Tailormade tour Best of Western Australia Tour Australia

13 nights/14 days

Perth • Margaret River • Ningaloo Reef • Kimberley

The Best of the Western Australia touring holiday is the perfect tour for those looking to find a road less travelled in Australia. Its isolation has helped this region keep hold of some of Australia’s best kept secrets. This region is entirely unique, refreshingly untouched, and offers a completely different flavour of Australia to usual the East Coast tourist route. Over the course of 13 nights, we will introduce you to the wonderful variety of this state, from its capital, Perth, to the Margaret River region, and then north to the waters of the Ningaloo Reef, or the landscapes the East Kimberley region.
Holiday price guide

Available year-round subject to the opening period of the hotels, from about £5,600 per person.

Luxury tailormade touring holiday of Western Australia including Perth, the Margaret River wine area, and either Ningaloo Reef or East Kimberley.

Highlights

Perth • Margaret River • Margaret River vineyards trip • Meelup Bay • Visit the beaches at Prevelly and Gracetown • Ngilgi Cave • Kimberley • Ningaloo Reef • Mandu Mandu Gorge

Day by day

Arrive in Perth. You are met upon arrival and transferred to your accommodation by private chauffeur. Spend the day adjusting to the time zone and introducing yourself to the delights of the warm and pleasant climate.

Enjoy a day of leisure as you explore Australia’s most remote city. This bustling metropolis perched on the pretty Swan River has so much to offer as it continues its remarkable ascendency as a modern-day boom town. From its glitzy central business district to the hip and trendy cultural precinct of Northbridge, and out to the recent developments of Elizabeth Quay, the recent economic boom has helped create a cosmopolitan sheen to the historically laid-back city. Great restaurants, bars, a wealth of leisure facilities and a superb public-transport system conspire make Perth a truly liveable city.

Despite its recent economic success, the heart of Perth remains focused on its wonderful natural assets. With a myriad of pristine Indian Ocean beaches on its doorstep, today could be best spent cooling offer on the white sand and aquamarine water that fringes the city. For swimmers, Crawley, Peppermint Grove and Como are wonderful beaches, whilst surfers should head to the Cottesloe, Scarborough, City and Floreat, or brave the challenging surf of Trigg Island.

On your final day in Perth, choose from a range of optional tours to discover some more of the wider region. Whilst technically a suburb or Perth, Freemantle maintains a unique identity to establish itself as a fantastic choice for a day trip. Located on the mouth of the Swan River, you can explore the port, harbour front restaurants or the maritime museum in the developing Victoria Quay precinct. A laid-back bohemian ambience, and fantastic bars and restaurants make Freemantle a perfect city escape, where the ‘Freemantle Doctor’ helps keep the fashionable district cool on scorching days.

Collecting your 4x4 hire car from Perth, today you commence your road trip south to the Margaret River region of Western Australia. Today’s drive will take you along the Indian Ocean coastline. Spot the breaching of whales in the pale blue of the Indian Ocean waters and be sure to stop at a myriad of wonderful highlights along the way. The laid-back Bunbury or the cultural hub of Dunsborough for example are perfect rest stops, whilst the breath-taking white sand beaches of Meelup Bay, Eagle Bay and Bunker Bay will delight. For those looking to learn more of Indigenous culture, you could also choose to explore Ngilgi Cave with the help of expert guides. Arrive in the Margaret River around late afternoon and settle into your idyllic surrounds.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before spending a full day to explore the internationally acclaimed wineries of the region. Margaret River alone produces an astonishing 20% of Australia’s premium wine, testament to the ideal growing conditions as pristine environment conspires with the many micro climates to create wine that is both varied, and fantastic. With more than 95 cellar doors listed on the Margaret River wineries list, a full day can be spent meandering through the countryside in search of the best. Many vineyards also have excellent cafes and restaurants attached, meaning you are never far from good food to accompany this natural bounty.

Another great attraction of the Margaret River region is its superb Indian Ocean coastline, home to around 40 different surfing spots. One of the most iconic is Surfers Point, near Prevelly, which is home to the Margaret River Pro surfing competition and provides a great spot from which to relax in the sunshine and watch the professionals at work! Otherwise, why not get involved yourself by joining one of the many superb surf schools dotted up and down the coastline. Margaret River Mouth and Southside are perhaps the best surf spots, but there are a number to choose from whatever your criteria.

On your final full day in the South West of Western Australia, you could choose to potter up and down Caves Road, and stop at one of a number of attractions on the way. From vineyards, to breweries, to farms, it’s a fantastic way to spend an un-taxing day exploring the countryside. Alternatively, this region is also home to a string of beautiful limestone caves, complete with dramatic ceilings of stalactites and floors of stalagmites. Learn about the geology as well as the cultural significance of these sites.

Today, it’s time to hit the road again as you journey north back to Perth. Break up your drive by visiting any of the coastal towns and beaches that you missed on you first drive, before continuing to Perth International Airport to catch your flight to the far north of Western Australia. For those seeking pristine coral reefs, exceptional marine life, and a safari style experience, Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth is the perfect destination. Others will favour to varied and dramatic landscapes of the East Kimberley region, and here the wilderness that surrounds Kununurra will provide an incredible natural escape. Whichever you choose, you are sure to be met by a warm welcome, and a sky full of stars.

Wake up in your chosen wilderness and enjoy a leisurely morning as you adjust to the warmer climate. On the Ningaloo Reef, it would be a great day to take your first dip in the crystal-clear waters of the coral reefs, whilst guests travelling to the East Kimberley region might want to cool off in one of the many swimming holes or thermal springs that are found throughout the 700,000 acres.

Having adjusted to the climate, today you could choose to get a bit more adventurous. On the Ningaloo Reef, there is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swim with either Whale Sharks or Humpback Whales. These majestic creatures are one of the pinnacle encounters listed on the bucket lists of wildlife enthusiasts the world over, and their graceful and inquisitive nature will charm and delight as you glide next to them in the crystal-clear water. In the East Kimberley, why not join one of the full day tours that will introduce you to the hidden delights of this pristine environment. There are variety on offer, with some introducing you to gorges, others rainforests, and others more ecosystems still.

There is ample opportunity in either of your chosen destinations to find a change of scenery today. Those on the Ningaloo Reef could venture away from the inviting waters of the Indian Ocean, and instead choose to join a guided walk of the spectacular Mandu Mandu gorge or the Yardie Creek Gorge. As well as being home to an incredible diversity of wildlife including the rock wallabies and emus, this area is steeped in 30,000 years of human history, and the stories and artefacts are still being discovered to this day. In the Eastern Kimberley a new perspective can be gleaned by a spectacular helicopter or airplane scenic flight over the extraordinary region. A number are on offer that will allow your pilot to focus on a feature of your interest, from waterfalls to the coastline, to the red desert of the outback.

On your final day in Western Australia, choose your adventure wisely. There are so many on offer in either location, from sea kayaking to big game fishing on the Ningaloo Reef, from horse riding to fishing throughout the ancient landscapes of the East Kimberley. Either way, allow yourself plenty of time to dine under the stars, and to raise a glass to Australia’s best kept secret – the West.

Wake to soak up the last of the climate and scenery before being transferred back to your regional airport and starting your journey home to London via Perth.

What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!
Mr W, July 2022

Holiday price guide From about £5,600 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for economy flights from London.

Holiday Code AUSG02

Luxury tailormade touring holiday of Western Australia including Perth, the Margaret River wine area, and either Ningaloo Reef or East Kimberley.

What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!
Mr W, July 2022

Holiday price guide From about £5,600 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for economy flights from London.

Holiday Code AUSG02

Our prices include ● Return scheduled flights with British Airways, Qantas or Emirates from London to Perth, returning from Perth to London in economy class.
● Domestic flights from Perth to Exmouth Learmonth Airport, or from Perth to Kununurra in economy class.
● Transfers where specified in our itinerary.
● 4 nights’ bed and breakfast in Perth
● 4 nights’ bed and breakfast in Margaret River
● 5 nights’ bed and breakfast in Ningaloo or Kimberley
● The meals included with your tour will vary by chosen accommodation. Please see our hotel suggestions for included board basis.
● Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints

Our prices do not include ● Early check-in or late check-out at any hotels (although we can arrange this on request at additional cost)
● Any other services not mentioned above, such as transfers and meals except as specified in our hotel suggestions
● Personal holiday insurance. This is essential and cover should be in place from when you book the holiday.
● Local tourist tax, payable locally to the hotel
● Optional tours and activities within each location, except where explicitly specified as included in our itinerary, or by hotels in our hotel lists
● Personal expenses
● Visa and Passport. You will need a full British passport with at least six months validity, and a Visa for travel to Australia. Visas requirements should be checked with the Australian authorities. More details are available from www.eta.immi.gov.au

What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!
Mr W, July 2022

Holiday price guide From about £5,600 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for economy flights from London.

Holiday Code AUSG02

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