2026 Western Australia inc. Coral Coast

Today, tour members fly to Perth – capital city of Western Australia, with its Mediterranean climate, warm, sunny blue skies, magnificent waterways, relaxed lifestyle, fabulous beaches and coastline. On arrival, we will transfer to our hotel for a 2-night stay. Enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel this evening.

Nowhere else in Australia can you depart from a capital city by boat and arrive in an award-winning wine region on the same day. Relax and enjoy the iconic city skyline and beautiful picturesque landscape as you cruise leisurely into the upper regions of the Swan Valley. You will be treated to a delicious share platter lunch on board with wine, followed by a wine and macaron pairing experience at Mandoon Estate! All of this is capped off with live entertainment and tantalizing desserts on board your return cruise.

Our travels today take us to the city of Bunbury, the setting of many maritime legends and home to seasonal bottlenose dolphins. At nearby Mangrove Cove in the Leschenault Estuary, get a glimpse of what the coast looked like 20,000 years ago with a walk through Western Australia’s southern-most mangroves. We stop at Busselton for a walk along the jetty and a visit to the underwater observatory where we will descend eight meters to the ocean floor before continuing to the picturesque wine growing region of Margaret River stopping enroute at Vasse Virgin to learn about all things olive oil.

Today we journey along the rugged coastline to Cape Leeuwin, the most south westerly point of Australia where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet. Visit the lighthouse and later the Mammoth Caves, a large limestone cavern where a guided tour is included. Stop at Hamlin Bay where we may see stingrays near the waters edge. Continue to a winery for tasting and lunch. Return to Margaret River with a stop enroute at the Margaret River Chocolate Shop.

Today we venture through magnificent southern tall timber forests.  At Pemberton see the world’s highest fire lookout, located at the top of the Gloucester tree, 61 metres above the ground. Enjoy a tram ride through the forest with breath-taking views and visit the “Valley of the Giants”, where Karri, Jarrah and Tinglewood trees tower of the undergrowth.  Take a tree top walk above the forest canopy before continuing on to Albany where we will stay for 2 nights.

This morning we visit the National Anzac Centre, which opened in 2014 to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of the first WWI convoys departing Australia. We then tour historic Albany and surrounding area, where magnificent views of King George Sound can be enjoyed. We will view spectacular natural formations such as “the Gap”, a 24 metre drop to the sea and the natural bridge, a huge granite suspension bridge.  The remainder of the day is free to explore Albany at your own pace.

Today takes us into the rugged Stirling Range where high jagged peaks tower over the bushland.  View Bluff Knoll, the highest peak in the National Park and marvel at the scenery and the wildflowers in the area.  When the wildflowers are in bloom there can be more than 1,500 different species. We continue to the seaside resort town of Esperance and see the unusual phenomenon – Pink Lake and the brilliant blue water of Twilight Bay.

Visit Cape Le Grand National Park with it’s 31,000 hectares of weeping heathlands, rugged coastal peaks and white sandy beaches. Visit Thistle Cove where we will listen for the whistle of Whistling Rock and discover Lucky Bay, where kangaroos love to lounge on the beach.

Journey inland toward the gold mining town of Norseman and view Lake Lefroy, one of Australia’s largest salt lakes.  This afternoon takes us to the gold rush era streets and buildings of Kalgoorlie. See the vista over the staggering ‘Super Pit’ open-cut gold mine and join an underground mine tour at the historic Hannans North Mine. Later enjoy time to wander through this historic town and you may meet some of the characters of this unique region before we meet again this evening for dinner together.

Travel west to the former ghost town of Coolgardie, recently rejuvenated following new ore discoveries this town was once the third largest in Western Australia. The town once boasted a population of 30,000 and was home to 26 hotels, three breweries and seven newspapers. Continue on to Hyden where we visit Wave Rock, a striking rock formation stretching 110metres and resembling a gigantic wave ready to crash into the bush.

This morning we commence our journey back to Perth, stopping enroute at York, one of Western Australia’s oldest towns, nestled on the banks of the Avon River. Arrive in Fremantle and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure in this coastal town. Perhaps take a look at the Fremantle Markets with over 150 stalls if time permits.

A day trip to Rottnest Island, the protected nature reserve off the coast of Perth, home of the Quokka, a small wallaby-like marsupial, pelicans, historical heritage and beautiful sandy beaches. Return to Fremantle late afternoon.

This morning we head north along the Indian Ocean Drive as we make our way to the desert sands of Nambung National Park home to one of Australia’s most unique and fascinating natural landscapes, the Pinnacles. These fascinating lunar-like spires rise eerily out of the sand, some standing as high as five metres in stark contrast to the flat surrounds. We visit the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre and see the Pinnacles’ story revealed in interpretive displays, as well as some insights into the plants and animals that have made their home here. Continue to the town of Geraldton where we overnight. You might like to visit the HMAS Sydney II Memorial honoring the 169 crew members who lost their lives when the ship was attacked by a German U-boat during World War I.

Today we will head north as we make our way to Monkey Mia, located in the heart of the Shark Bay World Heritage region.  As we journey up the coast, we will have views of the southern end of the treacherous Zuytdorp Cliffs that stretch in an almost unbroken line for 300 km and were the site of so many early Dutch shipwrecks. You can easily see why this is known as the “Shipwreck Coast”.  Arrive in Monkey Mia where we will stay for 2 nights. This evening, we will enjoy an Aboriginal experience with didgeridoo performance and ‘bush tucker’ cooked over a campfire under the stars.

Every morning, Monkey Mia’s wild dolphins swim close to shore where the National Park Rangers explain the feeding habits of these friendly mammals. After watching the dolphins swim to shore (as they are wild their appearance can not be guaranteed) we will enjoy breakfast overlooking the bay before boarding an 18ft catamaran for a cruise around nature’s aquarium. On this marine life cruise we will search for sightings of dugongs, sponging dolphins, loggerhead or green turtles, manta rays and other amazing and endangered marine life.   Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. You may choose to take a scenic flight of Shark Bay Marine Park for views of the vast coastline or take a leisurely walk along Wulyibidi Yaninyina trail for incredible views and birdlife.

We will continue our journey North today with our first stop being Eagle Bluff for impressive views over the sparkling waters of Freycinet Inlet. We then visit Shell Beach, a rare stretch of snow-white coloured coastline, formed entirely of tiny white, up to 10 metres deep and stretching for 70 kilometres. Stop at Hamelin Pool, home to the most diverse and abundant examples of stromatolites in the world. Also referred to as ‘living fossils’, stromatolites are living representatives of life before dinosaurs. Rock-like in appearance, they’re actually alive and Hamelin Bay holds the world’s most abundant colony of them. We then continue north to Carnarvon where you can visit the Carnarvon Space & Technology Museum which was commissioned in 1964 and played a significant role in supporting NASA including the historic 1969 Moon Landing. It was responsible for giving NASA spacecraft the final ‘go-ahead’ to enter space and employed more than 200 people at the height of its operations.

This morning we depart Carnarvon and head for the breath-taking beauty of the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef. We’ll stop enroute at the Blowholes to witness the ocean swells forcing jets of water through sea caves, before continuing along the coast enjoying the ocean views as we travel.  Just steps from the world’s largest fringing reef, Exmouth is a coastal paradise of pristine white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. Whale Sharks (Mar-Jun) and Humpback Whales (Jun-Nov) find their home in the waters of the reef during their seasonal migration. Manta rays, dugongs, turtles, coral gardens and over 500 species of fish are also part of the marine life.

This morning we will enjoy a glass-bottom boat tour of the Ningaloo Reef, one of the world’s most stunning marine ecosystems, home to vibrant corals, diverse marine life, and crystal-clear waters. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure. You may wish to take a snorkelling tour, turtle feeding tour, scenic flight or enjoy time soaking up the coastal scenery. Late afternoon we will enjoy a sunset whale watching cruise with knowledgeable guides to provide us with fascinating commentary on Humpback Whales and the area’s wildlife.

Explore the Cape Range National Park today as we visit Yardie Creek Gorge for spectacular views and hopefully see rock wallabies. We also visit Turquoise Bay to admire the crystal clear waters. This afternoon, take a visit to the Exmouth Aquarium showcasing the fascinating history of the region and the amazing natural environment from the Reef to the Range.

Today we take a short flight from Exmouth to Perth for our final night in Western Australia.

Enjoy time at leisure this morning, before we return to the airport this afternoon to join our overnight flight back to Auckland.

Arrival time is early morning.