Perth to Broome
11 day tour
Experience the west coast of Australia in it’s truest form. Pristine beaches, incredible land and sea life, and the most stars you’ve ever seen in your life. Our west coast tour is fun, exciting and full of quintessential Australian experiences.
Itinerary
Day 1
We’ll pick you up early in Perth* and head north to Nambung National Park to explore The Pinnacles. These are ancient natural rock pillars’ that rise out of the surrounding landscape.
We will follow the coast and make our way up through Beekeepers Nature Reserve and take a look at the leaning trees; a bizarre natural phenomenon where River Red Gum trees have grown horizontal due to the strong winds.
We’ll head in-land to the historic town of Northampton to see Western Australia’s very own Pink Lake at Port Gregory before continuing on to our farm stay where we will stay for the next two nights. (Breakfast not included on this day)
*In Perth the meeting point is Adina Apartment Hotel Perth Barrack Plaza, 138 Barrack St. Your guide will meet you outside with the truck at 6am. The truck will pull into the bus/coach bay at the front of the hotel. Please be there no later than 6am.
Day 2
This morning we visit Kalbarri National Park to see where the Muchusion river cuts through the Tumblagooda Sandstone to create deep gorges in the rock. We’ll brave the cantilever Kalbarri skywalk that sits 100 meters above the gorge creating a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape.
We visit Nature’s Window, a natural rock formation providing a perfect viewing platform and photo opportunity. Afterwards we’ll make our way down into the gorge.
In the afternoon we will have time to look at some of the local wildflowers the area is well-known for. We’ll also spend time by the Kalbarri coast made famous for its numerous ship wrecks.
Day 3
As we continue north, we’ll stop at the Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve; here you will see rock-like structures called marine stromatolites. They are very rare and are believed to be 3.5 billion years old.
We’ll make a visit to Shell Beach in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area; a beach made up of millions, if not billions of tiny shells. Then we will head inside the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre to learn about the history of the area, including the landing of Dirk Hartog in 1616.
Our next stop, Denham’s Little Lagoon; a magnificent stretch of calm water ideal for swimming or taking in the view of the sandy beaches, and observing the birdlife.
Day 4
We start the morning with the famous dolphin feeding in the coastal town of Monkey Mia. Meet the friendly resident Monkey Mia dolphins who have been swimming to the shore for years to interact with humans.
We then take the Wulyibindi Yanayina walk, a great place to spot the thick-billed grasswren along with many other bird species including the Mallee Fowl, or you can just relax at the beach by the bay. Later in the afternoon we’ll make our way to Coral Bay where we will camp for the next two nights.
Day 5
Today you get to enjoy the magnificent turquoise waters of Coral Bay, the perfect introduction to the breathtaking beauty of the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. Here you can come face-to-face with fascinating marine creatures like whale sharks, manta rays, dugongs and turtles.
Whether its going out for a swim with the whale sharks, snorkeling with the Manta rays, quad biking around the dunes, or a stroll around the bay. Your guide can organise your optional activity for the day.
Whale Shark Safari Approx. $470pp*
Swim with Mantra Rays Approx. $250pp
1-hour Coral viewing on Glass Bottom Boat Approx. $60pp
*We need to know at the time of booking whether you’d like to swim with Whale Sharks. Please select the ‘extra activity’ option at check out so we can arrange it for you.
It’s possible to do any of the tours offered by Coral Bay Eco Tours, simply let your guide know on the first day when you are picked up in Perth.
Other option: Quad bike tour $220
Day 6
This morning starts with a walk to see nature’s Coral Bay Shark Nursery. This a unique opportunity to see reef sharks in their natural habitat as they congregate at Skeleton Bay, part of the Ningaloo Marine Park.
We explore the Ningaloo coast (Cape Range National park) including a visit to Yardie Creek Gorge, lighthouses and pristine coastal reefs as well as beaches en route to Exmouth. There will be plenty of swimming opportunities. Tonight, we will camp in the Exmouth region.
Day 7
Today we have a morning stop at the Pot Shot Memorial in Exmouth before we start heading in-land. You’ll learn the truly amazing story of strength, survival and the never-give-up attitude of our soldiers during WW2. We then make our way through iron ore country to the must-see Karijini National Park. We make stops on route to take in the views and observe the rugged scenery. Tonight we camp in Karijini National Park.
Day 8
Known for its ancient rock and breathtaking gorges, crystal-clear waterways and stunning waterfalls, today we explore Karijini National Park. This morning we’ll embark on the spider-walk of Handcock Gorge and take a dip in Kermits Pool. In the afternoon we’ll head to Dales Gorge for a refreshing swim at Fortescue Falls. We’ll also visit Fern Pool with its small twin waterfalls, one of the most beautiful spots in the park.Tonight we camp in Karijini National Park.
Day 9
This morning we stay in Karijini National Park to explore Hamersley Gorge. This is a dramatic gorge, full of colour, texture and reflections making for a fantastic swimming opportunity. This is a favourite among many because the upper and lower parts of the gorge allow for plenty of swimming and stunning photo opportunities.
From here we move on to our bush camp nearby.
Day 10
Today we make tracks back to the coast and on route we pass the controversial abandoned town of Wittenoom. A part of Australian history, the blue asbestos mining area was closed down in 1966 due to health and environmental concerns. We won’t stop here but a chance to hear about the history of the area.
We stop at the historic town of Marble Bar, known as one of Australia’s hottest towns. We will take a look at the town before making our way out to the Coongan River. This is where the town gets its name, the early pioneers thought a colourful bar that crosses the Coongan River was marble but it turned out to be a unique type of Jasper. The Jasper creates a stunning backdrop and is well-worth a look.
Day 11
Today we take in the pristine coastline at Eighty Mile beach which lies between Port Hedland and Broome. The white sandy beach is the longest uninterrupted beach in Western Australia, extending for 220 kilometres! It is well-known for its shore-fishing and popular with shell collectors, also a great spot to relax or take a morning stroll.
The beach is a RAMSAR Marine Park which means it is an important site for bird migration and the perfect spot to bird watch.
After our morning at Eighty Mile we make a stop at Sandfire Roadhouse and visit the Roebuck Plains before taking in some of the sights of Broome.
——————————————————
Kapalga Travel reserves the right to alter the route or itinerary schedule to adapt to seasonal changes or if one of our stops becomes closed.
-
Our tours are participation tours, everyone helps out by contributing to the cooking, cleaning, setting up camp, rolling out swags, collecting firewood, lighting the fire, etc. This allows the tour to run more efficiently, helps the group to bond and gives you the opportunity to get involved in the bush camping experience.
Bush camping is all part of the adventure and the experience of the outback. For many centuries Australia’s ancestors survived in the bush living off nature. Sometimes we will bush camp and there will be no facilities such as a toilet and a shower. We do have ways of dealing with this, which will be explained to you by your guide. One way of dealing with not having a shower is by making the most of the swimming opportunities, which occur on most days.
-
Snacks
Drinking water (please bring a drink bottle)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Driver and guide
Licensed air-conditioned tourist vehicle
Pick up and drop off from accommodation
-
• Sleeping Bag suitable for the conditions (-5 degree Celsius sleeping bag if travelling between May – September)
• Comfortable, appropriate hiking shoes or boots / strapped sandals with ankle support (whichever you feel most confident hiking in)
• Thongs / your comfy breathable shoes for on the truck and around the campsites
• Shoes you are happy to get wet, thongs are fine (You’ll be walking through Tunnel creek)
• Torch
• Large water bottle (2 litre bottle or two 1 litre bottles)
• Swimming gear
• Towel
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Suitable clothing to keep you cool and protect you from the sun
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Toiletries
• iPod / MP3 (We can play your music on the truck)
• Camera
• Jumper / long pants (to keep you warm in the evening)
• Cash for souvenirs
• Small or inflatable pillow
• Rain jacket (from tours running in May, September, October & November)
-
Our tours aim to get you off the beaten track and into the remote gorges, waterholes and rock art sites. In order to do this, you will be required to hike for several kilometres a day and occasionally swim and climb (swimming is not essential). You’ll be walking on well-trodden paths as well as rocky, dry creek beds and rough trails.
If you are generally healthy and can walk around 8 kilometres a day, our tours are likely to be suitable for you.
We do not recommend pregnant women travel on our tours; this is due to the risks involved with hiking on uneven ground, and the fact that the roads are corrugated and bumpy which can affect unborn babies.
-
Our food is fresh and passengers are often amazed at the meals we are able to cook up in the bush. Our guides aren’t chefs but they can most definitely cook up a great feed in a camp oven or on a BBQ plate.
Our trailers have an 80 litre fridge and an 80 litre freezer so we can deliver nutritious food in the outback.
Breakfast* – Continental style and some mornings we do cook ups
*On day 1 of your tour we’ll pick you up early and we’ll be driving straight away so please have breakfast before you board or pack a snack to eat on the truck
Lunch – Varies from wraps, sandwiches, burgers, salads, cold meats, etc.
Dinner – Roasts, stir-frys, curries, stews, damper, etc.
On the truck we carry camp ovens, frying pans, BBQ plates, pots, etc., so we can cook almost anything.
We cater for vegetarians and gluten-free passengers. Other allergies are also catered for, although our guides are not specialists in these areas, so we ask that you provide some assistance when meals are being prepared to ensure you are correctly catered for. Please make sure you inform us at the time of booking if you have a dietary requirement or allergy.