Two departures only!
17 June 2025 & 09 September 2025
Explore spectacular Gulf Country on this over 60s tour!
Over 11 days and 1,500km, this dedicated over-60s group will explore the Tropical North Queensland sector from Cairns to Karumba.
Travel in style on a purpose built air-conditioned four wheel-drive tour vehicle (with forward-facing reclining coach style seats, footrests, retractable seatbelts, panoramic view windows and on-board toilet), specially designed for the outback and built for comfort.
Highlights include taking the Gulflander train through the Savannah landscape across the Norman River to Critters Camp, seeing historic Normanton, witnessing a Gulf of Carpentaria sunset, visiting Burke & Wills’ infamous Camp #119, exploring the stunning Undara Lava Tubes, and so much more!
Travelling with a maximum of 24 like-minded passengers, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the Gulf Savannah and Outback Queensland at its best.
Highlights Include:
The operator reserves the right to alter itinerary and accommodation if necessitated.
Day 1 - Arrive in Cairns
Arrive in Cairns at your convenience and make your way to the Shangri-La The Marina Cairns. Check-in begins at 2pm. In the evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner, providing the perfect opportunity to meet new friends who share your passion for travel and exploration.
Day 2 - Atherton
Rise and shine early this morning for a 7am pick up. Travelling up the Kuranda Range to the Atherton Tableland and on to Herberton. Today we explore the Historic Village of Herberton, where you can live the folklore and romance of yesterday’s Australia in every piece of this eye-opening collection. Sit in the schoolhouse. Stand at the bar of the pub.
Enjoy a latte in the Bakerville Tearooms. The award-winning attraction is more than a vintage precinct – it’s a tangible buzz of things past with over 50 original buildings with intact interior displays, original machinery and vehicles, plus thousands of antique items and period memorabilia. Late afternoon we settle into the Malanda Lodge, situated on 11 acres of manicured tropical gardens. All rooms have ground level balconies and views to enjoy the tranquillity, or maybe spot their resident platypus family in the large pond.
Day 3 – Savannahlander – Georgetown
An early start sees us travelling west on the Kennedy Highway towards Mount Surprise, where we enjoy lunch with a snake show. After lunch, you travel aboard the “Savannahlander” train as it tracks towards Einasleigh. There is enough time to have a beer in the pub or head down and check out Copperfield Gorge, before the train departs for Forsayth. From here we travel on to Georgetown where we stay overnight.
Day 4 – Karumba
Morning "smoko" on the shore of Croydon’s Lake Belmore before Normanton for lunch. Here you can absorb its famous landmarks, the "Purple Pub", historic Burns Philp General Store and a replica of Krys, the 8.63m crocodile. Continue on to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria, where we enjoy a spectacular Gulf sunset.
Day 5 – Karumba
After a leisurely breakfast we enjoy a cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria. This afternoon we spend time at the Barramundi Centre with a guided Feed-A-Barra tour and hand-feeding will take you into the brand-new hatchery for an educational, entertaining and engaging experience! This afternoon we head out to sunset point for happy hour. Dinner at Karumba Lodge.
Day 6 – Normanton
After breakfast we visit Burke & Wills Camp #119, the most northerly campsite of the ill-fated expedition of 1860 on our way back to Normanton for lunch. This afternoon we visit the Mutton hole Wetlands for croc- and bird watching.
Day 7 – Cobbold Gorge
This morning we depart from Normanton’s famous Victorian architecture Railway Station. All aboard the historic “Gulflander RM93” train, a Savannah Guides Site, for a ride through the savannah landscape across the Norman River to Critters Camp. On to Black Bull Siding then the old gold mining town of Croydon and its Historic Precinct. This afternoon we visit Georgetown and Forsayth on our way to Cobbold Gorge, a Savannah Guides Station.
Day 8 Cobbold Gorge
This morning we cruise on Cobbold Gorge’s beautiful and secluded waterway surrounded by spectacular carved Hampstead sandstone, 135 million years old. We have ample time to enjoy this beautiful area.
Day 9 Undara
This morning we travel via Einasleigh and Mount Surprise to the famous Undara Lava Tubes, a Savannah Guides Station. There's campfire entertainment after dinner before retiring to your accommodation in faithfully restored antique railway carriages or Pioneer cabins.
Day 10 - Cairns
After breakfast in the Australian bush, an experienced Savannah Guide will meet you for an informative tour of the world’s largest, longest and most accessible lava tube system. We continue on our scenic and leisurely drive over the Tropical Tablelands past the Wind Turbines at Ravenshoe, stopping off at the magnificent Curtain Fig Tree, before making our way back to Cairns, where you will spend the night. Dinner is not included this evening.
Day 11 - Depart Cairns
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before checking out of the hotel and bidding farewell to your fellow travellers. Check out from hotel is 11am.
We can also book your flights and additional accommodation if you wish to extend your stay in Cairns.
On this tour you will enjoy 10 nights accommodation with ensuite bathrooms.
*Please note that as you will be travelling through remote parts of North Queensland, some accommodation will be basic, however all accommodation used in this itinerary will have private ensuite bathrooms.
Accommodation - Undara Lava Lodge has a combination of railway carriages and pioneer huts with ensuite bathroom facilities.
All breakfasts and dinners are served in the restaurants of the accommodation venues we stay at. You will enjoy 4 continental breakfasts and 4 cooked breakfasts while on tour. A 2 course dinner is provided at night time with a main course, dessert, tea or coffee. Lunch will be served at a suitable lunch stop, there is a combination of 5 sit-down lunches and on 4 occasions we have a picnic lunch on which we provide salads and sandwiches, which will be made at the lunch stop.
Fitness Requirements:
Entry in and out of tour vehicle - There are 4 steps to navigate to enter the vehicle. There is a handrail to assist. Passengers can bring a walking stick to assist with the walks, however, the tour is not suitable for passengers who depend on a walker. Travel these remote areas in our purpose built Isuzu off road 4WD tour-vehicles with forward facing reclining seats, footrests, and retractable seatbelts. The vehicles are equipped with standard features as a P.A. System, on-board toilet, T.V and road cam, portable satellite phone and first aid kits and all necessary off road equipment you can think of. With small groups, minimum of 10 and a maximum of 25 passengers, you will have the ultimate opportunity to enjoy the areas at its best.
What to Bring:
Want to avoid the single supplement? If you're fully vaccinated and willing to share, we can happily pair you with another solo traveller. Subject to COVID-19 vaccination, availability of another guest of the same gender willing to share, otherwise a single room rate will apply.
Travel at 60 and supplier booking conditions apply. Properties used in the tour are subject to change without notice.