Far North Escapes Ghan Overnight Experiences

Day 1. Cairns to Crater Lakes National Park
Your day begins with your luxury 4WD awaiting you at your accommodation in Cairns at 8am. As we head out of Cairns, you will have a spectacular view over the sugar cane fields, with a stunning back drop of surrounding Mountains and lush Rainforest. Along the journey, you’ll pass Queensland highest peak: the iconic towering Mount Bartle Frere. You will spend the morning exploring the “#1 Must Do Attraction in Queensland”, the beautiful, Paronella Park. Built-in 1937 by Jose Paronella, it is both a living love story and a feat of unique engineering. This is a wonderful photo opportunity and a truly unique experience. Following your tour of Paronella, we make our way through the Atherton Tablelands and stop off for lunch at Mungalli Creek Dairy Farm. Here you will taste some of the best local biodynamic cheeses Far North Queensland has to offer and enjoy the spectacular rolling hill scenery of the Atherton Tablelands. Our afternoon will be spent visiting magnificent falls that cascade perfectly into a pristine waterhole surrounded by lush Rainforest, it is one of the most photographed Waterfalls in all of Australia - Millaa Millaa. You will check into your Atherton Tablelands accommodation for the evening, freshen up, and attend your “Welcome Dinner” at “Our Place” a popular restaurant in scenic Yungaburra. After dinner, wind down from your first exciting day on the road at the unique Crater Lakes Rainforest Cottages. Located on the boarder of the World Heritage-listed Crater Lakes National Park, these Cottages are immersed in the Rainforest with wildlife such as Possums and Tree Kangaroos, right on your doorstep.
‍Accommodation: Cottage, Crater Lakes Rainforest Cottages (FNE Exclusive use). Located at Lake Eacham, on the Atherton Tablelands.
‍Meals: Lunch at Mungalli Creek Dairy Farm, and Group “Welcome” Dinner at ”Our Place” in Yungaburra.
‍‍‍ Day 2. Crater Lakes National Park to Chillagoe

‍We are off to Chillagoe! It’s an early start as we travel through the rolling hills of the Atherton Tablelands and the iconic “Wheelbarrow Way” stretching from Mareeba to Chillagoe, travelling through farmland, cattle country, wooded savannah and historic towns. Our morning starts with a National Parks Ranger Guided Chillagoe Cave Tour. Delight in the spectacular caverns and passages decorated by stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones. Their formation began over 400 million years ago, with fluctuating groundwater slowly dissolving and sculpting the caves. Chillagoe was once an ancient Coral Reef that has been transformed into spectacular limestone bluffs with a network of some 560 caves, while early volcanic activity has created rich marble and mineral deposits. Wander the town to see the Railway Station, Bank Vault, Court House, Police Museum, and Post Office. The tall chimney on the edge of the town is part of the former Ore Smelter. Nearby short walking tracks include Balancing Rock and two Aboriginal Rock Art Galleries. After a day of exploring this historic mining town, we make our way back via the rustic Herberton-Petford 4WD track a truly unique off-the-beaten-path experience full of wildlife in The Atherton Tablelands.
‍Accommodation: Cottage, Crater Lakes Rainforest Cottages (FNE Exclusive use). Located at Lake Eacham, on the Atherton Tablelands.
Meals : Crater Lakes Continental Breakfast Hamper, Lunch at Chillagoe Pub and Dinner at Malanda’s “Big Pub”.
‍Day 3. Crater Lakes National Park to Oak Beach
Start your day with Breakfast at the 90-year-old Lake Barrine Teahouse, with stunning views over the serene blue volcanic crater Lake. A beautiful way to start the day, before seeing highlights such as Lake Tinaroo, and the 500-year-old towering Cathedral Fig. Today we leave the Tablelands and wind our way down the Gillies Range and north along the Coast, with a lunch stop at iconic Palm Cove. Tonight, you will be staying at the beautiful eco and wildlife retreat: Thala Beach Lodge. Your bungalow is nestled among 58 hectares of native forest on secluded Oak Beach, where two UNESCO World Heritage sites meet: the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure before meeting for a group dinner with 180-degree views of the Coral Sea.
Accommodation : Eucalyptus Bungalow, Thala Beach Lodge. Located at stunning Oak Beach, between Cairns and Port Douglas.
‍Meals: Breakfast at Lake Barrine Teahouse, Lunch at Palm Cove, and Group Dinner at Thala Beach Lodge.
Day 4. Oak Beach to Cooktown
After breakfast, we head North via Cape Tribulation – the World’s oldest continuous Rainforest. Here you will enjoy sites such as Alexandra Bay Lookout and experience a Crocodile Daintree Tour in a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will enjoy lunch at Whet Restaurant before hitting the famous Bloomfield Track north to Cooktown. Weather dependent, we may experience river crossings along the way. Your highlight of the day is Wujal Wujal Falls, where you will be treated to a guided indigenous interpretive walk, hosted by Kuku Yalanji’s Walker Family. As we arrive into Cooktown soak in views from Grassy Hill before spending the evening Dinner at the historic Lions Den Hotel. Established in 1875, The Lions Den Hotel walls are adorned with signatures from around the world, a tradition that started in the old mining days. An amazing atmosphere often with live entertainment.
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‍Accommodation: Cottage Cabin, Milkwood Lodge Rainforest Retreat. Secluded Cooktown accommodation cabins, located in Cooktown with rainforest and mountain views.
‍Meals: Breakfast at Thala Beach Lodge, Lunch at Whet Restaurant in Cape Tribulation, and Group Dinner at Lions Den Hotel.
Day 5. Cooktown to Cairns final day of our Tablelands Tour
Today we explore the Cooktown and we enjoy a cold one at the legendary 1875 Lions Den Hotel which is one of the oldest Pubs in Far North Queensland and though it's well off the beaten track, the pub has long been on the bucket-list for adventure seekers in Cape York. The walls still boast the signatures – dating back to the 1800s – of thirsty tin miners on the walls and ceilings. Next we visit the Cooktown Botanic Gardens established in 1878, they were the first of their kind in Far North Queensland, offering the ideal environment to cultivate a diversity of exotic plants found only in the Cape York region. Today, the acclaimed gardens represent and reflect the cultural heritage of Cooktown, Australia's European Pioneer Settlement. It is also a popular refuge for local birdlife, including the Zebra Finch and Crimson Finch. We will make our way to the top of Grassy Hill, one of Cooktown's most popular attractions. Even if you're only inspired by a walk in the park, Grassy Hill offers a 360-degree view of Cooktown, the Endeavour River and the Great Barrier Reef. As you climb the Hill and look over every direction, you'll notice that very little has changed since Captain James Cook first set foot on this land. We have come to the final sector of your Tablelands Tour, where we follow the Mulligan Highway back to your destination. Our captivating guides will keep you enthralled as they share their knowledge of this scenic highway that winds through the Atherton Tablelands.
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‍Meals: Breakfast at Milkwood Lodge, Lunch at Lions Den Hotel.

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