2023/24 - Noosa, The Sunshine Coast & Fraser Island  

An 11 Day “Wintersun Tour” featuring:

• 6 nights at the RACV Noosa Resort

• 4 nights Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island

• Hastings Street & the Noosa National Park

• Noosa River Cruise

• Australia Zoo

• Eumundi Markets

• The Blackall Range – Maleny and Montville

• Fraser Island Resort with 4wd Touring

Noosa has been a favourite Queensland Holiday destination for 3 generation of southern Australians. With its beautiful north facing beach, its famous Hastings Street shopping & café precinct and the stunning National Park that borders the town, Noosa is a gem. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a winter break.

Our accommodation is at the RACV Noosa Resort.

This elegant and spacious Resort overlooks the Weyba Creek and Keyser Island Conservation Park. Our one bedroom apartment accommodation is beautifully appointed with contemporary furnishings, a separate living area, beautiful bathrooms with walk-in showers and a private terrace or balcony. This will be our base for 6 nights as we explore the coast, travel inland to the villages of Eumundi and Montville and have some free time to enjoy the Resort, the shops, the beaches and the boardwalks around Noosa. In the second part of our holiday we venture a little further north – to Fraser Island. At 123 kilometres in length and 22 kilometres wide it is the largest sand island in the world. Fraser Islands’ World Heritage Listing ranks it with Australia's Uluru, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef. It is a place of exceptional beauty, with long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly beautiful coloured sand cliffs and over 100 freshwater lakes.

Day 1 (D): Heading to Noosa

Our flight from Melbourne Airport (details to be confirmed) will have us on the Sunshine Coast by early afternoon. The Sunshine Coast Airport at Maroochydore is just 20 minutes from the RACV Resort – and what a Resort it is! Apart from the beautifully appointed accommodation there is a heated lagoon pool, a day spa (additional cost) a gymnasium and a reading lounge. There is also a free shuttle service that operates regularly to Noosa Junction and to Hastings Street – the bustling beachside strip that is home to an exciting range of fashion labels, unique jewellery, home wares, art & beauty products. It is the perfect destination for shoppers!! Make sure you bring your walking shoes on any visit to Noosa. The Boardwalk around to the Noosa National Park at the end of Hastings Street features some spectacular coastal scenery. (Meal inclusions: Welcome dinner in the Resort)

RACV Noosa Resort, Noosa Heads 07 53416300 – 6 nights

Day 2 (BD): Noosa from the Water

A great introduction to Noosa and the beautiful Noosa River is by boat – and this morning Noosa River & Canal Cruises will do just that. From Gympie Terrace at Noosaville we will see the river entrance, Weyba Creek and the beautiful hidden waterways of the Noosa Sound Canals. We then transfer into Hastings Street. There are lots of delicious lunch options here from the Award Winning Surf Club overlooking Laguna Bay to a multitude of cafes and restaurants dotted along the boardwalk. Enjoy the afternoon! The coach will return to the Resort at 4pm – alternatively jump on the free shuttle service which operates hourly. (Meal inclusions: Full Breakfast/Resort dinner)

Day 3 (BD): Australia Zoo

Today we are off to Australia Zoo. Australia Zoo is home, of course, to the late Steve Irwin, the “Crocodile Hunter”. Australia Zoo has a reputation for conservation work, due mainly to the popularity of the documentary series “The Crocodile Hunter”. Many millions of dollars have been invested in the park so that it is an ever changing and growing attraction. We’ll arrive early enough to take a stroll, maybe to see the cheeky otters and their cute antics at their 10 o’clock feeding, or perhaps learn about the Galapagos Land Tortoises as they munch through their breakfast using serrated jaws.

We can hand feed the elephants before taking our seats in the “Crocoseum” for all the action in the centre stage. First of all there’s “Snakes Alive”, followed by the free flying bird show. Watch as kookaburras, wedge-tail eagles, owls, falcons and the beautiful South American Macaws free-fly around the Crocoseum. We can learn more about these magnificent birds as they swoop and soar right over our heads! Next – the Crocs! The keepers will bring them out into the clear water so we can see them as they would hunt in the wild…doing their best to get the “big piece of meat” (the croc team that is!). There are many other scheduled demonstrations during the day and the chance to be photographed with a giant python. A people mover is available to access the various parts of the park. (Meal inclusions: Full Breakfast and resort dinner included)

Day 4 (B): The Eumundi Markets

We’re lucky enough to be here on a Wednesday so, after breakfast, we’ll head off to the famous Eumundi Markets. The twice weekly street markets, held in the small village of Eumundi, are as popular with the locals as they are with visitors to the Sunshine Coast. Every Saturday and Wednesday, this sleepy town transforms into a vibrant mecca for shoppers looking for something different. We step into a world of original design of jewellery, homewares, clothing and sculptures. Take a break from shopping, grab yourself a gourmet delight and listen to one of the entertaining buskers. There’s certainly something to please everyone here! We will spend the morning at the markets and have some free time to explore the village before we make our way back to the Resort. (Meal inclusions: Full Breakfast)

Day 5 (BD): The Blackall Range

We have a fabulous day in store today as we travel up to The Blackall Range. Our first stop for the day is at the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve on the southern edge of the Range, overlooking the unique formations of the Glasshouse Mountains – spectacular! Don’t forget to bring the camera. We also stop in Maleny for a visit to the Maleny Dairies, a family run dairy farm. Due to the milk industry deregulations, the family were nearly forced to give up farming but fought back by deciding to build their own processing plant. Today we take a tour of the facility and enjoy morning tea.

From here we make our way north along the range to Montville, taking in the beautiful vistas along the way. Montville is probably the most well-known village along the range and was first established in 1887. Today it is a place to step back in time and enjoy the tranquillity of village life in a streetscape unique to any other tourist centre in Australia.

We will have free time here to browse the many arts and crafts shops – our coach will drop us at the top of the village and we can walk downhill! At the northern end of the Range, we stop at Dulong Lookout for the last of the breathtaking views out to the coastline. After a great day’s sightseeing we return to the resort. (Meal inclusions: Resort Breakfast & dinner)

Day 6 (B): Noosa at Leisure

No arrangements – day at leisure! The shuttle bus will be operating regularly into Noosa Junction and Hastings Street. (Meal inclusions: Resort Breakfast)

Day 7 (BD): To Fraser Island

We are moving north this morning to Fraser Island. Travelling via the Bruce Highway we pass through Gympie and Maryborough and onto Hervey Bay.

On arrival we join the early afternoon ferry service to Fraser Island and the Kingfisher Bay Resort – our base for the next 4 nights. (Meal inclusions: Full breakfast & Dinner in Resort)

Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island (07 4194 9325) – 4 nights

Day 8 (BLD) Fraser Island

There are many highlights today including Lake Mackenzie, one of the 40 lakes found on the island. With its clear, blue fresh water and white sandy shores, Lake McKenzie covers an area of 150 hectares and is over 5m in depth. Perched high in a sand dune, it is 100m above sea level. This postcard like, picture perfect watering hole is worth a photo to remind us it is actually real! We also see the Maheno Shipwreck, the hospital ship that was blown ashore during a cyclone - whilst being towed to Japan! In one, thirty kilometre section of the beach, there are 200 creeks running into the Pacific Ocean. Some are large while others simply appear as wet sand from the dunes to the surf. The largest and most attractive though is Eli Creek which winds many kilometres inland carving its bed and carrying 8 million litres of water a day into the Pacific Ocean. This clear water is the perfect place to get wet, so don’t forget your bathers as we will be swimming in the lower reaches of the creek. Making convenience stops along the way we enjoy the uniqueness of this wonderful island paradise. This afternoon we take a drive along the famous “highway” of 75 Mile Beach and visit the coloured sands of The Pinnacles. (Meal inclusions: Breakfast and dinner in the resort/Lunch at Eurong Beach Resort).

Day 9 (BLD) Slow Down Day!

Lets enjoy a more leisurely program today! There is a Ranger Guided Walk scheduled for 10am, a light lunch at midday and a Bush Tucker Taste and Talk Experience mid afternoon. (Meal inclusions: Breakfast/Light lunch/Dinner in the Resort)

Day 10 (BLD) Whale Watching

This morning will be a highlight as we head off in search of migrating humpback whales with a Whale Watch Cruise. Seeing a whale in the wild is the experience of a lifetime - and one of the easiest and safest places to watch whales is in the Hervey Bay National Marine Park.

This area is regarded as the “whale watch capital of the world” because of the number of whales and the calm, clear waters sheltered by Fraser Island which provide for excellent viewing. We return to the Resort where we enjoy a light lunch and a free afternoon. Looking for something a little more strenuous? Try a ranger guided canoe paddle lesson, fishing lesson or maybe sedgway tour. (Meal inclusions: Breakfast and dinner in the resort, light lunch).

Day 11 (B): Heading Home

Unfortunately its time to leave this magical place head home. We take the return ferry to River Heads (Hervey Bay) and then make our way south to Brisbane Airport for our afternoon flight (Details to be confirmed) back to Melbourne. (Meal inclusions: Breakfast in the Resort)

Tour Price

Price on application

Tour Inclusions

Tour Price includes accommodation as per the itinerary, meals as indicated (B= Cooked breakfast, L= Light or packed lunch, D = Buffet or limited choice dinner), deluxe touring coach with seatbelts, attractions/entries as noted & return airport transfers.

Next Steps

To arrange a tour for your club simply contact Alex Corones from Australian Road Journeys on 0488 117 682 with your preferred date of travel – he will do the rest! When everything is confirmed, ARJ will provide printed itineraries for distribution to interested club members.

Read some testimonials from past groups here.

Tour Conditions

A deposit of $350 per person is required to secure your booking. This deposit is fully refundable until 60 days prior to the day of departure. Final payment is required 45 days prior to the day of departure. Bookings cancelled within 14 days prior to the day of departure are non-refundable. No additional cancellation fees apply.

Personal Travel Insurance is strongly recommended.

The Itinerary may be subject to change without notice. Whilst every effort is made to adhere to the itinerary as provided, Australian Road Journey’s reserves the right to alter the touring and attractions as dictated by circumstances and conditions outside the company’s control. Alterations may be made to ensure the smooth running of the tour.  Every attempt will be made to ensure alterations do not adversely affect the operation of the tour. Australian Road Journey’s will not be held responsible for weather based cancellations or those closures made at the venue’s discretion. All itineraries are subject to change due to occasional restrictions in opening times/days of some attractions, e.g. churches, wineries etc.