On arrival into Cairns you will be able to meet the team that will be looking after you through the next day, including your knowledgeable tour guide and professional driver.

After checking in at the Shangri-La The Marina, in Cairns, you are invited to a welcome dinner at the hotel, where there is an opportunity to meet your fellow Savannah Way travellers.

Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns

Dinner

Departing Cairns, your tour heads west into the lush Atherton Tablelands. There is an opportunity to visit the beautiful Millaa Millaa Falls before the tour continues to Undara Volcanic National Park, which protects the world’s longest lava tube cave system.

A local park guide will lead you on a fascinating tour through the lava tube cave system. Created when the Undara Volcano erupted over 190,000 years ago, the lava flow was substantial enough to fill Sydney Harbour three times over. The prolonged flows allowed the outer edge to cool whilst the interior continued flowing, creating the remarkable tubes visible today.

Later in the afternoon, you will arrive at ‘Undara Experience’ and check into one of the Homestead Rooms. The evening will conclude with dinner in the outdoor restaurant as the outback sunset fades into a clear starlit night.

Undara Experience – Homestead Room

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you’ll depart Undara and head west to Croydon passing by Blackbull and travel through to Normanton before heading into Karumba.

Located on the banks of the Norman River, Karumba came to importance in the 1930’s when it became a stop-over point for flying boats on the run from London to Australia.

The next two nights will be spent on the waters edge, at the End of the Road Motel.

End of The Road Motel

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, you can board one of the last great characters of rail travel – The Gulflander. This historic little train will take you on a memorable, scenic journey from Normanton to Critters Camp.

Following your rail experience, the tour will visit the ‘Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre’ to discover the remarkable secrets of the mighty barramundi fish, the world’s only hatchery breeding the Southern Gulf strain of this iconic fish. The brand new interactive and state-of-the-art Interpretive Centre provides comprehensive insights into the history, stories, lifecycle, and habits of these sought-after fish.

Later in the afternoon, you can enjoy a special ‘Sand Island’ sunset dinner cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria. The cruise features local seafood whilst watching a spectacular gulf sunset, with wine and beer included (alternative meals are available).

The evening concludes with a second night’s stay at the End of the Road Motel.

End of The Road Motel

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following the Savannah Way across the Gulf, the tour stops today at Camp 119. This was the northernmost point reached by the historic Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860/61, where the exhausted explorers made camp near the seasonal Little Blynoe River.

From here, your tour continues to the spectacular Leichhardt Falls, a stunning natural cascade where the Leichhardt River plunges dramatically over ancient rock formations, creating a breathtaking display in this remote wilderness setting.

After lunch, the journey heads north to reconnect with the Savannah Way via Doomadgee before continuing towards the Northern Territory border. The day concludes with arrival at Hell’s Gate Roadhouse in the late afternoon, where you can settle into this contemporary accommodation for a two-night stay.

Hell’s Gate Roadhouse

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is dedicated to exploring the unique Hell’s Gate. Located on Cliffdale Station, Hell’s Gate takes its name from a distinctive gap in the escarpment situated one kilometre to the south.

The day’s activities include a comprehensive tour of the working cattle station and a scenic helicopter flight to the Gulf of Carpentaria coastline via Eight Mile Creek. From the air, you may observe diverse wildlife including native birds, wild pigs, brumbies, cattle, crocodiles, and native fish species in their natural habitat.

The afternoon offers some leisure time to relax and socialise with fellow travellers whilst enjoying the unique atmosphere of this remote outback station.

Hell’s Gate Roadhouse

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, your tour continues its journey along the renowned Savannah Way, crossing from Queensland into the Northern Territory. Shortly after entering the Territory, the route diverges northward into the pristine wilderness of Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Pungalina & Seven Emu Wildlife Sanctuary, where you will be able to check into an exclusive safari camp.

Constructed in 2019, this purpose-built accommodation features distinctive safari tents complete with private ensuite bathrooms and spacious covered decks overlooking the surrounding landscape. The camp provides an ideal base for a two-night stay, perfectly positioned for exploring this remarkable conservation area whilst offering comfort and tranquillity in one of Australia’s most remote wilderness settings.

Pungalina Safari Camp

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today offers an in-depth exploration of the remarkable Pungalina-Seven Emu Sanctuary, where you can discover what makes these combined properties such a vital ecological habitat in northern Australia’s conservation landscape.

Spanning an impressive 305,000 hectares, these two interconnected sanctuaries encompass an extraordinary diversity of ecosystems including coastal monsoon rainforest, towering paperbark forests, palm-fringed wetlands, dramatic deep limestone gorges, and expansive coastal floodplains. This pristine wilderness provides critical habitat for an astounding array of wildlife, supporting over 40 mammal species, 190 bird species, and 95 species of frogs and reptiles.

The day’s highlight is a tranquil cruise along the Calvert River, offering access to some of Australia’s most rarely seen, yet truly spectacular scenery, where ancient landscapes meet pristine waterways.

Complementing this experience, trained Australian Wildlife Conservancy staff will lead an informative ecology tour, sharing their expertise about the sanctuary’s conservation work, indigenous flora and fauna, and the critical role these protected lands play in preserving northern Australia’s unique biodiversity for future generations.

Pungalina Safari Camp

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, the tour returns to the Savannah Way and continues westward to the historic township of Borroloola, situated on the banks of the McArthur River. Following a fascinating visit to the Borroloola Museum, which showcases the region’s rich pastoral and indigenous heritage, the journey proceeds through the rugged landscapes of Limmen National Park before reaching the designated turn-off to Lorella Springs.

A scenic 30-kilometre drive through pristine wilderness leads to Lorella Springs Wilderness Park, a spectacular million-acre pastoral lease that extends all the way to the pristine shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. This remarkable property combines working cattle station operations with untouched natural environments, offering an authentic outback experience in one of Australia’s most remote and breathtaking locations.

Arriving in the late afternoon, you will have time to settle into your accommodation for a three-night stay in this extraordinary setting, where endless horizons meet ancient landscapes and the timeless rhythm of station life continues unchanged.

Lorella Springs Station

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Over the next two days, you will be able to immerse yourself in the extraordinary wonders of Lorella Springs Wilderness Park, including the property’s crown jewel, a collection of pristine thermal springs where crystal-clear waters maintain perfect temperatures year-round, offering a unique opportunity to relax in these naturally heated pools surrounded by untouched wilderness.

The adventure highlights include an exhilarating helicopter flight over the enigmatic Southern ‘Ruined City’, where ancient sandstone formations rise dramatically from the landscape like the ruins of a forgotten civilisation. Following the aerial perspective, you can venture overland to explore these remarkable geological structures on foot, accompanied by experienced guides who can provide fascinating insights into the area’s unique geology, diverse vegetation, and abundant birdlife that thrives in this remote ecosystem.

Each evening, as the day’s adventures draw to a close, all travellers can gather with their welcoming station hosts at the property’s rustic bar for happy hour, creating the perfect opportunity to share stories and experiences with fellow like-minded explorers who are journeying across the Gulf. These convivial gatherings embody the authentic spirit of outback hospitality, where strangers become friends against the backdrop of spectacular sunsets painting the endless Gulf Country horizon.

Lorella Springs Station

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today’s journey traverses one of the most remote and historically significant sections of the Savannah Way, following ancient pathways that tell the story of Australia’s pioneering pastoral era. This legendary route was extensively used by drovers throughout the 1870s, witnessing the passage of thousands of cattle as they made their epic journey from Queensland stations through the Northern Territory and onward to the Kimberley region, creating one of the great cattle highways of the Australian frontier.

The expedition passes through the dramatic and rugged landscapes of Limmen National Park, where towering sandstone escarpments and deep gorges create some of the Territory’s most spectacular scenery, before continuing westward along the historic Savannah Way towards the remote settlement of Roper Bar, a significant river crossing point that has served travellers for generations.

This afternoon, the route turns south along the Roper Highway, passing through the famous thermal spring town of Mataranka, renowned for its crystal-clear pools and rich pastoral history, before arriving in Katherine during the late afternoon.

The comfortable Knotts Crossing Resort is home for a well-deserved two-night stay, providing the perfect base to explore this vibrant regional centre and relax after the adventures of the remote Gulf Country.

Knotts Crossing Resort

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, you can join the award-winning ‘Katherine Outback Experience’ that showcases authentic outback skills and traditions. This acclaimed presentation offers a genuine insight into contemporary station life, featuring demonstrations of working dog skills, whip cracking, and other traditional bush crafts that have been passed down through generations of Northern Territory stockmen.

Later in the day, the tour embarks on a memorable two-hour boat cruise along the Nitmiluk (Katherine) River Gorge within the spectacular Nitmiluk National Park. The ‘NitNit Dreaming Cruise’ ranks among the region’s most popular attractions, travelling through the dramatic sandstone walls of the First Gorge to its terminus, where ancient geological formations create a breathtaking landscape of massive boulders, tranquil rock pools, and pristine sandy beaches that form the natural crossing point to the Second Gorge.

Throughout the cruise, you can marvel at the towering ochre-coloured cliffs that rise dramatically from the water’s edge, whilst learning about the cultural significance of this sacred landscape to the local Jawoyn people and the unique ecosystem that thrives within these protected waters.

Knotts Crossing Resort

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning offers a leisurely start before embarking on the final stretch of this remarkable journey to Darwin. Departing the town of Katherine, the expedition travels through the historic gold mining town of Pine Creek and the wartime settlement of Adelaide River, both significant landmarks that showcase the Northern Territory’s rich and diverse heritage, before arriving in Australia’s tropical capital during the early afternoon.

Along this scenic route, you can enjoy a refreshing stop at the spectacular Edith Falls, where crystal-clear waters cascade over ancient rock formations into a pristine paperbark-fringed swimming pool at the waterfall’s base. This idyllic natural sanctuary provides the perfect opportunity for a revitalising swim surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and the soothing sounds of falling water.

Upon arrival in Darwin, you can check into the  Hilton Garden Inn Darwin and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure, perhaps exploring the vibrant city or simply relaxing after the epic overland adventure.

The tour culminates in magnificent style aboard the Charles Darwin for a delicious Territory-style sunset dinner cruise, where guests can toast their incredible journey whilst watching the tropical sun set over Darwin Harbour, celebrating the completion of this truly extraordinary exploration from Cairns to Darwin along Australia’s legendary Savannah Way.

Hilton Garden Inn Darwin

After breakfast you can still enjoy a leisurely morning before being transferred to the airport for your flight home or onto your next location.

Breakfast