Broome to Perth Overland Adventure

Day 1: Broome / Pardoo Station

Welcome to the pearling town of Broome, where your Western Australian adventure begins. Those keen on beach-lazing might like to arrive a few days earlier, as the local beaches are superb. Meet your group and depart Broome early this morning and cross the Great Sandy Desert, calling in at Eighty Mile Beach for a stroll along the white sand. Spend the night in hostel style accommodation on a cattle station in the Pilbara Region. 

Accommodation

• Hostel (twin-share with shared facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Pardoo – 80-Mile Beach

Meals Included

• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 6 hours and approximately 550km. Please note that the tour commences early this morning in Broome at our default pick-up location (details can be found in the Essential Trip Information document), unless you or your booking agent requests an alternative pick-up location well ahead of departure. We do not take responsibility for missed tours if we have not been advised of an alternative in advance and you are not at the default location on time.

Day 2: Port Hedland / Karijini National Park

This morning we head toward Karijini National Park with a stop and a quick tour of Port Headland to check out the iron ore mecca of Australia. If time permits, we may duck into one of the gorges this afternoon upon arrival at Karijini. If not, we’ll set up camp in the park and get a good night’s rest before we head in for a full day of exploring tomorrow.

 

Accommodation

• Camping (with facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Port Hedland – City Tour

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 6.5 hours and approximately 550km. Total walking distance can be up to three kilometres, some sections may be through water.

Day 3: Karijini National Park

Spend a full day exploring the gorges, gullies and secluded swimming spots of Karijini. Weano Gorge, Hancock Gorge, Dales Gorge and Oxers Lookout are just some of the better-known sites we’ll get to. This, without any doubt, is one of Australia’s most magnificent national parks (and it’s not like Australia has any shortage of them).

 

Accommodation

• Camping (with facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Karijini National Park – Karijini National Park Highlights
• Karijini National Park – Gorge Walks

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is 2.5 hours and approximately 180km. Total walking distance is approximately six kilometres, some sections may be through water. Please note that in order to reach Hancock Gorge you will need to descend and scale a vertical ladder. Should you wish to opt out from this activity please talk to your leader.

Day 4: Karijini National Park

Pack up your towel and walking shoes and head out for another day exploring Karijini with your leader. Anything you didn’t tick off the list yesterday you can chase up today – whether it’s a snooze in the sun or a strenuous trek to a lookout. Swim in waterholes, hike along rocky trails and splash about in waterfalls. Paradise!

 

Accommodation

• Camping (with facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Karijini National Park – Gorge Walks
• Karijini National Park – Karijini National Park Highlights

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 2 hours and approximately 30km. Total walking distance is approximately six kilometres.

Day 5: Pilbara / Cape Range National Park

Today is a long day of driving. Leaving Karijini, travel through the vast bushland and cattle stations of the Pilbara. This sparsely populated region is known for its red earth and rich mineral deposits. Spend the night at a hostel in Exmouth.

 

Accommodation

• Hostel (multi-share with shared facilities) (1 night)

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 9 hours and approximately 750km. The total walking distance is approximately two kilometres.

Day 6: Ningaloo Reef / Coral Bay

Enjoy a day of freedom and relaxation. Depending on the season, you’ll have the option to snorkel or scuba dive in search of whale sharks or manta rays, the largest rays in the world. Perhaps take a walk to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, or soak up the sun on the pristine beach at Turquoise Bay. In the afternoon, take a short trip to beautiful Coral Bay where you will spend the night.

 

Accommodation

• Hostel (multi-share with shared facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Cape Range National Park – Ningaloo Reef Marine Park

Optional Activities

• Cape Range National Park – Snorkel with the Whalesharks (seasonal only) – AUD450
• Exmouth – Vlamingh Head Lighthouse – Free

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 3.5 hours and approximately 300km. Total walking distance is approximately two kilometres. Please note that swimming with whale sharks is not included on this trip and is an optional activity. It is very important that you pre book any Whale Shark experiences, as this can sell out far in advance. Please also note that whale sharks visit the region between mid-March and mid-September only, so please make sure you schedule your trip accordingly if you would like to include this experience in your trip.

Day 7: Ningaloo Reef / Coral Bay

Spend another day on Ningaloo Reef, one of the world’s largest fringing reefs, meaning that it starts practically from the water’s edge. You just swim out from shore and suddenly you’re in a world of coral, fish, turtles and manta rays. Swimming above these enormous majestic creatures is really something else, they might even put on an acrobatics show for you! Not much of a swimmer? There’s also the option of taking in the scene on a glass bottom boat tour, along with many other optional activities. We’ll introduce you to the friendly staff at Coral Bay Eco Tours.

 

Accommodation

• Hostel (multi-share with shared facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Coral Bay – Ningaloo Reef Marine Park

Optional Activities

• Coral Bay – Glass Bottom Boat Cruise – AUD37
• Coral Bay – Whale Watching (seasonal) – AUD85
• Coral Bay – Snorkel with Manta Rays (half day trip) – AUD225

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

There is no driving today, just a short walk to Coral Bay Eco Tours for your optional water activities.

Day 8: Shark Bay / Monkey Mia

Today we cross over the Tropic of Capricorn to Monkey Mia. The main stop for the day is Shell Beach, which, much as name would suggest, is a beach made of shells. They cover a stretch 60-kilometres long and up to seven-metres deep. Tonight, stay in Monkey Mia.

 

Accommodation

• Hostel (multi-share with shared facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Shark Bay – Shell Beach

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 6.5 hours and approximately 600km. Total walking distance is approximately two kilometres.

Day 9: Shark Bay / Kalbarri

This morning, check out Monkey Mia – part of the Peron Peninsula, which extends into part of the Indian Ocean known as Shark Bay. This popular spot is known for its friendly local dolphins. Afterwards, continue across the Eastern Peninsula. See stromatolites, the oldest living organisms in the world, then head south for Kalbarri. Time permitting, there’ll be a stop along the way at Murchison Gorge, where there’s the opportunity to admire the landscape through Nature’s Window.

 

Accommodation

• Hostel (multi-share with shared facilities) (1 night)

Included Activities

• Shark Bay – Monkey Mia Dolphin Spotting
• Shark Bay – Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 5.5 hours and approximately 500km. Total walking distance is approximately five kilometres.

For more information about the Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience and Intrepid’s Animal Welfare Guidelines, please see the Responsible Travel section of the Essential Trip Information.

Day 10: Kalbarri National Park / Pinnacles / Perth

It’s a driving day today, but a spectacular one. Cruising through the coastal gorges of Kalbarri National Park, we come to the quaint coastal town of Dongara, which sits at the head of the Irwin River. Visit Western Australia’s own Pink Lake at Port Gregory. Head on to Sandy Cape (Lancelin), a vast sand desert peopled by the strange limestone structures of the Pinnacles Nambung National Park. After our walk, it’s on to 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), where your adventure comes to an end on arrival at around 6 pm. 

Included Activities

• Nambung National Park – Pinnacles Desert
• Kalbarri National Park – Murchison River Gorge, Nature’s Window & Z Bend walk

Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch

Special Information

Total driving time today is around 7 hours and approximately 600km, with about 2km of walking. Your trip comes to an end upon arrival in Perth at around 6pm. Please consider this when booking onward transport. We recommend you spend an additional night in Perth.