Chillagoe Caves and Outback Day Trip from Cairns
Description
The only Outback Full-Day Tour! Explore the Chillagoe Caves, Granite Gorge and other gems of the Australian Outback on this full-day tour. With a naturalist guide, you'll travel by 4WD vehicle through the McAllister Ranges, the Great Dividing Range and the Australian Outback while listening to informative commentary about the region’s wildlife, history and Aboriginal culture. Take a guided tour through the Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park with a local ranger, drive near the wetlands to spot Australian native wildlife, see historic mining towns, and enjoy morning tea at the local Skybury Coffee Plantation and lunch at a classic Chillagoe Pub during this small-group tour limited to 19 passengers.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pick up by your driver guide from the Cairns area. (Port Douglas and Northern Beaches transfers are available but for an additional cost, please book with reservations before travel and Southside accommodation - please make your way to the tour operator's office to join tour.)
The heart of one of Australia’s most diverse and richest food bowls Skybury Tropical Plantation has grown the country’s best coffee and tropical fruit for the past 30 years. Enjoy morning tea, with coffee, tea and sweet treats.
Explore the Chillagoe Caves. Follow your guide through the fossilized remains of the ancient coral reefs over 400 million years old. Once an inland sea, these limestone labyrinths are a spectacular sight to see.
Here we delve into the history of the Chillagoe copper smelters, whose old chimneys dominate the western horizon. We visit the remains of the once-mighty smelters to ponder what it was like working there.
Visit Balancing Rock for an iconic photo opportunity. Then, see Aboriginal Rock Art and learn about some Dreamtime stories with your guide.
Enjoy lunch at a true Australian Outback Pub for lunch in the heart of Chillagoe town. Please advise of any special dietary requirements before travel.
A privately owned nature park near Mareeba with stunning scenery as you walk along the short circuit navigating massive boulders. Striking scenery and wildlife galore. The big drawcard at Granite Gorge is the rock wallabies. This colony is an endangered species that is unique to the Mareeba area. Plus, you’ll see other native wildlife.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Port Douglas & Northern Beaches transfers incur an additional cost (once booked, please book with reservations before travel). Southside accommodation - please make your way to the tour operator's office to join the tour.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please wear closed-toe shoe and bring a light jacket or sweater in the cooler months (June - August)
- A reasonable level of fitness is required, as there are steps and uneven terrain leading into the caves
- Port Douglas & Northern Beaches transfers additional cost (once booked, please book with reservations before travel)
Reviews(230)
Expect a long day but it’s well worth it. The scenery is wonderful and the self-lit caves are different from typical limestone caves.
Michael was a great guide. He knows so much about Australia and the Outback/bush. The caves were spectacular and we loved feeding the wallabies at the end of the day.
Chillagoe caves are average limestone caves by the many we haave seen worldwide. I loved Balancing Rock and surrounds, including the termite mounds. Morning tea was at Skybury papaya plantation with plenty of samples to try. [ I live on the Sunshine Coast and Skybury are always my preferred papaya] . Scones with jam and cream. Excellent local coffee to rival the best. No diabetic option for my husband regarding food but we were prepared with our own snacks. The mine ruins wasn't interesting to us. Very little to see and would prefer extra time at the last stop, Granity Rocks and rock wallabies. Lunch was at the Chillagoe pub. I had the fish with chips and was surprised how good it was. My husband was also happy with a naked burger and salad. His wasn't on the menu but Billy Tea Safaris were able to get a suitable option for him.
👏👏👏 excellent king day tour yum morning tea at Sky Bury Mareeba then outback drive to Chillagoe caves with tour of caves much bigger than we expected followed by Balance rock back to Chilladoe pub for lunch then a visit to Granite Gorge tour guide Michael was a wealth of knowledge we would never have experienced these without Billy Tea tour a long day but well worth it and the price for what we got was great
It's a very long day. A few stops throughout the day however the majority of the time is spent in the vehicle travelling. The trip felt rushed and you didn't spend as much time as indicated on the itinerary. Lunch ended up being approx 20 mins. The tour company was good as was the tour guide/driver. We had a 6yo with us and apart from the short time in the cave and feeding the rock wallabies, was fairly bored.
The caves are worth the long drive. It’s the highlight of the day. Balancing Rock is pretty cool but a very brief stop. The wallabies are a hit with children and tourists. The two drawbacks of the day to be aware of are the long long stretches of time in the bus and the lunch stop. Few options available for the included lunch and not great quality. Pack your own lunch and snacks if this will affect you. If you’re travelling with kids and they don’t handle travel and/or boredom well, this is not for you.
The day was well organised and the truck was comfortable but the sites we visited were ok but not great. A long way to go to visit. If you are in the area, by all means have a look at the Balancing Rock, Chillagoe caves and the Granite Gorge Nature Reserve, I am just not sure that it is wirth the lobg trip from Cairns!
Wallabies were great, be prepared for a lot of driving and sitting though. Appreciate the door to door service
A great day out with as many experiences as they can realistically fit in. Our driver Rohan was extremely knowledgeable and provided great commentary throughout the day. We are Aussie and enjoyed every aspect. Overseas visitors would not be disappointed. A great way to see a different part of Australia - just a bit farther out of Cairns and the more common rainforest tours. The caves at Chilligoe are well worth visiting. The trip was as described, communication from the office was excellent. It is a long day but Rohan never made us feel rushed nor did we miss anything from the published itinerary. Well done to everyone at Billy Tea Safaris !
AJ was very knowledgeable! We appreciated his ability to answer any question. We enjoyed seeing this area.
