On arrival in Cairns you will be met by our experienced guide and taken to your centrally located hotel. Here we will have a full trip and safety briefing as we discuss all aspects of your journey. We then meet with a local Aboriginal elder to join a welcome to country before he guides the group on a rainforest walk. ON the walk we learn about connection to country and the significance of plants, bush tucker and story places important to the Gimuy Wallabura Yidinji peoples. We pass multiple waterfalls where you can take a dip and cool off along the way. Tonight we have the opportunity to learn how to cook damper, or "bush bread" as it is known before joining a local indigenous artist to participate in an art project that reflects the ties to land that the Gimuy Wallabura Yidjini peoples have.

Meals:  L,D

Today is a special day! This morning after breakfast we transfer to the pristine Fitzroy Island. A fringing coral reef surrounds the island, part of the inner Great Barrier Reef, providing a sheltered home for a wide range of marine life. We join a marine naturalist for a safety briefing and background on the island and its inhabitants before we walk straight into the water to explore the reef system. After some exploration we will join a Coral watch and data collection program along with a reef restoration program, addressing climate change and coral bleaching. The data collected goes to the University of Queensland's Coral watch scientists who analyse the results. All students will receive a graph of their findings. This afternoon we visit the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island. The CTRC is a volunteer operated, non-profit organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick and injured turtles. The Great Barrier Reef is home to six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles. A number of these are seriously threatened by a diverse range of natural and, more significantly, human induced factors. We will meet some of the volunteers and see hands on the great work being done here. We return to our accommodation before enjoying dinner.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise for breakfast before heading North to the Daintree Rainforest on what is described as one of the most scenic drives in Australia! We reach the Daintree National Park and visit Mossman Gorge, an area sacred to the Kuku Yalanji people. Here we trace ancient forest pathways alongside a tumbling river as we weave our way through one of the most complex ecosystems on earth. Mossman River is home for more than 30 different fish species. Lizards, birds, turtles and even an elusive platypus can all be found here. We learn about the environment from our experienced guides and can enjoy a refreshing swim. This afternoon we travel to our accommodation located in the Daintree Rainforest at Cape Tribulation. This is a magic area hosting the oldest continually growing rainforest on earth. Your lodge for the night has a swimming pool and BBQ area located in a beautiful section of the rainforest, directly on the beach! The lodge features many sustainable features and is a recipient of the QLD excellence in tourism awards.

Meals:  B,L,D

After a night of immersion in the rainforest, you wake to birdcalls and the chatter of the jungle. If it is hot we can wake early and walk to the nearby crystal-clear rainforest swimming hole used by locals and a perfect place to cool off. We then head to the award winning Daintree Discovery Centre. This world class interpretive facility that allows you easy access to this unique rainforest wilderness via a boardwalk tour, a 23-metre high Canopy Tower, Aerial Walkway and comprehensive Display Centre. In the company of your guide, we can discover what’s tasty on the Bush Tucker Trail, follow the flight of the brilliant blue Ulysses butterfly, look for the endangered giant cassowary in the underbrush, and learn about why the Idiot Fruit is so important. With a large indoor display area, the latest touch screen technology, audio visual theatre and sweeping, all-weather verandas, the Centre provides easy-to-understand information about one of the most biologically complex spots on the planet and you’ll leave with a greater appreciation of this special place. This afternoon we assemble in the kitchen to put our culinary skills to great use as we prepare a meal for the homeless and needy. This is very hands on with the group using a commercial kitchen with the help of a local caterer and the meal is prepared for patrons from Rosies Friends on the Street or Anglicare – both of which are local charities that serve the homeless and needy. We will learn more about the people who we are creating the packs for. The students will also prepare Comfort Packs which are given out to those two organisations along with Wheels of Wellness and Queensland Health – Indigenous Health Unit.

Meals:  B,L,D

The Lamb mountain range overlooks Cairns and provides some of the best hikes in the tropics. Over the next two days we visit two National Parks, Davies Creek and Dinden, to hike and explore this protected area. The parks both support a number of endemic flora and fauna including the rare tapping green eyed frog, the Queensland Maple and the Northern Bettong. On our first day we join a gentle introductory 5km hike along Davies Creek past giant boulders, gentle spillways and waterfalls. We trek to a basecamp where we set up camp for the night. Tonight the students will arrange and cook dinner. The next day we join a more challenging hike to Lambs Head summit. The trail leads us through a Wet Tropics World Heritage Areas featuring stunning rainforest, open Eucalypt forest, wetlands and mangrove forest. Our trail passes exotic ferns, giant Oriana palms and Orchids as we reach one of Queensland's highest peaks at 1300mtrs. A great team effort is required today as our group work together to reach the summit as a team! We are rewarded by incredible views over the range into the Coral Sea.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we have time to explore the vibrant city of Cairns and prepare for the next phase of our adventure. This afternoon we travel from Cairns to the Barron Gorge National Park where we embark on an exciting rafting experience. We will be fitted with life jackets and helmets and have a full safety briefing with our experts. We join 6 person rafts and paddle through UNESCO World Heritage rainforest, past waterfalls that tumble from the gorge. The river provides good year round flow and is graded as class 3 suiting first time rafters.

Meals:  B,L,D

Over the next two days we join the Mandingalbay Yidinji people to explore their country straddling the wet tropics and Great Barrier Reef World Heritage areas and learn about their culture. We join a boat ride across the inlet, past mangroves, and are welcomed to country with a traditional smoke ceremony. We set up camp and listen to our hosts stories about their spiritual nd cultural connection to country before joining a range of immersion programs and activities including bush tucker, maintaining land with local aboriginal rangers and preparing a "Kup Murri" earth oven dug into the ground. We will have plenty of time to discuss totems and the protection of animals, native title acts and biodiversity studies as well as spirituality and connection to country. At the end of day 9 we break camp and return to Cairns.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning after breakfast we travel to a property owned by a aquaponics gardener for a fun, hands on look at how to produce organic fruits, herbs, veggies and fish in a sustainable way in your school or backyard. Today is a very hands on experience where you will make your own mini aquaponics system that you can replicate at home of back in your school to produce your own food. Today is a creative exercise that will spark discussion about global themes of agriculture, food security, hunger issues and sustainability.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we will join a marine biologist aboard a catamaran on the Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site and one of the most bio diverse places on the planet! The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres. Our boat will dock at a floating pontoon as we embark on a snorkeling tour with our specialist guides. Our marine biologist will explain about the importance of the reef and its hidden creatures in marine ecosystems. We hope to see a rainbow of hard and soft corals, turtles, butterfly fish, clown fish (think Nemo!), parrot fish and giant Maori Wrasse. We will receive training and join the Eye of the Reef data collection program run by the Great Barrier Reefs Marine Park Authority Rapid Monitoring Team to help maintain and manage the long term sustainability of this special place. Today we can also participate in a semi submarine and glass bottom boat ride, underwater observatory and marine life touch tank. Tonight we return to our hotel in Cairns and enjoy our last meal on tour and reflections on our incredible learning journey.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise for breakfast and pack our gear before we are transferred to the airport for our onward flight

Meals:  B