There’s nothing like lock-down to make us fully appreciate the freedom of the outdoors. It may have taken a pandemic to bring it into the limelight, but if an escape into the wilderness is on your mind, there are few places better than Australia to find yourself lost in the power of nature.
With expansive beaches, fresh ocean air, ancient rainforests, coastal clifftop hikes, wildlife encounters and rolling green hills dotted with luxury regional retreats and world-class food & wine experiences, here we provide some fresh inspiration for your travel list with our picks of the best nature-based experiences from Far North Queensland and South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. And don’t worry – there’s no roughing it!
For a ‘Wellness at Home’ experience, Gwinganna Retreat has sent us their Essential Stretch class –transport yourself to the beautiful Byron Bay hinterland with a 20-minute full body stretch that will help create flexibility and reduce muscle tightness.
If that leaves you wanting more, stay tuned for our next newsletter where we explore the best spa and wellness travel experiences from Australia and abroad.
Please head to our Travel Journal for more inspiration and follow us on social media @jigsawtravel and Jigsaw Travel Facebook.
Walk into Luxury
5 Day Best of the Fleurieu Peninsula: Heysen Trail, Deep Creek & Penfolds
Offering Australian Experiential Travel combining local food and wine, exceptional accommodation, and unique nature-based experiences. This 5-day luxury walking holiday showcases the beautiful coastal clifftop hiking of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula with accommodation in two of the region’s most exclusive luxury properties.
Enjoy two nights at clifftop Naiko Retreat overlooking the wild coastline and green valleys of Deep Creek Conservation Park where you’ll enjoy two-day walks with a private guide on the best southern sections of the Heysen Trail taking in clifftops, rolling green hills and breathtaking beaches. The luxury retreat includes three bedrooms, each with ensuite, making this an ideal base for a family trip or friends travelling together.
The second half of this journey includes food and wine experiences at McLaren Vale’s D’Arenberg Cube, and Penfolds Magill Estate, with an exclusive lunch and Grange tasting at Penfolds. Complete your journey with hosted bushwalks, tastings and a visit to the Botanic Gardens while staying at Mt Lofty’s exclusive new Sequoia suites.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Deep Creek Conservation Park and Newland Head Conservation Park
Heysen Trail private guided hiking
Exclusive Fleurieu Peninsula clifftop luxury retreat
Private Penfolds Grange tasting and Magill Estate Restaurant lunch, plus D’Arenberg Cube
Daintree Afternoon and Nocturnal Tour with FNQ Nature Tours
Operating from a belief that tourism is the key to protection and conservation of the Far North Queenslands World Heritage area, FNQ Nature Tours hosts small group tours of up to only seven guests across the Daintree Rainforest National Park, Atherton Tablelands, Crater Lakes and Cape Tribulation regions. Suited to nature-minded travellers seeking an intimate, educational and interactive guided experience, their afternoon and nocturnal tour offers a fascinating perspective on the rainforests ecosystems and wildlife.
The tour involves:
Solar Whisper Wildlife Cruise – Departing from Cairns and heading north along the magical Great Barrier Reef Drive in the Daintree Tropical Rainforest, the afternoon starts with a one-hour cruise down the Daintree River spotting the rainforest’s crocodiles, native birds and other wildlife from a quiet solar electric boat.
Daintree Rainforest guided walks – Explore the pristine and captivating beauty of the rainforest on guided walks, witnessing the complex ecosystem of cool streams, towering mountains and freshwater valleys
Cape Tribulation – Spend some time exploring the gorgeous Cape Tribulation beach before dinner in the jungle at Whet Restaurant
Night walk – Experience the rare opportunity to go into the ‘oldest continually growing rainforest in the world, at night and observe the nocturnal wildlife of the Wet Tropics before being transferred back to Cairns.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Expert guides
- In-depth interpretave rainforest walks
- Daintree River wildlife cruise
- Dining in the Jungle
- Cape Tribulation Beach
- Dusk sunset over Mt. Sorrow
- Night spotting in the forest
- Eco-friendly
WELLNESS AT HOME – GWINGANNA
To help you during this time, Gwinganna Retreat has shared their essential Stretch class for free via YouTube. A wonderful activity for mornings, the session can help you create more flexibility in your muscles and joints and is also an ideal routine to help reduce muscle tightness and pain.
The gift of travel…
We can’t travel right now, but there’s nothing stopping us from dreaming and planning with loved ones. After months of lockdown and the uncertainty around exactly when we’ll be able to travel again, a travel voucher is undeniably the perfect gift for ANY special occasion! Jigsaw Travel can arrange travel gift vouchers for any of our tours, as well as flexible vouchers so the recipient to plan their own dream holiday.