Complete Australia

Are you ready to completely slather yourself in all things Australia? Travel to the Land Down Under and spend a month exploring everything this island nation has to offer. Start in Melbourne and move on from there to national parks, wine tastings, the Outback, beach days, sea kayaking, sailing, and loads more. Get the total Oz experience with this all-encompassing tour, and, who knows, you might even acquire a taste for Vegemite by the end.

Day 1 Melbourne
Arrive at any time.

Tonight, get to know Melbourne as a group. Spend some time socializing in the rooftop seating area at the Space Hostel where you are staying. Then maybe head to the bar attached to the hostel called Blue Moon Karaoke for some great beer and cheap eats. Make sure you get those vocals ready because someone is getting up and singing before the night is over.

Day 2 Melbourne/Port Campbell
Say hello to the Great Ocean Road — arguably the most iconic road in all of Australia! You won’t even mind waking up early for views like the ones you’ll see as you drive to Port Campbell. Travel up the famous surf coast visiting quaint towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay en route. Get in touch with nature on an included rainforest walk in Great Otway NP.

Then gaze in wonder and feel the wind whip through your hair as you admire the 12 Apostles, the kind of landmark that somehow finds a way to be more stunning in person than in photos.

Day 3 Port Campbell/Halls Gap
Open your eyes in the laid-back coastal town of Port Campbell and lace up those hiking boots for a visit to the Tower Hill Wildlife Reservation. Walk through the verdant landscape and be on the lookout for the wildlife that has multiplied on the inside of this volcanic crater. Trek through the forest with those cameras at the ready before continuing on to Grampians National Park for your next adventure!

Day 4 Halls Gap/Adelaide
Skip sleeping in this morning to get out and about in Grampians National Park. Wander through lush forest, view the craggy sandstone Wonderland range in the distance, and examine impressive Indigenous rock art. Home to some pretty amazing scenic lookouts this national park will grant you with many photo opportunities so make sure those cameras are charged before heading into the thick of it all. Walk to the stunning Balconies for expansive views of the Victoria Valley below, then stop at one of the largest waterfalls in Victoria; Mackenzie Falls and watch the water cascading down cliff faces as it creates rainbows in the air. Close your eyes, breathe in the fresh air, and find peace in the moment. As the day winds down head to Adelaide with the group and find some nightlife to enjoy as the stars fill the sky.

Day 5 Adelaide
Get ready to stuff your face in the food and wine capital of Australia; Adelaide. Wander the clean laneways and sample your way from place to place as the sun warms your skin. With an emerging art scene, natural beauty, interesting attractions, and incredible restaurants, Adelaide has tons to see and do. Get out and discover the hub of South Australia!

Day 6 Adelaide/Ikara-Flinders Ranges
Enjoy a local food experience in the Clare Valley, then it's on to Flinders Ranges.

Day 7 Ikara-Flinders Ranges
Explore Wilpena Pound, the heart of Flinders Ranges National Park, for a walk to a natural amphitheatre sacred to the Indigenous Adnyamathana people. Learn about Indigenous art and early settler history.

Day 8 Ikara-Flinders Ranges/Glendambo
Travel from Flinders Ranges to Glendambo with a stop along the way at the salt lake of Lake Hart.

Day 9 Glendambo/Coober Pedy
Travel to the town of Coober Pedy, the world's opal mining capital. After a guided tour of a mine, escape the heat like the locals by spending the night underground.

Day 10 Coober Pedy/Kings Creek
Take in the vastness of the Outback on a driving day, then bed down in a swag (padded canvas bedroll) around a campfire and sleep under the Outback sky.

Day 11 Kings Creek/Uluru
Enjoy a morning walk through the gorges and valleys of Kings Canyon. Drive to Uluru, where Australia's most iconic view awaits. Experience the colourful sunset at Uluru while enjoying a glass of bubbly.

Day 12 Uluru
Enjoy the Mala Walk at Uluru to learn the importance of the rock to Indigenous Australians.

Day 13 Uluru/Sydney
Transfer to the airport and fly to Sydney.

Day 14 Sydney
Enjoy a free day to explore Sydney. Opt to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, hop on a jet boat ride through the harbour, or chill out at Bondi Beach.

Day 15 Sydney/Tamworth
Travel to the Hunter Valley for a wine tutorial before continuing on to Tamworth for a taste of Australian country living.

Day 16 Tamworth/Yamba
Travel over the Great Dividing Range to Yamba, a quaint beach town. Go for a swim at the beach, relax, and enjoy the view.

Day 17 Yamba/Byron Bay
Continue up the coast to Byron Bay, an alternative hippie paradise. Hit the beach and enjoy an included surf lesson.

Day 18 Byron Bay
Enjoy free time to hit the beach, get a massage, or try sea kayaking.

Day 19 Byron Bay/Brisbane
Venture north with your group to the capital of Queensland; Brisbane. Pass by national parks, mountains, surfy enclaves, and endless stretches of sand bordering brilliant blue water. Feeling hungry? Grab a delicious pastry creation from the famous Yatala Pie shop, serving hungry patrons for 130 years. Word of advice… make sure those cameras are charged and ready. Experience a night out with the group in Queensland's capital.

Day 20 Brisbane/Noosa Everglades
Escape the city as you journey north up the coast to the Noosa Everglades. Get ready for an evening surrounded by stunning wilderness in one of the most pristine wetlands in the world. Relax as you cruise along this "river of mirrors" and chow down with a delicious Aussie BBQ lunch before further exploring your surroundings. Grab a kayak to get up and personal with the dark, tranquil waters as you paddle through ancient landscapes and sub-tropical rainforest. Then relax around the lake or hike one of the trails to further appreciate the serenity that seeps from this unique landscape.

Day 21 Noosa Everglades to K'gari (Fraser Island)
On your mark...get set.... go! Travel by private vehicle and ferry with your group to reach K'gari (Fraser Island); for a true Aussie experience. K'gari (Fraser Island) is the largest sand island in the world and the only known place where rainforest grows on sand. Think pure paradise; with striking blue lakes, crystal clear creeks, giant dunes, and dense rainforests in a place truly unlike any other. Once on the island the group will go for a 4x4 tour, driving along over 100km of beach to get a sense of your surroundings. Then take a swim in Lake Mckenzie, or be on the lookout for wild Dingoes (this is one of the few places in Australia where you are able to see them).

Day 22 K'gari (Fraser Island) to Airlie Beach
Your second day on K'gari (Fraser Island) comes with more free time to enjoy this paradise. In the morning continue exploring by 4x4 along wide stretches of pearly white beach and then duck into the shade of the forest to really appreciate the peaceful solitude that surrounds you. In the afternoon board an overnight train (get ready to post some ‘grams) north to Airlie Beach, where more sand, sun, and fun await you.

Day 23 Airlie Beach/Whitsunday Islands
Awake as the train pulls to a stop in your next destination. Hop out, stretch those legs, and head out for brunch with the group in Airlie Beach; home to the Whitsunday Islands and located on the Great Barrier Reef. Then head to the marina and embark on a maxi yacht which will be your home for the next two nights. Set sail to a secluded cove (we’re so excited for you) in the Whitsunday islands where you will drop anchor for the night. Our only advice; try not to pinch yourself too many times because no, this is not a dream, it is reality and we want you to experience it as best you can!

Day 24 Whitsunday Islands
Remember those stranded-on-a-deserted island fantasies that we all had growing up? (no, just us?) Either way get ready to relive that castaway dream as you hike to an island lookout over Whitehaven Beach (one of the most famous beaches in the world) and enjoy the views of powdery sand and the Coral Sea’s azure waters. You probably won’t ever want to leave. And you haven’t even gone below the surface yet!

After some free time on the beach basking in the sun you’ll spend time as a group learning about the community efforts to protect and restore coral in the Great Barrier Reef before heading out to snorkel; over a Planeterra-supported coral garden. Then it’s off to another secluded tropical island spot where the group will anchor for the night.

Day 25 Whitsunday Islands/Airlie Beach
Expected forecast today is; peace, serenity, paradise, and lots of gorgeous views. You may want to pull out your phone or camera every chance you get, but try to refrain and simply enjoy the moment as you and the group continue sailing through the picturesque backdrop of the Whitsunday Islands. Swim, snorkel, or lounge on the boat deck before sailing to the resort town of Airlie Beach for a night on the town with your best adventure buds! Live it up because let’s face it, how often are you really in this kind of paradise?

Day 26 Airlie Beach/Cairns
With an early morning departure, admire the scenery on the train ride north to Cairns.

Day 27 Cairns
Cairns is quite the place to visit if you love warm weather (it would be headline news for the city’s temperature to drop much below 20°C (68°F)) and want to visit the Great Barrier Reef. Take advantage of a free day to book one of the many optional activities that will get you out in nature’s playground. Snorkel or dive in the Great Barrier Reef, get that adrenaline pumping by whitewater rafting, skydiving, or bungee jumping and cap it all off on a Big Night Out in Cairns with your fellow travellers. Drinks all around are well deserved after spending the day escaping your comfort zones.

Day 28 Cairns
Depart at any time.