Wonders Of The West Coast And Kimberley (21 Days)

The Western Australian capital is colourful in more ways than one. There are alleys lined with eye-popping street art and installations, an homage to the state’s creatives. And wildflowers and natives blanketing 400-hectare Kings Park and Botanic Garden, set on a pretty bend of the Swan River. At the middle of it all is the Anzac Memorial, a spot as humbling as it is serene. Discover the sights on a tour, then head to dinner to meet your fellow adventurers. They’ll be best mates in no time.

Talk about starting on a high. First stop 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… Just as scene-stealing and spiritual are Nambung National Park’s Pinnacles, 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. 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.

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.