Map
Day 1: Darwin to the Katherine Region
Welcome to the tropical city of Darwin, where your overland adventure begins. After meeting your group and leader, head south and stop at either Edith Falls for a swim or explore Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park, where the group has lunch. Head to your private overnight campsite on the edge of Nitmiluk National Park, where tents with swags await, and settle in for dinner.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Included: Nitmiluk National Park
Drive: ~4.5 hours (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 2: Lake Argyle
After breakfast, stop for a morning dip in the Katherine Hot Springs before continuing to Lake Argyle, created by the Ord River Dam. Admire the sheer size of this 700-square-kilometre man-made spectacle, home to many native fish and thousands of freshwater crocodiles. Take an optional sunset cruise before setting up camp at our exclusive site on the Ord River.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Included: Lake Argyle
Options: Lake Argyle sunset cruise (AUD100)
Drive: ~7.5 hours (approx. 1 km walking)
Day 3: Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles)
Drive through the rugged Carr Boyd and Durack Ranges into Purnululu National Park, home of the Bungle Bungles — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of massive sandstone karsts rising hundreds of metres above the grasslands. Today's key attraction is an unforgettable walk into Echidna Chasm. Arrive at bush camp in time to watch the sun set over the Osmond Ranges — and if you've had enough of tents, sleep out beneath the stars in a swag.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (basic facilities – no showers)
Included: Echidna Chasm walk
Drive: ~5.5 hours (approx. 5 km walking)
Day 4: Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles)
Wake knowing you don't have to pack up. After breakfast, head out for a full day exploring the remarkable rock formations of the Bungle Bungles and hiking to the enormous Cathedral Gorge. There's also the chance for a helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles (own expense). As the sun goes down, head back to camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (basic facilities – no showers)
Included: Cathedral Gorge walk
Options: Helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles (from AUD350)
Drive: ~2 hours (approx. 5 km walking)
Day 5: Bungle Bungles to El Questro's Emma Gorge
Experience some serious 4WD action as you wind out of the Bungle Bungles through the East Kimberley. Spend the afternoon at El Questro Station, tackling the hike into Emma Gorge, rewarded with a stunning waterfall and a swim. We drive on to our exclusive overnight camp on the Ord River.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Included: Emma Gorge
Drive: ~5 hours (approx. 1 km walking)
Day 6: Kununurra Region
Wake knowing you don't have to pack up. Take time to look around the picturesque Ord River system (no saltwater crocs). Your guide shows you around the East Kimberley 'capital' of Kununurra, with features such as the Hoochery Distillery and a walk in Mirima National Park. In the late afternoon, climb to an exclusive lookout over the Upper Ord River and watch the colours change during a spectacular Kimberley sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Included: Short hike to 360° views of the Ord River & East Kimberley
Drive: ~45 minutes (up to 7 km walking)
Day 7: Gibb River Road & Mount Barnett
After breakfast, hit the legendary Gibb River Road — a 600-kilometre stretch that winds through the heart of the Kimberley, fording rivers and weaving through gorges by 4WD. There's a fair bit of ground to cover, broken up by lunch and stop-offs along the way. Tonight's destination is Mount Barnett Station, close to Manning Gorge, where we camp by the banks of a crystal-clear freshwater river — perfect to cool off after a day of hiking.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (basic facilities)
Included: Gibb River Road
Drive: ~6 hours (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 8: Manning Gorge
Spend the morning exploring the stunning Manning Gorge and enjoy a swim in the pools under Manning Falls. Depending on the season, spend the afternoon exploring Galvans Gorge before heading back to camp to relax around the campfire.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Included: Manning Gorge, Galvans Gorge
Drive: ~1 hour (approx. 6 km walking)
Day 9: Bell Gorge & Windjana Gorge
The western Kimberley is full of stunning gorges, and this morning is no exception. After breakfast, adventure to Bell Gorge (subject to weather and road conditions), home to a stunning cascade fed by the previous wet season's rains in the King Leopold Ranges. In the afternoon, head to Windjana Gorge, a 375-million-year-old reef cut through by the Lennard River — a great spot to see wild freshwater crocodiles and abundant birds and bats. We set up camp together for the last time in the western Kimberley.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities)
Included: Bell Gorge, Windjana Gorge
Drive: ~4.5 hours (approx. 4–6 km walking)
Day 10: Broome
We continue through the Napier Range on a guided walk into Tunnel Creek, a vast cave system extending 750 metres underground, where shafts of sunlight stream through crevices, little bats flutter and enormous stalactites hang from the ceiling. Then the final drive on to Broome, hopefully arriving in time for a stunning Cable Beach sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included: Tunnel Creek exploration walk
Drive: ~6 hours (approx. 4 km walking). Any onward travel should be booked for the day after the tour finishes.
Days 11–14: Broome
The next four days are free to explore Broome at your own pace. If you're after more beach time, head to Cable Beach — named after the undersea telegraph cable that connected Broome to Singapore in the 19th century — or Town Beach in Roebuck Bay. Season depending, you might witness the Staircase to the Moon at Roebuck Bay, a natural optical illusion where a 'staircase' appears to lead to the moon at low tide, with a weekly Staircase Night Market worth a look. For history, visit the Broome Historical Museum for local Aboriginal culture and the town's pearling and wartime past, or head to Gantheaume Point for 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints and the contrasting white sand, red cliffs and blue ocean. Another option is the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park. In the evening, the buzzing district of Chinatown is a great spot for a meal and a drink, or catch an outdoor film at the charming Sun Pictures cinema.
Accom: Accommodation in Broome not included — add via the "Join Tour" button
Meals: None included on these days
Day 15: Broome to the Pilbara Region
Welcome to the pearling town of Broome, where your Western Australian adventure begins — those keen on beach-lazing might arrive a few days early, as the local beaches are superb. Depart Broome and drive along the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, calling in at Eighty Mile Beach for a stroll along the white sand. Spend the night on a station in the Pilbara.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel, Pardoo Station
Drive: ~525 km (approx. 1 km walking)
Day 16: Karijini National Park
This morning we head towards Karijini National Park, with a stop in Port Hedland to see the iron-ore Mecca of Australia. If time permits, we may duck into one of the gorges this afternoon; if not, we set up camp in the national park and rest before a full day of exploring tomorrow.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities), Karijini
Drive: ~520 km (up to 3 km walking, some sections through water)
Day 17: Karijini National Park
Without doubt one of Australia's most magnificent national parks. Freshwater springs trickle through chasms to form translucent rock pools, and walking trails weave between dramatic ravines. Spend a full day exploring the gorges, gullies and secluded swimming spots of Karijini — Weano Gorge, Hancock Gorge, Dales Gorge and Oxer Lookout are just some of the better-known sites.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities), Karijini
Included: Karijini National Park entrance & gorge walks
Drive: ~180 km (approx. 6 km walking, some sections through water)
Day 18: Karijini National Park
Pack your towel and walking shoes for another day exploring Karijini with your guide. Anything you didn't tick off yesterday you can chase up today — a snooze in the sun or a strenuous trek to a lookout. Swim in waterholes, hike rocky trails and splash about in waterfalls. Paradise!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Camping (with facilities), Karijini
Drive: ~30 km (approx. 6 km walking)
Day 19: Exmouth
A long driving day. Leaving Karijini, travel through the vast bushland and cattle stations of the Pilbara, a sparsely populated region known for its red earth and rich mineral deposits, to Exmouth.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel, Exmouth
Options: Snorkel with whale sharks (own expense, April–July only), snorkel at Turquoise Bay (own expense)
Drive: ~750 km (not much walking today)
Day 20: Coral Bay
Depending on the season, today you can (own cost) snorkel or scuba dive in search of whale sharks or manta rays, the largest rays in the world. Otherwise, visit Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, soak up the sun at Turquoise Bay, or explore Cape Range National Park. This afternoon we take a short trip to beautiful Coral Bay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel, Coral Bay
Included: Ningaloo Reef Marine Park
Options: Snorkel with whale sharks (April–July only), beach snorkelling (own expense)
Drive: ~300 km (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 21: Coral Bay
A day of freedom and relaxation. If you didn't squeeze in a snorkel yesterday, today you get to; if you did, you get another one. Ningaloo Reef is one of the world's largest fringing reefs — swim out from shore and you're suddenly in a world of coral, fish, turtles and manta rays. Not much of a swimmer? Take in the scene on a glass-bottom boat tour, along with many other optional activities, with the friendly local eco-tour staff.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accom: Hostel, Coral Bay
Options: Glass-bottom boat cruises, whale watching (3 hours, seasonal), snorkel with manta rays (half day)
Drive: No driving today — just a short walk to the water activities
Day 22: Monkey Mia
Today we cross the Tropic of Capricorn — from here south, the sun is never directly overhead (but still wear a hat). The main stop is Shell Beach, a beach made of shells: locals have used them for years, yet they still cover a stretch 60 km long and up to 7 metres deep. Tonight we stay at Monkey Mia.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel, Monkey Mia
Drive: ~600 km (approx. 2 km walking)
Day 23: Kalbarri
This morning, check out Monkey Mia on the Peron Peninsula, extending into Shark Bay and known for its world-famous dolphins. Continue down the coast, seeing the stromatolites — the oldest living organisms in the world — then head south to Kalbarri. Time permitting, stop at Murchison Gorge to admire the landscape through Nature's Window.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accom: Hostel, Kalbarri
Included: Monkey Mia dolphins, Kalbarri National Park entrance
Drive: ~470 km (approx. 5 km walking)
Day 24: Nambung National Park to Perth
A driving day, but a spectacular one. Cruising through the coastal gorges of Kalbarri National Park, we reach the quaint town of Dongara at the head of the Irwin River, then visit WA's own Pink Lake at Port Gregory. On to Lancelin and the strange limestone structures of the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park, before the final stretch to Perth, where the adventure winds up.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included: Nambung National Park (Pinnacles) entrance
Drive: ~600 km (approx. 2 km walking). You'll arrive in central Perth around 6pm; no accommodation is planned for this evening.
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