became the seat of government in the 1820's. |
Monday,
May 30 |
Depart for US. Depart at 9:00 for the airport. |
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