West Coast & Ningaloo Reef Adventure (Southbound)

Welcome to Western Australia! Your adventure begins in Exmouth, a seaside town boasting white sand beaches and turquoise waters. A meeting will take place around 3pm where you’ll meet up with your local leader and fellow travellers before heading off to Cape Range National Park where your leader will take you to the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse from where you can take in views of the famous Ningaloo Reef. Enjoy an evening at leisure in Exmouth.

Get ready for an experience you won’t soon forget, first driving to picturesque Coral Bay, home to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. Join your group for a glass-bottom boat tour where you can see up to 250 species of coral and more than 500 species of colourful fish. Take to the waters with a snorkel. This afternoon, check out the Carnarvon Cactus Farm, have the opportunity to check out some of the delicious produce along the Gascoyne Food Trail and snap a photo at the Carnarvon Space and Technology Centre which was created to support NASA's Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs. Stop at the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre and learn about the region’s culture and country from its First Nations custodians.

This morning, visit the Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve and see marine stromatolites, or ‘living fossils’, which are widely regarded as the best of their kind in the world. Then enjoy a stop at beautiful Shell Beach, one of only two beaches in the world composed entirely of shells. Continue towards Denham where you can stroll along the Eagle Bluff boardwalk and enjoy the view from the lookout. This afternoon is yours to relax on the pristine shores of Monkey Mia until later on when you'll join an evening First Nations experience where you will learn about Gutharraguda (Shark Bay) from the Nhanda and Malgana people. Try your hand at playing the didgeridoo or traditional conch shell and taste some bush tucker prepared by your hosts over the open fire. Tonight you’ll stay at a beachfront resort overlooking Shark Bay.

After breakfast, watch Parks and Wildlife rangers feed the resident bottlenose dolphins at Monkey Mia and learn about these animals and other local marine life – this is a memory that is sure to stick with you long after your adventure is over! Then it’s time to hit the road once more and drive on to Kalbarri National Park, where you can appreciate the park’s diverse scenery including Nature’s Window, Z-Bend Gorge and the amazing Kalbarri Skywalk. You’ll spend tonight at a well-located resort within the park.

Jump on a boat at the Kalbarri Marina this morning and set sail for the open ocean where you’ll learn about the local rock lobster industry and help pull up some lobster pots and re-bait them, ready to catch more delicious rock lobster before you return to the marina. The rest of the day in Kalbarri is yours to enjoy your way. Opt for a relaxing day at the beach or sign up for one of the many optional activities that are available in Kalbarri such as scenic flights, quad bike tours, canoe hire, or abseiling the Z-Bend at the national park.

Kick off the day with a visit to the photogenic Pink Lake at Hutt Lagoon before carrying on to historical Northampton. Join your leader for a walk around Northampton, one of the oldest towns in Western Australia, and admire dozens of historically significant buildings dating back to the 1800s. You’ll also visit a First Nations art gallery to see some beautiful pieces being made, and if you are lucky have the chance to meet the artists. Travel to Geraldton in the afternoon. Join your leader for a walk around town to learn about the region’s maritime history, see St Francis Xavier Cathedral, and perhaps spot some seals as you stroll along the waterfront at sunset.

This morning’s scenic journey along the Indian Ocean Drive will take you through Cervantes and to the Leaning Trees of Greenough. Along the way, you’ll also stop at the largest dunes in Western Australia and The Pinnacles at Nambung National Park where natural limestone pillars tower above the sand to create an otherworldly landscape. Arrive into Perth (Boorloo in the language of the local Whadjuk Nyoongar people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Perth is now located), the capital of Western Australia at which point your adventure will come to an end.