3 NIGHTS

Our Outback adventure begins. Fly to Darwin, Australia’s only tropical capital city, where you will be met and welcomed by your CFT Tour Leader. We will be running our own tour coach from our sister- company, Fantastic Aussie Tours, and our experienced Coach Captain will transfer you to our selected hotel, close to the CBD.

Later this afternoon we will travel past Fannie Bay to East Point to enjoy beautiful views across the Timor Sea before returning to our hotel to share our first Group Dinner.

Overnight: Darwin

This morning, we will enjoy sightseeing with a difference on the Darwin History & Wartime Experience Tour; we journey back through time in a genuine WW2 army truck to relive Darwin’s exciting and historic past. Darwin has a dramatic history from its bombing by the Japanese during WWII to the devastation of Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Today it is a relaxed, modern city celebrating its cosmopolitan mix of over 50 nationalities, and we are fortunate to be able to worship with the locals rather than just interact as tourists. Join Darwin residents for Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral; rebuilt after Cyclone Tracy the new church was designed to combine the surviving porch with a modern structure, a testimony to Darwin’s resilience and renewal.

Overnight: Darwin

Enjoy a real Top End experience at Territory Wildlife Park with its incredible range of wildlife and birds – learn all about them through keeper talks and shows, including the Birds of Prey show. We stop by nearby Berry Springs so you can enjoy a refreshing dip.

We return to Darwin after lunch to visit the BCA supported Aboriginal Bible Training College – Nungalinya and meet Emily Quinn, and Annette Anderson, the new Anglican Dean of the College. We are all in for a special treat as we cruise Darwin Harbour – enjoy a delicious dinner whilst the sun sets over the Timor Sea.

Overnight: Darwin

2 NIGHTS

Leaving Darwin behind we cross the Marrakai Plains, with its many magnetic and cathedral anthills. These plains and lagoons are a haven for grazing wild buffalo, wallabies, Jabiru, Egrets, Magpie Geese and Brolga. Along the way we pass Humpty Doo, one of the earliest but failed attempts at agricultural irrigation for farming the Far North.

Entering Kakadu National Park, we will visit Bowalli Visitors’ Centre where you can collect information and maps that will add to your experience. Cahills Crossing provides a safe place to watch estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles in the wild and to take some “snaps”. We travel to Ubirr Rock, famous for its ancient Aboriginal rock art – tour several “art galleries” set amongst the rocky outcrops and admire the sensational views over Arnhem Land floodplains.

Overnight: Kakadu

Covering an area of 19,800 square kilometres the World Heritage listed Kakadu is also the largest National Park in Australia and today we have a full day to further explore its beauty; learn more about the local Aboriginal culture at the Warradjan Cultural Centre and walk around the Aboriginal rock art at Nourlangie Rock and take in the breathtaking views across the vast plains. We top off a fantastic day with a cruise on Yellow Water Billabong surrounded by wildlife (including the ever- present crocodile).

Overnight: Kakadu

2 NIGHTS

This morning we drive out of the World Heritage National Park, re-joining the Stuart Highway at Pine Creek, and head southwards to Katherine.

The Outback Experience is an incredible educational and entertaining show featuring real horse training and working dog demonstrations. This Award-winning showcase is run by multi- Golden Guitar winner Tom Curtain who provides great entertainment and plenty of humour.

Tonight, we will share dinner and fellowship with BCA Field Staff Pat & Issy O’Keeffe.

Overnight: Katherine

This morning, we will join Katherine locals for Sunday worship followed by Morning Tea and fellowship.

Katherine is famous for its dramatic Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge) and this afternoon we will cruise two gorges in this wonderful inland waterway. NOTE – as we walk across rocks between gorges, good shoes and light trousers are recommended.

Overnight: Katherine

3 NIGHTS

Today we travel through the beautiful Victoria River Downs and cross the border in WA. We are starting to enter the real Kimberley country now and you will be held spellbound by the changing colours of the ochre rich cliffs; an ancient landscape covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometres, the Kimberley is one of the world’s most precious wilderness regions.

Our destination today in Kununurra (meaning ‘big water’), aptly named for its wildlife rich waters and wetlands of Lake Kununurra and neighbouring Lake Argyle.

Overnight: Kununurra

This morning, we visit Waringarri Aboriginal Arts Centre, WA’s first wholly indigenous owned art centre. The centre supports more than 100 artists as painters, printmakers, wood carvers, boab engravers, sculptors and textile artists with all proceeds returned to the local community.

In the afternoon, we cross the mighty Ord River to visit the Christian Broadcasting Centre that is set on a 200-acre farm. Since 2003, Reach Beyond (Australia), formerly HCJB, has been transmitting the gospel in 30 languages to the Asia Pacific region.

Overnight: Kununurra

OPTIONAL 2 HOUR BUNGLE BUNGLE AIR ADVENTURE

Optional Bungle Bungle flight will be early this morning (please refer to page 22 for details).

After a leisurely start, we will travel to Lake Argyle, the largest manmade lake in the southern hemisphere, so huge it is classed as an inland sea. Following lunch, we will board the Triple J Cruise which will deliver you to the jetty at the motel.

Overnight: Kununurra

Today we journey to Halls Creek, Western Australia’s first gold mining town, and now the centre of a vast beef industry. We will be travelling across the fertile floodplains of the Fitzroy River; our destination is Fitzroy Crossing and along the way you will pick up the distant view of the Bungle Bungle ranges.

Overnight: Fitzroy Crossing

4 NIGHTS

This morning, we travel on to Derby, known for having the highest tides in Australia. Enjoy the view over King Sound from the Jetty and visit the “Sculpture on the Marsh” to admire the locally designed art works. From Derby, we head south stopping briefly to see Myall’s Bore, Australia’s longest cattle trough and the massive 1500-year-old Boab Prison Tree before we journey onto Broome, “the pearl of the north”.

Overnight: Broome

OPTIONAL 6 HOUR HORIZONTAL FALLS SEAPLANE ADVENTURE

Broome has so much to offer and today you can “choose your own adventure”. Why not browse the popular Courthouse Markets which offer crafts, food and musical entertainment from 8am – 1pm on both Saturday and Sunday. You may like to book an optional Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventure – fly over the incredible Buccaneer Archipelago and Cape Leveque before cruising through renowned Horizontal Falls. (for more information & prices please refer to page 23).

For our “Top End” travellers your CFT Leader will organise some time on famous Cable Beach, renown for 22 kilometres of white sand and turquoise waters. Get ready for a quintessential Broome experience and marvel at a spectacular Indian Ocean sunset from the back of a friendly camel. (Please note a 90kg weight restriction applies to camel rides).

Overnight: Broome

INSPIRING TOP END PASSENGERS DEPART FOR HOME AFTER CHURCH – JEWELS OF THE NORTH WEST PASSENGERS ARRIVE THIS AFTERNOON

Connect with Broome locals when we join them for Sunday Worship followed by Morning Tea and fellowship. After the service we will bid farewell to our “Top End” travellers.

For our “Ultimate Outback Adventure” passengers this is a day to relax and enjoy the opportunity to soak up the beauty of Broome before we are joined by our “Jewels” passengers for the rest of journey to Perth.

Overnight: Broome

Broome is the home of beautiful South Sea pearls and their discovery in the 1800s saw Japanese, Filipino and Malay pearl divers arrive in droves, creating a melting pot of cultures; immerse yourself in Broome’s multicultural heritage with a visit to the Japanese Cemetery and the Pearl Lugger Museum.

Travel back in time when we visit the striking rust-red cliffs at Gauntheaume Point to look at ancient dinosaur footprints.

This afternoon we will spend time on famous Cable Beach, renown for 22 kilometres of white sand and turquoise waters. Get ready for a quintessential Broome experience and marvel at a spectacular Indian Ocean sunset from the back of a friendly camel.
(Please note – a 90kg weight restriction applies to camel rides).

Overnight: Broome

After breakfast we hit the road for a drive will help us appreciate the distances BCA missionaries need to travel. Halfway to Port Hedland we visit stunning 80-mile Beach where the Great Sandy Desert approaches the Indian Ocean. This area is one of the most important sites for migratory shorebirds, or waders, in Australia.

Overnight: Port Hedland

2 NIGHTS

Travel through rugged BCA country before we reach Newman, the largest modern mining town in the East Pilbara region.

Tonight, we will be joined by the Newman BCA staff, Roger & Amanda Kyngdon, for dinner.

Overnight: Newman

A rest from travelling as we spend the morning at leisure time in this mining town. After lunch we will tour the largest single open-cut iron ore mine in the world; a tour of the Mt Newman Mount Whaleback Mining Company will give you an understanding of the powerful machinery used in the mining of these rich ore deposits. (Clothing restrictions apply – long sleeves, trousers and covered shoes required).

Overnight: Newman

Today we travel through Karijini National Park, one of WA’s most spectacular natural attractions two billion years in the making. We are heading to Tom Price via Dales and Fortescue Falls – a beautiful day of gorges and changing scenery.

Overnight: Tom Price

This morning we take the Hamersley Iron Road to Millstream Chichester National Park, an oasis in the Pilbara desert region; the presence of permanent water attracts over 120 bird species, 30 mammal species, 150 reptile species and 500 plant species. As we travel from the desert to the coastal town of Karratha we will stop at Python Pool and Roebourne, the oldest town in the North West. Along the way, we may see one of the massive iron ore trains heading from the Pilbara to the coast. Our dinner guests tonight will be BCA Field Staff Frank & Jo Nicol.

Overnight: Karratha

Join the locals of Karratha Anglican Community Church for Sunday worship followed by fellowship over a cuppa. We then depart for Exmouth, our drive taking us over the Fortescue River to the Nanaturra Roadhouse before we detour west towards the range along the Exmouth Gulf. Exmouth is the “Northern Gateway” to the Coral Coast, an area of world-heritage significance and a microcosm of everything that is rare, beautiful and special on our planet. This region includes the spectacular rocky gorges and beautiful coastline of the Cape Range National Park and the pristine Ningaloo Marine Park.

Overnight: Exmouth

2 NIGHTS

We travel south to Coral Bay to cruise the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Listed Ningaloo Coast. Experience this marine wonderland before we head south to Carnarvon, a coastal town situated at the mouth of the Gascoyne River and surrounded by a vast variety of agriculture. This tropical oasis on the doorstep of the Indian Ocean will be our home for the next 2 nights.

Since CFT last visited Carnarvon, Mike & Emma Welham have moved here with their family to serve as BCA Field Staff, and they will join us for dinner.

Overnight: Carnarvon

This morning, we visit the Space and Technology Museum which celebrates the little-known history of the role Carnarvon played in the manned space program and in the Australian communications industry. Enjoy some time at leisure to go for a wander around Carnarvon or relax at our hotel before dinner.

Overnight: Carnarvon

2 NIGHTS

This morning, we visit the Aboriginal Heritage & Cultural Centre which celebrates the five Aboriginal language groups of the Gascoyne Region, Yinggarda, Bayungu, Malgana, Thadgari and Thalanyji. Learn about local indigenous culture and traditions through an interactive exhibition, films, oral histories, and artefacts.

We then travel south to Hamelin Pool, home to the most diverse and abundant examples of Stromatolites in the world, unique creatures often referred to as “living fossils. On our way to Denham, the most westerly town in Australia, we will visit Eagle Bluff and the beautiful Shell Beach; a 70-km snow-white beach made up of millions of tiny shells up to 10 metres deep.

Overnight: Denham

This morning we visit the Shark Bay Discovery Centre that combines internationally inspired collections with today’s interactive technology; discover of natural wonders and historic treasures of Dutch, English and French explorers from as early as 1616.

This afternoon you can chose to relax or explore at leisure. Wander around Denham’s Jetty and soak up the beauty of the town’s surroundings – it’s easy to see why Shark Bay is World Heritage listed.

Overnight: Denham

2 NIGHTS

Just a short drive from Denham we have the chance to mingle with the famous bottlenose dolphins who have been coming to visit Monkey Mia for over 50 years. Keep in mind that dolphins swim free in the ocean and even CFT cannot guarantee their appearance.

Enjoy another natural wonder when we view the amazing Pink Lake (Hutt’s Lagoon) before we arrive in Kalbarri.

Overnight: Kalbarri

Today we travel onto one of WA’s most beautiful National Parks, Kalbarri National Park, and Hawks Head Lookout to view the dramatic Murchison River Gorge. We visit the Hole in the Rock or “Nature’s Window”, a natural formation in the rock that frames the river perfectly inside it when viewed from the right angle. Feel like you are floating on air as you take in spectacular views from the Skywalk, a platform suspended 100m high above the Murchison River. We hope to see the spectacular wildflowers of the region (subject to the flowering season) and may be lucky to spot some of the almost 200 species of birds, including Sea and Wedge-Tailed Eagles that call the river home. Keep an eye out for the iconic WA Black Swan that breeds by the hundreds in the shallow pools.

Overnight: Kalbarri

2 NIGHTS

It’s Sunday and we depart Kalbarri early so we can share worship with locals at Geraldton Anglican Cathedral. Our tour of the town will include a visit to the HMAS Sydney II Memorial where we will remember the 645 crew members lost to war in 1941.

Enjoy some free time to explore the town – Geraldton is situated at the heart of the Batavia Coast so why not visit the Western Australian Museum to see the tragic stories revealed by relics of shipwrecks?

Overnight: Geraldton

Geraldton is the region’s only deep-water port and one of Australia’s busiest, shipping everything from grain and livestock to minerals and fuel. Enjoy a heart-warming visit to Geraldton’s Mission to Seafarers Centre, part of the international Christian organisation caring for merchant seafarers around the world.

Tonight, we will be joined for dinner by BCA’s Malachi Walker (Ministry Trainee at Geraldton cathedral) and David & Emma Thompson who serve in nearby Dongara.

Overnight: Geraldton

3 NIGHTS

Today we travel south to Perth stopping in Nambung National Park; wander amongst the ancient desert sculptures of the Pinnacles – unique weathered rock spires of limestone rising out of yellow sand dunes. We arrive in picturesque Perth late afternoon, a last stop in our Outback adventure. The capital of Western Australia, Perth, sits where the Swan River meets the southwest coast – sandy beaches line its suburbs, and the huge, riverside Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Mount Eliza offer sweeping views of the city. We will be joined for dinner tonight by BCA’s Dennis & Valda Taylor, who serve BCA providing First Nations Ministry Training.

Overnight: Perth

Today is a full day at leisure to relax or explore this laid-back capital city from our centrally based hotel. You will have use of the city’s Hop on Hop off bus to travel all around and choose what to see (lunch today at own choice and cost). Be dazzled at the Perth Mint; see a traditional gold pour and the Guinness World Record One Tonne Gold Coin. If you think you are worth your weight in gold, you can find out exactly how much that is!

With a special Wildflower Festival throughout September the beautiful Kings Park and Botanic Gardens are a must see. Get a wonderful 360-degree view over the Gardens, Swan River and City of Perth from the Observation Deck of the landmark Bell Tower, a unique building that is one giant musical instrument.

Overnight: Perth

Just off the coast of Perth is the incredible Rottnest Island, home to the ultra-cute Quokkas; these unique marsupials are almost extinct on the mainland but 10,000 still live on the island. Our day out includes a ferry ride and a comprehensive 4-hour tour to discover the island’s amazing flora and fauna, stunning beaches, woodlands and incredible salt lakes. Learn about Rottnest’s cultural and historical heritage ranging from maritime and military history. Wow! Tonight, we will enjoy a farewell dinner, taking time to share stories after a truly memorable tour.

Overnight: Perth

We bid farewell to our newly made friends and head home feeling blessed by all the wonderful people we have meet and the unique experiences we have shared.