Christmas & Cocos Islands - Nature & Wildlife Journey

Arrive on Christmas Island and transfer to your hotel. Settle in and refresh. Transfer to the mini-market to purchase drinks followed by dinner by the ocean at Flying Fish Cove with an Aussie-style BBQ including fresh salads. Water will be supplied. Island Briefing - A Short Introduction to Christmas Island. We'll use this opportunity to run through some of the safety issues, terrain you will experience on tours and managing your health & wellbeing throughout your stay. Return to hotel **NOTE Christmas Island's water is safe for drinking from our mains water supply. Christmas Island is free from dengue & malaria. Please remember to drink plenty of water.

Continental Breakfast items in your room. After breakfast your guide will lead a Christmas Island Orientation Tour - including history and cultural heritage. This tour takes us out via Golf Course Road, Ma Chor Nui Nui Temple, The Grotto, Poon Saan, & Drumsite. We depart the township to Territory Day Park Lookout & Nature Trail. Mid-afternoon we depart for our hotel. On our return there will be an Orphaned Bird Feeding Session. This provides us with the best chance to see a few of our endemic bird species - and learn about the techniques used to rehabilitate them. Hosted by National Park staff. Return to hotel with time to relax and refresh. Join a talk about Island Ecology before dinner. This is a low impact day. Comfortable clothes & walking shoes, mosquito repellent, hat, camera & water bottle.

Continental Breakfast items in your room. Walking tour to The Dales - The Dales are a series of freshwater springs that have carved their way down to the ocean. This morning we will be walking along Dale No.2 - which culminates at the Hugh's Dale Waterfall. We will generally see 3 species of crabs on this tour as well as learn about the unique ecology. A light morning tea will be provided at the Waterfall. (1.8km round trip walk - with a hill/ stairs). Picnic Lunch at Martin Point Track. During this lunch break, guests can take the short walk (300m round trip) to Martin Point to enjoy the view from this vantage point. Depart Martin Point to the Lizard Lodge - Christmas Island’s native reptile conservation program. Mid-afternoon we return to township for rest & relaxing. Option to snorkel at own risk at Flying Fish Cove. Late in the afternoon we have a talk on The Feral Future - how nature survives and thrives in a changing environment. Afterwards dinner. This is a high impact day. Comfortable clothes & walking shoes suitable to uneven terrain a necessity, mosquito repellent, hat, camera & water bottle and walking pole if required. No toilet facilities at these remote locations.

Continental Breakfast items in your room. Tour to The Blowholes & Boulder Track – This morning we venture to the Blowholes to view the waves pounding against the rocky Christmas Island cliffs. A light morning tea will be served here. A shaded walk along 'Boulder Track' takes us past pretty forest with the floor generally covered with good numbers of red crabs. We stop at the 'Grandfather' Banyan tree for a photo op. Flat terrain - about 3km of walking in total. Picnic Lunch at South Point Temple. During the lunch break, you will learn about the history of this remote Chinese Settlement. We venture after lunch to the old railway station. Return to hotel for a quick change for boat trip. Pick up for transfer to Flying Fish Cove for 2 hour boat tour. Return to the hotel late afternoon. Tonight enjoy a Malay Curry buffet dinner. This is a medium impact day. Comfortable clothes & walking shoes suitable to uneven terrain a necessity, mosquito repellent, hat, camera & water bottle and walking pole if required. The Boulder Track is heavily shaded, but the Blowholes boardwalk is very sunny. No toilet facilities at these locations. The boat has a canopy & is suitable for those who don’t want to swim/ snorkel. Please bring own snorkelling gear or we can arrange with operator. Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.

Continental Breakfast items in your room. Transfer to the Dam to view drinking frigate birds. This is one of the few opportunities to see these highflyers up close. We highlight and discuss this species, their biology and why they steal from other seabirds. Morning tea at Grants Well. Picnic lunch served at the gazebos on Lily Beach. Take a dip in the shallows at Lily Beach. After morning tea, head across the boardwalk on a guided tour to see the rugged coastline, sea birds & take a stroll along to Ethel Beach. We park at Lily Beach. Round trip walk to Ethel beach is 1.5km - half of which is shaded. Transfer to hotel for rest & relaxation. Transfer to Rumah Tinggi for afternoon drinks. Drinks at own cost followed by dinner at a restaurant. This is a medium impact day. Bathers, towel & comfy walking shoes only required this day. Lily & Ethel Beaches are not snorkelling beaches. Mosquito repellant, hat, camera & water bottle. Gazebos provide shade and seating for those folks who don't want to swim.

Continental Breakfast items in your room. Transfer to Dolly & Greta Beaches. Walk (4km return) along the shaded track to the beach. Take a dip in the ocean pool (subject to conditions). After a light morning tea, explore the beach, enjoy the robber crabs and following the turtle tracks. We then head to Greta Beach (600m return) and take some bags to clean up the ocean flotsam that collects on the beach, inhibiting nesting turtles. Picnic lunch served at the pool at your hotel followed by a free afternoon. This evening join your guide for an insightful presentation. This is a high impact day. Comfortable clothes & walking shoes suitable to uneven terrain a necessity, mosquito repellant, hat, camera & water bottle and walking pole if required. Take bathers & towel if intending to dip in the ocean pool (no private place to change). The track is heavily shaded and there are staircases onto each beach.

Continental Breakfast items in your room. Open itinerary - we use this day to catch up on any of our missed itinerary options - or propose a range of high impact/ low impact touring options based on group abilities and interests. Light morning tea included. Return to hotel for rest & relaxation. We can arrange for a transfer to Flying Fish Cove for those that may want a swim. This activity is at your own risk. Or we can propose further touring options. Join your group for a Farewell Dinner, recounting the past 7 days on Christmas Island.

Free time: Relax, shop, enjoy the township. EXCLUSIVE OFFER to participants of Bird & Nature Week 2024: Choose to extend your trip and discover the pristine turquoise waters surrounding the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. With spectacular corals and beautiful marine life, there are lots of water-based activities included on your itinerary to experience Cocos Island. For bookings for Cocos Keeling Islands extension please contact us on travel@australiangeographic.com

Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to Canoe Beach for Motorised Canoe safari tour of the Southern part of the lagoon. Enjoy a slow journey across the lagoon whilst island hopping. Our journey takes us to a small island to view Christmas Island’s Blue-tailed skinks thriving in the wild. Brunch will be served on Pulau Belan. Relax and paddle in it’s sheltered waters prior to heading off to South Island. Transfer to Tropical Foods Farm and see how the locals are making the most of their abundance of coconuts. Transfer to the jetty - catch ferry to Home Island. Tour of Home Island. Learn about the unique location the Cocos Malay call home. Learn about their culture and the seagrass project underway to help recover the lagoon’s ecosystem. Dinner is included at the local restaurant. Please note no alcohol is consumed on Home Island. Transfer to the jetty - catch ferry to West Island. Return to hotel by 8.30pm

Rise early to ready for early transfer to the jetty for ferry trip to Direction Island. Ferry from West Island to Direction Island. Settle into nearby shelter. Enjoy breakfast whilst taking in the stunning views of the lagoon. Walking Tour of Direction Island. Explore the trails, the Sydney-Emden display. Fossick through the flotsam washed on the oceanside of the island. Have a swim or snorkel in the gin-clear waters. Catch ferry from Direction Island back to West Island. Join local Scroungers Golf at 3.30pm at The Donga. Or relax in your room and wash the salty adventures away. Dinner - Surfer Girl Brewery. 2 course dinner whilst watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean. Drinks not included.

Check out of hotel room. Arrangements will be made to leave your bags in a safe location. Breakfast at Salty'c cafe followed by a short tour of West Island. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Perth.