Billy Tea Safaris | Chillagoe & Outback
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Departure Times
Pricing Options
Join Billy Tea Safaris for a unique and fun tour of the interesting Chillagoe Outback!
- Travel with a family owned and operated company
- Journey in a comfortable air-conditioned bus through interesting terrain, enjoying the sites!
- See the famous Australian Outback at its best!
- Includes Chillagoe, Mareeba, Aboriginal Rock Art and the Australian Outback
Billy Tea Safaris offers guests the chance to see the Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park in a custom built 4WD vehicle, where you can ride in air-conditioned comfort, enjoying the sites. Your naturalist driver guide has extensive knowledge of the flora, fauna and history of the area, as well as Aboriginal culture, ensuring you leave with memories to last a lifetime.
Features
- Informative naturalist tour guide
- Small group tour in a premium 4WD
- Explore the famous Chillagoe Outback Caves
- Drive past diverse dry tropical farmlands
- Visit the local Aboriginal rock art and Balancing Rock
- Feed the wallabies Granite Gorge and see local wildlife
- Spot kangaroos, emus, wallabies, wedge-tail eagles in the outback
- Pass through historic mining ghost towns and outback communities
- Find fossils in ancient limestone casts at Chillagoe
- View the once-booming Chillagoe smelter ruins
- Have an Outback Aussie lunch at a 100-year-old pub
- Morning Tea at Skybury Coffee Plantation
- Local Chillagoe Gift shop is a must see!
Important Information
- A reasonable level of fitness is required for this tour as there are steps into the caves, and uneven ground.
- The tour may be closed or itinerary changed due to the wet season where conditions may close roads and access to the caves. Please ensure that you wear closed-in footwear for the cave tour. Flip flops and high heels are not suitable for this tour.
- Port Douglas transfers are an additional cost.
Sample Itinerary
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Departs/Returns
Departs:
- Cairns 6:50am
- Northern Beaches 6:45am
- Port Douglas 6:00am
Returns:
- Cairns and Northern Beaches 6:30pm
- Port Douglas 7:30pm
Skybury Cafe
After being picked from your accommodation by your local drive guide, the journey begins up the Macallister Range, passed Kuranda and Mareeba to your first stop at Skybury Cafe for morning tea. The Skybury Plantation is Australia's ...
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Departs/Returns
Departs:
- Cairns 6:50am
- Northern Beaches 6:45am
- Port Douglas 6:00am
Returns:
- Cairns and Northern Beaches 6:30pm
- Port Douglas 7:30pm
Skybury Cafe
After being picked from your accommodation by your local drive guide, the journey begins up the Macallister Range, passed Kuranda and Mareeba to your first stop at Skybury Cafe for morning tea. The Skybury Plantation is Australia's oldest coffee farm and had been producing some of the best coffee and fruit for the past 30 years!
Historic Outback Mining Towns and Smelter Ruins
Travel through historical rural towns and rolling hills rich in minerals that eventually give way to towering limestone karsts scattered around Chillagoe. Stop by old railway stations preserved in time. Delve into the history of the abandoned Chillagoe Smelters site, which is now a heritage-listed refinery. It's a great representation from the days when minerals of copper, silver, lead and gold were mined at the turn of the 20th century. Perfect place to travel back in time and ponder what life was like living here.
Chillagoe Cave Tour
Explore the Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park on a private ranger guided tour. The fossilised remains of the ancient coral reefs with hidden limestone labyrinths give a portal to a lost world just like our own Great Barrier Reef. Millions of years in the making, the limestone formations are nothing short of spectacular.
Lunch at an Australian Country Pub
In true Aussie Outback style, you'll enjoy a hearty country pub lunch in the heart of Chillagoe with your fellow travellers. Cool down with a refreshing drink and get to meet the locals who call this place home.
Balancing Rock and Aboriginal Art
Wander around a circuit walk of Chillagoe, which takes you past a series of interesting rock formations, including the famed Balancing Rock. Make your way up to the vantage point where you'll have a picture perfect view of the entire Chillagoe region! Bear witness to ancient Aboriginal rock art and learn about these fascinating inscriptions and their cultural significance in Aboriginal Culture.
Granite Gorge and Rock Wallabies
Here we get to feed wallabies and hold other indigenous animals! This is a great chance to see Australia wildlife up close and enjoy them at their best. Travel through the back blocks of this wetland area viewing wallabies, emus and other wildlife and then along the irrigated agricultural paddocks of this fertile area, eventually crossing over the Great Dividing Range and back to Cairns.
More Information
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What To Bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Warm pull-over / sweater (for colder months)
- Camera
- Water bottle
- Cash or credit card for additional purchases, drinks, snacks, souvenirs
What's Included
- Naturalist guide
- Courtesy pick-up and return
- Air-conditioned 4WD vehicles
- Mareeba Wetlands & boat cruise
- Morning Tea
- Delicious Aussie Pub Lunch
- Tour of Chillagoe cave
- Chillagoe Smelters
- National park fees & Levy
- The ul...
Read More
What To Bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Warm pull-over / sweater (for colder months)
- Camera
- Water bottle
- Cash or credit card for additional purchases, drinks, snacks, souvenirs
What's Included
- Naturalist guide
- Courtesy pick-up and return
- Air-conditioned 4WD vehicles
- Mareeba Wetlands & boat cruise
- Morning Tea
- Delicious Aussie Pub Lunch
- Tour of Chillagoe cave
- Chillagoe Smelters
- National park fees & Levy
- The ultimate day in the outback!
What's Extra
- Transfer from Northern Beaches an additional $34pp.
- Transfer from Port Douglas an additional $99.00pp. Requires 2 pax min.
Terms and Conditions
All information provided at any time by Cairns Tours and our affiliates is subject to these Terms & Conditions. This includes but is not limited to tour information, pricing, blog posts, travel advice, itinerary information and availability.
Your Responsibilities:
Please advise us before booking if any passengers are under 18 years old to ensure this is the appropriate trip.
You must reconfirm all booked tours prior to travel as specified on your voucher. If applicable, notes such as dietary requirements, pick-up locations and additional fees should also be confirmed at this time. Reconfirmations cannot be actioned through Cairns Tours/Mr Travel and must be done so directly through the Service Operator as specified on each ticket.
It is your responsibility to notify us of ticket discrepancies. Please read through the details on your voucher thoroughly to ensure all details such as passenger names, ages and dates of travel on vouchers are correct.
It is the responsibility of all passengers travelling to advise both your travel agent at the time of booking and check-in agent before boarding of any medical conditions including food allergies you may suffer from.
You need to allow adequate time to check-in prior to the specified departure time. Please refer to the specific tour page for full check-in instructions.
Prices/Extra Costs:
All prices are stated in Australian dollars and include GST. The Service Operator reserves the right to alter prices and extra costs. Extra costs may include EMC fees, Stingersuit/Wetsuit Hire, Luggage Storage, Insurance, Linen Hire, National Park Fees, Fuel Levies, Dietary Fees, etc. Bonds may also apply.
We will also endeavour to communicate these extra costs with you at the time of booking, and on your ticket. However, it is your responsibility to confirm which (if any) additional costs apply with each Service Operator upon reconfirming your trip.
Travel Risk/Insurance:
It should be noted that adventure travel involves risk. Whilst we make every effort to safeguard clients, we cannot be responsible for personal injury or loss due to the actions of our clients which are beyond our control. We highly recommend that all clients have travel insurance covering illness, injury, loss or damage to personal belongings and not being able to travel on the confirmed date of departure. You should also ensure your travel insurance will cover special circumstances including weather events preventing guests from travelling to their tour departure destination and cancelled flights due to unforeseen circumstances.
Transport:
It should be noted that any transport you have booked (buses, flights and ferries) through Cairns Tours is non-refundable and non-transferable. It might be possible to change flights however do note this must be done directly with the flight operator and we are unable to offer any support with this. This may incur change fees or cancellation fees, it depends on the T+Cs of the flight operators themselves. As we acted as a booking agent for you, it is possible to liaise with the airline directly should there be any unexpected events and the airline is forced to cancel your flights. If there are any changes to your flight times or days, we will get notified and send this email directly to you in a reasonable time.
Merchant Fees:
Please be aware operators pass on credit card merchant fees so there is a non-refundable 1% surcharge for VISA and MASTERCARD card purchases.
Other:
Terms and Conditions (including the Cancellation Policy) are subject to change. The most recent versions can be found online on the relevant product pages.
All ticket/voucher reissues attract a $20 administration fee.
Transfers:
The Service Operator reserves the right to limit courtesy transfers to select local accommodations. Private residences or Airbnb properties may be asked to meet at the closest confirmed location. Failure to meet at the specified pick-up location may be treated as “No Show”, for which the Client Cancellation Policy applies. Not all tours offer transfers, please refer to the individual product to see if this is applicable to your tour.
Open Date Vouchers / Gift Certificate:
Shipping Costs are in addition to the ticket price and will be added at check-out. Shipping costs are non-refundable and do not makeup part of the ticket value.
E-Vouchers incur no shipping fees.
You have 5 years to use the value of the voucher. Seasonal Price Rises will apply if travelling out the current seasons pricing. Vouchers can be exchanged for free up to the full value of the voucher excluding credit card fees and charges.
Cancellations
Client Cancellations:
All cancellations forfeit 25% of the recommended retail price (RRP) - not the discounted/sale price. No shows or client cancellations made within 24 hours of departure forfeit 100% of the total ticket price.
Cairns Tours is required to notify the operator of any cancellations within the specified cancellation period. It is your responsibility to make sure you submit your cancellation request with adequate time, and during standard business hours (9am-5pm), to allow us to contact the tour provider.
Transfers between tours can be made at the suppliers' discretion, however, it should be noted that supplier fees may apply. Tour transfers also incur a $20 administration fee.
It is compulsory that all cancellation requests are in writing and sent via email to: admin@mr-travel.com. Cancellations attempted via online chat or phone will not be actioned.
Supplier Cancellations:
The Service Operator reserves the right to alter prices, alter itineraries, apply a fuel surcharge, cancel departures, arrange alternative transport and vary itineraries and services if necessary.
All departures and itineraries are subject to weather. Tours may be changed or cancelled for any reason at the discretion of the Service Operator. If the Service Operator has to cancel the trip or activity (prior to departure) and we cannot offer a suitable alternative, then a refund will be given minus a 20% administration fee and any associated card fees. We strongly recommend that you have travel insurance, especially during the wet season.
All add-on activities (including but not limited to scuba diving, stand-up paddleboarding, helmet diving, guided snorkel tours, banana boat rides and waterslides) are subject to availability and price changing, and may not be available during your tour without notice. Guests are not eligible for refunds on the grounds of non-operating extra activities.
In the unlikely event of your trip being cancelled or stood down, all guest communication is required to go through our Online Store via telephone or email. While there is a Travel Shop retail outlet located in Cairns, please be aware that they operate as a separate entity and are unable to access reservations made by the Cairns Tours/Mr Travel online department.
Refunds:
All refunds are in Australian Dollars and must be made to the card of payment. Cairns Tours/Mr Travel is not liable for exchange rate fluctuations or fees, or any other merchant/bank fees associated with domestic and/or international transactions.
Where a full refund is applicable, there is the option to transfer the whole cost of the tour to another tour or “Credit” to avoid the administration fee. A transfer fee of $20 will apply.
You will be emailed confirmation once the refund has been processed. Once the refund has been processed, it may still take time for the banks to clear the amount. Please allow 7-10 business days for the funds to clear into Australian accounts and up to 21 business days for international accounts.
Accountability/Misconduct:
All Service Operators have the right to provide client feedback and to cancel bookings based off of feedback from other Service Operators.
Please enjoy your travel experience in a kind and responsible manner.
Cairns Tours/Mr Travel will treat this as any normal client cancellation and therefore the cancellation fees stated in the Client Cancellation Policy will apply.
Information & Advice:
All information, advice or pricing provided by Cairns Tours and our affiliates, or through any of our team, is subject to change. Cairns Tours articles and products are provided online for general information purposes only and are intended as guides. Any advice interpreted from information on the website (including but not limited to financial, immigration, employment and tax information) is not specialist advice and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional instruction. Cairns Tours does not guarantee that any information provided is up-to-date or accurate. Please obtain professional advice before actioning any advice, including but not limited to tax, immigration, employment, travel restrictions and finances.
Thank you for booking with our East-Coast travel experts here at Cairns Tours/ Mr Travel. If you would like any further advice, assistance in arranging accommodation, transfers or additional tours please get in touch.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the tour start and finish?
Pick ups from Cairns City accommodations start from 6:30am, Northern Beaches from 6:45am and Port Douglas from 6:00am. Returning around 6:00 - 7:00pm. Please note that an additional fee of $34pp is required for pick ups from Northern Beaches and an additional fee of $99pp from Port Douglas.
What should I wear on this tour?
Please wear comfortable clothes and closed-in flat, walking shoes. Thongs (flip flops) and high heels are not suitable for this tour. Please notes that you may be refused entry into the caves for safety concerns from National Park staff if you are not wearing enclosed shoes. Bring a warm pull-over or sweater in the cooler winter months.
Are special dietary requirements catered for?
Billy Tea Safaris can cater for vegetarians and most other requirements within reason if medical and given adquate notice. Please advise your requirements at the time of booking. Please note that you will be touring to a remote destination and lunch will be at an outback pub. The selection will be minimal.
What level of fitness is required to join this tour?
You will need a reasonable amount of fitness for this tour as there are some stairs and uneven ground to navigate. It will take roughly an hour to walk through the caves system at a leisurely pace.
Is this tour suitable for someone in a wheelchair?
Due to the nature of the narrow cave passages, steps and elevated platforms at the Chillagoe Caves, this tour is not suitable for wheelchairs, walking aids or those with limited mobility.
I get claustrophobic in confined spaces, will I be okay in the caves?
There are a few confined spaces and narrow passageways as you make your way through the caves. If you know that you are uncomfortable in small spaces, please advise your guide prior to entering the caves.
Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0 / 5.0
Based on 3 reviews