Culture School Trip to Cairns

Today, students get to explore a new destination with a full day trip to Fitzroy Island. You’ll head off early this morning to catch the ferry, where you’ll arrive at the national park in under an hour, ready for a full day of exploration.

Fitzroy Island is home to some beautiful rainforest areas, so as you explore the park on foot, keep your eyes peeled for all manner of birds and insects, including the green triangle butterfly. You’ll also take a trip down to Nudey Beach – voted Australia’s best beach in 2018!

The highlight of the day, however, comes with a visit to the island’s resident Turtle Rehab Centre. This world class education centre opened in 2013, and has sinced increased turtle rehabilitation success rates by 55% in just over a decade. While here, students will learn more about the practices of rehabilitating turtles and the importance of protecting biodiversity.

You’ll head back into Cairns in the late afternoon, where you’ll have time to spend at your leisure in the evening.

Today’s excursion provides a unique fusion of adventure and cultural understanding, as after breakfasts, students head out to Mossman Gorge,  located around an hour outside the city. This award-winning ecotourism facility is based at the entry of the Daintree Rainforest, making it an incredible base for exploring the natural landscape.

It’s also an incredibly well-established cultural centre dedicated to the preservation of local Indigenous traditions, so students will take part in a traditional Kuku Yalanji smoking ceremony, a spiritual cleansing ritual. Accompanied by an Aboriginal guide from the centre, students then head on a 90 minute hike into the rainforest where they’ll learn more about the area’s importance, both environmentally and culturally.

After having lunch here, you’ll then head back to Cairns, where the afternoon is at your leisure.

No school trip to Cairns could possibly be complete without a visit to the Great Barrier Reef, so today students spend an entire day snorkelling and (introductory) diving around the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Over the course of the day, students will explore incredible areas of reef in this vast region, including Opal Reef – home to clownfish, turtles, and parrotfish – and Agincourt Reef, which is filled with unique swimthroughs and vibrant fish schools.

After a full day here, you’ll return to the Marina in the late afternoon – just in time for a well-earned dinner!

After breakfast today, you’ll head off to take a tour of Daintree Rainforest – the world’s oldest rainforest. From here, you’ll jump aboard a boat on the Daintree River, where students will learn about the region’s habitats that house all manner of birds, tree snakes, unique flora – and crocodiles!

Break for lunch in the rainforest with a delicious BBQ lunch held out Heritage Lodge, overlooking the crystal-clear waters of Cooper Creek. Then, after filling up suitably, we’ll take you back out to Cape Tribulation, the world-famous rainforest beach & ecoutourism destination.

From here, head up to Kulki Lookout to admire the coastline and coral reefs, before heading to the Alexandra Lookout that provides incredible reviews across the river estuary, Snapper Island, and out towards the Coral Sea. 

Cap off an exciting final day with an incredible ziplining experience, where students take to treetop canopies of the tropical forest – up to 150 feet in the air – for a unique perspective on the landscape.

Return back to Cairns to spend the final evening with your group, reflecting what you’ve discovered about local Indigenous culture, the natural world – and yourselves – over the course of the trip.

Sadly, today marks the end of your culture school trip to Cairns. This morning, you’ll check out of your hotel and transfer back to Cairns Airport, ready to head home.