After all the planning and preparation the wait is finally over. Our group will head to the airport for our morning flight on Qantas direct to Cairns. On arrival in Cairns you will be met by our experienced guide and driver for a full trip and safety briefing. We travel to our retreat to check in before we meet a migrant now living in Queensland as she shares her story as well as her love of cooking with you. You will learn how to prepare a delicious meal from her home country, as she discusses the circumstances that caused her people to flee their country of origin. You will also learn of the hardships she has faced since arriving in Australia that will humanize this struggle. You gain some culinary skills, feast on a fantastic meal, and gain an insight into an important topic. Overnight Seville Mercy Conference Centre (or similar)

Meals:  D

This morning you are ferried to the pristine Fitzroy Island. A fringing coral reef surrounds the island, part of the inner Great Barrier Reef, providing a sheltered home for a kaleidoscope of marine life: colourful corals, parrot and lionfish, turtles, cuttle fish, rays and giant clams. During your visit you visit the island's Turtle Rehabilitation Centre where a collection of volunteers help save sick and injured sea turtles by looking after them until they are ready to be released back into the ocean. Your guide will give a snorkelling safety talk. Guided Snorkelling: With full use of snorkel gear for the day, you can walk right into the water to explore the magnificent reef system that surrounds the island. Your marine naturalist leads you to underwater examples of biodiversity and indicator species as well as examples of the reef's most interesting features. In the afternoon you collect primary data in an activity that addresses climate change and coral bleaching. During this exercise you find out more about how and why coral bleaches. You learn how to identify different kinds of coral, match its colours to a waterproof chart, and then record what you observe in teams of two. The data then goes back to the University of Queensland's Coral Watch scientists, where they analyse the results over time and look for any long term trends. Your results also go into a database to track bleaching around the world. Your campground is beautifully situated only steps from the water where you set up your tents. There is a BBQ and covered pergola area for eating an ablutions block with toilets and cold showers. Overnight camping on Fitzroy Island

Meals:  B,L,D

Your day begins with an air-conditioned catamaran ride to the outer Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World-Heritage site and one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet. Your marine biologist presents what you are likely to see at the reef and introduces the Eye on the Reef program, which involves instruction on how to complete the Rapid Monitoring Survey. Snorkeling and Data Collection: Upon arrival, you dock at a floating pontoon, and an underwater universe greets you. During a guided snorkel tour with your marine biologist, you can expect to see a rainbow of hard and soft corals, turtles, and a variety of fish species including butterfly fish, giant Maori Wrasse, parrot fish, and the ever popular clown fish, also known as “Nemo”. Data Collection & Service: Next you receive in-water training on how to conduct the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Rapid Monitoring Survey. Your marine guide will point out key features of the reef ecosystem, answer any questions, and conduct a practice survey with group. Then during a timed snorkel session, you record your underwater findings. Your guide and waterproof slates help you identify a host of marine life and calculate benthic zone coverage. Most importantly, you look for signs of coral bleaching and coral predators which greatly affect the health of the reef. Your data is then collected and contributes to the central reporting system used by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to manage the long term sustainability of this UNESCO World Heritage area. Other Activities: Semi-submarine and glass bottom boat tours, underwater observatory, and marine life touch tank are all available for you to enjoy. The double-storey pontoon also has something that no one else does….. a long and fun slide that finishes in the waters of the reef. Lunch today is a tropical buffet served on the boat. This afternoon you return to your campsite on Fitzroy Island.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise early and take on a new challenge, walking thesteep rainforest track that gives way to dry open forest and scenic vistas. At trail's end stands an historic lighthouse where views of the sparkling Coral Sea stretch to the horizon. For an extra challenge we can push on to the summit of the island for 360-degree views. We pack up camp and take the return ferry to Cairns where we participate in a Service Project for Indigenous Women. You learn to make “Moon Sick Pads” to distribute to women in need. These pads provide women with a healthier, more sustainable and cost effective alternative to disposable sanitary products. This service project provides free reusable, washable menstrual pads to girls who miss school when menstruating and face other barriers during this time of the month. During this activity you master some basic sewing skills, gain an understanding of the complex cultural barriers that affect women in remote communities in the world, and learn about the environmental and social benefits of reusable sanitary products. The Moon Sick Pads are donated to the women in remote Aboriginal communities -- places where costs of sanitary items are prohibitive and these products are gratefully received. Overnight Seville Mercy Conference Centre.

Meals:  B,L,D

During this experience, Mandingalbay Yidinji people speak to you about their spiritual and cultural connection to country, which straddles the Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef World Heritage areas. A boat ride across the inlet takes you through mangrove and freshwater wetland environments, and an Aboriginal ranger explains how these areas are managed. With a traditional smoke ceremony, you are then welcomed onto Mandingalbay Yidinji land. You learn how wind is important in hunting, how the Mandingalbay Yidinji people turned poisonous seeds into bread dough, and why and where they migrated with the seasons. A host of edible and medicinal plants line the pathway, and you can taste the tangy native coriander, smell the sweet scent of coconut laurel and wash your hands with the soap tree. After lunch you have time for discussions on totems and the protection of animals, Native Title Acts and biodiversity surveys. In the late afternoon/evening you have an opportunity to visit and the Night Markets (open at 4.30pm). Overnight Mercy Seville Conference Centre

Meals:  B,L,D

Today you walk with two indigenous Yalanji guides along the coast their Aboriginal ancestors called home for thousands of years. Your guides teach you to throw a spear and you try your hand at catching food the traditional way - hunting for fish, mud crabs, mussels and other bush tucker among the mangroves. For these modern Aboriginal men, their core ethos is related to understanding and sharing the belief that hunting and gathering come with the responsibility of respect for resources and management which they continue today and pass on to others. After crossing the river by car ferry, you enter the main section of the Daintree Rainforest –some of the oldest continuously growing rainforest on earth. This area of the country has the highest concentration of primitive flowering plant families in the world, Australia's rarest mammal and 13 species of birds found nowhere else on earth. Overnight Rainforest Lodge. Students sleep three or four to a cabin, and the sounds of the jungle surround you. Overnight Daintree Rainforest Eco-Lodge

Meals:  B,L,D

Today you learn more about the precious lowland rainforest at The Daintree Discovery Centre - an award-winning world class interpretive facility that allows you easy access to this unique rainforest wilderness via a boardwalk tour, a 23-metre high Canopy Tower, Aerial Walkway and comprehensive Display Centre. Here you discover what’s tasty on the Bush Tucker Trail, follow the flight of the brilliant blue Ulysses butterfly, look for the endangered giant cassowary in the underbrush, and learn why the Idiot Fruit was Australia’s most important biological find! With a large indoor display area, the latest touch screen technology, audio visual theatre and sweeping, all-weather verandas, the Centre provides easy-to-understand information about one of the most biologically complex spots on the planet and you’ll leave with a greater appreciation of this special place. This afternoon, Indigenous artist Sue will introduce you to a unique style of Aboriginal art and you will create your own artwork under her direction. You return to Cairns for your final night and dinner celebration. Overnight Seville Mercy Conference Centre

Meals:  B,L,D

Morning to pack and prepare for flight home. Fly to Sydney.

Meals:  B