Western Wonderland

Perth may be the Western Australian capital, but it’s home to a remarkable amount of green space. Join your Travel Director for a city tour and a stroll through inner-city Kings Park, home to more than 3,000 floral species in the Botanic Garden overlooking the Swan River. Meet again this evening for dinner with your Travel Director and travelling companions.

Travel to Busselton, home to the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Tip your cap to those who built this 1.8-kilometre structure out into Geographe Bay. Continue to the Margaret River region of Western Australia deserves its reputation as one of the county’s top grape-growing areas. The Margaret River’s 200 vineyards produce 25 per cent of Australia’s premium wines. There are too many high-quality vineyards to name here. So, we’ll give you just one: Xanadu Wines. For almost 50 years, this estate has been producing wines that celebrate this unique corner of the state, where the Indian and Southern oceans converge. Its cabernet sauvignon reigns supreme, but the range stretches from sauvignon blanc and chardonnay to rosé and shiraz, which you’ll enjoy during a hosted tasting at the cellar door.

Journey to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the tallest of its kind in Australia, set at the tip of a peninsula where the Indian and Southern oceans meet. Standing here, the wind in your hair, you’ll feel like you’re on the edge of the Earth. More lofty attractions await. Suspended 40 metres above the forest floor, the Tree Top Walk gives you a bird’s-eye view of the soaring tingle trees that stand large through the Valley of the Giants.

Nature, history, food and wine… there’s not much that Albany can’t do. The hardest thing you have to do today is decide which direction you want to travel with optional experiences. Perhaps an Albany tour that relives the town’s heritage as the last port of call for ANZAC troopships departing Australia in WWI. Being here is a moving experience that tells the tale of thousands of servicemen. Maybe explore Torndirrup National Park, where steep cliffs give way to dramatic rock formations and whales are a common sight during migration. Or get a taste for the region on a culinary excursion that includes tastings of local cheeses, fudge, chocolate, ice-cream, cider, wines and gins. Better wear your elastic-waisted pants for this one. How you spend your day exploring the region is totally up to you.

Today, travel through some of the most bountiful wilderness areas in the state, including the Stirling Range National Park, filled seasonally with a staggering range of wildflowers, when they are in season – more than 1,500 different species, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Get an overview from the Bluff Knoll Lookout, topping one of WA’s highest peaks. More than 31,000 hectares of sweeping heathlands, rugged coastal peaks and white sandy beaches… it’s no wonder Cape Le Grand National Park is voted among the most alluring of its kind in Australia. Arrive at Thistle Cove – listen for the whistle of the Whistling Rock among the sounds of wind and sea – and discover Lucky Bay, a postcard-worthy cove where kangaroos love lounging on the beach. Continue to the scenic Hellfire Bay, where you meet your Aboriginal guide. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, learn about the cultural history of Wudjari people and the rich nature of this stunning area.

Leave the stunning coastline behind and head inland toward Kalgoorlie. View the wide gold rush era streets and buildings of Kalgoorlie and see the vista over the staggering 'Super Pit' open-cut gold mine. Today’s outings continue to gleam as you visit Hannans North Mine – the history here is overwhelming – Kalgoorlie’s ‘Golden Mile’. Nothing quite puts things into perspective like standing next to enormous Haul trucks and loaders.

Wave Rock deserves its name – the cliff resembles an enormous surf wave about to crash into the bush. Stretching 110 metres, the rainbow-hued granite swell was formed more than three million years ago. Wave Rock locals are a friendly bunch, and they’re truly passionate about the place they call home. But don’t take our word for it. Meet Sheenagh, who will proudly show you around her farm and discuss life on the land, which can be harsh, but also extremely healing, in a way unique to the wide-open spaces of the Aussie outback.

Leave the eastern Wheatbelt behind and make your way to the vibrant city of Fremantle. This elegant, energetic port town is known for its narrow, heritage‑lined streets and lively atmosphere. Rich in history, dining, markets and attractions, Fremantle invites you to explore at your own pace for the rest of the day. Why not explore the Fremantle Markets, which boasts over 150 stalls?

Sometimes, the most memorable travel days are those where you lose yourself wandering the foreshore, lingering over lunch or a cool ale. We highly recommend you spend this day of leisure doing just that (Freo’s Little Creatures Brewery is legendary). Of course, there are optional experiences, like having a local show you around, with a Fremantle tour revealing those hidden haunts most visitors pass right on by. Or if you’re catching the ferry to Rottnest Island, make sure you have your phone ready to capture selfies with the island’s smiley quokkas, not to mention the blindingly turquoise water.

Yanchep National Park is staggeringly beautiful, a union of bush and wetlands that is as spectacular as it is sacred. The best way to understand its significance to First Nations communities is in the company of an Aboriginal guide. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, hear about how stories are told and used. Hear didgeridoo playing, and hands-on learning with traditional tools. Two national parks in one day – your next stop is Nambung National Park where you’re greeted by an ethereal moonscape. Your Pinnacles tour meanders around this collection of head-scratching limestone formations. This afternoon, Geraldton’s moving HMAS Sydney Memorial beckons.

Wave goodbye to Geraldton as you make your way to Monkey Mia, located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shark Bay region. The colours there are so vivid, you’ll think they’re painted on, a patchwork of blues fading into powdery sand. Keep your sunnies handy at Shell Beach, a powder-white cove formed from billions of coquina bivalve shells up to 10 metres deep.

This morning watch for the dolphins that swim into shore. Every morning, Monkey Mia's wild dolphins swim close to shore where the National Park Rangers explain the feeding habits of these friendly mammals that they know by name (Note: As dolphins are wild their appearance cannot be guaranteed). After watching the famous dolphins swim into shore, the rest of the day is free for you to explore on one of our optional experiences or relax as you wish.

Millions of years ago, the Murchison River carved its way through Kalbarri National Park, leaving behind echo-inspiring gorges of red-and-white banded sandstone as well as soaring coastal cliffs. It’s quite the sight, and best taken in from a height. Enter the Kalbarri Skywalk, a precipitous projection 25 metres beyond the gorge rim and a dizzying 100 metres above the river. Here you’ll be welcomed to Country by an Indigenous guide, explaining the stories behind the land on which you stand. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, learn about bushfoods, medicine plants and the traditional uses of local flora. Hear stories about growing up on country and learn about the social history of the region from an Aboriginal perspective. Look around you – there’s plenty to eat in the Aussie bush, not to mention traditional medicines to cure what ails you.

Just when you thought WA couldn’t get any more colourful, Hutt Lagoon appears on the horizon – one of the state's pink lakes that changes its pink hues depending on the conditions. Arriving back in Perth you have dinner with your new friends and reminisce about the last two weeks.

Bid farewell to your fellow travellers when your trip concludes after breakfast.