Australia Beach and Wildlife Vacation: Sunshine Coast and Kangaroo Island
The ultimate beach, nature, and wildlife adventure! Explore remote Fraser Island, kayak with dolphins, lounge on white sand beaches, and meet the locals on Kangaroo Island.
We designed this Australia Beach and Wildlife Vacation: Sunshine Coast and Kangaroo Island package for a group of friends from Texas. They wanted to explore Australia’s most beautiful beaches and see unique wildlife. This trip gave our nature lovers some unforgettable adventures and a touch of luxury to make their holiday seamlessly perfect.
First, they visited Rainbow Beach on their Australia Beach and Wildlife Vacation: Sunshine Coast and Kangaroo Island package. This small beach village on the Sunshine Coast is a perfect base for nature and wildlife experiences. They spent a day exploring the remote Fraser Island, where they saw wild dingoes frolicking in the turquoise ocean and swam in pristine Lake McKenzie. They went kayaking in Great Sandy National Park alongside wild bottlenose dolphins the next day! It was an incredible way to experience Australia’s tropical natural wonders.
Next, they drove to Noosa, a polished resort town where gorgeous white sand beaches and refined entertainments meet the natural beauty of Noosa National Park. They stayed in a stylish resort on central Hastings Street and had two days free to explore at their leisure. Then it was time to say goodbye to the Sunshine Coast and head to Adelaide on the opposite end of Australia.
They stayed overnight in the charming coastal capital and had a chance to hunt for boutique souvenirs at the Adelaide Central Markets. The next day, they made the short flight down to Kangaroo Island—the last stop on their Australia Beach and Wildlife Vacation: Sunshine Coast and Kangaroo Island package. In contrast to the tropical rainforests up north, Kangaroo Island features sweeping limestone cliffs and open grasslands. However, as the name suggests, it’s still home to abundant Australian wildlife! They spent two days touring with our mates at Exceptional Kangaroo Island, who showed them all the scenic highlights while providing a local’s insight. They saw wild koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, sea lions, and much more as they explored the island.
At last, it was time to begin their journey home. Our clients couldn’t believe all the natural wonders and wildlife they had experienced in Australia. It certainly was an adventure to remember!
Exceptional Kangaroo Island
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1
Welcome to Australia! Fly into sunny Brisbane on Qantas Airways, then pick up your rental car and make the scenic drive to your resort along the Sunshine Coast. Your home for the next three nights is a gorgeous resort on Rainbow Beach—a small, coastal village nestled against Great Sandy National Park and encircled by the natural beauty of colorful sand cliffs, tall coastal forest, and the brilliant blue of the ocean.
Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort
Day 2
Today, you’ll explore the remote Fraser Island, a nature lover’s paradise! First, travel along the spectacular Seventy-Five Mile Beach in a purpose-built 4WD vehicle specially designed to tackle this rough-and-tumble drive. After your ferry crossing to Fraser Island, explore the natural beauty of this magnificent wilderness with a guided rainforest walk, followed by a refreshing dip in Lake McKenzie and an authentic Aussie lunch. Return through the towering forests of Satinay and Brushbox and navigate your way down the “sandy highway,” enjoying an afternoon tea stop on remote beach stretches. Return to your resort in time for dinner and a beautiful beach sunset.
Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort
Day 3
You’re in for a treat today: kayaking in Great Sandy National Park! Your tour will pick you up from the resort and bring you to Double Island Point—which is only accessible by 4WD vehicles. It’s away from the crowds and into the heart of the national park, where many of the local and migrating wildlife can be found. Large bottlenose dolphin pods, humpback whales (June – November), turtles, manta rays, sting rays, soldier crabs in their thousands, and migrating seabirds are all common here. You’ll go on a gentle paddle around the headland, taking in the breathtaking views and natural surroundings of the area. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a pod of curious bottlenose dolphins!
Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort
Day 4
Say goodbye to Rainbow Beach today as you drive under 2 hours to the sunny resort town of Noosa. With a laidback vibe and no buildings higher than the trees, this sub-tropical paradise is a place where you can really relax. Your beautiful resort is ideally located on Hastings Street, where you can people watch, dine out, shop up a storm, pamper yourself with a spa treatment, or spend an idle hour in a café. Stroll this strip of sophistication before relaxing on the famous Main Beach or the scenic spot of Noosa Woods.
Mantra French Quarter Noosa
Day 5
Today is yours to spend at your leisure. Enjoy a relaxing beach day just steps away from your resort, or head into Noosa National Park and explore the many walking trails that wind through the bush and along the coast, offering breathtaking views.
Mantra French Quarter Noosa
Day 6
Today, you leave the sunny tropics of the Sunshine Coast for the temperate south. Drop off your rental car at the Brisbane airport and fly to Adelaide, the cosmopolitan capital of South Australia. Enjoy a transfer to your city hotel and spend the afternoon exploring the charming colonial streets, selecting unique souvenirs at the Adelaide Central Markets, and uncovering hidden gems among the city’s many wonderful bars and restaurants.
Mayfair Hotel
Day 7
Over the next 2 days, you’ll discover a completely different side of Australia: the idyllic, wildlife-filled Kangaroo Island! Take a short flight from Adelaide; you will be picked up from Kingscote airport by your fabulous local guide and set off on an incredible wildlife tour. Discover the laid-back way of life on the island, along with its bountiful local produce, as you enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch in a scenic location. You’ll have a chance to see wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, and much more in the wild, and even visit Seal Bay to see countless sea lions basking on the beach! Your accommodation for the evening is a comfortable B&B filled with local charm.
Stranraer Homestead
Day 8
Enjoy another day of touring the beautiful Kangaroo Island with your guide. Today, you’ll explore the highlights and lesser-known backtracks of Flinders Chase National Park—a wilderness covering nearly 200,000 acres. It is home to a wide array of wildlife species, such as kangaroos, fur seals, wallabies, possums, goannas, echidnas, koalas, platypus, and many birds, including rare Cape Barren Geese. You will be dropped back at your B&B this evening.
Stranraer Homestead
Day 9
After breakfast, your guide will drop you off at the airport for your flight to Adelaide. From here, catch your connecting flight back home.
About this vacation
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