Wildflowers of Western Australia and The Nullarbor

Day 1

Home - Fremantle
Your tour begins with a flight to Perth, where on arrival you will be met by our crew. Enjoy a short town tour before making our way to Fremantle to check in for our overnight stay, just a short walk from the marina.

Day 2

Fremantle - Cervantes
Travel northward to Cervantes via the Swan Valley, studded with orchards and vineyards. Patches of floral colour decorate the side of the road, made up of lambs tails, smoke bush, grevilleas and kangaroo paw. The first stop will be New Norcia, a piece of old Spain built in the Western Australian bush by Spanish Benedictine Monks. Visit the famous Pinnacles of Nambung National Park - unique spikes of limestone ranging in size from slivers to giant columns. Stop at Lake Thetis to view stromatolites, the oldest form of life on earth.

Day 3

Cervantes - Kalbarri
Continue north through the crayfishing towns of Port Denison and Dongara to Greenough, a National Trust classified town. Stop in Geraldton before taking the coastal route to Kalbarri via Northhampton. Pass by convict ruins, betacarotene lakes and spectacular coastal scenery, arriving into Kalbarri for our overnight stay.

Day 4

Kalbarri - Geraldton
Visit Kalbarri National Park, famous for its brilliant display of heath and wildflowers, and take in the spectacular views over Murchison Gorge from Hawks Head Lookout. After a picnic lunch, it's time to travel back to Geraldton for a guided town tour starting at the memorial to HMAS Sydney.

Day 5

Geraldton - Fremantle
Today we follow the wildflower trail inland via Mingenew and Moora in search of the elusive wreath flower. Wildflowers line the sides of the roads through wheat-belt towns. You have the chance to photograph beautiful natural floral displays, before returning to Fremantle.

Day 6

Fremantle - Augusta
After breakfast, we make our way along beautiful coastline, arriving at Busselton Jetty, the longest timber jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Take time to purchase your own lunch before continuing on to the village of Cowaramup. Enjoy a visit to Candy Cow sweet shop where you can taste their fudge, honey crunch and nougat. Next explore Margaret River's Chocolate Company and Bettenays Margaret River Wine and Nougat, sampling their products before travelling on to Augusta for the next two nights.

Day 7

Explore Margaret River
This morning, spend time exploring Margaret River and the famous beaches we often hear of. Next, visit Eagle Heritage Raptor Centre, the largest collection of native raptors in Australia. Sample Margaret River's award winning wines at Redgate Winery and visit Augusta and the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.

Day 8

Augusta - Albany
Drive through vineyards, farms, wildflowers and magnificent karri forests on your way to the timber town of Pemberton. Stop at the enormous Gloucester Tree before continuing through Walpole to the Valley of Giants Tree Top Walk. This 400m long bridge suspended 40m above the forest floor along with the Ancient Empire Forest Walk makes this a magical place.

Day 9

Albany - Whale World
Take a guided tour of Albany's Historic Whaling Station, Australia's last whaling station that ceased operations in 1978 and is now a museum. Experience the spectacular coastline of King George's Sound on your visit to the Natural Bridge. After lunch, tour the oldest settlement in Western Australia and visit Mount Clarence, with its War Memorial Lookout.

Day 10

Albany - Esperence
Travel through rich grazing and cereal crop farms to the Stirling Ranges where Bluff Knoll Lookout provides outstanding views of Western Australia's highest peaks. Orchids, myrtles, flowering mallee and the unique Southern Cross Flowers blossoming are sure to delight wildflower enthusiasts. Arrive in Ravensthorpe, where it's mid-season for wildflowers and this afternoon, follow the South Coast Highway through the stunning coastal scenery around Hopetoun and the township of Esperance, a commercial and service centre for the local farming district.

Day 11

Esperance
After breakfast, board our half day Bay of Isles cruise. Be on the lookout for wildlife such as the Cape Barron Geese and sea lions. Purchase your own lunch before taking a tour of Esperance, including panoramic views over the Recherche Archipelago, the Wind Farm and Pink Lake.

Day 12

Esperance - Hyden
Travelling through Ravensthorpe to Lake King, be on the lookout for pink lakes and the elusive pink and green skirted Qualup Bell flower. After lunch, continue on to Hyden and visit the Lace Showroom, a collection of lace, antique gowns and wedding dresses. Later, take a guided walk around the incredible Wave Rock, eroded and shaped over 2.7 billion years ago. Tonight our accommodation will be split over 2 properties and some cottages contain shared facilites for the night.

Day 13

Hyden - Kalgoorlie
Today we head cross country to Southern Cross; this trip passes by Skeleton Rocks and the edge of Jilbadji National Park, where you can be on the lookout for more wildflowers. Arrive at Coolgardie mid-afternoon, visiting the Goldfields Exhibition Museum, before continuing to Kalgoorlie where our town tour takes in the Kalgoorlie Super Pit, one of Australia's largest open cut gold mines.

Day 14

Kalgoorlie - Madura
Turn south to Norseman then east towards Balladonia, the town where the orbiting US Skylab disintegrated upon re-entry and showered the town with debris. After lunch, travel the longest stretch of straight road in Australia and tonight experience the stars and silence of the Nullarbor Plain during our overnight stay in Madura.

Day 15

Madura - Ceduna
An amazing day of travel today as we leave Madura and head towards the South Australian/ Western Australian border village. At times the road approaches the cliff along the Great Australian Bight which you will be sure to mark as a highlight. We may even spot a whale or two. Arrive into Ceduna late afternoon for dinner and our overnight stay.

Day 16

Ceduna - Port Augusta
At Kimba, the town halfway across Australia, stop for a photograph and look out for the famous Big Galah. Continue on to Port Augusta, the city at the crossroads of Australia, where we'll check into our accommodation with time to freshen up before dinner.

Day 17

Port Augusta - Wentworth
Travel through three different states today via the Lower Flinders Ranges with lunch at Morgan South Australia, once a very busy river port town. We then make our way into the citrus region of Mildura, Victoria and this afternoon, cross the Murray River to arrive at the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers at Wentworth, New South Wales.

Day 18

Wentworth - Wagga Wagga
Join the Sturt Highway through to Balranald and then stop at Hay for lunch. Continue through the contrasting landscapes before arriving in Wagga Wagga for the last night of our tour.

Day 19

Wagga Wagga - Sydney - Home
Travel the Hume Highway stopping for lunch near Goulburn. At Sydney Airport we farewell our Queensland passengers who will board their flight home, while our coach returns to The Hunter.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner