On arrival in Cairns you meet your driver and start your adventure with a stop at Hartley's Creek Crocodile Adventures for a private Ranger-led tour enroute to your accommodation.
You will get to enjoy the following:
- Big Croc Feed - a personalised, ranger-led activity where you can pole feed a huge saltwater crocodile, learn interesting facts on fresh and saltwater crocodiles, and meet and hold a juvenile crocodile for a souvenir photo. (Minimum age of 16 years to participate in feeding. Younger children may watch but cannot physically participate)
- Mammal Magic Tour - an interactive guided tour where you can feed, pat and hold some of the most adorable Australian marsupials. This experience includes a koala talk and souvenir koala holding photo.
- Lagoon Cruise - you may also join the lagoon cruise to view crocodiles in their natural environment and watch them be pole fed from the safety of the boat.
- Croc Taste - served on the deck area of Lilies restaurant.
At the conclusion of the "formal" tour you are welcome to stay on and enjoy the other exhibits before continuing on to your accommodation.
You are met this morning by your private guide for a full day of private touring, including lunch.
You travel to the Botanical Ark and spend time viewing the gardens and learning about the philosophy behind the Botanical Ark project. You will have the opportunity to view stunningly beautiful plants and taste some very interesting and exotic fruits.
The Botanical Ark project commenced more than 37 years ago, as a subsistence farm and then more recently as a private ethno-botanical gardens. The owners travel to the tropical regions of the world collecting plants that indigenous rainforest cultures have and still use for their foods, spices, shelter, medicines, cosmetics, fibres, oils, dyes – in fact everything used in their everyday needs. The emphasis is on the link between the plants and peoples and the aim is to educate visitors to the real values of tropical rainforests and to help save some of these forests for the people who depend on them.
Enjoy a walk around this stunning property before enjoying morning tea.
You then continue to Mossman Gorge for a private guided Dreamtime Walk (1.5 hours).
A "must do" for every visitor to Mossman Gorge are the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walks, conducted by the local Indigenous people. Ngadiku (Nar-di-gul) means stories and legends from a long time ago in local Kuku Yalanji language. The walks take visitors on a journey along private, gentle tracks, visiting special places and culturally significant sites, past traditional bark shelters and over meandering cool rainforest streams.
You are welcomed with a traditional ‘smoking’ ceremony that cleanses and wards off bad spirits. The walk then meanders through stunning rainforest and takes in traditional huts or humpies. Your experienced interpretive Indigenous guide demonstrates traditional plant use, identify bush food sources and provide an enchanting narrative of the rainforest and their special relationship with this unique tropical environment. Your guide demonstrates traditions like making bush soaps and ochre painting. At the end of the tour enjoy bush tea and damper.
You are returned to your accommodation in the late afternoon.
Please make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes as the paths at Mossman Gorge can be uneven. You may also like to bring insect repellent, a hat, sunscreen and an umbrella/rain poncho.
Today you enjoy a private charter to the Great Barrier Reef aboard MV Monsoon to snorkel and fish, including lunch.
You are met by your driver and transfer to the Port Douglas Marina. MV Monsoon is located on the main finger wharf, just after The Lady Douglas (an old paddle steamer).
MV Monsoon is a 54ft classically styled, custom-built vessel built for comfort and will take you to the best snorkelling, diving and fishing destinations within a day charter.
All snorkel/diving and fishing equipment is provided, as well as a gourmet lunch, canapes, cheese platter and seasonal tropical fruits for lunch.
On return to Port Douglas you are met by your driver and returned to your accommodation.
Please be sure to bring your swimmers, a towel and protective sunwear (hat, sunglasses and sunscreen).
Non-alcoholic beverages are provided. Alcoholic beverages are BYO.
If a private charter is not for you then arrangements to join a shared tour to the reef can be made.
Today you are transferred to the Cairns Airport for your onward flight.
END OF ARRANGEMENTS
The scheduled flight time will be dependent on your onward flight. If either of these times do not allow you to connect with your homeward flight then a private charter flight can be arranged. Alternatively an overnight stay in Cairns can also be arranged.
