itinerary
Day 1. Welcome to Darwin
The capital of the Northern Territory is beguiling; its balmy tropical climes, fiery sunsets, laid-back locals and surprising attractions. Take in the sights on a tour, your guide revealing the city’s distinctive architectural style along with the events that have shaped it over the years. Did you know you can still witness damage from 1974’s Cyclone Tracy, and that the city was bombed in 1942? Prepare yourself for an exploration of Darwin’s top attractions, including the botanical garden, the breathtaking views from East Point Reserve, and a dinner-with-a-view experience at a beloved waterfront restaurant favored by locals. Hotel: Vibe Waterfront Darwin. Included Meals: Dinner with wine
Day 2. Darwin – Katherine
Your southern sojourn begins with yet more insights into the region’s historic events, expanding on yesterday’s lesson about the of WWII and its impact on the region. The Adelaide River was not only the headquarters of a large military base, but its banks now house a cemetery, the final resting place of those who lost their lives in defence of the country. It’s a sobering affair. Nature takes over at Nitmiluk National Park on Jawoyn land. The history and culture of the Traditional Landowners comes into full focus as you set off on a cruise through dramatic Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Remarkably, this is one of 13 gorges carved through the national park, and at every bend in the river, the sun casts its soaring sandstone cliffs a different colour. There’s no time to catch your breath – you’re off to meet Tom Curtain on a vast working outback station. Tom’s quite the entertainer, and regales visitors with songs and stories during his Katherine Outback Experience. It’s not a show or a tour, but an immersive adventure. One that is real, raw, and funny at times. Hotel: Paraway Motel. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 3. Katherine – Kununurra
Cross from the NT into WA, where Kununurra feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere. See what life was like in the region for early pioneers at the Durack Homestead Museum, which was meticulously moved and recreated before the land it formerly sat on was flooded as part of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme. The project not only helped water the countryside, but created Lake Argyle. A sunset cruise here, surrounded by tens of thousands of freshwater crocs and an astounding array of birds, is something you won’t forget in a hurry. The project also gave birth to Kununurra, a quirky town where life is best enjoyed in the slow lane. While the main streets are unassuming, all roads lead to some of WA’s most postcard-worthy sights, the Bungle Bungles among them. Hotel: Kununurra Country Club Resort, 2 Nights. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 4. Kununurra
Today is one of decisions: An optional early-morning flight over (or 4WD tour of) the beehive rock formations of the Bungle Bungles in World Heritage listed Purnululu National Park? Or a wander with your Travel Director through Mirima National Park, known as the ‘mini-Bungles’ for its resemblance to its more well-known neighbour. Both experiences reveal the mind-boggling geology of this part of the world. Regardless, sunset should be enjoyed atop Kelly’s Knob. Follow the lead of locals, who hang out here on a nightly basis – because there’s no such thing as a ‘bad’ sunset. All that water in Lake Argyle is used to irrigate very healthy looking crops around Kununurra, including sunflowers, sugar cane, cotton and sandalwood. Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 5. Kununurra – Emma Gorge
The AAT Kings team has been visiting Hoochery Distillery for as long as we can remember. We ask the owners to take you behind the scenes to discover how their award-winning rums and whiskys are made. There’s time for a tasting, or sit down to a slice of delicious rum cake – your morning tea sorted. From here you’re on the epic Gibb River Road, a wild adventure that traverses 660 kilometres across the Kimberley. You’re getting a taster en route to El Questro Wilderness Park, backdropped by the rusty red Cockburn Range. Hidden among the pandanus and palms are a string of slick safari-style tents. Which means you can gaze at the stars while you drift off to a chorus of frogs and cicadas. Hotel: Emma Gorge Resort, Tented Cabin with private facilities, 2 Nights. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 6. El Questro Wilderness Park
No alarm-clock necessary: nature wakes you here. The Kimberley’s sounds follow you across the mighty Pentecost River to Chamberlain Gorge, a dreamy fresh waterhole where wallabies and crocs play (not with each other). Your boat is dwarfed by the gorge’s soaring 60-metre escarpments, a brilliant shade of orange in the morning sun. Days in this part of WA can heat up. This afternoon’s remedy? A splash in the resort’s pool, perhaps, or a dip in a waterhole within Emma Gorge. The latter is a challenge to reach – you will work up a sweat hiking there. But diving in at the end is worth the effort. Be sure to be back on your patio in time for sundowners. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 7. Emma Gorge – Halls Creek
When the Argyle Diamond Mine was in operation, it produced more than 95% of the world’s pink diamonds. Oh, the carats that have come out of here! It stopped mining these rare (and dazzling) gems at the end of 2020, but you can still visit the immense site with an Aboriginal guide. Which means you not only go behind the scenes of operations, but also learn about the significance of the land – the traditional Barramundi Dreaming site – to First Nations communities. Your destination for the night, Halls Creek is small in population, but big in personality. Like your last destination, Aboriginal Songlines are strong, with communities living here, on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, for millennia. European influence is more recent, thanks to a brief gold rush which revealed the potential of the land for cattle stations. Hotel: Kimberley Hotel. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine
Day 8. Halls Creek – Fitzroy Crossing
Continue your deep dive into First Nations culture at the Aboriginal art gallery in Fitzroy Crossing, a remote town that acts as the gateway for Danggu (Geikie) Gorge tours. This remarkable part of the Kimberley was formed by the Fitzroy River carving through part of an ancient limestone barrier reef, which snakes across the Napier Range. This all happened in Devonian times, some 350 million years ago. It’s a fertile home to everything from freshwater crocs to fruit bats and wallabies, which will gaze at you from the top of the 30-metre-high cliffs that surround. That’s not the only reason to look up – keep watch for white-bellied sea eagles and rare, purple-crowned fairy wrens. Hotel: Fitzroy River Lodge. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine
Day 9. Fitzroy Crossing – Broome
The reason Broome was born is because of pearls – the waters here grow some of the best oysters in the world, as you’ll discover on a city tour. The ‘pearl rush’ saw fortune-seekers from around the world descend. And many never left, making Broome one of the most multicultural destinations in Australia. Today, the city is just as well known for its sizzling Indian Ocean sunsets, best enjoyed from a vantage on, or near, Cable Beach. This stretch of sand is long. So long that it can accommodate 4WDs, camels and foot-traffic. Perch here, or head to a waterside café. Order a drink, and settle in. Hotel: Cable Beach Club Resort, 2 Nights. Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 10. Broome Free Time
Now that you have your bearings thanks to your Broome tour, today is yours to explore. There are many reasons to linger in town, browsing pearl boutiques, tackling some of Cable Beach’s 22 kilometers, or exploring coves where dinosaur footprints have been discovered. Or venture further afield on an optional experience to witness the full force of some of the world’s biggest tides. The Horizontal Falls is no ordinary waterfall. Here, changing tides push an immense amount of water through two narrow chasms in a short period of time. And voila – the appearance of a waterfall, tipped on its side. What does one do when faced with this rush? Take it on in a speedboat, of course. For a different perspective, head to the skies on an optional scenic flight. Or do both. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 11. Broome – Port Hedland
The eye-opening colours of the Pilbara region are your backdrop today – rich red earth streaked with mineral deposits. It’s sparsely populated, but you will find people in the major hub of Port Hedland. There are plenty of local characters to meet over dinner at your hotel, which gets busy when musicians begin to play. Before you leave, head to a lookout to spot migrating humpback whales and snubfin dolphins cruising along the coast, season pending. It’s a welcome entrée to your activities further south. Hotel: The Esplanade Hotel Port Hedland. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 12. Port Hedland – Karijini National Park
A frontier like no other, Karijini National Park is a place where gorges seem to cleave off the edge of the Earth, waterfalls tumble from escarpments and remote turquoise rock pools shimmer like precious gems. The wilderness is wilder, the colours brighter, the air clearer. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think someone had taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. Even darkness doesn’t temper the natural drama. You’re hundreds of kilometers from the nearest town, and in the absence of light pollution you can look forward to dazzling stargazing, even from bed in your safari-tent. Hotel: Karijini Eco Retreat, 2 Nights. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 13. Karijini National Park
Bring your stamina and your camera – today’s Karijini tour weaves deep into the national park. It took billions of years to create the geological wonders you see: the red layered cliffs, the quiet gorges, the soaring gum trees, and distinctive termite mounds. It covers a staggering 630,000 hectares just north of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Hamersley Range, making it WA’s second-largest national park. Its location also makes it steamy – if you packed your swimsuit, cooling off under waterfalls and drifting about in waterholes comes highly recommended. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 14. Karijini National Park – Exmouth
There are a few (hundred) kilometers of Pilbara region to cover between inland Karijini and Exmouth on the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Coast. On your hypnotic journey, just imagine all the magical marine creatures you might glimpse when you dive into Ningaloo Reef – Exmouth is the gateway. This pocket of the state is also blessed with Cape Range National Park, where yet more immense gorges and waterfalls characterize the countryside. But your focus here should be firmly on the ocean, whether you’re swimming in it or cruising above it. Hotel: Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort, 2 Nights. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 15. Exmouth Free Time
Depending on the time of year, Ningaloo Reef is home to both whale sharks and humpback whales. Thanks to the region’s ethically minded operators, you can now opt to snorkel with both. There’s nothing quite as humbling as spotting these enormous creatures in the wild. But if prefer to stay dry, there are still ways to take in the coastline. Book an optional sunset cruise and you may well see a humpback breaching and blowing, dolphins in your wake. The decision is all yours today. We wouldn’t blame you for simply strolling along the sand…Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 16. Exmouth – Carnarvon
Don’t want to get your hair wet? You’re in luck. Today’s cruise in a glass-bottomed boat allows you to glimpse Ningaloo’s extraordinary marine life in style. At Coral Bay marine sanctuary, your guide will point out colourful coral, turtles and fish while you glide – more than 500 species call this protected patch of ocean home. From this thriving underwater ecosystem to overhead attractions, your next stop is the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum. Did you know this unassuming destination played a role in the 1969 moon landing? That’s just one of its claims to fame, as you’ll discover touring the gallery’s collection. Hotel: Best Western Hospitality Inn Carnarvon. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 17. Carnarvon – Monkey Mia
Prepare yourself for the ‘living fossils’ at Hamelin Pool, home to the most abundant colony of stromatolites in the world. These astounding creatures show us what life was like 3,500-million years ago, when there was no other complex life on Earth. You’re officially in the state’s World Heritage listed Shark Bay, the largest of its kind in Australia with more than 1,000 kilometers of beaches. Not all of them sandy – welcome to Shell Beach. Here, the snow-white colour comes from billions of tiny coquina bivalve shells, up to 10 metres deep and stretching for 70 kilometers. And just when you thought the outlook couldn’t get any better, you arrive at Monkey Mia. Hotel: Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, 2 Nights. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 18. Monkey Mia Free Time
If you didn’t fall in love with the gin-clear waters, powdery sand, and rusty-red dunes of Monkey Mia last night, you certainly will today. Meet the wild resident dolphins that turn up to the shore every morning to interact with humans. They arrive in a pod, and splash about in the shallows, before dancing away to catch a few waves. When it’s time to tear yourself away, the afternoon is yours, at leisure. Sign up to see yet more dolphins on an optional sunset cruise, perhaps? Or enjoy a bird’s-eye perspective of Shark Bay on an optional scenic flight? Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 19. Monkey Mia – Geraldton
Peregrine falcons are a common sight from Hawks Head Lookout in Kalbarri National Park. Who could blame them for wanting to live in this part of WA, particularly pretty during wildflower season. At this time of year, the countryside is an eye-popping patchwork of blooming acacia, banksia, caladenia, and so much more. Arriving in Geraldton, pay homage to the 645 Australian sailors who were lost off the WA coast during WWII at the HMAS Sydney Memorial. Then discover the rest of the seaside town at your own pace, cycling to the red-and-white striped lighthouse, wandering the foreshore or visiting the cathedral. Hotel: Mantra Geraldton. Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 20. Geraldton – Perth
Did we leave the best till last? Nambung National Park’s Pinnacles are a staggering collection of natural limestone structures, jutting into the sky – up to 3.5 metres high. Some 30,000 years ago, the sea receded and left deposits of shells. Over time, coastal winds removed the sand, leaving behind this surreal moonscape. It’s a spiritual place, as is Yanchep National Park, where your Aboriginal guide decodes native plants and tells Dreamtime stories of how the land was created. Prepare to get hands on, tasting bush tucker and even playing the didgeridoo. Well, trying to play it…Hotel: Crowne Plaza, Perth. Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Day 21. Farewell from Perth
It’s hard to believe this epic adventure has come to an end. Three weeks of incredible memories to take home with you. Included Meals: Breakfast
dates & pricing
Follow Us