AAT Kings: Wonders of the West Coast & Kimberley

The WA capital is colourful in more ways than one. There are alleys lined with eye-popping street art, and wildflowers blanket Kings Park. Discover the sights with your Travel Director, and then meet again at a Welcome Dinner.

Staying in:

• Crowne Plaza Perth (1 night)

Talk about starting on a high. First stop is Yanchep National Park, where, on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, your Aboriginal guide decodes native plants and tells Dreamtime stories. Just as scene-stealing are Nambung National Park’s Pinnacles, limestone structures jutting into the sky. Arriving in Geraldton, pay homage to sailors lost during WWII at the HMAS Sydney Memorial.

Staying in:

• Nesuto Geraldton Apartment Hotel (1 night)

Arriving at Kalbarri National Park, enjoy spectacular views from the Kalbarri Skywalk over the Murchison River Gorge. If you’re here during wildflower season, expect acacia, banksia and caladenia in full bloom. And just when you thought the outlook couldn’t get any better, you arrive at Monkey Mia.

Staying in:

• Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort (1 night)

If you didn’t fall in love with the gin-clear waters and powdery sand of Monkey Mia last night, you will today. Meet the dolphins that turn up to the shore every morning, then spend the afternoon at leisure. Optional sunset cruise, perhaps? Or a scenic flight over the bay?

Staying in:

• Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort (1 night)

Prepare yourself for the ‘living fossils’ at Hamelin Pool, home to the most abundant colony of stromatolites in the world. The state’s World Heritage listed Shark Bay is also characterised by Shell Beach, formed from billions of coquina bivalve shells. Your next stop is the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum. Did you know it played a role in the 1969 moon landing, and was instrumental in the space race? These are among the gallery’s claims to fame, as you’ll discover touring the collection.

Staying in:

• Best Western Hospitality Inn Carnarvon (1 night)

Today’s cruise in a glass-bottomed boat allows you to glimpse the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Coast in comfort. Gliding around Coral Bay, your guide will point out colourful corals, turtles and angelic fish.

Staying in:

• Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort (1 night)

Depending on the time of year, Ningaloo Reef is home to both whale sharks and humpbacks. You can opt to snorkel with both (ethically) or book a sunset cruise to see some breaching and blowing, sparkling wine in hand.

Staying in:

• Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort (1 night)

Take one last look over the Exmouth waters before continuing north to Western Australia's famous Pilbara region. Known for its rich landscape, red earth and vast mineral deposits, the region's diverse landscape will fascinate you.

Staying in:

• Comfort Inn, Karratha (1 night)

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. It took billions of years to create the geological wonders you see: the red layered cliffs, the quiet gorges and the soaring gum trees.

Staying in:

• Tom Price Motel (1 night)

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. Before you leave, head to a lookout to spot migrating humpback whales and snubfin dolphins cruising along the coast, season pending.

Staying in:

• Hospitality Port Hedland (1 night)

The reason Broome was born is because of pearls. Today, it’s just as well known for its Indian Ocean sunsets, best enjoyed from a vantage on the Cable Beach sand.

Staying in:

• Cable Beach Club Resort (1 night)

Today is yours to explore. Or simply relax on Cable Beach.

Staying in:

• Cable Beach Club Resort (1 night)

Preserved for 125 million years in the reef rock at Gantheaume Point are the imprints of long-extinct dinosaurs. Remarkably, the Broome coast has become one of the most significant paleontological sites in the world. Glimpse their stomping ground before venturing toward Fitzroy Crossing.

Staying in:

• Fitzroy River Lodge (1 night)

Visit the spectacular Mimbi Caves with an Indigenous guide and take a deep dive into First Nations culture, discovering ancient rock paintings and Dreamtime stories. Observe the limestone formations and crystal-clear freshwater pools that remain from a 350-million-year-old Devonian Great Barrier Reef. More Aboriginal history and culture awaits at the Yarliyil Arts Centre in Halls Creek.

Staying in:

• Kimberley Hotel (1 night)

From here, get a taste of the Gibb River Road, before arriving 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.

Staying in:

• Emma Gorge Resort, Tented Cabin with private facilities (1 night)

The Kimberley’s sounds follow you to Chamberlain Gorge, your boat dwarfed by its soaring escarpments. Afternoon remedy? A splash in the resort's pool, perhaps.

Staying in:

• Emma Gorge Resort, Tented Cabin with private facilities (1 night)

Kununurra was born through the Ord River Irrigation Scheme. It now waters crops like sugarcane, turned into lip-smacking rum at Hoochery Distillery. A cruise to sunset here is something you won’t forget in a hurry.

Staying in:

• The Kimberley Grande (1 night)

Today is one of decisions: An optional flight over (or 4WD tour of) the Bungle Bungles? Or a wander with your Travel Director through Mirima National Park. In between, explore the Waringarri Aboriginal Art Centre on a guided tour.

Staying in:

• The Kimberley Grande (1 night)

Say goodbye to WA and hello to the NT, your introduction to the state the vast pastoral lands that characterise the outback here. Locals come with plenty of country swagger, as you’ll discover at the Katherine Outback Experience. After songs and entertainment, your special Be My Guest evening of dining under the stars begins.

Staying in:

• Contour Hotel Katherine (1 night)

Nature rules at Nitmiluk National Park, where you cruise through dramatic Nitmiluk Gorge. Your northern sojourn reveals the region’s historic events, all the way to Darwin.

Staying in:

• Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront (1 night)

It’s hard to believe this epic adventure has come to an end. Three weeks of incredible memories to take home with you.