MELBOURNE TO GYMPIE

Welcome to our 8-day tour to Gympie 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 direct flight to the Sunshine Coast. Arriving at the Sunshine Coast Airport, we will be welcomed by our coach crew who will help us with our luggage before we board the coach. A one-hour drive from here takes us to Gympie for our first two night stop over. We settle into our rooms before meeting for our first dinner together.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement / Refreshments on flight.

OVERNIGHT:  Great Eastern Motor Inn, GYMPIE

MARY VALLEY RATTLER

This morning we take a 3 hour return trip on the Classic Rattler Run in a C17 Steam Train. We are about to travel back in history, to a time when everything was slower, a time when everybody living along the Mary River saw life through the prism of the river and the railway line was a very important part of the community. After a lunch break, we visit the Gold Mining and Historical Museum, learning about the early gold mining era, as well as displays showcasing rural, military, hospital, transport, communications and steam development in Australia. Before returning to our accommodation, we explore a little of the heritage city sights, including Gympie’s Town Hall which was built in 1890 and situated on the spot of the original gold strike by James Nash.

OVERNIGHT:  Great Eastern Motor Inn, GYMPIE 

GYMPIE - MARYBOROUGH - K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND)

After a leisurely breakfast, we drive north through to Maryborough to enjoy our very own Mary Poppins-inspired character to hop on to our coach and guide us on a fascinating “Tour of Maryborough”. Discover unique connections to the world’s most famous nanny, set against a backdrop of beautiful riverside parks and glorious colonial architecture. After a stop for morning tea in the local park, we have a short drive to River Heads where we have time to stretch our legs and have lunch before boarding our barge transfer to the World Heritage K’gari (Fraser Island) and Kingfisher Bay Resort. We arrive in time to unpack for the next three night stopover.

OVERNIGHT:  Kingfisher Bay Resort, K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND)

K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND) BEAUTY SPOTS 4WD TOUR

Today we join the full-day Beauty Spots Tour for a day of adventure seeing all the iconic K’gari (Fraser Island) sights and natural attractions. We will discover gorgeous Lake McKenzie, Central Station, Wanggoolba Creek, 75-mile beach, Maheno shipwreck, Eli Creek and the coloured sands of The Pinnacles. The tour includes lunch and refreshments, so all you need to pack is your sunscreen, swimwear and a sense of adventure. Today’s tour is in the air-conditioned comfort of a custom-designed, four-wheel drive bus. As the island is all sand, this can be a bit rocky, but the vehicles are all  seat belt equipped with coach seats to keep us in place. Please note you will need to be able to walk on soft sand and be able to get in and out of a 4WD vehicle today.

OVERNIGHT:  Kingfisher Bay Resort, K’GARI

K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND)

Today is a free day to relax and enjoy the facilities and options the resort has to offer. Enjoy one or two of the Ranger Guided tours that operate throughout the day or take a stroll along the white silicon sand on the beach, or just relax around one of the resort pools. The day is yours to enjoy.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement.

OVERNIGHT: Kingfisher Bay Resort, K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND)

K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND) - BUNDABERG

A leisurely morning, enjoy breakfast before checking out and catching the late 10.30 am barge back to the mainland. Back into our O’Shannessy’s Coach, we head further north via Childers for a lunch stop. Before checking into our accommodation in Bundaberg, we drive out to Bargara on the beach to visit Amandine Lavender Farm. At the farm, you will learn all about growing lavender and using the product for calming, relaxing or sleeping. They have a gift shop with a range of handmade items and unique gift lines.

OVERNIGHT:  Bundaberg International Motor Inn, BUNDABERG

BUNDABERG HIGHLIGHTS

Enjoy a relaxing breakfast before heading out for a day to explore Bundaberg. We have a great day planned for you. Sit back and relax this morning onboard the historic river ferry, the gorgeous Bundy Belle. On board, we will be entertained with commentary on the river’s colourful history, while viewing famous industries that are part of Bundaberg’s culture.  From here we enjoy lunch in the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, before visiting the Hinkler Hall of Aviation celebrating solo aviation pioneer, Bert Hinkler, and the wonders of innovation, adventure and spirit. To finish our day, it is a must to visit the Bundaberg Rum Distillery. They state the Rum is homegrown, and they mean it, priding themselves on sourcing all the ingredients locally, which they believe is the secret to the rich and bold taste of the famous Bundaberg Rum. We enjoy a guided Distillery Experience Tour, and once you’ve experienced the sights and smells of the distillery, you return to the Rum tasting bar, where you can sample any of the top-shelf rums from their range. Cheers to that!  We return to our accommodation for a well-earned rest before dinner.

OVERNIGHT: Bundaberg International Motor Inn, BUNDABERG

BUNDABERG TO MELBOURNE

Completing our memorable tour of the naturally beautiful Fraser Island and Gympie region, we return to the Sunshine Coast. After lunch, we head to the Sunshine Coast Airport for our return flight to Melbourne.  Upon arrival, our chauffeurs will be waiting to transport us safely home with many interesting stories to tell of our Queensland adventure.

Refreshments on flight