10D9N South Western Escape

Perth may be the West Australian capital, but it’s home to a remarkable amount of green space. Join your Travel Director on a city sights tour and a stroll through Kings Park, whose Botanic Garden is home to over 3,000 floral species. It’s a relaxed entrée to the next 10 days of action and adventure. Your Western Australia tour from Perth is primed to begin. Meet again this evening for a Welcome Dinner with your Travel Director and travelling companions.

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At the start of your tour from Perth, say hello to Wave Rock, a 110-metre, rainbow-hued granite swell formed more than three million
years ago. Fun fact: the visitor centre here has the world’s largest collection of toy soldiers. Wave Rock local Sheenagh knows a thing or two about life on the land. She’s passionate about her farm, and proudly shows off the outback while you explore the wide open spaces that characterize the WA countryside. You’ll also get to glimpse her collection of vintage cars – who knew folks in this
part of the world were such avid collectors?

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Today is deep – quite literally. Your journey through classic WA outback lands you in Kalgoorlie – get your bearings on a town tour, pausing to take in vistas over the staggering ‘Super Pit’ open-cut gold mine. Put life into perspective standing next to monstrous loaders and haul trucks at Hannans North Mine. It’s a shimmering opportunity to experience gold rush history and discover the Golden Mile.

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Nature humbles at Cape Le Grand National Park, a staggering 31,000 hectares of sweeping heathlands, rugged coastal peaks and
powdery beaches. It’s so pretty that kangaroos come here for a little lounging on the beach – at Lucky Bay, you’ll see Australia’s
national emblem dozing beside the water. And then there’s Thistle Cove, listen for the whistle of the Whistling Rock among the
sounds of wind and sea.

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Today’s tour from Esperance continues through some of the most bountiful wilderness areas in the state, including the Stirling Range
National Park, filled seasonally with a staggering range of wildflowers – more than 1,500 different plant species, some of which are found nowhere else on earth. Get an overview from the Bluff Knoll Lookout, topping one of WA’s highest peaks.

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Albany turns on pretty much every charm, whether you’re ready for more nature, are a history buff, or feel like it’s time for food and
wine. You have a day at leisure to go in whichever direction you please. Perhaps opt for a tour that relives the town’s heritage as
the last port of call for ANZAC troopships departing Australia in WWI. Maybe explore Torndirrup National Park, where steep cliffs give way to dramatic rock formations and whales are a common sight during migration. Or get a taste for the region on a culinary
excursion (all own expense).

Optional Experiences:

a. Albany History & Highlights
The history of the Great Southern is revealed in stories with a guided tour at Mt Clarence and the Padre White Lookout, and
discover Albany’s role in Australia’s ANZAC story at the National ANZAC Centre. From whalers to warships, explorers to
entrepreneurs, wool to wheat, and story-telling to sculptures Amazing Albany comes to life.

b. Tasting Delicious Denmark
More than just a food and wine tour! Take in the cathedral of towering karri trees as you travel through lush bushland to hidden venues in Denmark WA. On this full day tour, taste handcrafted cheese and award-winning wines, mead, freshly made ice cream, honey, handmade chocolates flavoured with Australian bush foods, and relax at lunch in a picturesque boutique winery overlooking lush bushland. Hear passionate authentic stories and explore flavour sensations

c. The Gap & Natural Wonders
On this half day tour, discover The Gap & Natural Bridge; a 40m chasm into which the Southern Ocean hurls itself against the
walls. Feel the exhilaration of crashing waves and taste the salty air. Enjoy the pristine marine environment of the southern
Australian coastline on the journey through the Torndirrup National Park. In Torndirrup National Park, walk Stony Hill to fabulous views and spot wildflowers like banksia, acacia, hakea, dryandra. Enjoy refreshments overlooking King George Sound. Visit the Albany Wind Farm and the Sandpatch coastline, and view Princess Royal Harbour from Frenchmans Bay.

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Suspended 40 metres above the forest floor, the Tree Top Walk gives you a bird’s-eye view of the soaring tingle trees that stand large through the Valley of the Giants. The Margaret River region of Western Australia deserves its reputation as one of the county’s top grape-growing areas. There are too many high-quality vineyards to name here. So, we’ll give you just one: Hamelin Bay Wines. Since 1992, this postcard-perfect estate has been producing wines that hero this pocket of the state, where the Indian and Southern oceans converge. The result is delicious drops that span the spectrum from sparkling to shiraz, rose to reserve chardonnay, which you’ll enjoy during a hosted tasting at the cellar door and then dinner in the on-site restaurant.

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The Margaret River is one of the only wine regions in the world where grapes are grown just metres from the sand. Winery backdrops follow you all the way to Busselton, home to the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Tip your cap to those who built this 1.8-kilometre structure out into Geographe Bay. The remainder of the day is all yours in Freo. Why not explore the Fremantle Markets, which boasts over 150 stalls?

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Sometimes, the most memorable travel days are those where you lose yourself wandering the foreshore, lingering over lunch or a
cool ale. We highly recommend you spend this day of leisure doing just that (Freo’s Little Creatures Brewery is legendary). Of course,
having a local show you around also have its benefits, with a Fremantle tour revealing those hidden haunts most visitors pass right on by (own expense). If you’re catching the ferry for a Rottnest Island tour, make sure you have your phone ready to capture selfies
with the island’s smiley quokkas, not to mention the blindingly turquoise water (own expense).

Optional Experiences:

a. Rottnest Island Day Tour
Enjoy a ferry cruise to and from the island. Explore the beauty and tranquility as you tour the island in the comfort of an air-conditioned coach. Enjoy commentary of historical, cultural and natural points of interest along the way. There is free time to explore more of the island by bike or by foot.

b. Fremantle Walking Tour – Convicts, Culture & Street Art Denmark
Fremantle is Perth’s hip and historical cousin with streets full of heritage buildings, cafés, street art and amazing stories waiting
to be shared. Starting at the Fremantle Town Hall, this walking tour is no boring history lesson, but rather takes a non-traditional
route, discovering factual, anecdotal, and downright fascinating local stories, all as you wander Freo’s vibrant cappuccino
strip, boat harbour, narrow West End streets and see the landmarks, including the Fremantle Prison and the Roundhouse. Once home to whaling stations and mass immigration, Freo is now a charming town celebrated for its variety of culture and
multicultural history. The locals here were as hard as nails salty sea dogs who rubbed shoulders with newly arrived immigrants
to create a town full of characters – some of who’s stories you’ll be amazed to hear about from your local guide!You’ll hear tales from prisoner escapes and convict antics to the expulsion of Indigenous peoples to Rottnest Island. Find out why almost
10,000 men were transported from Great Britain and Ireland, how they built their own prison and helped shape the future of
Western Australia. There is no better way to explore Freo than with a local guide to share all its fascinating stories and visit the
amazing sites, of which there are many, if you hadn’t guessed!

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Short and sweet, we hope your journey inspired extended West Australian wanderlust.

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