Fun Over Fifty’s Grand Queensland Coast and Island Affair tour takes in some of Queensland’s iconic destinations along the east coast. The crème de la crème of coach travel is “Diamond Class.” The dazzling coach has been dubbed, “Diamond-Tina” and it’s the latest coach to join the Fun Over 50 fleet. There are only 26 seats on board, so there’s plenty of room to spread out.
Each traveller is also treated to comfortable, leather reclining seats, oodles of leg room, an on-board galley, his and her rest rooms, USB ports, personal headsets and more. One of the major perks of booking a Diamond Class trip is that there are no hidden surprises, except for the special ones!
Your east coach adventure kicks off in Brisbane, as you board Queensland Rail Travel’s Tilt Train to Maryborough. This is your springboard to fabulous Fraser Island, where you’ll spend a couple of nights at the Kingfisher Bay Resort. Your time on Fraser includes a 4WD tour of the island’s beauty spots, so make sure you pack the camera!
From Fraser, you’ll head back to the mainland and make your way to Bundaberg. On the cards is a visit to the iconic Bundaberg Rum Distillery, as well as lunch at the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens.
Heron Island is next on the island list, where you’ll have time to enjoy a bunch of great water activities.
Day 7 takes you to the Whitsunday Islands. You’ll spend the next few days losing track of time on Daydream Island. On day 9, you’ll board one of Ocean Rafting’s bright yellow boats to get on your way out to magnificent Whitehaven Beach, voted number 1 most beautiful beach in Australia! There’s also a chance to jump in the big blue for a snorkel.
From Daydream Island, “Diamond-Tina” will whisk you away to Townsville, where you’ll hop on over to Magnetic Island. Here you’ll enjoy a local’s tour of the island, which highlights some hidden treasures. A night’s stay at Peppers Blue on Blue resort will be the cherry on top, after a memorable day out.
This trip is filled with incredible highlights — and yet another to add to the list is a visit to Paronella Park. The park is the result of Jose Paronella’s lifelong dream to build a castle. In 1929, the Spaniard and his wife, Margarita, bought 13 acres of lush Australian rainforest in Mena Creek. Their dream was never just for them to enjoy; it was a park for the people. Almost 90 years later, it remains just that. After exploring this gorgeous castle, you’ll get to check in to your own modern day castle, the Shangri-La Hotel in Cairns. The hotel sits on the doorstep of the Cairns Marina so you’re right amongst the action.
Cairns is surrounded by lush, tropical rainforests — and what better way to experience it than winding through the range on board a heritage train? The Kuranda Scenic Railway travels up to the mountain village of Kuranda seven days a week. One of the many perks of travelling Gold Class is the delicious food served on board. If you’re wondering about food miles, these meals haven’t travelled far at all! Local produce shines on the menu from Skybury Coffee, located on the Atherton Tablelands, through to savory muffins made with Gallo Dairyland Heritage Cheddar Cheese.
Once you’ve arrived at Kuranda, you’ll visit the Rainforestation Nature Park, where you’ll board a rather unique set of wheels – the amphibious army duck! Heading down the range is another top experience. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway soars high above the treetops, giving you a truly unique perspective of Australia’s World Heritage Listed Tropical Rainforest. Another incredible spot to take in the views is from the newly built Edge Lookout.
This is a 15-day tour jam-packed with bucket list experiences! If you’re reading this thinking it ticks all the boxes for you, keep an eye out for Fun Over Fifty’s “Treasure Islands” tour in 2020. We can almost guarantee that you’ll be back for more!
