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Full itinerary of The Solar Eclipse Marathon week

Day 1 - Saturday, 10 November 2012

  • Arrival in Port Douglas
  • Transfer to your hotel
  • Meet & Greet at the Sheraton Hotel

Upon arrival at Cairns International airport, Solar Eclipse Marathon coaches will be waiting to take you along the spectacular Captain Cook Drive northwards to Port Douglas. This 45-minute journey along the amazing northern Queensland coastline, will give you your first taste of what the week has to offer. After checking into your hotel, you will have the rest of the afternoon to explore the tropical paradise of Port Douglas.

In the evening, we will make our way to the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas for a fully-catered Meet and Greet function. This will be your first chance to mingle with all the other runners and spectators, share your stories and get to know your fellow Solar Eclipse Marathoners. Perfectly poised on Four Mile Beach and nestled in 130 hectares of lush tropical gardens between the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas is an oasis of luxury.

For guests who are staying in town, complimentary shuttle buses to the Sheraton Mirage will be provided for both the outbound and return journeys. 

Day 2 - Sunday, 11 November 2012

Day tours

Today will be a day of exploration. Port Douglas is one of the only places on the planet that is surrounded by two different World Heritage listed national parks – the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Today you will be discovering one of these jewels.

Tour A is an exclusive Solar Eclipse Marathon excursion to the largest coral reef in the world – the Great Barrier Reef. This full-day excursion takes you to the reef itself and will allow you to go diving, snorkelling and generally explore this amazing marine park. Your trip will include lunch so all you will need is your sense of wonder and your camera.

Tour B has two components – the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mossman Gorge Daintree Rainforest experience. Depending on your departure time, you will either have breakfast or lunch with the animals at the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary. Set on eight acres of land, you can wander through three different and unique environments that depict a wide variety of animals from the surrounding rainforest, wetlands and grasslands, including crocodiles, emu, kangaroos and, of course, koalas.

The second part of your Daintree experience is a trip to the Mossman Gorge, located approximately 45 minutes north of Port Douglas. Here the Mossman river winds its way through this tropical paradise, giving you the opportunity to get up close and personal with the rainforest itself. Don’t forget your camera!

For those who still have some energy left, or for those who simply want to stretch their legs, we will be going for a leisurely jog along Four Mile Beach in the evening and you are, of course, more than welcome to join us. Led by four-time Olympian and Australian running icon Steve Moneghetti, this will be a great opportunity to literally “run with a legend”. 

Day 3 - Monday, 12 November 2012

Day tours

Today will take on the same format as the previous day, only this time your tour will be reversed. For those who explored the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday,  this day will give you the opportunity to visit the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary and go on the Daintree Rainforest excursion. Participants who already visited the rainforest, will explore the Great Barrier Reef.

Once again you are welcome to go for a leisurely run with Steve Moneghetti along Four Mile Beach in the early evening. 

Day 4 - Tuesday, 13 November 2012

  • Day off
  • Pasta Party

Spend the day in Port Douglas discovering everything this tropical paradise has to offer. Take a tour, visit the wedding chapel, browse through the many boutique shops or simply relax on the beach, the choice is yours. Port Douglas has a multitude of things to entice you, so today is the perfect opportunity to meet new friends and explore.

In the evening, we will all head to the Port Douglas Marina for our exclusive Solar Eclipse Pasta Party. Catered by Lure Restaurant, one of Port Douglas’s finest restaurants, tonight will be all about making sure that you are well fuelled for tomorrow's marathon. There will be music and plenty of food so you will be able to relax and simply enjoy yourself.

For guests staying at one of our resort locations, all transfers are included to take you to the Pasta Party and back to the hotel. 

Day 5 - Wednesday, 14 November 2012

  • The Solar Eclipse Marathon

Today is the day we have all been waiting for. Starting well before dawn, our private coaches will pick you up from your hotel (if you are not within walking distance) and take you to our exclusive viewing area at the end of Four Mile Beach. Breakfast will be provided for all participants, runners and spectators alike. The eclipse itself will commence at approximately 5.51am and the totality will occur at approximately 6.38am. And two minutes and four seconds later, the first rays of the sun will reappear from behind the moon marking the start of The Solar Eclipse Marathon – the world’s first ever intergalactic start gun!

For details of the marathon route please go to The Marathon.

The end of the marathon will see you heading back towards Port Douglas, with a little side trip along the beach, before the spectacular finish in Rex Smeal Park. Jutting out into the ocean and surrounded by palm trees, the finishing line will feel all the more special knowing that you have truly arrived in paradise.

At the finish area, there will be plenty of food and drink for all participants and you will be encouraged to hang around to cheer home the remaining runners. For those wishing to head back, shuttle buses will be ready to take you back to your hotel.

In the evening, feel free to come and join your fellow runners and The Solar Eclipse Marathon team for a celebration drink or two in the centre of town – we would love to see you and don’t forget to bring your medal! 

Day 6 - Thursday, 15 November 2012

  • Relaxation day
  • Celebration dinner

After a well-earned day off you will be transported to the Solar Eclipse Celebration Dinner. Rex Smeal Park, where you finished the Marathon the day before, will be transformed into an outdoor banquet hall, complete with marquee, stage and dance floor.

The venue will feature stalls for you to choose food from, images of your triumphs from the day before and video of the race – so don’t forget to smile as you run! With entertainers and a full band playing, this will truly be a night to remember.

All food and drinks are included tonight. Transport will once again be provided for those who are not within walking distance of the park. 

Day 7 - Friday, 16 November 2012

  • Check-out
  • Transfer to Cairns Airport

If you are not staying on in Port Douglas, you will be picked up at your hotel for your transfer back to Cairns and your onward journey.
 

Read more about hotels and prices and find out what the price includes.

 
 
 
 
 

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The Solar Eclipse Marathon - the experience of a lifetime

 
 

 
 
 
 

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