icon Trip Overview

icon Lodging

Route Rating Level 1 to Level 4

PDF iconDetailed Itinerary

RESERVE THIS TRIP!

Premiere Inns
  • From $4,398
    To $4,998 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+From $850 To $1,700
    for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

8 DAYS, 7 NIGHTS
ROLLOVER DATES BELOW FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
2008 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
2009 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
ROLLOVER DATES ABOVE FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
TRIP NOTES

Minimum Age: Due to hotel restrictions, no children under 12 are allowed.
Meals: All meals included.

PERFECT FOR A PRIVATE TRIP
View Details

Recommended Kids Ages

View age recommendations and restrictions

Cancellation Policy

View cancellation policy

Meet / Depart

Cooktown, Australia/Cairns, Australia

Special Interest

Boat, Cruise, Culture & History, Exotic Adventure, Fine Wine & Cuisine, Kayak, Mountain Bike, Natural Beauty &/or Wildlife, Rainforest Exploration, Snorkel, Spa, Swim, Tropical/Winter Sunshine, Water Activities

My Backroads

View albums for this trip

Recommended Reads

Essential trip reading

Search
Contact Us

Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
E-mail us

801 Cedar St.
Berkeley, CA 94710

Business Hours:
7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

Or contact your travel agent

Australia Family Multisport

Australia Family Multisport

Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef

Home to dense jungle, fascinating wildlife, endless strands of white beach and the world's largest coral reef, Australia's Far North Queensland provides the spectacular setting for this unforgettable, adventure-filled family trip. Pedal through Cedar Bay National Park on remote dirt roads that rarely see travelers. Explore unspoiled beaches and woodland, looking for tree frogs, kangaroos and colorful birds. Kayak the astoundingly clear aquamarine waters off Cape Tribulation and sun yourself on silky-soft sand. Bike into Daintree National Park, the oldest living rain forest on Earth, and learn about the area's history and Aboriginal culture on intimate guided walks. Cap it all off by snorkeling or diving at the Great Barrier Reef. Come evening, you're embraced by warm Aussie hospitality at the region's most exquisite and unusual lodgings. Join us Down Under and experience Queensland at its wildest and fun-loving best!

View the Classic Premiere Inns Itineraries.

View other trips in Asia & the Pacific

Day 1 Helenvale

Meet in Cooktown  Head out from Endeavour Lions Park on a beautiful bike ride through quaint historic Cooktown and its stunning countryside, a wonderful introduction to the region's rugged beauty  Keep your eyes open for Australia's amazing wildlife - owls, tree kangaroos and rare stream frogs  At Archer's Point, enjoy a signature Backroads picnic and time lounging in sand and surf before shuttling to our rustic home for the night, nestled in the rain forest.

Days 2-3 Bloomfield

Bike on dirt roads through Cedar Bay National Park, watching for wildlife  Take a scenic boat ride across Weary Bay to reach our exclusive lodge  Follow gently rolling trails through the rain forest, seeking out Australia's most unique birds  Take a river cruise up the Bloomfield River, said to be the most stunning waterway on the Coral Coast  Relax in the idyllic surroundings of our hotel, where you can nap poolside, indulge in a spa treatment or go fishing.

Day 4 Cape Tribulation

Boat back to "civilization" and hop in a four-wheel-drive vehicle for a true Australian adventure through Daintree National Park - with stream crossings, steep hills and potholes amid the thick Queensland rain forest With a stunning backdrop of rain forest and mountain peaks, paddle open-deck kayaks near secluded Cape Tribulation, a World Heritage site. 

Days 5-6 Mossman

Bike along paved forest-lined roads through Daintree National Park, the world's most ancient rain forest  Hike at Cooper Creek, Daintree's central tributary, keeping an eye out for colorful parrots and Boyd's forest dragons - giant lizards indigenous to Queensland's rain forests Pedal over the Alexandra Range, then past sugarcane fields  Walk in the river-carved Mossman Gorge with a local Aboriginal guide, who offers insight into Aboriginal history and practices Spend an evening with a local naturalist learning about the region's abundant reptile population - don't be surprised if he brings along one or two slithering friends  Enjoy a candlelit barbecue overlooking the Mossman River.

Days 7-8 Port Douglas

Board the Poseidon, a spacious catamaran, and sail to the Great Barrier Reef for an unforgettable snorkeling or scuba excursion  Encounter some of Australia's multicolored luminescent, iridescent, polka-dotted and zebra-striped residents  Throw a boomerang, toss a spear and watch a traditional Aboriginal dance before hopping on the Skyrail to explore the rain forest canopy.

Route Rating What's this? Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Each offers options for more or less activity, so you can decide exactly how much you want to do day by day.

Lodging What's this? Our lodgings are divided into three different categories.

Premiere Inns:These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.

Casual Inns:These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the areawith such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.

Deluxe Camping:We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.

Detailed Itinerary

Reserve This Trip!

Trip praise

My husband and I weren't sure that our first trip with Backroads could really be matched secondary to our extraordinary experience at that time but I must say you were able to pull it off again and provided not only us but our three children with a magnificent trip that will be etched in all of our minds forever. We could not have asked for a more excellent way to celebrate sending our first born off to college this fall.
Franky Voss - Muncie, IN

read more trip praise

For more than 29 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Australia tour experts. For multisport tours in Asia & the Pacific, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Asia & the Pacific multisport tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Asia & the Pacific biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Asia & the Pacific walking and hiking tours click here.

Australia Family Multisport

SLUMBER IN STYLE : Premiere Inns*

Mungumby Lodge

Helenvale (1 night): Mungumby Lodge may not be luxurious - in fact, its bungalows are the definition of basic - but it is perfectly located along our route and offers a wonderful setting. (There aren't a lot of options out here!) Enjoy the sights and sounds of Australia's Tropical Rainforest National Park from your rustic cabin's patio or while dipping in the pool.

* With 1 Casual Inn night

Bloomfield Wilderness Lodge

Bloomfield (2 nights): One of Australia's most exclusive retreats and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, this deluxe wilderness lodge - with its unspoiled idyllic location, incredible spa, pool and gourmet cuisine - is one you'll never want to leave.

Coconut Beach Resort

Cape Tribulation (1 night): Just steps from a white-sand beach and cradled by the Daintree Rain Forest, this upscale resort's elegantly appointed guest rooms, two free-form swimming pools, deluxe spa and outstanding location provide a unique and truly peaceful experience.

Silky Oaks Lodge

Mossman (2 nights): This splendid resort, with its luxurious cottages (complete with hammocks!), refreshing pool and renowned Healing Water Spa, is set amid the oldest rain forest on the planet, with views of the Mossman River.

Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort

Port Douglas (2 nights): Five acres of swimmable saltwater lagoons, a sublime location on Four Mile Beach and an 18-hole championship golf course are just a few highlights at this luxurious tropical retreat.

Australia Family Multisport Australia Family Multisport

Silky Oaks Lodge

View the Classic Premiere Inns Itineraries.

Australia Family Multisport

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

 Day 1
  • Level 2  1 Route Option Available
  • Biking 17 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Levels 1 to 3  2 Route Options Available
  • Biking 24 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
  • Walking 1 hour 
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain 
Day 3
  • Level 1  1 Route Option Available
  • Walking 2.5 hours
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
  • Wildlife river cruise 2.5 hours (weather permitting)
Day 4
  • Four-wheel drive adventure
  • Kayaking 3 hours (weather permitting)  
Day 5
  • Levels 1 to 4  4 Route Options Available
  • Biking 14, 20, 45 miles
  • 1000 - 2000 feet elevation gain
  • Hiking 2.5 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 6
  • Levels 2 to 3  3 Route Options Available
  • Biking 12, 24 miles
  • 0 - 1000 feet elevation gain
  • Hiking 4 hours
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 7
  • Snorkeling & Diving (all day)
Day 8
  • Cultural visit 2 hours
Australia Family Multisport Australia Family Multisport

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours		 10-20
miles		 2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours		 21-30
miles		 5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours		 31-40
miles		 7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours		 41-55
miles		 9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours		 56-75+
miles		 11-13+
miles