Adelaide To Perth - Nullarbor And Beyond

Day 1

Brisbane - Adelaide - Port Augusta
Your tour begins with a flight to Adelaide, where your crew will be waiting to welcome you onboard. Follow the Gulf of St Vincent and later the Spencer Gulf, travelling through some of South Australia's premier agriculture country. See the huge smelters at Port Pirie before arriving at the crossroad town of Port Augusta, so named because of the junction of the Eyre Highway to Perth, the Augusta Highway to Adelaide and the Stuart Highway to Darwin. After a later than usual arrival, enjoy dinner before settling in for our overnight stay.

Day 2

Port Augusta - Ceduna
Our day starts with a visit to the Wadlata Outback Centre, an award-winning complex that will transport you back to where the dinosaurs roamed the land and you'll also be introduced to the people who first owned, explored and settled the land along with those who still live there today. Continue on to Kimba, famed for being the halfway point across Australia. See the impressive 8 metre tall "Big Galah" and the striking silo artwork, with a mural spanning over 60 metres wide and 25 metres high. This afternoon, we'll make our way to Ceduna, a quaint seaside town and the last major town in South Australia.

Day 3

Ceduna - Border Village
The drive from Ceduna to Border Village covers roughly 480 kilometres along the legendary Eyre Highway. Leaving Ceduna, the landscape quickly opens into the vast expanse of the Nullarbor Plain, and as we travel further west, the scenery offers breathtaking views of the towering limestone cliffs at the Head of the Bight. After our visit to the Whale Watching Centre, continue on to the famous Nullarbor Roadhouse for lunch before making our way to Border Village, which sits on the South Australia-Western Australia border, for our overnight stay.

Day 4

Border Village - Balladonia
This morning we visit the Old Telegraph Station at Eucla, where you will have the opportunity to take a photo of the constantly changing landmark that is encroached by the white sand dunes. We continue through the arid Nullarbor Plains, where the dominant vegetation consists of low, hardy saltbush and bluebush shrubs adapted to the dry, calcium-rich limestone soils. While the name "Nullarbor" means "no trees," scattered short trees like Western Myall and Mulga are dotted along the way. Today we'll stop for morning tea in Madura, on the Roe Plains at the foot of the Nullarbor Plains escarpment, and for lunch at Caiguna. This afternoon we will traverse the longest stretch of straight road in the world - 146km of bitumen with no curves or turns, arriving in Balladonia, the small town that made international fame when the US Skylab Satellite disintegrated during re-entry and showered the town in debris.

Day 5

Balladonia - Esperance
Leaving the vast Nullarbor Plains behind, we travel from Balladonia towards the beautiful coastal town of Esperance. Here we visit the unique Mermaid Leather, Australia's only specialist fish leather tannery - where we'll gain a fascinating insight into local creativity and innovation. Today, enjoy the ever-changing scenery as the rugged outback gives way to shimmering salt lakes, rolling farmland and finally, the turquoise waters of the Southern Ocean.

Day 6

Recherche Archipelago - Esperance Stonehenge
Today we cruise from Esperance through the Recherche Archipelago. The region is known as the The Bay of Isles Esperance with a collection of 110 islands within the area. It is renowned as a haven for marine life and, if you're lucky, you might see fur seals, dolphins and perhaps even a Southern Right Whale. After disembarking, purchase your own lunch before visiting the Esperance Stonehenge, a full sized replica of the original Stonehenge in the UK, as it would have looked around 1950BC.

Day 7

Esperance - Kalgoorlie
Farewelling the sparkling coastline of Esperance, we journey inland through wide open landscapes towards the historic goldfields. We pause in Norseman for lunch and a visit to Red Hill Lookout, offering sweeping views over the surrounding countryside and ancient mining town. Continue north to Kalgoorlie - the beating heart of Western Australia's gold rush history, where we'll settle in for the next two nights.

Day 8

Kalgoorlie Super Pit
As you explore Kalgoorlie today, you'll realise the foresight CY O'Connor had when he instigated the 563 kilometre long water pipeline back in 1903. Notice the beautifully restored civic buildings, unusual pubs and a bronze statue of Paddy Hannan. This morning, take a guided tour of the Kalgoorlie Super Pit, Australia's largest gold producing mine. Enjoy some free time to browse the shops and purchase your own lunch. See Hammond Park with animals and birds surrounding the miniature Bavarian Castle built from local gemstones, before returning to your motel for dinner.

(Please be aware that when visiting the Kalgoorlie Super Pit, long sleeve shirts, long pants and closed in shoes are required and you must also be able to pass an alcohol breath test of 0.00%.)

Day 9

Kalgoorlie - Northam
After breakfast we depart Kalgoorlie for Coolgardi, established in 1892 as the birthplace of the Gold Rush. Visit Lions Lookout and take in the view Arthur Bayley and William Ford had when they first arrived in the area and discovered gold. A visit to Ben Prior Park, an open air museum that contains statues, along with the wagons that bought the Sisters of Mercy Nurses to Coolgardie during the Typhoid epidemic. As we travel towards Northam today, we will start to see the wildflowers turning the landscape into a tapestry of colour at this time of year.

Day 10

Northam - Fremantle
After breakfast, welcome onboard a local guide who will provide an informative guided tour of Northam. After morning tea arrive in Guildford, a suburb of Perth situated on the Swan River. Admire the unique village charm and it's 19th-century architecture before continuing on for a visit to the Perth Mint where we learn about WA's golden history. Take time to discover Kings Park, one of the world's largest inner-city parks, before settling into our overnight accommodation in Fremantle.

Day 11

Fremantle - Brisbane
After breakfast, it's time to farewell 'The West' as we make our way to the airport, ready for our flight home.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner