The phrase "Down Under" conjures images of red desert horizons, emerald rainforests, and coastlines that stretch to infinity — and the reality exceeds the imagination. Australia is a continent of breathtaking contrasts: the oldest continuous living culture on earth, 7.69 million square kilometres of jaw-dropping landscape, and wildlife that evolved in near-total isolation for 45 million years.
Cooee Tours has been guiding travellers through these landscapes since 1992. We know where the light hits Uluru at its most extraordinary, which cellar doors pour their best vintages on a Saturday morning, and which rainforest trails reveal a wild cassowary if you're quiet enough. Our guides don't read from scripts — they share genuine passion for the country they call home.
Six experiences that define what it means to explore Australia the right way — deeply, knowledgeably, and with outstanding local guides.
Witness the sacred monolith shifting from deep violet to burning gold at sunrise. Walk the 10.6km base trail with an Anangu cultural guide sharing Dreamtime stories spanning 60,000+ years.
Snorkel or dive among 1,500 fish species across the world's most biodiverse marine ecosystem. Full-day reef experience departing Cairns or Port Douglas with expert marine naturalists onboard.
Lush valley drives through Canungra and Tamborine, with visits to boutique cellar doors and Husk Distillery's award-winning tropical rum estate. Paired tastings, artisan cheeses, panoramic valley views.
Feed kangaroos at dawn, hold a sleepy koala, spot wild echidnas on forest trails, and search for the endangered Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo. Our naturalist guides know exactly where to find them.
One of the world's great coastal drives — from surf breaks and Otway rainforest walks to the dramatic limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles lit by golden hour. An absolute bucket-list day tour.
Cradle Mountain at dawn, Gordon River wilderness cruises through ancient Gondwana rainforest, and single-malt whisky distilleries hidden in mountain valleys. Tasmania is Australia's greatest kept secret.
Whether you're a keen angler, a wildlife photographer, a wine enthusiast, or simply want to stand somewhere that takes your breath away — Down Under has it all.
Three decades of Down Under expertise delivered with genuine passion, local knowledge, and unmatched care.
Our guides are passionate locals who know every back road, hidden lookout and insider story. We share what we genuinely love about this extraordinary country — not a scripted commentary.
Modern air-conditioned touring coaches with hotel and cruise ship pickup points across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Travel in genuine comfort from the moment we collect you.
We hold ATAS accreditation (Australia's national travel accreditation scheme), a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, and a 4.8-star average across 650+ independent reviews.
Our groups are kept deliberately small so you receive personal attention, flexible itinerary moments, and genuine connections with both the landscape and fellow travellers.
We operate with deep respect for Indigenous Country. Our guides share cultural context responsibly and we actively partner with Traditional Custodians wherever we travel.
Our Gold Coast team is reachable on 0409 661 342 before, during and after your tour. No overseas call centres, no automated systems — just people who genuinely care about your experience.
Australia spans 7.69 million square kilometres. Let Cooee navigate you through the highlights of each remarkable state and territory.
Australia's vast geography means the best time to visit each region varies significantly. Use this seasonal planner to choose your ideal departure window.
The wet season transforms the Daintree into an explosively lush landscape. The Reef's biodiversity peaks as water temperatures rise. Avoid the Red Centre — temperatures routinely exceed 45°C November through February.
Harvest season transforms the Barossa and Hunter Valleys. Perfect weather for wine touring, city exploration in Melbourne and Sydney, and Great Ocean Road drives. The Outback starts to cool beautifully.
Peak season for Uluru and the Red Centre — cool, dry, stunningly clear. Queensland's dry season delivers pristine reef conditions and brilliant sunshine. Humpback whale migration begins along the east coast.
Tasmania erupts in wildflowers from October. The Grampians bloom spectacularly. Humpbacks return south along the coast. Excellent shoulder-season pricing across all regions with warm, settled weather.
When people dream of a journey to Down Under, they're imagining something that exceeds almost every expectation. Australia is simultaneously the world's largest island and its smallest continent — a landmass so geologically ancient and ecologically extraordinary that it contains rainforests older than the Amazon, deserts where stars fill the entire sky, and coastlines that stretch for 34,000 kilometres. No trip here is ever the same twice, and no destination ever feels familiar.
Cooee Tours has been unlocking this continent since 1992. In three decades of guiding travellers through Australia's most iconic landscapes, we've refined what it means to experience Down Under genuinely — not from a tourist bus window, but at the edge of Uluru's base trail as the morning light shifts from amber to gold, or standing knee-deep in the Great Barrier Reef as a hawksbill turtle drifts past within arm's reach.
For the majority of international travellers, Queensland serves as the front door to the Down Under experience — and Cooee's home base on the Gold Coast is perfectly positioned to show you why. Within a single day's drive, we can reach the Great Barrier Reef (via Cairns), the Hinterland wine country of Canungra and Tamborine, the Lamington National Park's ancient Antarctic beech forests, wild koala sanctuaries at Currumbin, and the rainforest waterfalls of O'Reilly's Plateau.
The Queensland Hinterland is a particular passion of ours — a destination that repeatedly surprises visitors expecting only beaches. The rolling green valleys, boutique cellar doors, and the unique rum distillery at Husk Farm (where tropical sugarcane is fermented and aged in former bourbon barrels) represent a wine and spirits culture that's gaining serious international recognition.
No Down Under journey is complete without Uluru. The great sandstone monolith rises 348 metres above the flat Amadeus Basin and extends a further 2.5 kilometres underground — making what we see only the very tip of a vast geological formation. But Uluru is far more than geology. It is the living spiritual centre of the Anangu people, whose connection to this Country extends back at least 10,000 years according to carbon dating, and far longer in the Dreamtime traditions that predate any written record.
Cooee Tours approaches Uluru with the respect it deserves. We guide base walks, support cultural tours led by Anangu rangers, and facilitate sunrise and sunset viewings from the dedicated viewing areas. Following the traditional owners' request — and the permanent climbing ban implemented in October 2019 — we ensure every visitor leaves Uluru with a deeper appreciation of its cultural significance.
Every Cooee tour begins with a personal hotel, resort or cruise ship pickup — no navigating unfamiliar roads to a distant departure point. Our modern touring coaches are air-conditioned, spacious and designed for Australian distances. And our guides — selected for genuine local knowledge, warmth, and storytelling ability — transform a great landscape into an unforgettable narrative.
We handle permits, park entry fees, timing, food and beverage bookings, and every logistical detail so you can focus entirely on the experience. From a single day trip into the Gold Coast Hinterland to a multi-week circumnavigation of the continent, Cooee Tours scales to match your ambitions. Call our team on 0409 661 342 or browse our full tour catalogue at cooeetours.rezdy.com to start planning your Down Under adventure.
Down Under tours with Cooee cover mainland Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand — from Queensland's tropical coast and the Red Centre to the Great Ocean Road, Barossa wine country and Tasmanian wilderness. All tours include expert guiding, hotel pickups, full commentary and relevant entry fees.
Most Cooee Tours depart from the Gold Coast and Brisbane with multiple hotel, resort and cruise ship pickup points. Selected tours also depart from Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. Call 0409 661 342 to confirm the exact pickup points for your preferred tour and departure date.
We recommend booking 4–8 weeks in advance, particularly for peak season (June–August) and popular experiences such as Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, where departures fill quickly. Same-week bookings are sometimes available — call 0409 661 342 to check current availability.
Absolutely. Cooee Tours specialises in comfortable, well-paced touring for all ages. Our modern air-conditioned coaches are accessible and our guides thoughtfully adjust the pace and walking distances to suit the group's needs. Many tours are explicitly designed for families and seniors travelling Australia.
April–October (dry season) is ideal for Queensland and the Red Centre. The Great Ocean Road and Melbourne are enjoyable year-round. Tasmania's wildflower season peaks November–January. Our team will advise on optimal timing based on your preferred destinations and travel style.
Yes — our Custom Tours service designs fully bespoke itineraries for individuals, couples, families and groups of any size. Submit an enquiry via our website or call 0409 661 342 and we'll deliver a detailed proposal within 24 hours, tailored precisely to your interests, duration and budget.
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