itinerary
Day 1. Welcome to Perth
Perth may be the West Australian capital, but it’s home to a remarkable amount of green space. Join your Travel Director on a city sights tour and a stroll in Kings Park, whose Botanic Garden is home to over 3,000 floral species. Meet again this evening for dinner with your travelling companions. Hotel: Holiday Inn West Perth. Included Meals: Dinner
Day 2. Perth – Wave Rock
Wave Rock deserves its name – the cliff resembles an enormous surf wave above the bush. Wave Rock locals are a friendly bunch, passionate about the place they call home. But don’t take our word for it. Meet Sheenagh, who will show you her farm and talk life on the land. Which can be harsh, but also healing, in a way unique to the Aussie outback. You may even get to feed her cattle. View the family’s collection of vintage cars and hear about the stories behind them. Hotel: Wave Rock Motel, Hyden. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3. Wave Rock – Kalgoorlie
View the wide gold rush era streets and buildings of Kalgoorlie and see the vista over the staggering ‘Super Pit’ open-cut gold mine. Today’s outings continue to gleam as you visit Hannans North Mine; nothing puts life into perspective like standing next to enormous Haul trucks and loaders. Hotel: Rydges Kalgoorlie. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4. Kalgoorlie – Esperance
More than 31,000 hectares of sweeping heathlands, rugged coastal peaks and white sandy beaches… it’s no wonder Cape Le Grand National Park is voted among the most alluring of its kind in Australia. Just when you thought WA couldn’t get any prettier, you arrive at Thistle Cove – listen for the whistle of the Whistling Rock among the sounds of wind and sea – and Lucky Bay, a postcard-worthy cove where kangaroos sunbake on the sand. Hotel: Comfort Inn Bay of Isles. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5. Esperance – Albany
Today’s journey takes you to Stirling Range National Park, blanketed with 1,500 species of wildflowers (seasonal), some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Enjoy perspective from the Bluff Knoll Lookout, one of WA’s highest peaks. Hotel: The Dog Rock Motel. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6. Albany Free Time
Nature, history, food and wine… there’s not much that Albany can’t do. The hardest thing you have to decide is which direction to wander. Perhaps opt for a tour to the last port of call for ANZAC troopships departing Australia in WWI. Maybe explore Torndirrup National Park, where steep cliffs give way to dramatic rock formations and whales are a common sight. Or get a taste for the region on a culinary excursion (all own expense). The choice is yours. The choice is yours. Hotel: The Dog Rock Motel. Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 7. Albany – Margaret River
Suspended 40 metres above the forest floor, the Tree Top Walk gives you a bird’s-eye view of the soaring tingle trees that stand large through the Valley of the Giants. The Margaret River region of Western Australia deserves its reputation as one of the county’s top grape-growing areas. There are too many high-quality vineyards to name here. So, we’ll give you just one: Hamelin Bay Wines. Since 1992, this postcard-perfect estate has been producing wines that hero this pocket of the state, where the Indian and Southern oceans converge. The result is delicious drops that span the spectrum from sparkling to shiraz, rose to reserve chardonnay, which you’ll enjoy during a hosted tasting at the cellar door and then a two-course dinner in the on-site restaurant. Hotel: Stay Margaret River. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8. Margaret River – Fremantle
The Margaret River is one of the only wine regions in the world where grapes are grown just metres from the sand. Grapevine backdrops follow you all the way to Busselton, home to the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Tip your cap to those who built this 1.8-kilometre structure out into Geographe Bay. The remainder of the day is all yours in Freo. Why not explore the Fremantle Markets, which boasts over 150 stalls? Hotel: Esplanade Hotel Fremantle – by Rydges. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9. Fremantle Free Time
Sometimes, the most memorable travel days are those where you lose yourself wandering the foreshore, lingering over lunch or a cool ale. We highly recommend you spend this day of leisure doing just that (Freo’s Little Creatures Brewery is legendary). Of course, having a local show you around also has its benefits, with a Fremantle tour revealing those hidden haunts most visitors pass right on by. If you’re catching the ferry for a Rottnest Island tour, make sure you have your phone ready to capture selfies with the island’s smiley quokkas, not to mention the blindingly turquoise water (both own expense). Hotel: Esplanade Hotel Fremantle – by Rydges. Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 10. Fremantle – Geraldton
Yanchep National Park is staggeringly beautiful, a union of bush and wetlands that is as spectacular as it is sacred. The best way to understand its significance to First Nations communities is in the company of an Aboriginal guide. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, hear about how stories are told and used, and didgeridoo playing, and hands-on learning with traditional tools. Two national parks in one day – your next stop is Nambung National Park where you’re greeted by an ethereal moonscape. Your Pinnacles tour meanders around this collection of head-scratching limestone formations. This afternoon, Geraldton’s moving HMAS Sydney Memorial beckons. Hotel: Nesuto Geraldton Apartment Hotel. Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 11. Fremantle – Monkey Mia
Get set for Monkey Mia, located in the heart of the Shark Bay World Heritage region. Keep your sunnies handy at Shell Beach, a powder-white cove formed from billions of coquina bivalve shells up to 10 metres deep, and Hamelin Pool, the world’s best-known colony of stromatolites. Believe it or not, these rock-like formations are alive. Aboriginal communities have lived in Shark Bay for 65,000 years; you’ll discover this history when you join proud Nhanda man, Darren ‘Capes’ Capewell. Hear how stories are told, before a didgeridoo performance – men will get a lesson, while women accompany on clapsticks. This experience includes a tasting of bush tucker cooked over a campfire. Hotel: Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12. Monkey Mia Free Time
This morning watch for the dolphins that swim into shore. The rest of the day is at leisure. We wouldn’t blame you wandering barefoot along the beach, ordering sundowners as the day disappears in a blaze of glory. Perhaps the best way to gain perspective of the vast coastline is on an optional scenic flight over Shark Bay Marine Park. Hotel: Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 13. Monkey Mia – Kalbarri
At the Kalbarri Skywalk you’ll be welcomed to Country by an Indigenous guide, explaining the stories behind the land on which you stand. Look around you – there’s plenty to eat in the Aussie bush, not to mention traditional medicines to cure what ails you.. Hotel: Kalbarri Edge Resort. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14. Kalbarri – Perth
Just when you thought WA couldn’t get any more colourful, Hutt Lagoon appears on the horizon – one of the state’s pink lakes that changes its pink hues depending on the conditions. Arriving back in Perth you have a Farewell Dinner with your new friends and reminisce about the last two weeks. Hotel: Holiday Inn West Perth. Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Day 15. Farewell from Perth
Bid farewell to your fellow travellers when your trip concludes after breakfast. Included Meals: Breakfast
dates & pricing
Follow Us