MELBOURNE TO THE SUNSHINE COAST

Welcome to our holiday to the beautiful Sunshine Coast and the World Heritage Listed Fraser Island. With chauffeured pickup from home, we travel to Melbourne Airport. Here we’ll be greeted by an O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours representative who will assist us with check in, and see us onto the plane for our non-stop flight to Sunshine Coast Airport.  You will be met by your coach crew and taken on a short drive to our accommodation for the next 5 nights at The Oaks Resort, Caloundra. Time to relax and unpack before meeting for our first dinner together.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement / refreshments inflight

OVERNIGHT: The Oaks Resort, Caloundra, SUNSHINE COAST

EXPLORING THE COAST

Our first morning on the Sunshine Coast takes us to the beachside town of Mooloolaba to visit Sea Life Sunshine Coast– the largest oceanarium in the Southern Hemisphere. View the amazing aquarium by riding on moving footways through clear underwater tunnels and watch the tropical fish, huge stingrays and sharks. We go diving without getting wet! Next door is the Mooloolaba Wharf, where we board the M.V. Mudjimba for our canal cruise passing the largest long line fishing fleet in Australia and enjoy the sights of the Minyama mansions along Millionaires row. Take in the breathtaking view of the coastline from Mooloolaba Beach right up to Noosa Heads, before we head back to the dock for lunch. This afternoon, we visit the Queensland Air Museum. There are more than 75 historic aircraft and many aviation related displays. Your guide will explain the displays and tell the stories behind the exhibits. We then return to our accommodation in time for dinner.

OVERNIGHT:  The Oaks Resort, Caloundra, SUNSHINE COAST

AUSTRALIA ZOO

No visit to the Sunshine Coast would be complete without a visit to Australia Zoo in Beerwah. The Zoo is a tourism award facility on the Sunshine Coast that has a reputation for conservation work, due mainly to the popularity of the documentary series “the Crocodile Hunter”. Many millions of dollars have been invested in the park so that it is an ever changing and growing attraction. It is a journey of discovery and adventure with giant snakes, majestic elephants, colourful birds and prehistoric crocs. At 1.15pm, we take our seats in the “Crocoseum” for all the action in the centre stage. The keepers will bring the Crocodiles into the clear water so we can see them. There are many other scheduled demonstrations during the day, including the chance to be photographed with a giant python or tigers. A people mover is available to access various parts of the park. Mid-afternoon we drive back to our accommodation.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT: The Oaks Resort, Caloundra, SUNSHINE COAST 

EUMUNDI MARKETS AND THE GINGER FACTORY

The famous Eumundi Markets is our first stop today. The twice weekly street markets held every Saturday and Wednesday “rain, hail or shine”, are as popular with the locals as they are with visitors to the Sunshine Coast. 300 stalls of various handcrafts and produce are controlled by a strict market policy – you can sell your goods if you “can make it, bake it, sew it or grow it”. We will spend most of the morning at the markets before traveling to the The Ginger Factory, now operating in Yandina. Our guided tour around the factory will show us how ginger is grown, harvested and turned into a delicious range of Buderim Ginger products. Time for tasting some of their products, before taking a stroll around the lovely gardens. The ginger icecream is a real treat!  From here you can walk across the road to the Macadamia Nut Factory for some more tastings (and buying). After a great day out, we return to our accommodation.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT:  The Oaks Resort, Caloundra, SUNSHINE COAST

THE BLACKALL RANGE

After a leisurely breakfast, we enjoy the scenic drive via Nambour up the beautiful Blackall Range. As we traverse along the top of the Range, we should have lovely views looking out of the coastline of the sunshine coast. We spend time in Montville, probably the most well-known village along the top of the Blackall Range. First established in 1887, Montville today is a place to step back in time and enjoy the tranquility of village life in a streetscape unique to any other tourist centre in Australia. After a great morning, we continue along the range through to Maleny, stopping at the new Information Centre at the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. The viewing point overlooks the unique formations of the Glasshouse Mountains – spectacular – don’t forget to bring the camera. For those who need some exercise, you can take a stroll through the beautiful rainforest. Our last stop on the range is at the Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird world. Stroll through the lush, verdant gardens, and spend time with their stunning native and international birds. We descend back down the range to our accommodation.

OVERNIGHT:  The Oaks Resort, Caloundra, SUNSHINE COAST

CALOUNDRA TO FRASER ISLAND

We pack our bags this morning and head north to River Heads for our lunch stop before we board the Kingfisher Bay Ferry/barge for the 50 minute ride over to the World Heritage Fraser Island, our home for the next three nights.

OVERNIGHT:  Kingfisher Bay Resort, FRASER ISLAND

EXPLORING FRASER ISLAND

Today we take a full day 4WD tour of Fraser Island. Learn about the natural and cultural history of Fraser Island. Visit Lake McKenzie, Central Station and walk along the banks of Wanggoolba Creek as it flows silently through rainforest. Your tour also drives you along Seventy Mile Beach past the wreck of the Maheno and coloured sands of the Pinnacles. Time to swim or paddle in the cool fresh waters of Eli Creek, before stopping for lunch at Eurong Beach Resort.  As the island is all sand, this can be a bit rocky, but well worth the trip.  Our vehicles are all seat belt equipped with coach seats, to keep us in place. (Please note that you must be able to hop on/off the 4WD vehicle.)

OVERNIGHT:  Kingfisher Bay Resort, FRASER ISLAND  

WHALE WATCHING CRUISE

The calm safe waters of Platypus Bay, on Fraser Island's western side, are a prime Whale Watching spot. Each year from August 1st through to October 31st, thousands of Humpbacks head north to the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef. On their migration south, they stop to rest, play and nurture their calves in Hervey Bay - one of only two places in the world where they do this. It's a pretty amazing spectacle watching the humpback migration from the World Heritage-listed Fraser. The afternoon will be free to relax, then enjoy a “Bush Tucker talk & taste” before our evening dinner together.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT:  Kingfisher Bay Resort, FRASER ISLAND

FRASER ISLAND TO MELBOURNE

This morning we have an early departure on the ferry back to Hervey Bay. Here, we board our coach again to head to the Sunshine Coast Airport in time to connect with our direct flight to Melbourne. Upon arrival, our chauffeurs will be waiting to transfer us straight to our door—all part of the O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours service.

Refreshments on flight