Ultimate Golf, Wine, and Wildlife + Great Barrier Reef
In Tasmania, golf Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm before wine tasting and wildlife viewing. Fly to King Island for golf at Cape Wickham, followed by legendary Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne Golf Clubs. Finish with 3 days in Port Douglas for a reef and indigenous walkabout.
We designed this Ultimate Golf, Wine, and Wildlife + Great Barrier Reef package for 2 couples from North Carolina traveling together. They wanted to play Australia’s ultimate bucket list golf courses—and this trip gave them the perfect opportunity to see Australian wildlife and the iconic Great Barrier Reef, as well!
The first leg of their Ultimate Golf, Wine, and Wildlife + Great Barrier Reef package was a luxury golf adventure in Tasmania and King Island. These remote courses of Australia are home to some of the world’s most acclaimed golf courses: Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm in Tasmania, and Cape Wickham Links and Ocean Dunes on King Island. We set them up with a private jet charter for a true VIP adventure.
To break up the golf, we arranged a privately guided, 2-day wildlife tour of Tasmania. They spotted the elusive platypus in the wild, sampled delectable wines in the Pipers River region (known as “Sparkling Tasmania” for its wonderful sparkling white varietals), and explored national parks. The highlight was a gourmet campfire dinner in the wilderness, where unique Australian animals wandered right up to their group!
Next on their Ultimate Golf, Wine, and Wildlife + Great Barrier Reef package, they flew to Melbourne, Australia’s culinary and golf capital. Here, they played the top 2 courses in Australia, as ranked by Golf Digest‘s Top 100 Golf Courses: Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath.
The last stop on their journey was tropical Port Douglas, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. They spent a full day snorkeling in the outer reef, and they also had a wonderful day exploring the ancient Daintree Rainforest with an Aboriginal guide who revealed the forest’s cultural history and hidden secrets.
When their Ultimate Golf, Wine, and Wildlife + Great Barrier Reef package came to an end, they found it difficult to say goodbye to beautiful Australia. Having golfed some of the world’s most bucket list-worthy courses, encountered unique wildlife up close, and explored the Great Barrier Reef, they returned home with many fabulous stories to tell and photos to share!
Accommodations
- 2 Nights Lost Farm Lodge
- 2 Nights Cape Wickham Links
- 2 Nights Beulah Bed and Breakfast
- 3 Nights Crown Promenade Melbourne
- 3 Nights Shantara Port Douglas
Transportation
- Return flights to King Island
- Private airport transfers
- Private golf transfers
Touring
- 2 Day Private Wildlife Touring Tasmania
- Full Day Great Barrier Reef Cruise
- Full Day Aboriginal Tour in the Daintree Rainforest
Golf
- 18 Holes Barnbougle Lost Farm
- 18 Holes Barnbougle Dunes
- 18 Holes Cape Wickham Links
- 18 Holes Ocean Dunes King Island
- 18 Holes Royal Melbourne
- 18 Holes Kingston Heath
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1
Are you ready for the golf adventure of a lifetime? A private jet will whisk you between some of Australia’s top golf courses, giving you more time to enjoy the game! Start your journey in Melbourne, where a short flight brings you to Barnbougle’s private airfield. Enjoy a coffee, hire your clubs if required, and chat to the local pro before teeing off for 20 holes at Barnbougle Lost Farm, one of the top-rated golf courses in Australia.
With a reputation for minimalist course design and a philosophy that traditional, strategic golf is the most rewarding, head architect Bill Coore created Barnbougle Lost Farm with the intention of complementing the canvas provided by the dramatic Anderson Bay coastline. This course’s coastline fairways will excite golfers of all abilities. Stay onsite at the luxurious Lost Farm Lodge.
The Lost Farm Lodge
Day 2
Today, play Barnbougle’s other famous course, Barnbougle Dunes. This acclaimed course mirrors the wild, coastal links courses of Scotland, following undulating dunes. Golf at Barnbougle is a game of strategy, where each shot requires tactical thought, and a little creativity can be very rewarding. It’s strong enough to test gifted golfers, yet fair enough to be enjoyed by the average player.
The Lost Farm Lodge
Day 3
Rise early today and board your private jet for a scenic flight from Launceston to King Island. Here we’ve arranged a tee time for your group to play the Cape Wickham Golf Course. One of the most remote golf courses in the world, Cape Wickham was unveiled in 2015 to great fanfare and was quickly ranked among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World. A diverse natural landscape of sand dunes, limestone outcrops, and coastal cliffs overlooking the Bass Strait makes for a challenging game with breathtaking ocean views.
Cape Wickham Links
Day 4
Today, you will tee off at the other highly acclaimed golf course on this most remote of islands: Ocean Dunes. Incorporating rolling dunes and unsurpassed views along the dramatic coastline, Ocean Dunes features heroic tee shots leaving simple approaches to the greens.
Cape Wickham Links
Day 5
Today travel back to the main island of Tasmania. And then meet an expert naturalist guide for a multi-day wildlife tour in the remote regions of Tasmania. First, enjoy some wine tasting in Pipers River and Pipers Brook. These rural areas are renowned as one of the best and most famous wine-growing districts and remains an important viticulture region of Tasmania in terms of quality and output. It produces about 30% of Tasmania’s wine. With a climate close to that of Champagne in France, this region is known simply as ‘Sparkling Tasmania’.
Then, the hunt is on for the fascinating and elusive platypus before traveling to a nearby cabin surrounded by native forest for dinner and a nocturnal wildlife tour. Relax to the afternoon sounds of the forest birds and enjoy a campfire dinner with Tassie wine or beers in hand. When the sun sets, you’ll embark on a guided walk into the forest to see the clingers and climbers of the Tassie bush.
Beulah Heritage B&B
Day 6
Spend another day in the Tasmanian wilderness to pursue the platypus and echidna (the only 2 egg-laying mammals, or monotremes, in the world)! Explore Ben Lomond National Park, where you’ll see fantastic pillar-shaped rock formations, slopes full of gorgeous alpine vegetation, and spectacular views over the ocean. After a picnic lunch, continue on to Evercreech Forest Reserve, where the tallest white gum trees in the world await! Find yourself walking amongst ancient, towering tree ferns and soak up the gorgeous surroundings. End the day by the campfire with some delicious bush tucker cuisine and a glass of local Tassie wine, and watch as the nocturnal wildlife wanders right up to your camp!
Beulah Heritage B&B
Day 7
Today you fly to Melbourne, Australia’s culinary and golf capital. This vibrant, cosmopolitan city is a sharp contrast to the remote corners of Australia you’ve visited so far. Enjoy an evening at leisure to explore the city’s exceptional bars and dining experiences.
Crown Promenade Melbourne
Day 8
It’s off to play Kingston Heath Golf Club, one of the crown jewels of Melbourne’s world-renowned Sandbelt golf courses. Ranked as one of the Top 100 Golf Courses in Australia and the world, this 18-hole course is built on only 50 hectares, while most modern courses are built on over 100 hectares. Its bunkering and clever use of dips and hollows can fool the non-observant golfer.
Crown Promenade Melbourne
Day 9
Today, you will enjoy a round of golf at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, another treasure of Melbourne. Royal Melbourne’s 2 courses, the East and West Courses, are both ranked among the best in the world, and this renowned course is a popular venue for Australian and international golf events, including the Presidents Cup. Follow in the steps of the greats by teeing off at this prestigious club that has hosted the World Cup of Golf 4 times.
Crown Promenade Melbourne
Day 10
Today, transfer to northern tropical Queensland—home of the one and only Great Barrier Reef—by plane. Upon arrival in Cairns, enjoy a shared transfer to Port Douglas and your luxurious accommodations at Shantara Resort. Make yourself at home and enjoy 3 fabulous nights in Port Douglas, where 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet: the Great Barrier Reef and the ancient Daintree Rainforest.
Shantara Resort Port Douglas
Day 11
Get ready for the experience of a lifetime: exploring the Great Barrier Reef! Quicksilver’s wave-piercing catamarans and friendly crew will take you to a reef at the very edge of Australia’s Continental Shelf. You can choose to dive, snorkel, or stay dry and explore the stunning reef from the comfort of a Quicksilver semi-sub, just 1 meter underwater. Time to cross the Great Barrier Reef off your bucket list!
Shantara Resort Port Douglas
Day 12
Today, join our mates at Walkabout Cultural Adventures for an Aboriginal-guided tour of the mesmerizing Daintree Rainforest. Your guide will share his intimate knowledge of the land, showing you medicinal or culinary uses for the local plants. Then, you’ll head to a secluded stream with no one else around for swimming and spear fishing. This incredible tour gives you access to part of the rainforest that other tourists don’t get to see.
Shantara Resort Port Douglas
Day 13
Your incredible adventure comes to an end today. Enjoy a private transfer to the Cairns airport, where you will begin your journey home.
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