Enjoy a day at leisure, until transferring to the ship in late afternoon.

Brisbane River Cruising, Australia      January 3, 2011

Cruise up the river to Brisbane, which began as a 19th century penal colony and now is Australia’s third largest city. Watch marine traffic ranging from freighters to ferries and sailboats. Arrive at Portside Wharf in this capital city of Queensland State.

Brisbane, Australia      January 4, 2011

Visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and take a guided tour to see this iconic Australian animal, emus, Tasmanian devils, wombats, dingoes and other native creatures. Enjoy a narrated river cruise back to Brisbane City. Then take a guided city highlight tour, viewing the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, historic Parliament House, the Treasury Casino, Arts and Cultural Centre, South Bank Parklands and historic Victorian architecture. View the city skyline from Kangaroo Point Cliffs.

Discover Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the only place in the world where tall rainforests grow on sand dunes over 700 feet high. Walk its sandy beaches and complex sandy dune systems. Marvel at its dune lakes – 40 total, half the number in the world! View a surprising variety of Australian flora and fauna and watch for dingos, Australia’s indigenous wild dogs. (Zodiac landing or touring)

Explore Lady Elliot Island, the southernmost island of Australia’s magnificent Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy a leisurely day of excellent snorkeling from the sandy beach above brilliant coral reefs. Stroll the beach and watch for birds and turtle tracks. Photograph the 70-foot-high landmark lighthouse that guides mariners through this maze of coral reefs. (Zodiac landing or touring)

Today is an Ultimate Explorers Experience in the heart of Australia’s national treasure – the Great Barrier Reef. Ride a high-speed catamaran to Reefworld at Hardy Reef to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a glass-hulled, semi-submersible coral viewer for a tour along the reef wall with its amazing coral formations. Watch colorful schools of fish glide by from the large underwater observatory. Or, for a more up-close view, enjoy snorkeling amidst the myriad colorful fish species.

Hinchinbrook Island, Australia        January 9, 2011

Willis Island, Australia       January 10, 2011

Cairns, Australia       January 11, 2011

Learn the culture of the indigenous people at Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park. This combination of theater, museum, art gallery and traditional Aboriginal camp presents 40,000 years of history and customs. See stone-age artifacts, murals depicting ancient legends and songs and dances of traditional celebrations. Watch holographic images and live actors combine in the Creation Theater to tell the wondrous legends of the Storywaters. Also visit the 66-foot high Cairns Wildlife Dome to view rainforest birds, learn why the blue tongue lizard has its peculiar color and see a freshwater crocodile.

Cairns, Australia       January 12, 2011

Take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda, traveling high above the rainforest canopy in 6-passenger gondolas. Enjoy spectacular views of the north Queensland coast and Coral Sea en route. Pause at the Rainforest Interpretive Center and Red Peak station before arriving at the rainforest village of Kuranda. Enjoy a guided tour through the amazing Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, the largest in the country. It features over 1,500 tropical butterflies, all hand-reared there. Stroll through the huge sanctuary enclosure amid fluttering butterflies. Watch for the electric-blue Ulysses and fluorescent-green Cairns Birdwing species. Enjoy lunch in Kuranda, then board a train for a dramatic ride down the mountain. View deep gorges and magnificent waterfalls while riding through 15 tunnels and across 40 bridges.

Lizard Island, Australia       January 13, 2011

Explore Lizard Island, one of the most idyllic islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Captain Cook arrived here in 1770, climbed the hill and spied a passage for his ship through the then-uncharted Great Barrier Reef. Follow his footsteps up the hill to see his monument and the panoramic view. Or enjoy a relaxing day of snorkeling in the interior lagoon or an easy walk across the island. (Zodiac landing or touring)

Stanley Island, Flinders Island Group, Australia      January 14, 2011

Step ashore on this little-visited island, accessible only by boat. Its island group is named for explorer Captain Matthew Flinders, who made and mapped the first circumnavigation of Australia in 1802. Walk with Aboriginal guides through forested terrain to learn how they forage for food and materials to create their indigenous artwork. See centuries-old Aboriginal cave paintings, interpreted by the guides. (Zodiac landing or touring)

Thursday Island / Cape York, Australia       January 15, 2011

Discover the history of pearl-diving at Thursday Island, part of the Torres Strait Island Group. Explore the small town, its new cultural center and learn about the early Japanese pearl divers, the hardships they encountered and the riches they brought to pearl entrepreneurs. Visit Green Hill Fort, built in the late 19th century to defend the island from foreign invaders. Then enjoy a short afternoon hike at Cape York, the northernmost point of mainland Australia. Watch the sunset over the Torres Strait and Arafura Sea. (Zodiac landing or touring)

Port Essington, Australia       January 18, 2011

Explore the ruins of Victoria Settlement, founded in 1838 by the British as a trading outpost with Indonesia. Take a guided tour to learn the history of the settlement, Macassan (Sulawesi) traders and the aboriginal land. Hear tales from the cemetery’s tombstones. View the beauty of the surrounding Cobourg Peninsula, part of Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. Recognized as a Wetland of International Importance, Cobourg harbors protected sea life including turtles, crocodiles, dugongs and dolphins. It is also a paradise for birdwatchers. Then visit the Black Point Cultural Centre to see displays of local Aboriginal, Macassan and European histories. Learn about traditional bush tucker of the Aborigines who have been living here for 40,000 years. (Zodiac landing or touring)