Western Australia Coastal Discovery Self-Drive Tour

The great beauty of this self-drive tour is that it shows just how diverse the Western Australian coastline really is, you will see spectacular natural rock formations in National Parks to the incredible living creatures in the pristine blue waters of the Indian Ocean. Combine this with some real adventure like a tandem skydive in the Avon Valley, helidiving in the Abrolhos Islands, abseiling in Kalbarri National Park and a 3 day live aboard diving adventure on Ningaloo Reef and your adventure is complete.

Like all self-drive tours, it is fully customisable to your specific requirements, so if you've got less (or more) time we can tailor the itinerary to suit.

Daily itinerary

Day 1 - Perth

Perth is the capital of Western Australia State; the city is situated over Swan River and is considered one of the most isolated cities in the world. It is geographically closer to East Timor and Indonesia, than it is to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Perth is the city of unhurried lifestyle, cool climate and nearby beaches. On arrival get your bearings and take a stroll around the Perth Kings Park & Botanic Garden; this unique bushland, tranquil parkland and botanic garden covers approx 400 hectares and is located adjacent to the Swan River, approx 1.5 km from the CBD of Perth. It is extremely popular with locals and visitors. A must visit time is September, when the whole Park is blooming with wildflowers and activities to engage the senses.
Overnight: Perth

Day 2 - Perth to Freemantle

Perth has an amazing net of quality bike paths; today take the City Cycling Discovery Tour of Perth and Fremantle. Ride along the beautiful Swan River to the Indian Ocean, break for coffee at Cottesloe Beach then follow the ocean to the cosmopolitan port of Fremantle. Enjoy lunch at a local cafe then onto Little Creatures Brewery to sample some of their award winning beers. Visit Fremantle Prison, the 60,000 m² (15 acres) site was built by convict labour in the 1850s, closed as a prison in 1991 and reopened as a historic site. Board a ferry and cruise along the Swan River back to Perth. Spend the evening taking in the city’s nightlife.
Overnight: Perth

Day 3 - Perth & Swann Valley

Up early and experience a Morning Tandem Skydive; enjoying awesome views over the lush Avon Valley to Perth City & beyond to Rottnest Island. This is a great introduction to skydiving; it takes just 15 minutes of training, then exit the aircraft and enjoy the thrill and speed of free-fall with the Tandem Master opening the parachute at 5,000ft. What a rush! Head to Whiteman Park where you can get friendly with a wallaby, cuddle a koala, feed the deer, or watch the monkeys play at the Caversham Wildlife Encounter Park. The farm encourages a very interactive environment ensuring plenty of opportunities to get up-close and personal with the residents. Do not forget your camera! Return to your accommodation and be collected for your Twilight Winery Experience where you will be visiting wineries after they have closed for the day. Sit amongst the vines enjoying cheese platters and a wide variety of wines and fortifies then dine at a Gold Plate winning restaurant, Chester’s which is set in the property’s old stable block. Don’t miss this unique experience!
Overnight: Perth

Day 4 - Perth to Cervantes

Enjoy a relaxing morning before driving north to visit Namburg National Park known as The Pinnacles; it is regarded as one of Australia's most unique landscapes, these incredible limestone spiers rise eerily out of the sand, some several metres tall. The formations are best seen at dawn or dusk when they cast long, strange shadows over the rippling yellow sand dunes, you can get up close to the Pinnacles on a scenic drive and walk trail that includes an amazing lookout over the Nambung National Park. It's believed the Pinnacles were created millions of years ago as seashells were broken down into sand and then eroded by water and wind.
Overnight: Cervantes

Day 5 - Cervantes to Geraldton

Before leaving Cervantes don’t forget to go to Hangover Bay, this beautiful bay has a white sandy beach and offers good snorkeling, swimming, windsurfing, surfing and beachcombing. Bottlenose dolphins and sea lions can also be seen. Passing by Jurien, you can take a Sealions Tour; travel by catamaran out to Essex Rocks to see the playful, friendly creatures that love having their photo taken! Continue on your journey to Geraldton; known as the 'Sun City', its shoreline is the stunning Batavia Coast. This is one of Western Australia’s water sports hotspots, particularly for yachting, windsurfing, surfing, diving and fishing and is an excellent base to explore the Houtman Abroholos Islands.
Overnight: Geraldton

Day 6 – Helidiving the Abrolhos Islands

Board ‘Nemo’; an amphibious helicopter, named by crew for obvious reasons and take a 35 minute low helicopter flight to discover an unspoilt world that is the Abrolhos Islands. Located 70kms from shore this amazing archipelago of 122 islands offer sheltered warmer seas which allow the corals, sea grasses, tropical fish and other sea life to thrive in an area they wouldn’t normally be found. Sea lions are often seen and may accompany the divers and snorkelers through the colourful reef systems. Enjoy lunch and onboard a custom built pontoon which offers changing facilities, protection from the sun and wind, along with a glass viewing section that is built into the deck where the undersea world is visible for all to see without the need to get wet, perfect for those non-divers. Once back on dry land drive for 1.5 hours to Kalbarri.
Overnight: Kalbarr (2 nights).

Day 7-8 – Kalbarri National Park

Enjoy two days exploring this National Park; Take a Full Day 4WD Sandboarding & Snorkeling Adventure - where 45 degree dunes are the feature of this extraordinary spectacle of nature. The locals call it the Sahara near the ocean, visitors call it simply awesome. Progress from the nursery dunes and finish up at the adrenaline pumping Superbowl, a 280 foot plus high sand crater. After this great natural high go for a snorkel in the “Lucky Bay” Lagoon. Other options are a Half or Full Day Abseiling Trip; Abseil back in time down 460 million year gorges, the colours, the beauty, the sheer adrenalin will thrill you! Having mastered the 20m ‘Aviary' you will then move onto the 35m ‘Overhang’ - the perfect warm up for the 65m adults only ‘Wall of Fame’! OR Half Day 4WD/ Canoe Adventure – This Safari takes place on a privately owned cattle farm and offers incredible scenery and wildlife. You will four wheel drive through some of the most isolated sections of the station and canoe on pristine waters through hidden gorges and valleys. It is a great way to experience the outback.

Drive to Monkey Mia; the heart of Western Australia’s Shark Bay. Here you can experience the mystical world of wild dolphins, secluded crystal blue waters and pristine white-shell beaches. Monkey Mia has attracted schools of dolphins to its tranquil shores daily for more than forty years; this dolphin interaction is known to be one of the most reliable meeting places for dolphins in the world. It is the only place in Australia where dolphins visit daily, not seasonally and costs nothing.
Overnight: Monkey Mia.

Day 9 - Monkey Mia

Enjoy the morning’s Wildlife Experience Cruise in one of the world’s most important animal behavioural research sites. Scientists from all over the world come to Monkey Mia to unravel the mysteries of the marine world; there are people listening to dolphins, putting video cameras on tiger sharks, tagging turtles, studying stingrays and tracking dugongs. Depending on the time of year you could see dolphins, dugongs, turtles, sharks, sea-snakes, stingrays, flying-fish, the surface skipping long-tom and migrating birds from overseas. In the afternoon take in the Origin of Mermaid Myth Sailing Cruise; where you will see ‘Dugong’, the mermaids of the sea when you visit the Restricted-Access, Dugong Management Zone. Dugong feed on sea-grass. Shark Bay has the largest sea-grass banks in the world, and its 10,000 dugongs represent about 10% of the world’s dugong population. It truly is an incredible cruise. And if you haven’t had enough of cruising the Indian Ocean join the Sundowner Experience Cruise, where by late afternoon the breeze either causes a blast of pure excitement (weatherproofs provided) or a relaxing evening with music and cocktails.
Overnight: Monkey Mia

Day 10 – Monkey Mia to Exmouth

Before leaving Shark Bay be sure to stop to see the Stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, they may look like rocks but they are in fact living things, believed to be about 3.5 billion years old, the oldest living organisms on earth and this is one of only two places in the world that they can be seen. Continuing north visit the Blow Holes near Quobba and also the original NASA tracking station. Arrive at the amazing Coral Bay & Ningaloo Reef; this is Australia's only fringing reef where the coral starts right at the water's edge. Stroll along the Coral Bay Walkway; a stunning walk where you have a unique opportunity to witness dolphins, manta rays and a large range of fish swimming through the crystal clear waters from a number of vantage points. The 2km walk takes you through the Pioneer and Naturalist Parks where you can see kangaroos, emus, a variety of birdlife and perhaps a glimpse of the bungarra - a giant goanna. Settle back on the white sands to watch the famous West Australian sunset.
Overnight: Exmouth

Days 11-13 – Ningaloo Reef

Time to explore; the 3 Day Live aboard Adventure is the best way to experience Ningaloo Reef and uninhabited islands off the Exmouth coast. By staying out on the reef there is no doubt more time for relaxing and enjoying the many underwater wonders Ningaloo has to offer. Including from April through June/July when the whale shark spectacle takes over and the Ningaloo Reef becomes the world headquarters to the largest fish in the ocean; the coral spawning sets the stage for the arrival of the giant whale shark. Come and take this adventure, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed.
Accommodation: 2 nights Offshore, 1 night Exmouth

Day 14 – Exmouth

Explore the surrounds of Exmouth & Coral Beach before flying out to your next destination.

Remember this tour can be fully customised to your requirements: longer or shorter duration, backpackers to luxury lodge accommodation. Enquire now - we're only too happy to help.

While all activities are guided you always have the option to explore by yourself or to just sit back and relax. This flexibility allows us to make each trip unique. We enjoy what we do and are ready to make your experience a trip of a lifetime!

Not extreme enough or fancy something different? Enquire here and we put your personal adrenalin filled trip together!

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