Wild Encounrters in the Outback, Rainforest and Reefs

Arrive in Cairns and transfer to the heliport for a spectacular flight into Queensland’s remote interior. Rainforest, waterfalls and escarpments unfold beneath you before the scenery transforms into the ochre tones of the outback. Touch down at Mt Mulligan Lodge, an intimate wilderness retreat beneath the immense sandstone form of Mount Mulligan. Settle into your private accommodation and spend the remainder of the day absorbing the extraordinary scale and tranquillity of this isolated landscape.

Spend the day discovering the natural and cultural landscapes surrounding Mount Mulligan. Guided experiences reveal stories from the region’s gold and coal mining era alongside the rhythms of a working cattle station and the wildlife inhabiting this remote country. Explore by ATV, follow wilderness trails on foot or try barramundi fishing at the weir. As evening falls, settle beside the water for a signature seven-course degustation beneath the stars, with Mount Mulligan providing a dramatic backdrop to an unforgettable outback dining experience.

Take to the skies for a scenic helicopter flight over Ngarrabullgan, a vast sandstone mountain of profound significance to the Kuku Djungan people. Seen from above, its immense scale and ancient geological formations become particularly striking. Back on the ground, the Junior Rangers experience provides a hands-on introduction to the surrounding ecosystem. Learn to identify animal tracks and traditional bush medicines, explore the landscape with expert guides and feed the resident barramundi at the weir before returning to the lodge for a relaxed final evening in the outback.

Leave Mount Mulligan with your private guide and journey east through Queensland’s changing landscapes. Travel across open savannah towards Mareeba, stopping for lunch before visiting Granite Gorge, where endangered rock-wallabies inhabit the striking granite terrain. Continue into the cooler uplands as woodland gradually gives way to lush tropical rainforest. Arrive at Silky Oaks Lodge beside the Mossman River and settle into your secluded treehouse-style retreat, surrounded by the extraordinary biodiversity of the Daintree.

Experience the rainforest through the knowledge and traditions of its Traditional Owners on the Ngana Julaymba Dungay experience. Journey through Kuku Yalanji Country while learning about the relationships between culture and the surrounding rainforest and coastal ecosystems. Discover traditional foods and medicinal plants, and keep watch for cassowaries, wallabies, frogs and colourful birdlife. Afterwards, return to Silky Oaks Lodge for an afternoon at leisure, perhaps swimming or paddleboarding on the Mossman River, walking forest trails, joining yoga or unwinding at the Healing Waters Spa.

Join a private guide for a conservation-focused experience with the Australian Quoll Conservancy. Venture into research areas within the rainforest, examine camera traps and learn how conservationists study the elusive spotted-tailed quoll and the habitat on which it depends. Following a relaxed field lunch, continue exploring the Daintree’s varied ecosystems before returning to Silky Oaks Lodge. The experience offers a rare opportunity to look beyond conventional wildlife viewing and understand some of the research helping protect Far North Queensland’s remarkable biodiversity.

Leave the rainforest and transfer to Cairns Airport for a scenic charter flight over the Coral Sea to Lizard Island. From the air, the vast scale and intricate colours of the Great Barrier Reef come dramatically into view before you land on this secluded tropical island. Settle into your beachfront accommodation and spend the afternoon discovering a landscape of 24 beaches, fringing coral reefs and walking trails. Snorkelling, paddleboarding and guided nature walks provide an effortless introduction to your final three nights on the reef.

Set out with expert guides for a full day exploring the northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel among vibrant coral gardens, swim alongside sea turtles and discover impressive giant-clam gardens beneath the clear tropical water. During June and July, there is also the possibility of encountering dwarf minke whales as they migrate through the region. After a day immersed in the reef, return to Lizard Island for a private beachside dinner beneath the stars, surrounded by the tranquillity of this remote island setting.

Gain privileged access to the Lizard Island Research Station for a privately guided look behind the scenes of one of the world’s leading coral-reef research facilities. Explore its laboratories and learn about work spanning coral ecology, marine biodiversity, climate resilience and reef recovery, revealing the science shaping conservation of the Great Barrier Reef. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure, whether returning to the water for more snorkelling, exploring the island’s secluded shores or simply relaxing in the serenity of your tropical retreat.

Enjoy a final morning surrounded by Lizard Island’s white beaches and coral-rich waters before transferring to the airstrip. Board your scenic charter flight back to Cairns, taking in one last aerial perspective over the extraordinary patterns and colours of the Great Barrier Reef. Your journey concludes after connecting three dramatically different environments of Far North Queensland — the sandstone outback of Mount Mulligan, the ancient ecosystems and cultural heritage of the Daintree, and the marine wilderness of the northern Great Barrier Reef.