Australia Encompassed

Arrive at any time. There's nothing quite like a night out to get people comfortable with one another. Hit up Side Bar, connected to where you will be staying at the Wake Up Hostel in Sydney. This is the liveliest bar around, sporting a huge young and local crowd. There’s always non-stop action with the entertainment so get ready to have a few drinks, let your hair down, and dance until you drop!

Enjoy a free day to explore Sydney. Opt to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, hop on a jet boat ride through the harbour, or chill out at Bondi Beach.

Travel to the Hunter Valley for a wine tutorial before continuing on to Tamworth for a taste of Australian country living.

Continue north, visiting Raspberry Lookout and Boundary Falls in Gibraltar National Park en route. Once in Yamba, head to the beach for a swim.

After breakfast, travel the coastal road to the stunning surf and arts town of Byron Bay. Enjoy plenty of free time to experience the hippie surfing town. Options are abound — walk to the lighthouse (located on Australia's most easterly point) for a chance to see whales swimming off shore or hang ten with the locals after an included surfing lesson.

The free time is yours to explore. Walk along the long stunning beach, play in the surf, or simply hang out at the Byron Bay Brewery and people watch. Want to get your adrenaline pumping? Go skydiving, try sea kayaking, or go on a dolphin watch. Opt to pre-book the "Byron Bay Ocean Kayaking" activity on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.

Venture north with your group to the capital of Queensland; Brisbane. Pass by national parks, mountains, surfy enclaves, and endless stretches of sand bordering brilliant blue water. Feeling hungry? Grab a delicious pastry creation from the famous Yatala Pie shop, serving hungry patrons for 130 years. Word of advice… make sure those cameras are charged and ready. Experience a night out with the group in Queensland's capital.

Escape the city as you journey north up the coast to the Noosa Everglades. Get ready for an evening surrounded by stunning wilderness in one of the most pristine wetlands in the world. Relax as you cruise along this "river of mirrors" and chow down with a delicious Aussie BBQ lunch before further exploring your surroundings. Grab a kayak to get up and personal with the dark, tranquil waters as you paddle through ancient landscapes and sub-tropical rainforest. Then relax around the lake or hike one of the trails to further appreciate the serenity that seeps from this unique landscape.

On your mark...get set.... go! Travel by private vehicle and ferry with your group to reach K'gari (Fraser Island); for a true Aussie experience. K'gari (Fraser Island) is the largest sand island in the world and the only known place where rainforest grows on sand. Think pure paradise; with striking blue lakes, crystal clear creeks, giant dunes, and dense rainforests in a place truly unlike any other. Once on the island the group will go for a 4x4 tour, driving along over 100km of beach to get a sense of your surroundings. Then take a swim in Lake Mckenzie, or be on the lookout for wild Dingoes (this is one of the few places in Australia where you are able to see them).

Your second day on K'gari (Fraser Island) comes with more free time to enjoy this paradise. In the morning continue exploring by 4x4 along wide stretches of pearly white beach and then duck into the shade of the forest to really appreciate the peaceful solitude that surrounds you. In the afternoon board an overnight train (get ready to post some ‘grams) north to Airlie Beach, where more sand, sun, and fun await you.

Awake as the train pulls to a stop in your next destination. Hop out, stretch those legs, and head out for brunch with the group in Airlie Beach; home to the Whitsunday Islands and located on the Great Barrier Reef. Then head to the marina and embark on a maxi yacht which will be your home for the next two nights. Set sail to a secluded cove (we’re so excited for you) in the Whitsunday islands where you will drop anchor for the night. Our only advice; try not to pinch yourself too many times because no, this is not a dream, it is reality and we want you to experience it as best you can!

Remember those stranded-on-a-deserted island fantasies that we all had growing up? (no, just us?) Either way get ready to relive that castaway dream as you hike to an island lookout over Whitehaven Beach (one of the most famous beaches in the world) and enjoy the views of powdery sand and the Coral Sea’s azure waters. You probably won’t ever want to leave. And you haven’t even gone below the surface yet! After some free time on the beach basking in the sun you’ll spend time as a group learning about the community efforts to protect and restore coral in the Great Barrier Reef before heading out to snorkel; over a Planeterra-supported coral garden. Then it’s off to another secluded tropical island spot where the group will anchor for the night.

Expected forecast today is; peace, serenity, paradise, and lots of gorgeous views. You may want to pull out your phone or camera every chance you get, but try to refrain and simply enjoy the moment as you and the group continue sailing through the picturesque backdrop of the Whitsunday Islands. Swim, snorkel, or lounge on the boat deck before sailing to the resort town of Airlie Beach for a night on the town with your best adventure buds! Live it up because let’s face it, how often are you really in this kind of paradise?

With an early morning departure, admire the scenery on the train ride north to Cairns.

Cairns is quite the place to visit if you love warm weather (it would be headline news for the city’s temperature to drop much below 20°C (68°F)) and want to visit the Great Barrier Reef. Take advantage of a free day to book one of the many optional activities that will get you out in nature’s playground. Snorkel or dive in the Great Barrier Reef, get that adrenaline pumping by whitewater rafting, skydiving, or bungee jumping and cap it all off on a Big Night Out in Cairns with your fellow travellers. Drinks all around are well deserved after spending the day escaping your comfort zones.

Hop on a place to fly to Australia's interior where you'll transfer to your hostel in Alice Springs; the spiritual epicentre of Australia. Spend your free day journeying through the heart of the landscape. Active lovers rejoice as you walk a portion of the Larapinta Trail. History buffs visit the different cultural galleries, museums, sculptures and sacred sites in town offering a unique experience of Aboriginal art and heritage. At the end of the day simply enjoy the delights of this vibrant and diverse town from quirky bars to lively cafes, and restaurants with stunning views everywhere there’s plenty to choose from.

Depart early for the Red Centre. Travel to Kings Canyon and embark on an optional walk, weather permitting, through the gorges and valleys of Watarrka National Park. Continue on to the Yulara campground for the night.

Visit the Indigenous Cultural Centre to get a better understanding of the area before embarking on the Mala Walk around part of the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock). Learn the significance behind this iconic destination for the local people. Experience the colourful sunset at Uluru while enjoying a glass of bubbly. Marvel at the night sky while bunking down in a swag (canvas bedroll) for the night.

Travel across the Outback to the unique opal mining town of Coober Pedy, where people live underground to avoid the heat. A guided mine tour gives insight to the mining process and then importance of opal to the area.

Prepare for an early morning start for the travel day to Flinders Ranges.

Travel through the Clare Valley, stopping to enjoy a local food experience featuring South Australia's best regional produce. Arrive in Adelaide, known as the "city of churches'.

Get ready to stuff your face in the food and wine capital of Australia; Adelaide. Wander the clean laneways and sample your way from place to place as the sun warms your skin. With an emerging art scene, natural beauty, interesting attractions, and incredible restaurants, Adelaide has tons to see and do. Get out and discover the hub of South Australia!

Skip sleeping in this morning and travel inland to Grampians National Park. Trek through lush forest, view the craggy sandstone Wonderland range in the distance, and examine impressive indigenous rock art. Home to some pretty amazing scenic lookouts this national park will grant you with many photo opportunities so make sure those cameras are charged before heading into the thick of it all. Walk to the stunning Balconies for expansive views of the Victoria Valley below, then stop at one of the largest waterfalls in Victoria; Mackenzie Falls and watch the water cascading down cliff faces as it creates rainbows in the air. Close your eyes, breathe in the fresh air, and find peace in the moment.

Open your eyes to the smells and sounds of the lush forest of Grampians NP and lace up those hiking boots for an early morning walk within the park. Are you feeling historical? Visit an Indigenous Cultural Centre where you can choose to throw a boomerang, sample local delicacies like emu or kangaroo, and walk through gardens planted with native herbs and plants to help you learn about the history of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. Then drive along the iconic Great Ocean Road, viewing sites like the collapsed London Arch on the way to Port Campbell.

No need to say goodbye to the Great Ocean Road just yet! Continue travelling along the road with the group making visits to Loch Ard Gorge and the 12 Apostles along the way. It’s no wonder that the 12 Apostles are the star of the show on the Great Ocean Road. They are the kind of landmark that somehow finds a way to be more stunning in person than in photos. Gaze in wonder at smooth pearlescent bays surrounded by clear, blue water, flanked by yellow-washed cliff faces, and feel the wind whipping through your hair. Then travel past world-famous surf beaches before walking through the rainforest one last time in Great Otway National Park. After soaking up all the nature you can, continue to the hip city of Melbourne in the evening. Tour ends on arrival to Melbourne.