This fantastic itinerary starts in Perth and is timed to not only see WA’s grain crops in all their springtime glory from Corrigin through to Esperance and Albany – we're also there when the state’s world-famed and dazzling wildflowers are on magnificent display. WA is home to more than 12,000 species of wildflowers – and 60 per cent of them are found nowhere else on the planet.
The tour is limited to a maximum of 26 passengers.
Tour highlights include:
Because group members will be arriving from all parts of the country, the tour is priced out of Perth. Airfares (or other means of travel) to and from Perth are additional. We are happy to help arrange these.
Our "Broome & Overland through the Pilbara" tour has been designed to fit in seamlessly with "Gems of the West". This overland adventure starts on Sept 12 in Broome and takes in the wonders of the Buccaneer Archipelago, the Pilbara Gorges right through to Exmouth and the fabulous North West Cape and Ningaloo Reef.
Travel to Perth then a welcome dinner at our hotel.
Depart Perth early this morning and travel north to New Norcia, the only monastic town in Australia. A Benedictine abbey was founded here in 1848 and more than 170 years on, the abbey is still in operation. We enjoy a guided tour of this unique and historic location.
We then head southeast and into the heart of the WA Wheatbelt region. We enjoy lunch in York as well as a presentation about the local history and farming before continuing on our way towards Corrigin for a farm visit and overnight.
We’ll continue southeast today before arriving at the Lake King Bush Engineers Tractor Museum housing a collection of home made tractors, built by the region’s farmers in the 1970s and 80s.
We continue south and onto Ravensthorpe and the famous Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show. More than 650 fresh wildflower specimens will be on display and there will be a number of botanists on hand to answer any questions you have. In addition, there will be art and craft stalls and other wonderful exhibits and food outlets that only country shows can offer.
We then travel onto Esperance, about 2 hours to the east. With a population of more than 14,000, Esperance is a thriving port with its major industries being agriculture, tourism and fishing.
Today we enjoy a visit to the Esperance port and other nearby attractions including the beach at Lucky Bay, located in Cape Le Grand National Park. Lucky Bay is probably the most famous of the Esperance beaches – it’s the one that the Lucky Bay kangaroos call home. We’ll visit farms in the east of the region before a get together this evening at a local Esperance retaurant.
It's a big day today so a nice early start as we head westwards through sprawling farms carved out of the scrub and onto the beautiful coastal settlement of Hopetoun, the eastern gateway to the Fitzgerald River National Park and the world renowned Fitzgerald Biosphere. Almost a fifth of all WA's plant species thrive in the diverse landscapes of the Fitzgerald Biosphere, many of these are found nowhere else on Earth. Little wonder this flora hotspot is internationally recognised as one of the world's most botanically significant regions, with a listing in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
At Hopetoun we take a glorious coastal drive with stunning ocean and mountain vistas. The roadside will be dotted with wildflowers in all their springtime glory. This the best place to view the magnificent Royal Hakea and other unique species.
Then we continue eastward to the small town of Ongerup. Here we meet some local farmers and visit the Yongergnow Malleefowl Centre. This is a multipurpose facility, spread over 5 hectares of native bush and two vermin-proof aviaries, dedicated to the Malleefowl conservation and local community development.
We then continue southwest through the spectacular Stirling Ranges – with wheat, barley, canola and other crops all in their springtime glory – before arriving at Albany and the end of a big but brilliant day.
The breathtaking beauty of Albany’s rugged coastline creates a fitting backdrop to a dramatic whaling, convict and settler history. While in the Albany area we will visit sights in and around the city including the Whaling Station and the WWI National Anzac Centre. Ships carrying the Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (later known collectively as ANZACs) set of from Albany bound for Egypt to join WWI. Two detachments departed in convoy in late 1914. Albany was the last glimpse of Australia that these ANZACs had before entering the fray.
Continue westwards today and into the ‘Valley of the Giants’ an iconic region on the south coast between Denmark and Walpole. The area is famous for its towering karri and tingle trees – some of the biggest trees on the planet. For those interested, the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, suspended high in the canopy of the ancient tingle forest, provides a thrilling view of these giants.
Our home for the next two nights is the quiet and secluded Forest Lodge Resort, near Pembertonwhere our group has exclusive use of the property.
In 1913, a timber milling site was needed to supply half a million railway sleepers for the Trans-Australian Railway – this was the birthplace of the town of Pemberton. We enjoy activities in and around the now incredibly diverse Pemberton region.
This morning we travel on to the Margaret River region, famous for its beaches and surf breaks, wineries, craft breweries, boutiques and generally stunning scenery such as the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.
The region is known around the world for its top quality wines and food. While the area produces less than 3% of Australia’s total wine production, Margaret River accounts for more than 20% of the nation’s premium wine production.
The Margaret River region is particularly beautiful in the springtime when wildflowers dot the landscape. The area boasts over 150 orchid species and more than 2500 different types of wildflowers.
During our time in Margaret River activities include viewing stunning landscapes, exploring historic settlements and enjoying just some of the many “fruits of the land†which have become synonymous with the area. One such experience is a magnificent lunch at Wise Wines with wonderful views out to the Indian Ocean.
It’s Friday night and a free evening in Margaret River.
We board our coach this morning and head north to Busselton with its 150-year-old, 1.8 km long jetty – the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. We’ll board the jetty train with the chance of seeing whales on their migratory (Jun-Nov) path and dolphins before disembarking at the jetty’s Underwater Observatory. Here we go 8 metres below the surface to an observation chamber to view more than 300 individual marine species in their natural habitat through 11 viewing windows.
Back on board our coach and onto Perth, 220 km to our north.
Dinner tonight at our heritage hotel on the western edge of the CBD.
This morning we’ll head west to the port city of Fremantle. ‘Freo’ is known for its maritime history, Victorian architecture and remnants of its early days as a British penal colony. Return to Perth for a picnic lunch at the Perth Botanical Gardens/Kings Park and then free time this afternoom to explore the magnificent wildflower displays and other exhibits of the Spring Festival month at the Gardens.
Flights home today or you might like to stay on in Perth/WA for a few days for some of your own exploring and sightseeing.
