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Uluru in golden early light, seen from the air above the wide desert

Sample journey · 19–24 days

Australia: harbour, desert and reef

Sydney, Uluru & Kata Tjuta, Port Douglas, the Great Barrier Reef & the Daintree

Photo: Wietse Jongsma / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Australia's distances can feel daunting, yet three of its faces — a city on the water, the red desert and a tropical coast with its reef — link together well by domestic flights. In Sydney life turns around the harbour and the beaches; in the Red Centre, Anangu country changes colour from dawn to dusk; and in far north Queensland the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest meet almost at the shoreline.

This sample route is for travellers flying to Australia for the first time who want to see it broadly but without rushing: three main regions, at least four nights in each and room to rest after the long flights. It suits couples and families alike, and the pace, activities and stays would be shaped around who is travelling and when.

The route

The journey

  1. Sydney
  2. Uluru & Kata Tjuta
  3. Port Douglas
  4. Great Barrier Reef
  5. The Daintree
  6. Cairns
  1. A yellow ferry passes the Sydney Harbour Bridge

    01Days 1–4 · Sydney

    A city best seen from a ferry

    After the long journey, the first days are kept light. Sydney is best understood from the water: a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly or Watsons Bay costs little, and its views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are among the finest. Then the lanes of The Rocks, the Royal Botanic Garden and dinner by the water. For families, Taronga Zoo, which is also reached by ferry.

  2. Blue ocean, a curve of beach and coastal bush in Sydney

    02Days 5–6 · Sydney's coast & the Blue Mountains

    Coastal paths and eucalyptus valleys

    In the morning, the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk above the cliffs and small coves with the ocean pools where locals swim. The next day, a drive of roughly two hours into the Blue Mountains: sandstone escarpments, gorge trails and eucalyptus forests whose haze tints the distant valleys blue. Then a last evening in the city before the flight to the desert.

  3. A red path between two domes of Kata Tjuta, Northern Territory

    03Days 7–10 · Uluru & Kata Tjuta

    Country that holds its stories

    A flight of about three hours to Ayers Rock Airport, beside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Sunrise and sunset at Uluru, the walk around its base and time at the Cultural Centre help explain why this is a sacred place for the Anangu, and why some sites are not to be photographed. The domes of Kata Tjuta feel different again: Walpa Gorge, or the Valley of the Winds, parts of which close on hot days, so early morning is best. Evenings are spent beneath the desert stars.

  4. Coral bommies on white sand at Ribbon Reef 5, Great Barrier Reef

    04Days 11–14 · Port Douglas & the outer reef

    A day on the reef

    A flight to Cairns and about an hour's drive up the coast to Port Douglas, a relaxed town from which boats head out to the outer reef, to the Ribbon Reefs or Agincourt Reef, for example. A day on the reef means snorkelling or a first try at diving, while those who'd rather stay dry can see it through a glass-bottomed boat. Reef condition varies from place to place, so we choose the boat and the destination carefully.

  5. Rainforest running down to the beach in Daintree National Park

    05Days 15–17 · The Daintree & Cape Tribulation

    Where the rainforest meets the reef

    A ferry across the Daintree River and into one of the oldest tropical rainforests on earth. Two nights at a rainforest stay let you see it calmly: a morning walk with a naturalist, a river cruise looking for crocodiles and birds, and the beaches around Cape Tribulation, where the trees grow right to the sand. With a little luck, a cassowary by the roadside. Mossman Gorge with Kuku Yalanji guides makes a fine half-day on the way back.

  6. The Low Isles lighthouse among trees above a calm lagoon, Great Barrier Reef

    06Days 18–21 · Low Isles & Cairns

    Slow final days

    To finish, a few days with no timetable in Port Douglas or on a quiet stretch of coast north of Cairns. A half-day sail to Low Isles, a small coral cay with a lighthouse, where you can snorkel straight from the beach, often among sea turtles. Departure is from Cairns: directly to Asia, or via Sydney or Brisbane.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    By ferry across Sydney Harbour

    The simplest and loveliest way to see the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the bays.

  2. 02

    Dawn at Uluru

    The rock turning from deep violet to fiery red, and Anangu stories of this country.

  3. 03

    The outer reef

    A day on the water, snorkelling among the corals and perhaps a first dive.

  4. 04

    Nights in the Daintree

    Rainforest sounds after dark, a morning walk with a naturalist and beaches where the trees lean over the sand.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With children

    Ferries and the zoo in Sydney, shorter trails at Kata Tjuta, a reef day with a pontoon and stays with a pool in Port Douglas. We keep the transfers short.

  • With Kings Canyon

    Two more nights in the Red Centre allow a drive to Kings Canyon and the Rim Walk, a long but memorable hike best started at first light.

  • An island on the reef

    Instead of the last days on the mainland, a few nights on an island on the reef itself, or in the Whitsundays, a short flight away.

  • In another season

    Roughly May to October is cooler in the desert and dry in the north. In summer the Centre is very hot and the tropical north enters its wet season; then the journey could be reshaped with more time on the southern coast.

Practical considerations

  • Distances are large: Sydney to Uluru is about three hours by air, and Uluru to Cairns similar. Direct Uluru–Cairns flights don't run daily, so the route would be fitted around the schedule.
  • Roughly November to May, venomous jellyfish can occur in tropical northern waters; swim in protected areas and in a stinger suit, which reef boats usually provide.
  • In the Red Centre the sun is strong and days are hot even in the cooler months: walks are planned for early morning, with water and a hat.
  • It's a long flight from Europe, so the first days in Sydney are kept light to help with the time difference.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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