Western Reef Adventure

Spend the day at leisure to explore the highlights of the city and Fremantle. You may like to visit Kings Park Botanical Gardens, Cottesloe Beach or historic Fremantle with its cosmopolitan cafes and restored historic buildings.

Spend time on beautiful Rottnest Island, where you can meet friendly quokkas and cruise in search of marine wildlife. Your day starts with a scenic ferry cruise along the Swan River and across to Rottnest Island. Here you can explore white sand beaches, swim in the turquoise waters or enjoy watching the comical quokkas, small marsupials who are one of the island’s star attractions. Later board the ‘Eco Express’ boat for a full circumnavigation of the island, following the craggy coastline and keeping your eyes peeled for fur seals, dolphins and, between September and November, humpback whales. Enjoy a leisurely ferry transfer back to Perth. Lunch is included.

Spend time on beautiful Rottnest Island, where you can meet friendly quokkas and cruise in search of marine wildlife. Your day starts with a scenic ferry cruise along the Swan River and across to Rottnest Island. Here you can explore white sand beaches, swim in the turquoise waters or enjoy watching the comical quokkas, small marsupials who are one of the island’s star attractions. Later board the ‘Eco Express’ boat for a full circumnavigation of the island, following the craggy coastline and keeping your eyes peeled for fur seals, dolphins and, between September and November, humpback whales. Enjoy a leisurely ferry transfer back to Perth. Lunch is included.

In pictures

Collect your rental vehicle and depart Perth for Cervantes. Nearby lies the unique Nambung National Park, home to the strange limestone formations known as the Pinnacles. Literally thousands of these limestone pillars, standing up to 4 metres tall, dot the barren landscape here and are well worth spending some time exploring.

Depart Cervantes and continue to the town of Kalbarri, a town of contrasts. The surrounding area is rich in history, wildflowers (in season) and spectacular scenery. The rocky wild coast north and south of the town has claimed many ships, dating back to the very first Europeans to venture this way. Kalbarri National Park is right on the doorstep of the town and covers 186,000 square kilometres, through the heart of which flows the Murchison River with some 85 kilometres of gorges.

Depart Cervantes and continue to the town of Kalbarri, a town of contrasts. The surrounding area is rich in history, wildflowers (in season) and spectacular scenery. The rocky wild coast north and south of the town has claimed many ships, dating back to the very first Europeans to venture this way. Kalbarri National Park is right on the doorstep of the town and covers 186,000 square kilometres, through the heart of which flows the Murchison River with some 85 kilometres of gorges.

In pictures

Visit the gorges and formations carved by the Murchison River in Kalbarri National Park. Short walks provide easy access to spectacular lookouts. If time permits, hike the Z-Bend, a 1.4km return walk, considered by many to offer the most breathtaking view in the park. Gazing down, the gorge plunges 150 metres to the river below where river redgums create a striking contrast against the earthy Tumblagooda sandstone.

Set off for the journey to Shark Bay. You may wish stop en route to visit the famous Hamelin Pools to view the oldest living organisms on our planet, the stromatolites. Admittedly not much to look at, these living fossils are direct descendants of the oldest form of photosynthetic life on earth, and can be traced back 3.5 billion years! Monkey Mia is set on an isolated beach in Shark Bay and has created international interest with its resident dolphins, as well as being home to one of the world’s largest dugong populations.

Set off for the journey to Shark Bay. You may wish stop en route to visit the famous Hamelin Pools to view the oldest living organisms on our planet, the stromatolites. Admittedly not much to look at, these living fossils are direct descendants of the oldest form of photosynthetic life on earth, and can be traced back 3.5 billion years! Monkey Mia is set on an isolated beach in Shark Bay and has created international interest with its resident dolphins, as well as being home to one of the world’s largest dugong populations.

In pictures

You may wish to take part in an early morning dolphin feeding on the beach. You will then join a full day lagoon, kayak and snorkel tour. You will hopefully see dugongs, as well as other marine life which may include sea snakes, turtles and dolphins.

Continue your journey to Carnarvon, situated at the mouth of the Gascoyne River. Here you will find plantations of mangoes, pawpaws, bananas, oranges and grapefruit.

Depart Carnarvon for Coral Bay. Coral Bay is in a lagoon formed between the Ningaloo Coral Reef and the coastline. The Reef is the longest continuous and most accessible reef complex in Western Australia, extending from north of Point Murat, round North West Cape, and south to Amherst Point, a distance of about 260 kilometres.

Spend the day at leisure – you may wish to join a cruise in search of the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park’s many manta rays, turtles, dolphins and dugongs, or simply hire a snorkel and explore the reef directly from the beach! From April to July each year Ningaloo hosts some of the ocean’s most striking visitors, huge whale sharks. Swimming with these gentle giants is highly recommended.

Spend the day at leisure – you may wish to join a cruise in search of the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park’s many manta rays, turtles, dolphins and dugongs, or simply hire a snorkel and explore the reef directly from the beach! From April to July each year Ningaloo hosts some of the ocean’s most striking visitors, huge whale sharks. Swimming with these gentle giants is highly recommended.

In pictures

Drop off your rental car at Learmonth Airport and depart.