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Global Adrenaline's "Red Centre and Reef
Explorer" tour is designed to show off the best of cosmopolitan Australia,
as seen in its vibrant metropolis, Sydney, together with this vast continent's
rugged outback and its marvelous Great Barrier Reef. Our tour begins in
Sydney, as we recover from any residual jetlag while exploring this spectacular
city. One day will be devoted to climbing the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge,
cruising the harbor and exploring all that this beautiful city has to
offer. We will then jumpstart our adventure with a day of dolphin spotting
and four wheel driving on the dunes of the New South Wales coast before
flying on to Alice Springs, the heart of Australia's "Red Centre."
In the Red Centre, we will
spend a day in our 4WD vehicles touring the Western MacDonnell
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| Ayers Rock. (Red Centre, Australia) |
Ranges and visiting the Hermannsburg Aboriginal
Community. This exciting episode will be followed by visits to Palm Valley,
Kings Canyon, Ayers Rock and the Olgas. Our guides will provide the information
you need to make your own decisions about climbing these sacred rocks. We
will finish our time in the outback at the Chambers Pillar, situated at
the edge of the Simpson Desert, before we return to Alice Springs and then
fly on to Cairns.
The last section of our tour includes a few days
packed with amazing adventures in Cairns. We will spend two days trekking
through tropical rainforest before spending a day snorkeling or diving
on the Great Barrier Reef. We follow that with a day of sea kayaking along
the coast, cruising the Daintree River and visiting the Mossman Gorge.
There's no better way to end a grand Australian tour! And, for those who
are hungry for even more snorkeling and diving, Global Adrenaline offers
the "Great Barrier Reef Scuba Diving" and "Coral Sea Scuba
Diving" extensions, either of which can be appended to this tour.
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No experience is required to take part in our
Australian adventure trips. A good level of fitness, however, is recommended
so that you'll be able to fully enjoy all of the exciting activities planned
for you!
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The following is a day-by-day description of this
tour:
After our arrival in Sydney, the remainder of
the day will be yours to spend at your leisure, settling in, recovering
from any jetlag, and beginning your explorations. We will overnight in
Sydney, the first of
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| Sydney Opera House. (Sydney, Australia). |
our three nights in this amazing metropolis.
In the morning, the group will embark on the "Bridge
Climb" of Sydney's famous Harbor Bridge. After the climb, we will
take a lunch cruise around Sydney Harbor, giving us a feel for the city's
spectacular setting as we enjoy the afternoon sun. Once again, we will
overnight in Sydney.
We will begin the day with an excursion to Port
Stephens. Our first stop will be the stunning Stockton Beach Sand Dunes.
This stretch of the coastline contains some of the largest and oldest
sand dunes remaining on Australia's eastern coast. We will join a 4WD
tour of the dunes, followed
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| Sydney Harbour Bridge climb. (Sydney, Australia) |
by lunch and a dolphin-spotting cruise. In the
afternoon, we will explore the area on foot - and go for a quick swim
in the refreshing waters - before returning to Sydney for our last night
there.
We will fly to Alice Springs, where the remainder
of the day will be yours to spend at your leisure. Alice Springs is the
largest town in the center of Australia. It was founded in 1870 as a staging
point for the overland telegraph line, although its present-day traffic
is largely comprised of tourists visiting nearby Ayers Rock (Uluru) and
those passing through on trips between Darwin to the north and Adelaide
to the south. Alice Springs is truly an "outback town," built
on the banks of the perpetually dry Todd River. We will overnight in Alice
Springs.
We will visit the Pwerte Marnte Marnte Aboriginal
Community for an educational Aboriginal Cultural Experience with this
traditional Aboriginal group. Our visit will include a brief bush walk,
which will illustrate the relationship between Aboriginal people, the
Dreamtime, their land and their art. We
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| Hiking King's Canyon. (Red Centre, Australia) |
will have an opportunity to practice throwing
Boomerangs and to visit the Living History Museum, as well as a traditional
camp. We will also learn about survival, bushtucker, weapons, utensils,
musical instruments and more.
Hitting the road by four-wheel drive early in
the morning, we will be bound for the Chambers Pillar, situated on the
edge of the Simpson Desert. On this imposing pillar can be seen the engravings
left by this region's early pioneers. After lunch, we will travel on to
Rainbow Valley, where we will camp for the night. There will be no facilities
at this campsite.
In the morning, we will depart Rainbow Valley,
following the Ernest Giles Road to Kings Canyon.
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| 4WD action. (Red Centre, Australia) |
After lunch, we will explore the spectacular
canyon, viewing such magnificent formations as the "Amphitheatre,"
"The Lost City," the picturesque "Garden of Eden,"
and the breathtaking North and South Walls. We will camp for the evening
at Kings Creek Station.
In the morning, we will depart for the world-famous
Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, where we will begin our explorations in
this region with an afternoon visit to the wonder of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas)
and a hike into the Valley of the Winds. In the evening, we will return
to our campsite to enjoy champagne as we watch the desert sun set over
Uluru (Ayers Rock). After a hearty dinner at our campsite, we will curl
up for the night under the millions of stars in an authentic Aussie "swag"
(bedroll), marveling at the brilliance of the outback sky spread above
us.
An early start is required for one of the highlights
of our tour: the Uluru (Ayers Rock) sunrise. The challenge of the optional
Uluru climb is richly rewarded with an incredible view of the rock and
the
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| Our permanent camp. (Red Centre, Australia) |
changing light on the desert floor as the sun
rises in the morning sky. This spectacular experience is followed by a
base tour, where we will explore the rock's mysterious formations and
its Aboriginal art sites. A visit to the Cultural Centre will offer the
chance to view and purchase Aboriginal arts and crafts. After lunch, we
will make our way back into Alice Springs.
An early morning sunrise viewed from a hot air
balloon is a "must do" before we leave Alice Springs on our
flight to Cairns. Cairns, the northernmost major city on the eastern coast
of Australia, is situated right in the middle of it all. To Cairns' north
lie the rainforests of Cape Tribulation and Daintree National Park, to
its west lies the rugged outback, to its south lie the impressive Atherton
Tablelands, and in the ocean to the east lurks the world-famous Great
Barrier Reef.
We will enjoy an action-packed day as we raft
the mighty Tully River. Once again, we will overnight in Cairns.
In the morning, we will travel north to Cape Tribulation,
crossing the Daintree River by cable ferry.
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| Our guides. (Australia) |
After a guided rainforest tour at Maardja Botanical
Walk, we will arrive at Cape Tribulation. After lunch, we will set off
on our mountain bikes for an afternoon of exploring the area surrounding
Cape Tribulation. After returning for our evening meal, we will take a
guided night walk, searching for nocturnal wildlife. We will spend the
night at Cape Tribulation. The Cape, located 93 miles (150 kilometers)
north of Cairns, has gained renown as the place where many rare and primitive
rainforest plant species were first identified. It is also the only place
in Australia where the Great Barrier Reef meets the Tropical Lowland Rainforest.
We will spend the day paddling in our sea kayaks
along the beaches, near the margins of the tropical rainforests and over
the fringing reef. We will return to our accommodations for lunch,
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| Diving with fish at Cod Hole. (Great Barrier
Reef, Australia) |
where our drivers will meet the group for our
return transfer. Before we depart, there will be time to join a guided
cruise on the Daintree River, the home of estuarine crocodiles and other
interesting wildlife specimens. We will visit Mossman Gorge in the Daintree
National Park, returning to Cairns at about 6:30 in the evening. We will
spend the night in Cairns.
Our last day in Cairns will be spent enjoying
the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef . We will be able to take in the
beauty of this natural wonder as we try our hand at snorkeling. The more
adventurous (and qualified) among us may elect to view the reef from behind
a scuba diving mask (at a slight additional cost). Once again, we will
return to Cairns for the evening.
Depart for home.
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