Chillagoe Caves Australian Outback Tour
This tour explores the Australian Outback from Far North Queensland. Leave Cairns in your custom-built 4WD and travel through the wetlands viewing Wallabies, Emus, and other wildlife.
See the land change to fertile agricultural paddocks growing Paw Paw, Lychee, Longen, and Mangoes. Cross the Great Dividing Range into the Outback on the Chillagoe Caves Australian Outback Tour.
Travel through historic towns and visit a coffee plantation before you reach the towering limestone karsts around Chillagoe Township.
Visit the remains of the once-mighty copper smelters of Chillagoe before lunch at ‘the pub’ and a guided tour through the spectacular Chillagoe Caves.
You will see aboriginal rock art and visit the Balancing Rock before travelling back to Cairns with a stop at Dimbulah and Granite Gorge.
A fantastic day full of history, wonder, and wildlife!
Highlights
- Travel off the beaten track down exclusive 4WD back roads
- Visit Skybury coffee plantation
- Australian wildlife spotting
- Pass through historic mining ghost towns and small outback communities
- Visit the local Aboriginal Rock Art and Balancing Rock
- Find fossils in ancient limestone casts at Chillagoe
- Explore the famous Chillagoe Caves
- View the once-booming Chillagoe smelter ruins
- Outback Aussie lunch in a 100-year-old pub
- Feed the wallabies at Granite Gorge and see local wildlife
- Small-group tour in a luxury 4WD
Itinerary
Discover the Outback in Far North Queensland
Your Chillagoe Caves Australian Outback Tour begins at 6.45 am with pickup from your Cairns accommodation. Then, ascend the McAllister Ranges and head to our first stop at Skybury Coffee Plantation. Next, you will get the chance to look for many different species of bush birds, including Emus, Wedge Tail Eagles, Squatter Pigeons and Kangaroos, and Frilled Neck Lizards.
4WD through the Outback
Board the custom-built 4WD vehicle and travel through the back blocks of this wetland area before crossing over the Great Divide and into the Western watershed. You are now in the Australian Outback! Take a step back in time as you travel through historical Australian outback towns.
Now it’s time for a beautiful lunch at a real Australian Outback Pub built back at the turn of the century. After lunch, you will set off to have a look at this historical town en route to your National Parks guided cave tour.
Explore the famous Chillagoe Caves
Enjoy an informative guided tour through the Chillagoe caves. Millions of years in the making, the limestone formations and Chillagoe Caves are nothing short of spectacular. Visit the Aboriginal Rock Art and the Balancing Rock.
On the way home
After the cave tour, head back towards the east coast. You will visit Granite gorge and get the chance to hand-feed rock wallabies.
The Chillagoe Caves Australian Outback Tour then returns to Cairns via the Kuranda range. Return to Cairns at approximately 6:30 pm.
Included
- Chillagoe Caves Australian Outback Tour courtesy pick up
- Morning tea at Skybury coffee
- Ranger-guided Chillagoe caves
- Balancing rock
- Outback Aussie lunch at a 100-year-old pub
- Chillagoe smelter ruins
- Aboriginal rock art
- Tropical fruit tasting
- Hand feed the wallabies at Granite Gorge
What to bring
- Enclosed footwear. No thongs or high heels
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Closed footwear
- Swimmers
- Towel
- Water
- Cash & credit card