23 Days West Coast Discovery By 2wd

Depart the city of Perth and travel north along the Indian Ocean Drive to the coastal town of Cervantes and one of Australia's most unique landscapes, the Pinnacles Desert. Cervantes has a number of pristine beaches, within easy walking distance of the town centre, ideal for swimming, boating and windsurfing.

Today make the drive from Cervantes to Geraldton. Not just our beaches and stunning Foreshore, but we are home to the magnificent HMAS Sydney II Memorial, Western Australian Museum, the Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral, Seal Rock, live lobster factory, the Point Moore Lighthouse and the phenomenal Houtman Abrolhos Islands located just off the Geraldton coast.

Suggested Activitiy: When in Geraldton take some time to visit the Byzantine style St. Xavier Cathedral and the Geraldton Museum, which houses relics from the numerous ships wrecked along this coastline. Geraldton has beautiful beaches, excellent fishing and enticing restaurants.

Today you will continue onto Kalbarri, located on the midwest coast. With its pristine beaches and towering coastal cliffs, Kalbarri is a treat for visitors. Once you arrive in Kalbarri let the experiences unwind. You can do everything from abseiling, horse riding, windsurfing or you can simply take time to absorb the wonderful surrounds.

Suggested Activity: Visit the HMAS Sydney memorial. The Memorial was dedicated on the 18th November 2001 and the Eternal Flamewas lit on the 19th November 2001, 60 years to the day after the tragic loss.

If you are a nature-lover, then the Rainbow Jungle is an essential experience with the outstanding parrot-breeding centre. Kalbarri also offers a true wildflower experience. Be awe-struck at the 180,000 acres of some of the richest wildflower bushland. Kalbarri National Park claims 800 species of wildflowers and on any day of the year you will find a blooming flower.

Suggested activity: Kalbarri National Park is best known for it's dramatic coastal cliffs. No visit to Kalbarri is complete without witnessing the Natural Bridge and Island Rock. Only a short walk from the carpark, this area is a great place to witness migrating whales between June - November, and is reminiscent of the Twelve Apostles.

Depart Kalbarri and continue north towards Denham and Monkey Mia. Monkey Mia is famous for its Dolphins, beautiful scenery and sparkling blue waters providing spectacular photographic opportunities. These are wild animals that after years of care and understanding come in to be fed of their own accord by the rangers.

Suggested Activity: Stop via Hamelin Pool. Hamelin Pool is home to the most diverse and abundant examples of stromatolites in the world. Also referred to as ‘living fossils’, stromatolites are living representatives of life over 3500 million years ago when there was no other complex life on Earth. A 200m boardwalk at Hamelin Pool provides excellent views of the stromatolites, microbialites and microbial mats. Please help protect these structures by staying on the boardwalk.

Famous for its banana plantations, Carnarvon on Australia's Coral Coast is the southern gatewayto the world-famous Ningaloo Reef and provides the ideal base for exploring Mount Augustus and the Kennedy Ranges to the east and coastal stations to the north.

Today travel south, options include stopping at the small country towns of Carterton, Greytown and Featherston. Travel to Martinborough well known for the range of vineyards in the area and its growing worldwide reputation for its Pinot Noir wine. The afternoon is at leisure.

Today is at leisure for you to explore the Coral Bay region. Nature lovers should note that this is one of the best places in the world to see whale sharks and manta rays. If you are travelling between June and October you may even witness the humpback whale migration.

Suggested Activity: If you are in Coral Bay between March and September, you can't leave Coral Bay without swimming with the majestic whale sharks. There are numerous operators offering whale shark experiences, so visit the Coral Bay Visitor Centre or speak to your hotel concierge to book. If the whale sharks aren't in town, spend the day on one of many snorkelling tours or simply walk off the white sand into the Ningaloo Marine Park.

Depart Coral Bay for Tom Price, sittuated just outside Karijini National Park, Western Australia's second largest park. Explore ancient rocky tunnels and plunging gorges, paddle through crystal-clear waterways and swim under stunning waterfalls.

Today join a tour of the stunning Karijini National Park. The Pilbara, the oldest known landscape on Earth, estimated to be more than two and a half billion years old, and how beautifully it has aged. With its sheer gorges you can see where nature has carved deep lines of time into the landscape. There is no better place to witness this than at Karijini National Park. Karijini has spectacular 100 metre sheer-sided ochre coloured chasms. Hidden amongst this ruggedness are crystal clear rock pools, cascading waterfalls and tropical fern environments each offering easy walking track or viewing platform access. The tour explores the Weano recreation area including Oxer Lookout, a towering but safe precipice overlooking the juncture of Weano, Joffre, Hancock and Red Gorges, with a walk through Weano to Handrail pool (water levels permitting). Following a relaxing morning cuppa the next stop is Joffre Falls lookout for a photo stop. A refreshing salad and meat pack lunch is taken at the Karijini Visitors Centre. The Karajini Visitor Centre houses a wealth of Aboriginal culture, pastoral history, flora, fauna, geological information and displays. Our final stop is at Dales Gorge area which includes Circular Pool, Fortescue Falls and a swim at Fern Pool.

Depart Tom Price and continue onto Port Hedland, the gateway for Australia's massive iron ore exports from the surrounding Pilbara region.

Suggested Activity: Head to Cooke Point Viewing Platform to watch the sunset over a stunning natural outlook.

An early start is recommended today for the drive through to Broome via the Great Northern Highway. Pristine beaches and bays fringed with glistening white sands, craggy red cliffs and the sparkling tropical waters of the Indian Ocean are some of the wonders of this coastal delight.

The next two days are yours to explore the Broome and surrounds at leisure.

Suggested activity: Arguably the best tour in the Kimberley, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures can whisk you to one of the most famous natural attractions in Australia. Enjoy low level flying over the amazing islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago and Cape Leveque before your seaplane lands safely in the calm waters of Talbot Bay right near the Horizontal Falls. Then enjoy a thrilling ride on the fastest boat in the Kimberley through the waterfalls, followed by a laid-back island cruise. Return to our luxury houseboat for a freshly prepared meal. Return to Broome on the seaplane to complete your memorable Horizontal Falls seaplane adventure.

Enjoy another day at leisure in Broome.

Suggested activity: The waters off the coast of Broome are a fishing mecca, particularly in the turquoise waters of Roebuck Bay where you can try your hand at catching Barramundi, Mangrove Jack or Threadfin salmon. You can choose to hire your own boat, fish off the beach or let the professionals take care of you on a fishing charter.

Depart Broome and head east to Fitzroy Crossing located on the banks of one of the largest river systems in Australia with a catchment of 90,000 square kilometres (55,800 square miles). This is a true outback town with a strong indigenous culture.

Suggested activity: On arrival, head northeast for 25km to the Devonian Reef National Parks. Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Danggu Geike Gorge cover an area that was part of an ancient reef system over 350 million years ago. This remnant reef is seen today in the limestone ranges and gorges of the West Kimberley, and also in the Ningbing Range north of Kununurra.

Depart Fitzroy Crossing and journey onto Halls Creek, the oasis of the Kimberley that sits on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. With the end of the gold rush, the town became a small service centre for pastoralists, mineral exploration, Aboriginal communities and growing tourism surrounding Purnululu and Wolfe Creek Crater National Parks.

Depart Halls Creek for the four hour drive North to Kununurra, the gateway to the Kimberley from the East. The town has become the major administrative centre for the East Kimberley, servicing farmers, pastoralists and the rapidly developing tourism and mining industries. It is one of the biggest towns in the Kimberley.

Suggested Activity: Stiuated roughly half way between Halls Creek and Kiununurra lies Warmun, an outback township that is home to the Warmun Art Centre, showcasing indigenous artwork from the local Gija community, who own and run the centre.

Enjoy today at leisure in Kununurra. Suggested activity: Spend a relaxing day at Lake Kununurra. The lake was formed after the completion of the Diversion Dam. It harbours a large variety of flora and fauna, contains wetland areas and provides a water frontage to the town, many small farms and tourist developments. It is also used extensively for sailing, rowing and skiing, supports several tour boat operations and is the landing field for float planes.

You may wish to stop at Gregory National Park. An impressive 10,500 square kilometres of ranges, gorges and sandstone escarpments, curvaceous silhouettes of Boab trees enliven the Park’s landscape. Katherine is the Top End’s second largest town. Its river - the first perennial running water along the route from Alice Springs - was originally dubbed the ‘Catherine’ by John McDouall Stuart in 1862, after his patron’s daughter. The spelling was changed and the town of Katherine was eventually settled to service the Overland Telegraph Line.

With no driving today you are free to enjoy the natural wonders that the Katherine region has to offer, including the nearby Nitmiluk Gorge, the Katherine Springs or the Cutta Cutta Caves

Suggested Activity: Nitmiluk Gorge, also known as the Katherines Gorge, is arguably one of the Northern Territory's most well known attractions. With its hidden waterfalls, ancient Aboriginal rock art and abundance of wildlife, Nitmiluk Gorge will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of any trip to the Territory.

Most of today's three hour drive from Katherine will be spent driving through the awe inspring Kakadu National Park, priving several opportunities to stop along the way before reaching the main visitor centre on the North-Eastern reaches of the park.

Suggested Activities: Call in at Pine Creek, the last township before heading East off the Stuart Highway towards Kakadu, before stopping at Bukbukluk Lookout and then again at Yellow Water (Ngurrungurrudjba), an expansive wetland with boat cruises and boardwalked trails on offer.

With a free day to explore the ancient surrounds of Kakadu National Park, be sure to be up early enough to make the most of what will undoubtedly be an unforgettable day.

Suggested Activity: Estimated to be at least 20,000 years old, the World Heritage-Listed rock art on the walls Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) are an absolute must for any visit to Kakadu, sittuated only half hour from your accommodation.

Sadly today marks the end of your enchanting West Coast discovery, following your three hour drive to Dawrin, the Territory's largest city and capital.

Suggested Activity: On your way out of the park back towards the Stuart Highway, call in at the Mamukala Wetlands, described as a birt watcher's paradise, with boardwalked trails on offer.