Three weeks of natural drama awaits on this unrivalled road-trip, covering two states, dozens of gorges, a wonderland of waterfalls and countless encounters with wildlife. Fancy swimming with whale sharks, spotting crocs and meeting dolphins? Then there are the World Heritage Sites, national park trips and blazing sunsets. The ultimate in Northern Territory and Western Australia tours, it’s a journey that puts life in perspective – in the best possible way.
The Argyle Diamond Mine once produced 95% of the world’s rare pink diamonds. Visiting with an Aboriginal guide is eye-opening and educational.
We’ve known the family behind Hoochery Rum Distillery for eons. They’ll take you behind the scenes and show you how they make award-winning spirits.
Your First Nations host in Yanchep National Park is on a mission to reveal the ancient history of this pocket of WA. Dreamtime stories, bush-tucker tastings and didgeridoo sessions await.
Every step you take, every move you make… will help protect the national parks you visit for future generations, whether on land or in the water.
Have you ever wondered what life was like 3,500 million years ago? At Hamelin Pool you’ll find out while witnessing the world’s most abundant colony of stromatolites.
The Western Australian capital is colourful in more ways than one. There are alleys lined with eye-popping street art and installations, an homage to the state’s creatives. And wildflowers and natives blanketing 400-hectare Kings Park and Botanic Garden, set on a pretty bend of the Swan River. At the middle of it all is the Anzac Memorial, a spot as humbling as it is serene. Discover the sights on a tour, then head to dinner to meet your fellow adventurers. They’ll be best mates in no time.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza, Perth
Crowne Plaza Perth is located in the heartland of beautiful Perth Western Australia with picturesque Langley Park at the hotel doorstep. An upscale riverside hotel with spectacular views of the city’s iconic Swan River and just minutes from the Perth CBD, Crowne Plaza Perth is in the ultimate location.
Easy reach of the city and its many attractions make this Perth hotel the ideal place to stay whatever the occasion or reason for travel. The natural surrounds are ideal for relaxing and recreation, while onsite parking and free public transport make it simple and convenient to get around town.
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine
Talk about starting on a high. First stop is Yanchep National Park, where your Aboriginal guide decodes native plants and tells Dreamtime stories of how the land was created. Prepare to get hands-on, tasting bush tucker and even playing the didgeridoo. Well, trying to play it… Just as scene-stealing and spiritual are Nambung National Park’s Pinnacles, a staggering collection of natural limestone structures, jutting into the sky – up to 3.5 metres high. Some 30,000 years ago, the sea receded and left deposits of shells. Over time, coastal winds removed the sand, leaving behind this surreal moonscape. Arriving in Geraldton, pay homage to the 645 Australian sailors who were lost off the WA coast during WWII at the HMAS Sydney Memorial. Then discover the rest of the seaside town at your own pace, cycling to the red-and-white striped lighthouse, wandering the foreshore or visiting the cathedral.
Hotel: Mantra Geraldton
Looking for somewhere to stay in Geraldton? You want location, you want comfort, you want value. Mantra Geraldton hotel has it all and it’s right on the Batavia Coast Marina, Champion Bay.
Mantra Geraldton’s spacious apartments are close to the region’s best attractions like the Western Australian Museum, Geraldton CBD and the HMAS Sydney Memorial.
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Included Meals: Breakfast
Prepare yourself for the ‘living fossils’ at Hamelin Pool, home to the most abundant colony of stromatolites in the world. These astounding creatures show us what life was like 3,500-million years ago, when there was no other complex life on Earth. You’re officially in the state’s World Heritage listed Shark Bay, the largest of its kind in Australia with more than 1,000 kilometers of beaches. Not all of them sandy – welcome to Shell Beach. Here, the snow-white colour comes from billions of tiny coquina bivalve shells, up to 10 metres deep and stretching for 70 kilometers. And just when you thought the outlook couldn’t get any better, you arrive at Monkey Mia.
Hotel: Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, 2 Nights
Located in the heart of Western Australia’s Shark Bay, Monkey Mia is one of the world’s premier natural dolphin sighting areas.
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
If you didn’t fall in love with the gin-clear waters, powdery sand and rusty-red dunes of Monkey Mia last night, you certainly will today. Meet the wild resident dolphins that turn up to the shore every morning to interact with humans. They arrive in a pod, and splash about in the shallows, before dancing off to catch a few waves. When it’s time to tear yourself away, the afternoon is yours, at leisure. Sign up to see yet more dolphins on a sunset cruise, perhaps? Or enjoy a bird’s-eye perspective of Shark Bay on a scenic flight.
Included Meals: Breakfast
From this thriving marine ecosystem to overhead attractions, your next stop is the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum. Did you know it played a role in the 1969 moon landing, and was instrumental in the space race? These are among the gallery’s claims to fame, as you’ll discover touring the collection. Your visit here, with passionate guides, is interactive and educational, so prepare to channel your inner Neil Armstrong and try on space suits before climbing aboard a supercraft simulator.
Hotel: Best Western Hospitality Inn Carnarvon
We offer comfort and country hospitality. After a delicious breakfast with us, you may care to choose a relaxing day – take a day out at the Banana Plantation, relax by our swimming pool, have a coffee, or just enjoy a casual meal in our attractive alfresco garden dining area. Or you may wish to explore the local sights of Carnarvon and surrounds. Reminisce on the day’s adventure and dine in with us at ‘Sails’, our fully licensed, a La carte restaurant, offering high quality food at affordable prices. There’s something for every palate as well as a special children’s menu for children 12 years and under.
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Don’t want to get your hair wet? You’re in luck. Today’s cruise in a glass-bottomed boat allows you to glimpse the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Coast, and its extraordinary marine life, in comfort. Gliding around Coral Bay, your guide will point out colourful corals, turtles and playful fish – more than 500 species call this protected patch of ocean home. This pocket of the state is also blessed with Cape Range National Park, where immense gorges and waterfalls characterize the countryside. But your focus here should be firmly on the ocean, whether you’re swimming in it or cruising above it, or gazing over it from Vlamingh Head Lighthouse.
Hotel: Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort, 2 Nights
Novotel Ningaloo, the only resort on Sunrise Beach, is your gateway to the world heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef and the Cape Range National Park. Guests can enjoy a relaxing holiday escaping the winter chill or an action packed holiday taking part in the many activities the region has to offer.
Novotel Ningaloo, in the Exmouth Marina, has opened 68 of the planned 150 rooms, servicing the growing popularity of the nature based tourist destination.
The deluxe development includes a range of hotel rooms and one and two bedroom self contained apartments. Three bedroom apartments are available on request. The complex includes Gold Plate Award winning Mantaray’s restaurant, bar, lounge, resort-style swimming pool and gym with stunning beaches right outside your door.
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Depending on the time of year, Ningaloo Reef is home to both whale sharks and humpback whales. Thanks to the region’s ethically minded operators, you can now opt to snorkel with both. There’s nothing quite as humbling as spotting these enormous creatures in the wild. But if you prefer to stay dry, there are still ways to take in the coastline. Book an optional sunset cruise and you may well see a humpback breaching and blowing, dolphins in your wake. The decision is all yours today. We wouldn’t blame you for simply strolling along the sand…
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
There are a few (hundred) kilometers of Pilbara to cover between Exmouth on the coast and inland Karijini National Park. A frontier like no other, Karijini is a place where gorges seem to cleave off the edge of the Earth, waterfalls tumble from escarpments and remote turquoise rock pools shimmer like precious gems. The wilderness is wilder, the colours brighter, the air clearer. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think someone had taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. Even darkness doesn’t temper the natural drama. You’re miles from the nearest town, and in the absence of light pollution you can look forward to dazzling stargazing, even from bed in your safari-tent.
Hotel: Karijini Eco Retreat, 2 Nights
An environmentally friendly Retreat and Campground, nestled in the pristine bushland at Joffre Gorge – in the heart of the world class Karijini National Park.
Alongside the outback bush camping experience, the multi award winning Karijini Eco Retreat is the first and only facility to offer comfortable glamping accommodation in the Park! Offering quality accommodation and facilities, the management and staff look forward to welcoming you to a unique world of environmentally friendly, affordable accommodation and camping options with a touch of luxury and a taste of genuine mateship and hospitality in outback Western Australia!
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Bring your stamina and your camera – today’s Karijini tour weaves deep into the national park. It took billions of years to create the geological wonders you see: the red layered cliffs, the quiet gorges, the soaring gum trees and distinctive termite mounds. It covers a staggering 630,000 hectares just north of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Hamersley Range, making it WA’s second-largest national park. Its location also makes it steamy – if you packed your swimsuit, cooling off under waterfalls and drifting about in waterholes comes highly recommended.
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
The eye-opening colours of the Pilbara region are your backdrop today – rich red earth streaked with mineral deposits. It’s sparsely populated, but you will find people in the major hub of Port Hedland. There are plenty of local characters to meet over dinner at your hotel, which gets busy when musicians begin to play. Before you leave, head to a lookout to spot migrating humpback whales and snubfin dolphins cruising along the coast, season pending
Hotel: The Esplanade Hotel Port Hedland
The New Esplanade Hotel was completed in 2013 and offers something for everyone – from business to tourists travellers.
Most of the 108 hotel rooms feature balcony access to the well-manicured hotel grounds. All our modern rooms boast free Foxtel and In-House movies, broadband and wireless Internet access, tea and coffee-making facilities, a well stocked bar fridge and private en-suite bathroom. Interconnecting rooms to suit families and those featuring spas are also available as well as ample onsite parking for the discerning traveller.
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
The reason Broome was born is because of pearls – the waters here grow some of the best oysters in the world, as you’ll discover on a city tour. The ‘pearl rush’ saw fortune-seekers from around the world descend. And many never left, making Broome one of the most multicultural destinations in Australia. Today, the city is just as well known for its sizzling Indian Ocean sunsets, best enjoyed from a vantage on, or near, Cable Beach. This stretch of sand is long. So long that it can accommodated 4WDs, camels and foot-traffic. Perch here, or head to a waterside café. Order a drink, and settle in.
Hotel: Cable Beach Club Resort, 2 Nights
Take one idyllic, seaside location – complete with spectacular sunsets, gently swaying palm trees and Kimberley charm – add the finest food, unique experiences and luxury indulgences; and you have the ideal setting for a memorable holiday.
Welcome to the magnificent Cable Beach, home of the award-winning Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa – a holiday destination like no other. Your stay will be full of surprising wonders and endless ways to reconnect; with nature, your partner, your family and yourself.
Cable Beach Club offers a place to unwind, with two glistening pools, delicious cuisine at a choice of three restaurants, leisure facilities, the first Australian L’Occitane spa and a personal touch to every experience.
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Today is yours to explore. There are many reasons to linger in town, browsing pearl boutiques, tackling some of Cable Beach’s 22 kilometers, exploring colourful Chinatown. Or venture further afield on an optional experience to witness the full force of some of the world’s biggest tides. The Horizontal Falls is no ordinary waterfall. Here, changing tides push an immense amount of water through two narrow chasms in a short period of time. And voila – the appearance of a waterfall, tipped on its side. What does one do when faced with this rush? Tackle it in a speedboat, of course. For a different perspective, head to the skies on a scenic flight. Or do both.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Things are bigger in Broome, including the footprints. Some 125 million years ago dinosaurs left their mark along the coast. Glimpse their stomping ground before venturing toward Fitzroy Crossing, a remote town and the gateway to Danggu (Geikie) Gorge. This remarkable part of the Kimberley was formed by the Fitzroy River carving the Napier Range. This all happened in Devonian times, some 350 million years ago. It’s a fertile home to everything from freshwater crocs to fruit bats and wallabies, which will gaze at you from the top of the 30-metre-high cliffs that surround. That’s not the only reason to look up – keep watch for white-bellied sea eagles and rare, purple-crowned fairy wrens. It’s a fertile home for creatures big and small, from freshwater crocs to fruit bats.
Hotel: Fitzroy River Lodge
Fitzroy River Lodge is located in the heart of the Kimberley. Situated on the banks of the mighty Fitzroy River, Fitzroy River Lodge offers a wide range of accommodation to suit all travellers. At the Fitzroy River Lodge you can relax on fifty acres of natural bush with shady trees and landscaped gardens.
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Included Meals: Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Dive deep into First Nations culture on a visit to an art gallery, a community venue supporting Aboriginal creatives in the Fitzroy Crossing region. Your destination for the night is Halls Creek: small in population, but big in personality. Like your last port, Aboriginal Songlines are strong. These communities have lived on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert for millennia. European influence is more recent, thanks to a brief gold rush which revealed the potential of the land for cattle stations.
Hotel: Kimberley Hotel
The Kimberley Hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the local airport and approximately 500 metres from the town centre. It offers stylish kimberley accommodation and boasts the largest motel units in the region so if you like a little breathing space within your accommodation you won’t be disappointed.
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Included Meals: Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
When the Argyle Diamond Mine was in operation, it produced more than 95% of the world’s pink diamonds. Oh, the carats that have come out of here! It stopped mining these rare (and dazzling) gems at the end of 2020, but you can still visit the immense site with an Aboriginal guide. Which means you not only go behind the scenes of operations, but also learn about the significance of the land – the traditional Barramundi Dreaming site – to Aboriginal communities. From here you’re on the epic Gibb River Road, a wild adventure that traverses 660 kilometers across the Kimberley. You’re getting a taster en route to El Questro Wilderness Park, backdropped by the rusty red Cockburn Ranges. Hidden among the pandanus and palms are a string of slick safari-style tents. Which means you can gaze at the stars while you drift off to a chorus of frogs and cicadas.
Hotel: Emma Gorge Resort, Tented Cabin with private facilities, 2 Nights
Hidden within the fiery red of El Questro’s Cockburn Ranges, lies the spectacular Emma Gorge Resort with excellent facilities.
Tented cabins
Tented cabins allow you to stay in The Kimberley in style, while still remaining close to nature, in complete harmony with the surrounding landscape. The raised roofs of the tented cabins allow tropical sounds and scents to filter in as you drift off to sleep. And the canvas outer can be rolled up in parts, to assist the flow of a natural breeze through the cabins. All Tented Cabins have their own private en suite bathroom facilities.
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Included Meals: Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
No alarm-clock necessary: nature wakes you here. The Kimberley’s sounds follow you across the mighty Pentecost River to Chamberlain Gorge, a dreamy fresh waterhole where wallabies and crocs play (not with each other). Your boat is dwarfed by the gorge’s soaring 60-metre escarpments, a brilliant shade of orange in the morning sun. Days in this part of WA can heat up. This afternoon’s remedy? A splash in the resort’s pool, perhaps, or a dip in a waterhole within Emma Gorge. The latter is a challenge to reach – you will work up a sweat hiking there. But diving in at the end is worth the effort. Be sure to be back on your patio in time for sundowners.
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Kununurra appears to have been dropped in the middle of nowhere, born through the Ord River Irrigation Scheme. It now waters crops like sugarcane, turned into lip-smacking rum at family-owned Hoochery Distillery. Go behind the scenes with the owners; there’s time for a tasting, or sit down to a slice of delicious rum cake – your morning tea sorted. See what life was like in the region for early pioneers at the Durack Homestead Museum, which was meticulously moved and recreated before the land it formerly sat on was flooded as part of the Irrigation Scheme. The same project not only helped water the countryside but created Lake Argyle. A sunset cruise here, surrounded by tens of thousands of freshwater crocs and an embarrassment of birds, is something you won’t forget in a hurry.
Hotel: Kununurra Country Club Resort, 2 Nights
Centrally located in the heart of Kununurra and just five minutes from the airport, the Kununurra Country Club Resort features smart, modern rooms set amongst lush tropical gardens – the perfect retreat after a long day exploring Kimberley World Heritage Area.
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Included Meals: Breakfast
Today is one of decisions: An optional early-morning flight over (or 4WD tour of) the beehive rock formations of the Bungle Bungles in World Heritage listed Purnululu National Park? Or a wander with your Travel Director through Mirima National Park, known as the ‘mini-Bungles’ for its resemblance to its more well-known neighbour. Both experiences reveal the mind-boggling geology of this part of the world. Regardless, sunset should be enjoyed atop Kelly’s Knob. Follow the lead of locals, who hang out here on a nightly basis – because there’s no such thing as a ‘bad’ sunset.
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Say goodbye to WA and hello to the NT, your introduction to the state the vast pastoral lands that characterise the outback here. Locals come with plenty of country swagger, as you’ll discover when you meet the horseman and award-winning musician Tom Curtain for an afternoon of knee-slappin’ fun on a working station. Tom’s quite the entertainer, and regales visitors with songs and stories during his Katherine Outback Experience. It’s not a show or a tour, but an immersive adventure. One that is real, raw, and side-splitting at times.
Hotel: Paraway Motel
The Paraway Motel is within walking distance to the town centre. Set in tropical gardens with a shaded pool, Paraway Motel is a great place to relax while on holiday or traveling for work.
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Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Nature takes over at Nitmiluk National Park on Jawoyn land. The history and culture of the Traditional Landowners comes into full focus as you set off on a cruise through dramatic Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Remarkably, this is one of 13 gorges carved through the national park, and at every bend in the river, the sun casts its soaring sandstone cliffs a different colour. Your northern sojourn begins with yet more insights into the region’s historic events – the huge impact WWII had here is remembered in a war cemetery on the banks of the Adelaide River. It’s a sombre affair. More reminders of WWII await in sultry Darwin, where a city tour showcases architectural style as well as the events that have shaped it over the years.
Hotel: Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront
Perfectly positioned amongst the entertainment and dining hub of Darwin’s seafront promenade, Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront is surrounded by great shopping, a range of pubs and night clubs, as well as some of the most amazing restaurants and cafés in the NT.
No matter how you spend your day, Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront is the perfect place to retreat to. Dive into the refreshing waters of the pool, enjoy some delicious cuisine or a refreshing drink in Curve Restaurant + Bar, or withdraw to your private, comfortable hotel room.
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Included Meals: Farewell Dinner, Breakfast
It’s hard to believe this epic adventure has come to an end. Three weeks of incredible memories to take home with you.
Departs | Returns | Adult Twin Share | Single Room | Availability | ||
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6 Jun 2023 | 26 Jun 2023 | $15,855 | $21,154 | Available – Definite | ||
20 Jun 2023 | 10 Jul 2023 | $15,855 | $21,154 | Available – Definite | ||
4 Jun 2024 | 24 Jun 2024 | $16,650 | $22,215 | Available | ||
18 Jun 2024 | 8 Jul 2024 | $16,650 | $22,215 | Available | ||
9 Jul 2024 | 29 Jul 2024 | $17,125 | $22,850 | Available | ||
23 Jul 2024 | 12 Aug 2024 | $17,125 | $22,850 | Available |
Short note to thank you for a terrific itinerary and choice of accommodations. We got back from Australia having had the best 'real' holiday in years. Loved it! The order of the trip was perfect and all the hotel bookings worked seamlessly.
We had a wonderful time! We so appreciate your arranging everything for us. It all went very smoothly. We just had to show up where and when you told us to. It took away any stress to this leg of our journey.
At long last & very overdue, we wish to thank you very much for all the bookings you made on our behalf for our adventure. We were pleased with all the accommodation bookings you made, we particularly noted we got what we asked for, walk in showers, twin beds & all clean & tidy. Thanks Madi, well done!!
Just wanted to say a big thank you!!! We have now returned from our holiday & it was fantastic. We would really like to thank you for how well everything was organised. Accommodation & tours were fabulous. We really loved how well organised our trip was and this is a credit to you!!! Thanks again, will be recommending you to friends and family.