Compare Sun Seeker Vacations - Surfer's Paradise by Best Single Travel vs Australia Beachside Wildlife Adventure by Discover Corps

Day 1: Surfers Paradise

Meet up with the other 18-35 Years Old Travellers and your Trip Manager in legendary Surfers Paradise. It’s the Gold Coast’s party hot spot and home to some of the best surfing beaches in the world. Get to know your group and 18-35 Years Old crew on a fun night out by joining in an optional Cabaret dinner followed by included VIP entry into one of Surfers Paradise’s best clubs. With loads of restaurants and buzzing nightlife, there’s something for everybody. Resort

Day 2: Surfers Paradise

Meals: Breakfast

With a free day, hang out among the bronzed bodies, bikini babes and surfer dudes on the golden sands. Check out what Surfers is most famous for, the three kilometers of gorgeous natural beaches. Kick back and spot some locals showing off their talents in the waves. If you want to get amongst the action there’s so much happening in Surfers Paradise you are spoilt for choice. You could head up into the Hinterland Mountains on a 4WD trip, visit South Stradbroke Island on a kayaking safari or spend all day at Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's Zoo, Australia Zoo. Our hotel is only a short walk from both the beach and downtown Surfers Paradise so you could also hit the shops – Surfers has some great places to shop and a huge outlet mall for bargains, so get some tips from your Trip Manager on where’s best to head.

Day 3: Surfers Paradise to Noosa

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

As we make our way up the coast, we make a stop in Brisbane to see what this city is all about. You’ll get a feel for the capital of Queensland’s laid-back atmosphere when we have a look around town. Noosa is up next. It’s a trendy beach resort town. You could take a stroll through the shops or sunbathe and swim at the beach before we check into our resort. Tonight, go local and enjoy a taste of Aussie as we head to the surf club for our included dinner overlooking the beach. Later, if you want to take it up a level, head out into the town & explore Noosa by night. Resort.

Day 4: Noosa to Fraser Island

This morning we travel north to Fraser Island, a slice of paradise. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed site is the largest sand island in the world and is 800,000 years old. Packed with around 40 freshwater lakes, lush rainforests and diverse wildlife, Fraser Island lives up to its amazing reputation. If you want to explore as much of the island as possible, jump on our included full-day 4WD tour. Meet your Local Guide in the morning and be shown some of the island’s best spots and hidden treasures, taking you through the island’s sand dunes, rainforests & freshwater lakes. Our Local Guide will show you some of the island’s best spots and hidden treasures, such as Lake McKenzie – make sure you keep your camera handy – this is one of Australia’s most beautiful regions. Eco Lodge Lunch

Day 5: Fraser Island to Farmstay

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Back on the mainland this morning, we continue inland to an authentic country homestead, right in the heart of Queensland’s cattle country. During our time at Langmorn, a working cattle station, you’ll experience a taste of real Aussie country life. The owners will show you around the enormous property in a behind-the-scenes look at daily life on the farm. Taste local hospitality tonight as your welcoming hosts pile your table high with a hearty roast beef and vegetables (like you've never tasted before) followed by an indulgent home made decadent desert. Later, have a go at whip cracking an authentic leather stock whip under night lights before heading back inside for traditional Aussie bush dancing. Have some fun and a giggle with some evening karaoke. See if you can spot the 'Southern Cross' amongst a chandelier of stars, a constellation only visible in the southern hemisphere & featured on the Australian flag. Country Homestead.

Day 6 - 7: Farmstay to Whitsundays

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning we stop off in Rockhampton, the beef farming capital of Australia that spans the Tropic of Capricorn. As we make our way up the Capricorn Coast, the landscape becomes more tropical. Plug in your MP3 or chat with friends as we drive through scenic Mackay, with the countryside full of vibrant green vegetation and sugar cane plantations. In the afternoon visit the backpackers’ hub of Airlie Beach with its turquoise waters and busy café scene before boarding a boat out to stunning Daydream Island in the Whitsundays. As we cruise soak up the crystal clear waters, white sands and mountain peaks of the islands. The time is then yours to enjoy the picture-perfect Whitsundays! Slow the pace down, kick back and make the most of the fantastic facilities available at the resort. Go for a rainforest walk, swim in the pool, get into some beach or water sports, try your hand at fish-feeding, catch a film at the big outdoor cinema or laze about on the beach. For those that are up for it, you could get away from it all with our optional day sail. Check out some of the Whitsunday’s 74 islands from the boat – you’ll soon understand why this region is so famous. Experience what is known as one of the top ten beaches in the world, the uninhabited Whitehaven Beach. Swim off the boat and play beach volleyball or cricket with the local skipper and crew before enjoying a tasty lunch and a few drinks on the way back to Daydream Island. Resort.

Day 8: The Whitsundays to Cairns

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

After sailing back to port, we head deeper into the tropics of Australia today when we hit Townsville for some free time. Check out the colonial buildings and get a feel for its maritime past as we drive along the esplanade and into town where you can grab some lunch. Tonight we head out to a local restaurant for dinner where you have the opportunity to try kangaroo fillets, amongst other delicious Australian delicacies. In your free time on the first night in Cairns, walk around the buzzing night markets. It’s the perfect place for shopping and with everything from fun, kitsch treasures to local crafts like boomerangs and didgeridoos. Resort.

Day 9: Cairns

Meals: Breakfast.

Wake up to the warm waters of Cairns. For those who are keen for a fun and thrilling ride on the rapids of the Tully River, join our optional white-water rafting adventure activity with our professional Local Guides. There are loads more activities available in Cairns like hot air ballooning, sky diving and bungy jumping – just ask your Tour Manager for some more info. In your free time in the evening, walk around the buzzing night markets. It’s the perfect place for shopping and with everything from fun, kitsch treasures to local crafts like boomerangs and didgeridoos. There’s something for everyone. There's another chance to experience the Great Barrier Reef on an optional day trip. Put on your snorkel gear and check out colourful fish, turtles, vivid coral and the incredible clear waters. Later, hit the seaside esplanade back in Cairns, sit down with a coffee and people watch. For your last night with the group in this city, there’s a chance to head down to a local hot-spot for dinner if you’re up for it. Resort.

Day 10: Cairns

Meals: Breakfast

Feed your your inner adrenaline junkie or relax? It’s your choice with another free day to do what you’re into. For those who are keen for a fun and thrilling ride on the rapids of the Tully River, join our optional white-water rafting adventure activity with our professional Local Guides. There are loads more activities available in Cairns like hot air ballooning, sky diving and bungy jumping – just ask your Trip Manager for some more info. Later, it’s time to swap emails & numbers as your tour ends at 5:00pm.

Day 1:

Meals: Dinner

Arrive at the Gold Coast Airport in tropical Queensland. You’ll be met at the airport by your Discover Corps host who will accompany you to our Home base where we’ll have a Welcome Dinner.

Day 2:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Start the day with a traditional Aboriginal welcome to the Gold Coast. Experience a live Aboriginal dance performance and traditional fire demonstration followed by a trek around a coastal headland known as the “Dreaming Mountain” discovering traditional sites used by the local Yugambeh people along the way. Enjoy some free time in the afternoon before a sunset cruise along the river exploring the diverse ecosystem and keeping an eye out for dolphins along the way.

Day 3:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, head over to a local wildlife conservation park where we will have an introduction to the park and spend the next four days assisting rangers and staff on a variety of wildlife-related activities. Whether it’s caring for the park’s wallabies, koalas, and kangaroos or simply helping to improve the infrastructure, we’ll lend a hand in a meaningful way. In the afternoon, visit the stunning Currumbin Valley and Springbrook National Park where we’ll see majestic waterfalls that tumble down into the depths of a canyon, rock creeks that flow into cool swimming holes and some of the oldest trees in Australia.

Day 4:

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Spend the morning at the wildlife conservation park. Spend the day alongside the rangers assisting them in their daily work with the park’s wildlife including gathering food, feeding and other projects around the park. Later on, take a drive to a leading koala conservation center to meet with the park’s

The Gold Coast – Queensland’s Iconic Beaches

Boasting over 30 miles of beaches, nearly 300 sunny days per year and surrounded by the continent’s oldest rainforests, the Gold Coast is truly paradise.It is also home to an array of Australian wildlife and the leading organizations that aim to educate and conserve these animals. The area is also a center of Australian café culture, food and the “no worries” attitude that dominates the Aussie way of life. Whether exploring the inland waterfalls and rainforest canopies or relaxing along one of the area’s sandy beaches, the Gold Coast is the perfect place to be based during your time in the Land Down Under.

Best Time to Visit

Australia’s Gold Coast is blessed with year-round sunshine and warm weather. As Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite as the U.S. Summers on the Gold Coast (our winter) tend to be hot while the winters (our summer) are mild. Regardless of the time of year, there is plenty to do in the area given it’s natural surroundings and proximity to world-class cafes, restaurants and beaches. Offshore islands such as North Stradbroke Island provide an easy getaway over the weekend while the interior rainforests are renowned for their abundance of ancient trees, wildlife and waterfalls.

Day 4 (cont.): rangers and experience firsthand the work being done to care for these gentle animals. On the way back to our hotel, we’ll stop at some of the most beautiful beaches along the coast.

Days 5-6:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Continue the next two mornings with our projects at the local Australian wildlife conservation park. By now, you’ll have a good understanding of the unique array of this continent’s wildlife as well as some of the issues facing kangaroos, wallabies and koalas. Our final day at the park will be spent on a legacy project that includes seasonal planting and time with the animals. One afternoon, take a relaxing road trip along the coast stopping at Brunswick Heads, a quaint seaside village where the river meets the sea. Another afternoon, journey into the rainforest and walk along a skywalk that meanders through the canopy. Afterwards, take a walk through the quaint galleries and wineries of Mt. Tamborine.

Day 7:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Rise early for breakfast and drive to Moreton Bay where we will take a ferry to North Stradbroke Island, the world’s second largest sand island. Upon arrival, enjoy a traditional Aboriginal welcome from the indigenous Quandamooka People. Paint your own boomerang, try the didgeridoo and enjoy a visit to Myora Springs, an important source of freshwater for the wildlife of the island. After lunch, take an afternoon bush walk to a remote beach spotting koalas along the way. Spend the night at a set of charming seaside bungalows on the island.

Day 8:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Spend the day exploring the beauty of North Stradbroke Island. Take a walk to the island’s famous blow hole looking out for kangaroos, dolphins and possibly whales in the distance. Have lunch at famous Cylinder Beach and unwind at one of the best beaches in Queensland. Take a kayak out in the turquoise waters off picturesque Amity Point, experiencing the vibrant sea life that thrives around the island. Enjoy a relaxing dinner together and try your hand at Australian “barefoot” lawn bowling – a pastime in the Land Down Under.

Day 9:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, take the ferry back to the mainland where we’ll return to the Gold Coast in time for lunch. Take the afternoon to explore the nearby beaches, shop for some last minute souvenirs or simply relax by the Home Base’s pool. Tonight, we’ll have a special Farewell Dinner together, reminiscing about our experiences over the past week.

Day 10:

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Throughout the day, staff will take travelers to the airport for their flights back home.

Our Home Base

During your time on the Gold Coast, you’ll be based at spacious beachside apartments walking distance to the beach, shops and cafes. All apartments have air-conditioning and are completely self-contained with fully equipped kitchens, laundry, balconies and double or single occupancy rooms. There is an outdoor in-ground pool and plenty of sunshine to relax under. We’ll also spend two nights in charming seaside bungalows (with resident koalas) on North Stradbroke Island.