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Destinations Guide - Queensland & Great Barrier Reef

In Australia's tropical north lies one of the world's most remarkable landscapes. Sparkling coral waters of a hundred shades of blue are dotted with picture-perfect islands shrouded in lush rainforest and fringed with unspoilt white sand beaches. Here is also home to one of the seven natural wonders of the world - the incredible Great Barrier Reef.

On the mainland, laid-back cities are linked by scenic coastal roads and provide an excellent base for exploring the surrounding World Heritage Sites.

Our wide range of Great Barrier Reef tailor made holidays include:

Cairns:

Vibrant, tropical Cairns offers spectacular scenery, a great range of restaurants and bars, and a seafront lagoon. It is also the gateway to two World Heritage areas - the lush Wet Tropics rainforest and, of course, the world's largest coral reef: the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef.

Cairns holiday favourites
•   Wander along the esplanade with its numerous bars and cafés, particularly on a Saturday when a lagoonside market is held
•   Partake in the free early morning fitness activities in and around the lagoon (four times per week)
•   Take a day trip to Kuranda - the 'village in the rainforest' - and board the Scenic Railway up into the mountains, returning on the thrilling Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
•   Embark on a four night Lizard Island cruise discovering the Great Barrier Reef

Whitsunday Islands:

The Whitsunday Islands are shrouded in lush rainforest and fringed by some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, turquoise waters and colourful coral reefs. Bordered by the remarkable Great Barrier Reef, this paradisiacal part of the world has a range of accommodation, from family-friendly resorts to some of the most romantic and exclusive hideaways imaginable.

Whitsundays favourites
•   Take a helicopter or seaplane trip for unparalleled views of the reefs and perfectly-formed islands
•   Visit Whitehaven Beach - often described as one of the best beaches in the world - and, at low tide, walk up to the lookout at Tongue Point for views of the unique Hill Inlet
•   Indulge in a relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatment at luxurious Hayman Island
•   Snorkel offshore or venture further afield on a diving excursion to the Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef:

Along the tropical north coast of Queensland lie hundreds of tiny islands, surrounded by sparkling turquoise waters amidst the spectacular Great Barrier Reef. North of the Whitsunday islands, Dunk, Orpheus and Lizard Islands are amongst those that have been sensitively developed so that guests need not only visit for a day, but can spend the night on a true hideaway island.

Great Barrier Reef island favourites
•   Take a rainforest walk with a naturalist on Dunk Island, or enjoy its many activities from golf to watersports
•   Venture out on a snorkelling trip from Orpheus Island, on the resort's own 32-feet catamaran
•   Simply relax on one of World Class Lizard Island's 24 secluded white sand beaches

Port Douglas & Cape Tribulation:

Reached by a spectacular coastal road on a one hour journey from Cairns, Port Douglas is a laid back tropical oasis with sophisticated comforts and a small, friendly village atmosphere. Relax on the palm fringed golden sands of Four Mile Beach, surrounded by the beautiful Coral Sea, or venture further north to the breathtaking Wet Tropics.

Port Douglas holiday favourites
•   Have a go at one of the watersports on offer at Four Mile Beach, including kitesurfing
•   Go snorkelling or diving in the aquamarine reef waters of the Coral Sea
•   Take a trip to Cape Tribulation and cruise the Daintree River in Mossman Gorge, home to rare birds, unique plants and estuary crocodiles

Palm Cove & Northern Beaches:

Cairns’ northern beaches are a great alternative to staying in the city. Kewarra offers a secluded, peaceful setting whilst Palm Cove is the place to be seen, with an idyllic beach plus smart hotels and restaurants, and a little more going on. Trinity Beach is nestled between two headlands and has a relaxed atmosphere and swimming enclosure.

Palm Cove & Northern Beaches holiday highlights
•   Sample the restaurants and boutique shops along Palm Cove's esplanade, lined by century-old Melaleuca trees
•   Indulge in a sumptuous spa treatment
•   Embark on a reef excursion and snorkel with colourful marine life
•   Take the family to Trinity Beach, which is patrolled and has a year-round swimming enclosure

Contact us today to organise your tailor made trip to Australia.

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  1. "The holiday you organised was amazing and definitely exceeded our expectations. Thanks so much for all your hard work, we loved every minute of it. All the hotels were perfectly placed for what we were after, and we definitely felt we got great value for money. It may be a while before our next big holiday, but we'll be sure to keep your details for when we get an idea of where to go. We'll also be sure to recommend you to all our friends who are looking to go away, and will enure they are all aware of how well this was organised by yourself (and how stress free this was on our part) . Thanks again for all you hard work." September 2011 from Nathan & Zoe, Hildonborough who visited Hong Kong and Fiji.



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  2. "Thank you for your email. Basically we had a fantastic time. You helped us organise the honeymoon that we dreamned of. I have only praise for the hotels you found and advice you gave. The service really was Top Drawer - sorry I bet everyone writes that.  Thank you for all your help." October 2011 from Richard & Joanna, Newbury who did a tailor made trip through France and Spain combining planes, trains and automobiles visiting Paris, Bordeaux, Carcassonne, and the Spanish coast near Barcelona.



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  3. "Thanks for your email. We were actually planning to write you but got totally entangled with work and stuff. The holiday was absolutely fantastic and the organization spot on. We are completely satisfied with the services offered, both in terms of the actual arrangements and the customer service provided at all times.  There's no doubt we will recommend your services." January 2012 from Fabio & Ioanna, London who spent Christmas and New Year visiting the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney, Australia.



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  4. "Thanks we had a wonderful time and enjoyed being on a cruise for the first time. The boat was very big, and full of some very big people too, but it was great to have so much to see and do.The food (evening meals) was surprisingly really really good too. I would certainly recommend you to others." September 2011 from Amanda & Derek, Dubai who went on their first ever cruise.



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  5. "We had a great weekend thankyou. The hotel was in a great position - very easy to drive to, and only a short cab / bus ride into town. Also we used the boat to come back on sunday, which was fab. The rooms were big, clean and comfy - all you want them to be really! We did have a small issue with room keys at the start, but it was quickly rectified and all was good. Staff were very nice, friendly and helpful - lunch a little slow, but great when it arrived. All in all we had a lovely time - thankyou for your help with organising it." October 2011 from Nicki and girl friends who had a spa weekend in Bath.



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  6. "Once again everything went according to plan and we had an excellent holiday. The lounge pass starts the holiday on the right footing, the flights were on time, the holiday rep. at the airport was welcoming and the hotel was great. The service was absolutely first class and there was an amazing selection of food at breakfast and dinner all presented in a very attractive way (similar to a cruise ship). The weather was extremely hot so we didn't attempt any excursions. We spent the time relaxing by the pool keeping in the shade as much as possible. No complaints at all you will be pleased hear. Thank you once again for your attention to detail. " October 2011 from Dorothy and Graham, Coventry who visited a luxury hotel in Tenerife.



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  7. "Just to say...THANK YOU! For all your help and planning. We had a fabulous honeymoon and loved each part. I really liked the Argonaut in terms of location and the free glass of wine from 5-6pm every day. They were so friendly and helpful at the hotel and it made a great first stop. The Kauai Beach Resort had a great hot tub outside, good food and the concierge helped organise a number of trips for us. The room was a good size and we were given a free bottle of very nice champagne. Finally, the Plantation Inn in Maui, was wonderful. A great little location and it made our stay in Maui so enjoyable. Again a hot tub and breakfast was included - great chef. Such easy access to La Haina and the shops and away from the noise and scale of the big hotel complexes further up the coast. The four, four, four also worked well...had we had the time we would have loved to do four days in New York..would recommend that to anyone thinking of doing the same trip. So thank you again for your help, we really appreciated it and would use you and Top Drawer again!" January 2012 from Sarah & Ian, Chiswick who visited San Francisco before heading to the Hawaiian island of Kaui and then onto the Hawaiian island of Maui.



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  8. "Thanks for your email. All your arrangements were excellent and we had a brilliant honeymoon. No problems whatsoever. Flights and transfers happened without a hitch. The company that you used for the transfers and their drivers were very professional. The hotel and its staff were fantastic - exactly what we were hoping for. All in all, you have provided an excellent service building up to the honeymoon and the trip itself was great. Will definitely recommend you to family and friends." November 2010 from Kerstin & Mark, Bradford on Avon who visited Nice in the South of France.



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  9. "The holiday was lovely thank you. There was evidence of a lot of damage on our way up to our hotel from the airport, and the 4x4's were definitely needed! Once we were in Rodney Bay, there wasn't really much evidence of the hurricane. We found the Top Drawer service to be very helpful and we were kept up to date with information, following the devastation of the hurricane. We would definitely recommend Top Drawer to friends. Thank you for all your help." December 2010 from Karen & Simon, Tunbridge Wells who visited St Lucia very shortly after the hurricane in 2010.



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  10. "It has to be said that we had a brilliant holiday not least down to Top Drawer!!! The arrangement between Top and Bottom Drawer is really convenient and just what i wanted. The route that you planned and the hotels that we stayed at were just right although it must be said that we preferred the national parks to the cities!! Thank you for a great level of service and I would definitely recommend your company in future." October 2010 from Emily & Philip, London who did a fly drive around California in a 2 door open top sports car visiting San Francisco, Yosemite, Death Valley and Las Vegas.



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