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13 day Brisbane to Cairns Essentials Tour
Scuba Diving Fraser Island Lake Mackenzie rainforest fraser island Eli Creek Fun Times

Brisbane to Cairns East Coast Essentials -13 Days

Back to Brisbane Tours

$1,590.00$2,115.00

Transport:
Mixed (Bus, 4X4, Boat)
Difficulty:
Easy
Accom:
Mixed(Dorm Share and Camping)
Duration:
13 days, 12 nights
Food:
Some Meals
Guided?:
While on activities/tours
Departs:
Daily
Arrives:
Brisbane on Day 13
Explore the East Coast of Australia with all the essential activities and tours included!

 

You will be able to tick off 3 of the most popular activities from your bucket list in less than 2 weeks!

Starting on the world’s largest sand island Fraser Island driving a four-wheel drive, you will continue your journey sailing around the Whitsundays in style.  You will finish with the world-famous Great Barrier Reef where you will have the chance to see more coral and marine life than anyone else with an introductory dive onboard.

This great value package includes all accommodation, tours and most meals while on tours! What are you waiting for? Explore the East Coast of Australia today!

Includes:

Simply choose below if you are driving yourself or if you need to add on a Greyhound or premier bus pass!

*You can do this trip in the reverse direction, click here*

 

“Our East Coast packages offer the best tours, trips and accommodation at an amazing price! We’ve been sending people up and down the East Coast of Australia for years and are 100% confident you will have an amazing time on any of our packages. You can keep all your tours, buses and accommodation open dated or give us the date you want to start and we’ll book everything for you! If you want to add or take anything out just contact us for a custom quote!”  – Liz – One Stop Adventures Travel Expert

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Description

  • Visit Brisbane, Rainbow Beach, Airlie Beach and Cairns
  • Explore Fraser Island
  • Sail and cruise around the Whitsundays
  • Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef!

Below is an example itinerary – your itinerary will depend on the availability of tours, transport (Greyhound and Premier have different departures) and accommodation from your start date.

One Stop Adventures will always endeavour to make sure you have the best itinerary and time possible.

Day 1 –  Brisbane 

Arrive in Brisbane at any time and check into your accommodation – the rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the city!

Day 2 – Brisbane to Rainbow Beach

Travel to Rainbow Beach for your safety briefing at 4:00pm for your Fraser Island tour. If you have chosen to travel by Premier Bus, you won’t arrive on time for the briefing. To not miss out on anything, we will include an extra day in Rainbow Beach for no extra cost! You will then arrive in the evening of day 2, discover Rainbow Beach during day 3 and attend the briefing in the evening. Your journey will then finish on day 14.

Day 3 –Fraser Island (Lunch, Dinner) 

Today you begin your Fraser Island tour! The morning of departure is a pretty hectic time, with excitement everywhere, we will again split you up into your groups and ask you to work together in checking off all your food to make sure it is all there before you go. You will pack your food into the eskies, alcohol into cool boxes, do a full vehicle inspection including checking all camping and cooking equipment is provided and then do a full driver briefing outlining the most important aspects of driving on soft sand and how to use the gears. Then it’s off you go!!

Day 4 – Fraser Island(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Due to tide times and changing conditions, the itinerary of the tour will forever change in terms of where you go, on what days but know that the experience of the lead driver will ensure you get to see the most important and beautiful sights on Fraser Island. Some of these should include Lake McKenzie, Lake Wabby, Eli Creek, Champagne Pool, Indian Head and The Maheno Shipwreck to name but a few. You will only set up camp the one time and travel back to this area every evening so you can sit down, relax with a drink and cook your evening meals without the hassles of having to relocate every time.

Day 5 – Return to Rainbow Beach(Breakfast, Lunch)

Due to tide times and changing conditions, the itinerary of the tour will forever change in terms of where you go, on what days but know that the experience of the lead driver will ensure you get to see the most important and beautiful sights on Fraser Island. Some of these should include Lake McKenzie, Lake Wabby, Eli Creek, Champagne Pool, Indian Head and The Maheno Shipwreck to name but a few. You will only set up camp the one time and travel back to this area every evening so you can sit down, relax with a drink and cook your evening meals without the hassles of having to relocate every time.

On the third and final day, you will arrive back into Rainbow Beach around 4:00pm (depending on tides).

Day 6 – Rainbow Beach to Airlie Beach 

Enjoy the day in Rainbow Beach before hopping on an overnight bus to Airlie Beach.

Day 7 – Airlie Beach

Arrive in Airlie Beach and check-in at your hostel. You will also have to check-in for your departure on the Whitsunday for the following day. The instructions will be written on your voucher.

Day 8 – The Whitsundays (Dinner)

Begin your 2 day 2 night Whitsundays sail between lunchtime and early afternoon. The departure time will depend on the boat you choose, click the ‘Whitsunday boat options’ tab to check out the boats and their itineraries.

Day 9 – The Whitsundays (Breakfast, lunch, Dinner)

Explore the Whitsundays by snorkelling in the ocean and exploring the islands. The options onboard may depend on the boat you have chosen. Click the ‘Whitsunday boat options’ tab to check out the boats and their itineraries.

Day 10 – Return to Airlie Beach (Breakfast)

Return to Airlie Beach from your Whitsundays adventure and celebrate being back on dry land!

 Day 11 – Airlie Beach to Cairns

Today you will be travelling to Cairns. If you are travelling by Premier Bus, you will catch a day bus and arrive in the evening but if with Greyhound, you will have the option between a day or a night bus. With the night option, it is possible to have an extra free day in Airlie Beach before or after going on the Whitsundays and will then finish on day 14. While making the booking, add your preference in the “Comment” section.

Day 12 – The Great Barrier Reef (Lunch)

Enjoy a day trip on Great Barrier Reef with snorkelling and lunch included.

Day 13 – Cairns

Today is the end of your journey, you can check out of the hostel and travel onward at any time.

What exactly are the differences? 

Greyhound 

  • Up to 3 departures a day
  • Goes to all the places you want to visit on the East Coast
  • Newer luxury coaches with Wifi and USB charging ports
  • Overnight buses can be utilised to save on accommodation while travelling

Premier

  • 1 departure a day, some departures are at painful times(such as Coffs Harbour which is at 3:00am)
  • Does not go to 1770, stops at the turn-off and some hostels will come and pick you up at midnight/1:00am for $15 each way
  • Older buses
  • Will get you from A to B
  • The cheapest option!

The Adventure Boat

A Maxi Sailing adventure on the British Defender, Condor, Boomerang, Broomstick with 28 guests maximum.

Whitsunday SailingWhitsunday SailingWhitsunday Sailing

Click here to learn more about the Adventure Boat 

The James Bond Boat

The Powerplay is a sleek catamaran with a spa on deck and neon lights on the bottom to attract dolphins and squid with a maximum of 18 guests.

Whitsundays Powerplay Catamaran Powerplay Whitsundays Jumping off Powerplay Blue lights

Click here to learn more about the James Bond Boat

The Party Boat

The Atlantic Clipper is a tall ship with an inflatable slide, spa on deck, dive board and a maximum of 55 guests.

Atlantic Clipper Whitsundays Atlantic Clipper Whitsundays Spa Atlantic Clipper Whitsundays

Click here to learn more about the Party Boat

The Budget Boat

We usually choose between Mandrake or Tongarra as budget boat depending on the availability.

whitsundays TongarraMandrake Boat Cabin on TongarraNational Parks Whitsundays

Click here to learn more about Tongarra

Click here to learn more about Mandrake

These are our favourite boats to include on your East Coast Adventure though you can do the trip on any boat you want!

Click here to check out all the Whitsunday Boat Options

**Certain boats on the Whitsundays will incur a $40 per person public holiday fee, which is payable on check-in. If you would like to check if this applies to your boat, please contact our office**

What you need to bring:

  • Water
  • Hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Warm and cool clothing
  • Flashlight
  • Camera
  • Towel
  • Insect repellent
  • Most importantly, a sense of adventure!

Luggage restrictions: 20 kg max

*To drive on Fraser Island you must be 21 years of age or older*

**If you choose Budget Boat for the Whitsunday, it will include Mandrake OR Tongarra depending on the availability**

Q: Is this a fully guided Tour?

A: No, this is a combination of accommodation and separate tours that we organise for you. You need to choose how you travel between your destinations whether by bus or driving. You can then choose to have open dated tickets or select a starting date and we’ll organise everything and send you an itinerary!

Q: Can I change anything?

A: Of course, just call or email us and we can organise a custom package in no time and set you on your adventure.

Q: Will I meet lots of people this way?

A: Definitely, this is the most popular way of travelling and experiencing Australia’s East Coast, so no matter if you’re on tour or on a bus or in a hostel you’ll make lots of new friends.

Q: What’s the difference between Greyhound and Premier Buses?

A: Greyhound has new buses with Wi-Fi, USB plugs for charging devices and up to 3 departures per day. Premier has older buses with usually 1 departure a day.

Q: What accommodation will I be staying at? 

A: You will be staying in dorm rooms at the accommodation we book for you, we use accommodation that we know are awesome because we’ve been sending people there for years. If you would like to stay somewhere in particular just let us know and we will do our best to make it happen.

If you would like to stay in private rooms, get in touch with us and we can make a custom package for you.