Grand Australia Circumnavigation

Get to know this culturally rich city on Australia’s northeastern coast—North Queensland’s unofficial capital. Meet your knowledgeable guide and drive through Townsville, admiring its mix of old and new architecture along the way. Arrive at Castle Hill viewpoint, a pink granite monolith that dominates the city’s skyline. Here, enjoy sweeping vistas of the city before heading back into Townsville. Continue your panoramic sightseeing drive, passing city landmarks such as the Strand, a popular 1½-mile-long shoreline development lined with walkways, restaurants and cafés. Enjoy free time for independent exploration at the Strand, whose long strip of tropical beach and lush gardens make it a favorite place for locals to walk and jog, before returning to your awaiting ship.

Gain insight into North Queensland’s natural splendor and history at the Museum of Tropical Queensland. Surrounded by biodiversity, Townsville sits between the tropical islands of the Great Barrier Reef, lush rainforests and UNESCO World Heritage-listed national parks. You will depart the pier for a short scenic drive to the museum, located in the heart of Townsville. Upon arrival, you will receive a brief orientation, then enjoy free time to explore the galleries and collections at your own pace. You may choose to explore the extensive coral collection and the exhibits that document the region’s development from prehistory to the present day. You can also learn about the local wildlife, as well as the captivating tale of the HMS Pandora, the ill-fated ship sent to capture the HMS Bounty and her mutinous crew. At the end of your visit, you will return to your ship.

Meet your favorite Australian animals in a tropical bushland setting and view sunny Townsville. Travel ten miles south to Billabong Sanctuary, where you will meet a qualified ranger who will offer you expert insight into Australia’s fascinating wildlife. Nestled in the hills of the Muntalunga Range and set among rainforest, wetlands and eucalyptus trees, this is the perfect environment for the wildlife. After a memorable experience at the sanctuary, return to Townsville, a city basking in more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Your motor coach will take you up Castle Hill for a 360° view of Townsville and the shores of Cleveland Bay. This giant pink granite monolith standing proudly in the center of Townsville is only 26 feet short of being a mountain. See some more of the city’s landmark sights before returning to your ship.

Explore an endangered ecosystem and look for exotic flora and fauna in the oldest surviving rainforest on Earth. Set out to discover the Wet Tropics of Queensland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Begin with tea at a local venue before continuing to McClelland’s Lookout, where you will begin your walk in the rain forest. Expert local guides will point out the extraordinary flora and fauna that surround you. These forests boast one of the highest numbers of primitive flowering plants in the world. All of Australia’s marsupials originated in rain forests, and their closest living relatives can be found in North Queensland’s Wet Tropics. These include many species that are found nowhere else in the world, such as the musky rat-kangaroo. Finish your tour with a delicious barbecue lunch before returning to Townsville by motor coach.

Discover the complicated history behind indigenous people and European settlers at a rural cattle station. The Mungalla Aboriginal cattle station was established by James Cassady, an Irishman who immigrated to Australia during the 1880s. At a time when confrontations between settlers and Aboriginals were often brutal, Cassady’s ranch was a safe haven for the local Nywaigi population. Today, the ranch is run by the Nywaigi Aboriginal Land Corporation; its mission is to improve the economic and social position of its Indigenous people. Take a guided tour of this working ranch, view artifacts and try your hand at throwing a boomerang. Learn about the ranch’s history and view a pictorial exhibit. Next, sit down to a traditional Aboriginal feast known as Kup Murri—a selection of meats, fish and vegetables cooked in an authentic underground pit oven. Then, you will return to your ship.

Explore terrain, history and wildlife during a panoramic tour of Magnetic Island. From the pier in Townsville, transfer to your ferry, then set out into Cleveland Bay for a short cruise to this mountainous island, named for its reputed effect on explorer Captain James Cook’s ship’s compass when he sailed past it on June 7, 1770. Upon arrival, enjoy a scenic motor coach tour along the island’s beautiful beaches and rugged bushland. More than half of the island is a national park and bird sanctuary that protects the habitats of koalas, possums and many avian species. Stop for sweeping views and photographs at the Horseshoe Bay beachfront, then enjoy lunch. Later, encounter native wildlife on a guided tour of a wildlife park; here, you may see a koala or a baby wombat. Afterward, return to your ferry for the transfer back to your ship.

Mine the history of North Queensland’s gold rush during an excursion to a former 19th-century boom town. Travel by motor coach inland over the mountains and into the famed Australian Outback toward Charters Towers. Founded in 1871 after prospectors discovered gold deposits in nearby Towers Hill, the town’s mines extracted more than 218 tons of gold during their bustling heyday. Upon your arrival, enjoy morning tea at the historic Stock Exchange Café, Australia’s first regional stock exchange and one of the town’s many refurbished boom-era buildings. After a scenic coach tour of the town and lunch, visit the Venus Gold Battery, one of the area’s diminishing number of operating mills. Tour the facility while your knowledgeable local guide regales you with colorful tales about Charters Towers’s illustrious past. Afterward, board your coach and return to Townsville and your ship.

Discover the unspoiled beauty of Magnetic Island, a tropical haven located off the coastline of Townsville. After a short drive, board a ferry and depart for Magnetic Island, set within the UNESCO-designated Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This protected area is renowned for its natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Upon arrival, board your motor coach and set out on a panoramic journey across the island, soaking up the picturesque surroundings along the way. Stay alert for sightings of the wildlife who make their home here, including koalas, rock wallabies, echidnas and more. Pause for lunch at a local café before resuming your journey along Magnetic Island’s rugged west coast, where you will find mangrove-lined shores and secluded bays. Take in the views of the untouched landscapes on the island’s western side, then return to your awaiting ship.

Sample local flavors and see Queensland’s natural beauty up-close during a journey through its diverse landscapes. North of Townsville, a coastal plain of cane fields, orchards and wetlands stretches between rainforest ranges and the Coral Sea. Board your motor coach and set out for a scenic drive through this agricultural district to reach a fruit orchard. Upon arrival, you will enjoy a guided tour followed by morning tea. Return to your coach and head to Hinchinbrook Lookout, where you will pause for photographs of Australia’s largest island national park before continuing to the TYTO Wetlands. Here, you will walk along boardwalks through lagoons and habitats that sustain an array of local wildlife and more than 230 bird species. After a traditional bush tucker lunch, visit a kangaroo colony and learn about these native animals, then return to your awaiting ship.