WA’s Coral Coast – Broome to Perth

Fly Perth to Broome and explore this fascinating pearling town. We visit Gantheaume Beach, Anastasia’s Pool, and the Chinese and Japanese cemetery. We check into our accommodation and later enjoy an  evening sunset meal at Cable Beach with our fellow passengers. (D)

A leisurely drive to stunning 80 Mile Beach, one of WA’s more famous beaches. We enjoy a stroll on the white sandy beach, taking in the endless ocean views. This is one place where we can enjoy sunrise and sunset at the same spot. Later it’s on to Port Hedland for the night. (B,D)

Today we head to the old pearling town of Cossack with it’s a once thriving pearling industry, we visit the port before exploring Port Samson. Later onto Karratha for a two-night stopover. (B,D)

Karratha was established in 1968 to accommodate the processing and exportation workforce of the Hamersley Iron mining company and, in the 1980s, the petroleum and liquefied natural gas operations of the North West Shelf Venture, we visit this enormous operations and also visit Dampier and the Red Dog memorial. (B)

We head along the coast and arrive at Onslow. In the early settlement days, pearls were found in Exmouth Gulf and the town became home port to a fleet of pearling luggers. The town has been touched by cyclones over the years and even war in 1943, when a single Japanese plane reached here in World War II, bombing the airfield. Onslow has two lookouts located a short distance from one another, with both providing a wonderful view of the ocean and incredibly colourful sunrises and sunsets over the Mackerel Islands. (B,D, Onslow Beach Resort)

A short drive today to Exmouth. After lunch we visit the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse and the Charles Knife Road in Cape Range National Park, a mini Grand Canyon. The views are spectacular from here. (B)

This morning we start the day with a cruise of the Ningaloo Reef in a glass bottom boat, then later we travel to Carnarvon. Here we visit the historic Carnarvon jetty precinct, followed by a town tour, then check in to our accommodation. (B,D)

Explore the wonders of space at the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, then on to beautiful Shell Beach, and the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, stopping at Denham (our two-night stopover. (B,D)

A short drive across the Peron Peninsula to visit the world-famous Monkey Mia dolphins and enjoy a cruise on the bay. Later we visit Eagle Bluff Boardwalk. (B)

Departing Denham, we drive to Kalbarri via the Murchison River and Hawks Head Lookout. Two-night stopover in Kalbarri (B,D)

We take a short drive to Kalbarri National Park to see the stunning new skywalk which looks out over the Murchison River. We also visit Nature’s Window, the Loop and Z-Bend Gorge. We finish the day with a sunset cruise on the Murchison River. (B,D)

It’s back to Perth today via Red Bluff lookout, then on to Northampton and Geraldton, stopping at the HMAS Sydney Memorial, and Jurien Bay. We arrive in Perth in the late afternoon. (B)