Overview

 Highlights


  • Mandingalbay Yidinji indigenous immersion experience
  • Kuku Yalanji Hunting and Gathering program
  • Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation exploration
  • Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef
  • Explore Fitzroy Islands Turtle Rehabilitation Centre
  • Daintree Rainforest discovery centre
  • Remote indigenous women service project
  • Expert local qualified and licensed guides including marine biologist
  • Migrant guest speaker and cuisine and culture night
  • This program is 100% carbon offset. World Expeditions Schools absorb the cost of credits mitigating 100% of the unavoidable carbon emissions as its ongoing commitment to responsible travel

No other region of the world is like far North Queensland. An area that includes the Great Barrier Reef, the ancient Daintree Rainforest and Fitzroy Island. This program is a stunning and engaging learning experience encompassing marine biology, biodiversity, indigenous learnings, geology and sustainability along with physical challenges. Our journey will combine engaging activities with conservation programs with an exploration of North Queensland's most famous National Parks.

Countries:

Start and Finishing Point:

Melbourne

Activities:

Grading:Introductory to Moderate   

Addressing:


After all your planning and preparation the wait is finally over! 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. Overnight Cairns Hotel

Meals:  L,D

Today 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 and cultural connection to country before joining a range of immersion programs and activities including bush tucker and maintaining land with local aboriginal rangers. We will also discuss totems and the protection of animals, native title acts and biodiversity studies as well as spirituality and connection to country. Overnight Cairns Hotel

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we can explore our surroundings in Cairns before we head towards Port Douglas to meet with the local Kuku Yalanji peoples. The group will spend the afternoon with the people in this area, exploring their terrain and joining them on a traditional hunting and gathering afternoon. The group will travel with traditional custodian members of the Kuku Yalanji and travel to their traditional homeland on Cooya Beach, an area where the community continue to practice their cultural activities and maintain their cultural heritage. The group will explore and discuss matters of cultural importance in this country and the group will lend their hand to traditional activities including the fishing activity of spear throwing and handling, as it is still practised here today. The traditional custodians will take the students along Cooya beach as they continue to hunt and gather, observing cultural medicine and food plants. They will collect materials for the communities' families, venturing into the mangroves and onto the mudflats. The group then returns to the community to see Kuku Yalanji artifacts and share rare stories from their traditional land while preparing their daily food for their families. We then bid farewell to our hosts and return to Cairns. Overnight Cairns

Meals:  B,L,D

Today is a special day! This morning we pack our bags and after breakfast we walk 10 minutes to the jetty to 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. Tonight we camp at the grounds on Fitzroy Island. There are ablution blocks and cold showers available at the camp grounds. Overnight camping Fitzroy Island

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we wake on the island and prepare for the day ahead. Today 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. This afternoon we return to our camp grounds on Fitzroy Island.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise early and pack our bags ready for the 10am ferry back to Cairns. On arrival in Cairns we meet our vehicle and head North to the Daintree Rainforest on what is described as one of the most scenic drives in Australia! We head to the Daintree Discovery centre in the heart of the UNESCO listed rainforest. The Daintree Discovery centre is an award winning world class interpretive facility that allows access to this unique rainforest wilderness at canopy height via a 23 metre high canopy tower and boardwalk. In the company of our guide we will engage in a range of activities including the bush tucker trail, the flight of the Blue Ulysses Butterfly and search for the giant endangered Cassowary. Overnight Rainforest Lodge

Meals:  B,L,D

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 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, earing about connection to country and how the local people have lived in harmony with the environment for thousands of years. Mossman River is home for more than 30 different fish species. Lizards, birds, turtles and even an elusive platypus can all be found here. En route we stop in at a gallery where artist-in-residence Binna teaches you how to create paintings that are a typical aboriginal style and symbolic of Australian art. He explains the meaning behind his paintings and what this art means to his people. You will be able to take your canvas painting home with you - a perfect souvenir for your time in Cairns. Binna has an extra special story to tell students, Binna has lived since early childhood being profoundly deaf, he has at many stages of life, and in business; relied more on lip reading then hearing aids. We continue towards our accommodation for the night at the Ellis Beach Surf Club. Tonight we will meet a migrant now living in Cairns as she shares her story and her love of cooking with you. You learn how to prepare a delicious meal from her home country, and armed with the recipe you can also re-create this meal when you return home. In a time when the plight of migrants is widely discussed, this activity will allow you to understand circumstances in the world that cause people to flee their countries and will humanize this struggle. You gain some culinary skills, feast on a fantastic meal, and perhaps make a new friend. Overnight camping Ellis Beach Surf Club.

Meals:  B,L,D

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

Meals:  B


Addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Quality Education:  Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to improving people’s lives and sustainable development.

Life On Land:  Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss


Learning outcomes for students

A World Expeditions Schools adventure is a unique learning experience. Our journeys are designed to encourage thriving and positive youth development along with leaving the communities and environments where we travel in a better condition than when we arrived.
The programs are designed to enhance the following life skills that will help you grow as an individual:
• the confidence to lead a group and make decisions
• the value of working together as a cohesive team to achieve a common objective
• the ability to face mental and physical challenges
• the ability to adapt to new environments outside of their 'comfort zone'
• to appreciate and care for the natural environment. The environments we trek through are beautiful and often pristine, invariably the students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding about how their individual actions impact on the environment
• build strong friendships and bonds with their peers and also the local peoples
• basic outdoor skills obtained on trek such as personal hygiene, pitching a tent, helping to prepare meals
Importantly our adventures help increase general well-being and build resilience in young citizens to help them deal with adverse situations in life.


Inclusions

  • Flights to Cairns return
  • All meals as per itinerary
  • Experienced guides, educators and specialist instructors
  • Teachers from Mentone Grammar accompanying each group
  • Accommodation in hotel, rainforest lodge and bush camping
  • All transfers and transportation in private vehicles
  • 24 hour on call assistance
  • All activities and permits as listed in the itinerary
  • Supplies for all community service programs
  • Mask, fins and snorkel hire for inner and outer Great Barrier Reef trips
  • National Park and Marine Park taxes and levies

  • Bottled water or aerated drinks outside of meal time
  • Items of a personal nature such as phone calls, laundry, email etc
  • Travel insurance
  • Sleeping bag

Grading

Introductory to Moderate


Customise your program

We can fully customise a School Travel Program to suit your students' learning objectives and budget. Whether you require a Service Learning program, physical challenge, cultural immersion or certain curriculum targets - talk to one of our educational travel experts about the elements you need in your itinerary. We pride ourselves on developing unique itineraries to meet the learning requirements for schools.

World Expeditions Schools is a division of one of the world's leading adventure travel companies, World Expeditions. We can develop itineraries in any destination that is offered by World Expeditions, which is to every continent on earth.

Use our simple Expedition Design Form to contact us with your requirements and an educational travel expert will be in touch to assist.


Why travel with us

Why travel with us

Assisted over
14,000 Students Worldwide

Since the 1980's, we have helped students from around the globe to experience the world's most exciting destinations, allowing them to travel, give, grow.

400+ Service Learning
Programs

Together with students, we have completed over 400 Service Learning programs in developing countries. We will always continue to support causes including social justice, animal welfare, the environment and more.

Fully Customised
School Travel Programs

Want to include service learning, your school curriculum and a physical challenge, or any of the above? Contact us and we can design a program fully catered for your students and budget.

Safety and
Support - Our #1 Priority

Every school receives a detailed risk management plan that is guided by government advisories and the local partners we work with. We never compromise on the safety of your students to reduce the price of the program.

Testimonials


Want to find out more?

Our educational travel experts are ready to help you tailor an itinerary or service learning project to suit your school’s needs and budget. Contact us today to receive a free consultation.


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