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Day 1: Perth to Kalbarri
Welcome to sunny Perth, where your overland journey begins. Meet your group early and leave the city, driving north to Nambung National Park to explore The Pinnacles, ancient rock sculptures rising from the desert. Journey on to WA's own Pink Lake at Port Gregory, then continue through Geraldton to the quiet beach town of Kalbarri for the night.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel
Included: Nambung National Park (Pinnacles) entrance
Drive: ~600 km (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 2: Kalbarri National Park to Shark Bay
Take a short drive to Kalbarri National Park and hike some of its diverse scenery, including Murchison Gorge and Nature's Window, with a steep descent into Z-Bend Gorge. After lunch, visit the beautiful Shell Beach, one of only two beaches in the world made entirely of shells, then continue towards Denham and Shark Bay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel
Included: Kalbarri National Park
Drive: ~470 km (approx. 5 km walking)
Day 3: Monkey Mia to Coral Bay
This morning, head to the beach for the Monkey Mia dolphins experience. The idyllic shores around François Péron National Park are perfect to stretch your legs. Next is Hamelin Pool, home to fascinating stromatolites — some of the world's oldest and largest living fossils. Continue along the highway through Carnarvon to Coral Bay, the 'Jewel of the North West'.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel
Included: Monkey Mia dolphins
Drive: ~6.5 hours (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 4: Coral Bay to Cape Range National Park
Explore picturesque Coral Bay, home to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. Hire snorkel gear or cruise the reef in a glass-bottom boat to see the tropical life below — 250 species of coral and over 500 species of fish — or take an optional scenic flight over the reef.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accom: Hostel
Options: Snorkel with manta rays (half day), whale watching (seasonal), glass-bottom boat cruises
Drive: ~185 km (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 5: Exmouth & Cape Range National Park
Spend the morning snorkelling right off the beach in the stunning Cape Range National Park. Depending on the season, snorkel or scuba dive in search of whale sharks and manta rays. Visit Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, one of the few places in Australia where you can see the sun both rise and set, and wander the town of Exmouth before settling in for the night.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accom: Hostel
Options: Snorkel with whale sharks (own expense), snorkel at Turquoise Bay (own expense)
Drive: ~180 km (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 6: Exmouth to Karijini National Park
Head inland through the vast cattle stations of the Pilbara, known for its red earth and rich mineral deposits. In the afternoon, pass through Tom Price, renowned for iron-ore mining, and continue to your campsite overlooking the magnificent Hamersley Range in Karijini. Before sleep, gaze up at one of the most magnificent night skies you'll ever see.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Drive: ~750 km
Day 7: Karijini National Park
Explore the almighty gorges of Karijini National Park. Formed over 2,500 million years ago, the Hamersley Ranges feature some of the most unusual landforms on Earth. Hike deep into the gorges to cascading waterfalls and fresh swimming holes — Dales Gorge and Oxer Lookout, Fortescue Falls, Fern Pool, and Weano and Hancock Gorges are just some of the places you can visit. Please note that some gorge entrances are challenging — you'll need to climb vertical ladders and scramble over boulders to reach some attractions.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Included: Karijini National Park entrance & gorge walks
Drive: ~100 km (up to 6 km walking)
Day 8: Karijini National Park
Head back into the gorges today for further exploration of this fascinating national park.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Drive: ~100 km (up to 6 km walking)
Day 9: Karijini to the Pilbara Outback
Travel south through the vast Pilbara region, via the outback mining town of Newman, the iron-ore Mecca of the north. We pass many large historical sheep and cattle stations (some over a million acres) and modern mining centres, sharing our last night together at an outback campsite.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping
Drive: ~700 km (with some small walks)
Day 10: Pilbara Outback to Perth
Leaving early, we travel to the gold-mining town of Mount Magnet, then on towards Perth. As the kilometres slip by, we reach the wheat and sheep farming districts north-east of Perth, and by early afternoon the picturesque town of New Norcia, built as a mission by Benedictine monks in the 1840s. As the day draws to a close, we arrive back in Perth.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Drive: ~700 km (with some small walks)
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