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East Coast Big Three Package: K'gari 4WD, Whitsundays Sail & Great Barrier Reef

Sand island, island sail, reef day. The three you came for, in one booking.

The three big East Coast adventures in one booking: a 2-day K'gari 4WD tag-along, a full-day Whitsundays sail and a Great Barrier Reef day from Cairns (Green Island, or two outer reef sites). Activities only, and priced under the three tours added together. Pick a date for each, or leave them open.

📍 East Coast Australia ⏱ 3 adventures · K'gari + Whitsundays + the reef · your own pace 👥 Solo or with mates; each tour runs with its own group 🔥 Active 🎂 Ages 18+

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From

$879 AUD

per person

Booked with Wanderlust, an Australian travel business based in Byron Bay (ABN 34 636 612 523). We handle your booking ourselves, before and after you travel.

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Overview

K'gari, the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef are what almost everyone comes up the coast for. This package books all three: two days driving a 4WD in convoy across K'gari with a night in a beachfront camp, a full day sailing the Whitsundays with a reef snorkel and the Langford Island sandbar, and a reef day out of Cairns. Choose Green Island, a coral cay with a boat snorkel trip and up to seven hours on the island, or two outer reef sites with about five hours on the reef and Indigenous sea rangers on board.

It's activities only: transport up the coast and hostel nights are yours to sort (a Greyhound pass covers the whole run), so you're never paying twice for a bus you already have. The price is the three tours added together at today's prices, rounded down to the nearest dollar ending in 9, so the package is never dearer than booking them with us one by one. Choose a date for each adventure at checkout or leave them open, and a real person on our team books all three.

Why you'll love it

  1. 1

    K'gari 4WD tag-along, 2 days and 1 night: Lake McKenzie, Eli Creek, the Maheno wreck

  2. 2

    Whitsundays full-day sail: fringing reef snorkel and the Langford Island sandbar

  3. 3

    Great Barrier Reef day from Cairns: Green Island, or two outer reef sites

  4. 4

    Priced under the three tours added together at today's prices

  5. 5

    Activities only: bring your own bus pass, campervan or flights

Itinerary at a glance

K'gari Days 1–2 Airlie Beach Days 3–4 Cairns Days 5–7
Your route, day by day
1 Day 1 · K'gari, 4WD convoy across the sand (days 1–2)

Sleep in Rainbow Beach the night before for the 7am briefing, where you're put into vehicle groups and taught to drive on sand. Then it's across to K'gari: Eli Creek, the SS Maheno wreck, Central Station rainforest and Lake McKenzie, with a night in an enclosed beachfront camp. Back in Rainbow Beach on the afternoon of day 2.

3 Day 3 · North to Airlie Beach (your own pace)

The overnight bus gets you to Airlie Beach the next morning, or take your time and stop along the way. Transport isn't in the package, so use your Greyhound pass, a one-way ticket or a campervan.

4 Day 4 · Whitsundays day sail

A full day under sail from the Coral Sea Marina: snorkel the fringing reef, lunch on deck and about two hours on the Langford Island sandbar, then a sunset sail home.

5 Day 5 · North to Cairns (your own pace)

Bus or drive north via Townsville, Magnetic Island or Mission Beach. Stay as long as you like: the reef day is booked for whatever date you choose.

7 Day 7 · Great Barrier Reef day from Cairns

Green Island option: fast catamaran to a coral cay, a 1-hour boat snorkel trip (or the glass-bottom boat) and up to seven hours on the island. Outer reef option: two outer reef sites with about five hours of snorkelling, lunch on board and Indigenous sea rangers sharing the stories of sea country. Either way, you're back in Cairns for the night markets.

What's included

✓ What's included

  • 2-day / 1-night K'gari (Fraser Island) 4WD tag-along from Rainbow Beach: drive a 4WD in convoy behind a lead guide to Eli Creek, the SS Maheno wreck, Central Station rainforest and Lake McKenzie
  • 1 night in an enclosed K'gari beach campsite sharing a two-person tent, with camp mat, sleeping bag and pillow, meals on the island, permits, the return ferry and 4WD fuel
  • Whitsundays full-day sail from Airlie Beach (about 8.5 hours): fringing reef snorkel, two hours on the Langford Island sandbar, morning tea, lunch, snacks, snorkel gear and stinger suits
  • Great Barrier Reef day from Cairns, your choice: Green Island (fast catamaran, up to 7 hours on the island, a 1-hour boat snorkel trip or glass-bottom boat, a marine biologist's reef talk) or two outer reef sites (about 5 hours on the reef, lunch, snorkel gear and lycra suits, Indigenous sea rangers on board)
  • One booking and a real-human concierge who books all three tours and sends your confirmations

✕ Not included

  • ✕Transport up the coast (a Greyhound East Coast pass covers Rainbow Beach, Airlie Beach and Cairns)
  • ✕Hostel nights, including the night before K'gari (the briefing is at 7am in Rainbow Beach)
  • ✕Optional 4WD damage-excess reduction on K'gari, paid on the day ($25 or $50)
  • ✕Transfers to the Airlie Beach marina and to the Cairns reef terminal
  • ✕Lunch on Green Island (cafes on the island), drinks on the boats, optional dives
  • ✕Travel insurance (strongly recommended)

Optional add-ons

Optional extras you can add after you book, or just ask us on the road.

  • +Greyhound East Coast hop-on hop-off pass (see /bus-passes)
  • +Introductory or certified dives on the outer reef day
  • +Airlie Beach or Mission Beach tandem skydive
  • +Cape Tribulation & Daintree Rainforest day trip

Common questions about this trip

  • What's included in the price?
    Three tours: a 2-day, 1-night K'gari 4WD tag-along from Rainbow Beach (beach camp, meals, ferry, fuel, permits), a full-day Whitsundays sail from Airlie Beach (lunch, snorkel gear, stinger suits) and a Great Barrier Reef day from Cairns. Transport up the coast and hostel nights are not included.

  • Green Island or the outer reef?
    Green Island is a coral cay close to Cairns: a relaxed day with a boat snorkel trip, rainforest walks and the beach, and it's the cheaper option. The outer reef option visits two outer reef sites with about five hours in the water, which is the pick if snorkelling is the point of the day.

  • How is the package priced?
    It's the three tours added together at today's prices, rounded down to the nearest dollar ending in 9. So it's never dearer than booking each tour with us separately, and if a tour's price changes, the package follows it.

  • Why isn't a bus pass included?
    So you don't pay for one twice. If you already have a Greyhound pass, a campervan or flights, you only need the adventures. If you don't, add a Greyhound East Coast pass from our bus passes page and we'll book it with the package.

  • How many days do I need?
    At least a week from Rainbow Beach to Cairns with overnight buses; most people take two to four weeks and stop along the way. Each tour has its own date, so you can space them out however you like.

  • Can I do it south from Cairns?
    Yes. Pick the reef date first, then the Whitsundays, then K'gari. The tours run the same either way.

  • How does this compare with other 'budget packages'?
    Look at what the headline price includes. Plenty of East Coast 'from' prices are activities only, like this one, while the version with a bus pass and beds costs far more. Our guide to cheap East Coast backpacker packages compares them like for like.

  • What if I need to change dates?
    Each tour follows its own operator's change and cancellation terms, which we pass on as they are and confirm with you before you pay. Message us and we'll move what can be moved.

  • What's the cancellation policy?
    Cancellation terms for this trip are set by the operator and confirmed on your booking voucher. Refunds mirror the operator's policy, if they can refund, so can we. Wanderlust handles the refund for you, refunds mirror the operator's terms 1:1 (including if the operator cancels) and we chase it on your behalf. Message us for the exact day-by-day terms before you book.

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