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

Connect with Broome locals when we join them for Sunday Worship followed by Morning Tea and fellowship. After the service we will be transferred to the Airport for our flights home, having shared a wonderfully Inspiring Top End tour with like-minded people.