WA Coral Coast - Broome to Perth

Travelwise can organise your flights from any state to join this tour

Stage 2 – Total cost for on-board guests - $4178pp     ss $1075

Day 01

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

09.00am – Depart Continental Hotel

09.15am – Arrive Broome Airport (Stage 1 guests Qantas flight)

09.30am – Depart Broome Airport

12.00pm – Arrive Stanley Rest Area (lunch provided)                                 

12.30am – Depart Stanley Rest Area

03.00pm – Arrive Pardoo Roadhouse (comfort stop)

03.15pm – Depart Pardoo

05.00pm – Arrive the Hedland Hotel, Port Hedland WA

Port Hedland was bombed around circa 1942 by Japanese air raiders with one loss of life. Perhaps they were searching for Corunna Downs secret air force base. By 1966, the railway from Goldsworthy to Finucane Island was completed to take its first shipment of iron ore on the Harvey S Mudd. With the mining of iron ore, came the mining of salt. In July 1966, Leslie Salt sent construction equipment onto the current site, and within two and half years the first salt export commenced. 1967 BHP began to export iron ore from Port Hedland.

A significant event for the town was the air crash of a MacRobertson Miller Airlines on 31 December 1968. My father was called to the crash site to take photos as a reporter for The West and the Hedland times. Twenty two passengers and five crew were killed in an incident caused by the right wing braking away from the fuselage. The plane crash site was found at Indee Station near Port Hedland.

06.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 02

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

08.30am – Depart The Hedland Hotel

08.45am – Arrive Sea Farers Centre and Harbour Cruise

​Port Hedland Seafarers Centre offers Harbour Tours of the Port Hedland Port to the general public. The tour consists of a presentation at the Seafarers Centre followed by a cruise around the harbour in a working Seafarers Launch Service Boat. We will be accompanied by an informative member of the Seafarers Staff who will provide full commentary while picking up Seafarers returning to the Seafarers Centre.

11.00am – Depart Seafarers Centre

11.15am – Arrive Cook Point Viewing Platform (lunch provided)   

12.00pm – Depart Cooke Point

02.15pm – Arrive Roebourne (explore town at own leisure)

Home to a talented art community, Roebourne is the creative hub of the City of Karratha with many of the country’s most talented Indigenous artists based in the small town.

Roebourne is the oldest town between Geraldton and Darwin, gazetted more than 150 years ago in 1886 and situated just 30 kilometres east of Karratha.
Many of the original stone buildings still remain in the town and the Ganalili Centre (redeveloped Victoria Hotel) provides a cultural experience for community and visitors.

03.15pm – Depart Roebourne

03.45pm – Arrive Karratha Lookout, Dampier and Hearson’s Cove Tour

Karratha is a city in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, adjoining the port of Dampier. It was established in 1968 to accommodate the processing and exportation workforce of the Hamersley Iron mining company and, in the 1980s, the petroleum and liquefied natural gas operations of the North West Shelf Venture. At June 2018, Karratha had an urban population of 16,708.^[1] The city's name comes from the cattle station of the same name, which derives from a word in a local Aboriginal language meaning "good country" or "soft earth"

Hearson Cove is the historic site of the landing of the Northwest Exploring Expedition led by F.T. Gregory in 1861. This expedition laid the basis for the rapid development of pastoral and pearling industries across the Pilbara region in the 1860s.

05.00pm – Arrive International Hotel, Karratha WA

06.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 03

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

08.30am – Depart Karratha

10.00am – Arrive Rest Stop (morning tea provided)

10.30am – Depart Rest Stop

12.00pm – Arrive Nanutarra Roadhouse (lunch provided)

01.00pm – Depart Nanutarra Roadhouse

04.00pm – Arrive Ningaloo Bayview Resort, Coral Bay WA

06.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 04

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

Option – Swim with Whale Sharks - 08.00am The Ningaloo Reef has a huge variety of wildlife! Depending on the time of year, you can see from the boat and swim with WHALE SHARKS, HUMPBACK WHALES, and MANTA RAYS! We have over 260 different species of hard corals, tons of reef sharks, six different species of turtles and some of the healthiest coral formations in the world. ($160 – must be pre-booked)

08.45am – Depart Bayview

09.00am – Arrive Ningaloo Reef Glass Bottom Boat Cruise (lunch provided)

NINGALOO CORAL BAY BOATS offer a range of tours and cruises showcasing the abundant marine life and spectacular coral gardens of the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef. The Ningaloo Reef is one of the largest fringing reefs in the world and home to over 500 species of fish and 300 species of coral. Join our friendly crew aboard Miss Coral Bay III and the Ningaloo to immerse yourself in the wonders of our spectacular marine paradise…

01.30pm – Depart Coral Bay

04.00pm – Arrive Carnarvon Motel, Carnarvon WA

06.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 5

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

09.00am – Depart Carnarvon Motel

09.15am – Arrive Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum

The Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum celebrates the little known history of the role Carnarvon played in the manned space program and in the Australian satellite communications industry.

In 1966, the Casshorn antenna locally known as the ‘Sugar Scoop’ was used for the first television broadcast from Australia to the BBC in London. The program was called “Down Under Comes Up Live”.

On 21 July 1969, the day of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Casshorn antenna which stands beside the OTC Dish relayed Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon from NASA’s Honey Suckle Creek Tracking Station to Perth’s TV audience via Moree earth station – the first live telecast into Western Australia. Later in 1969, the larger 29.6 metre wide steerable antenna was built to facilitate better communication between the NASA Tracking Station and the USA.

10.30am – Depart Museum

01.00pm – Arrive Hamelin Pool Stromatolites, Shark Bay (lunch & tour provided)

Stromatolites are the number one attraction at Hamelin Pool. These ancient structures are examples of what life on Earth was like 3.5 billion years ago and are considered living fossils. 

A 200m boardwalk gives access to the stromatolites’ environment and interpretive signage helps explain all there is to know about these intriguing organisms. A short walk leads from the Old Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station out to the start of the boardwalk.

03.00pm – Depart Hamelin Pool

03.45pm – Arrive Shell Beach, Shark Bay

This beautiful snow-white beach is made up of billions of tiny shells up to 10 metres deep and stretching for over 70 kilometres. There is no sand, only shells!

Shell Beach is one of only a handful of places on earth where shells replace beach sand in such a dramatic and picturesque way. A walk on Shell Beach is like no other. Incredibly, the beach is made up of shells from the Shark Bay cockle, making it truly unique.

04.15pm – Depart Shell Beach

04.45pm – Arrive Eagle Bluff (Sunset Happy Hour)

Eagle Bluff features a spectacularly high cliff that overlooks the Denham Sound and is located 18-20 km south from Denham. 

Walk along the boardwalk to see breathtaking views out across the water. Time your visit at sunset and you will witness one of the most magnificent sunsets in the west. The boardwalk lies over the ocean where you can see the osprey or sea eagles flying around, dugongs feeding on massive seagrass meadows and the Useless Loop salt pile.

05.30pm – Depart Eagle Bluff

06.00pm – Arrive Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, Shark Bay WA

Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort in the heart of Western Australia’s Shark Bay is a place where you can experience the mystical world of wild dolphins. Monkey Mia is one of the world’s premier natural dolphin sighting areas; a destination of magical encounters. A recognised natural beauty and World Heritage Landmark its accompanying absolute beachfront accommodation is a popular escape for visitors from around the world. 

07.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 06

06.00am – Breakfast Provided

07.45am – Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience (meet at boardwalk in front of visitor centre)

Bottlenose dolphins have been visiting the beach at Monkey Mia for more than 40 years. In the 1960s, fishers returning to Monkey Mia began sharing their catch with some local dolphins. Over the years, the dolphins’ trust grew and several more were fed at the jetty and later the beach. As increasing numbers of visitors came to see the dolphins, news of the phenomenon spread. Monkey Mia is now home to one of Australia’s most famous wildlife encounters.

(free time to enjoy Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort and lunch at own leisure – options include Wildlife & Sunset Cruises – Shark Bay Scenic Flights – Kayaking and more)

07.00pm – Dinner Provided Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, Shark Bay WA

Day 07

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

09.00am – Depart Monkey Mia

09.30am – Arrive Shark Bay World Heritage Discover & Visitor Centre

10.30am – Depart Shark Bay

12.45pm – Arrive Nerren Nerren Roadhouse (lunch provided)       

01.00pm – Depart Nerren Nerren

03.15pm – Arrive HMAS Sydney 11 Memorial Guided Tour

For a moving tribute to the sailors who lost their lives aboard the HMAS Sydney II during World War II, visit Geraldton's HMAS Sydney II Memorial. Steeped in symbolism, the Memorial pays homage to the ship's 645 men who lost their lives off of Western Australia's coastline during the battle with German Ship HSK Kormoran.

04.45pm – Depart Memorial

05.00pm – Arrive Ocean Central Hotel, Geraldton WA                               

06.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 08

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

09.15am – Walk 9 minutes to Museum of Geraldton (Shipwreck Guided Tour)

Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the Museum of Geraldton celebrates the rich heritage of the land, sea and people of the Mid West region. Discover ancient

landforms, Yamaji history and culture, and the region’s unique natural landscapes and marine environment. The archaeological riches from four Dutch shipwrecks - Batavia, Gilt Dragon, Zuytdorp, and Zeewijk, are revealed in the Shipwrecks Gallery. Witness the wrecks of HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran as they currently lie, 2,500 metres deep on the ocean floor, in From Great Depths, a moving exhibit and 3D film. The Museum’s shop has a great range of souvenirs, gifts and educational items suited to all ages and interests.

10.30am – Walk 5 Minutes to Geraldton Marina Lunch Cruise (cruise departs at 11.00am)

Lunch Cruise on-board the magnificent MV 2000 Luxury Catamaran by Abrolhos Adventures. Enjoy a locally caught Crayfish Banquet while absorbing the majestic scenery of the crystal-clear waters off the Geraldton Coast. The perfectly still waters are protected by the Abrolhos Islands.

02.15pm – Depart Cruise

02.30pm – Arrive St Francis Xavier Cathedral & Heritage Centre Guided Tour

St Francis Xavier Cathedral is a spectacular church in the centre of Geraldton. You will find the cathedral as magnificent on the inside as it looks from the outside. Designed by the Monsignor John Hawes, it took 22 years to build.

Take a guided tour to share in the fascinating history of the cathedral and appreciate the intricate details of the cathedral's architecture.

03.45pm – Depart Cathedral

04.00pm – Arrive The Esplanade Lookout (explore at own leisure – walk 9 minutes Foreshore Promenade back to the hotel)

05.00pm – Arrive Ocean Central Hotel, Geraldton WA                               

06.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 09

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

08.30am – Depart Ocean Central Hotel Geraldton

10.45am – Arrive Badgingarra Roadhouse (morning tea provided)           

11.15am – Depart Badgingarra

12.15pm – Arrive The Pinnacles (lunch provided)

The Pinnacles are amazing natural limestone structures, formed approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the sea receded and left deposits of sea shells. Over time, coastal winds removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars exposed to the elements. The Pinnacles range in height and dimension - some stand as high as 3.5m!

01.30pm – Depart The Pinnacles

04.00pm – Arrive Perth Crown Plaza, Perth WA                               

06.30pm – Dinner Provided

Day 10

06.30am – Breakfast Provided

07.45am – Depart Crown Plaza

08.00am – Arrive Barrack St Jetty - Rottnest Island Tour (lunch provided)

Visit Perth’s favorite local getaway destination on a day trip to Rottnest Island, located just offshore in the Indian Ocean. Travel to Rottnest by high-speed ferry from either Perth and then embark on a sightseeing tour of the island by coach. While you listen to narration from an informative guide, check out landmarks like the West End and Wadjemup Lighthouse. Then enjoy free time in the afternoon to explore the car-free island at your leisure. 

Day trip to Rottnest Island with coach tour, from Perth or Fremantle

If departing Perth, cruise down Swan River, past local landmarks and Millionaire’s Row

Listen to commentary from a guide as you circumnavigate the island by air-conditioned coach. See spectacular locations including Wadjemup Lighthouse and the West End

Upgrade to include lunch at Karma Rottnest

Spot the island’s famous marsupial, the quokka, and marine life such as dolphins and fur seals. Enjoy free time in the afternoon to explore at your leisure

05.45pm – Depart Barrack St Jetty

06.00pm – Arrive Perth Crown Plaza, Perth WA

07.00pm – Dinner Provided

Day 11

07.00am – Breakfast Provided

08.30am – Depart Crown Plaza

08.50am – Arrive Perth Airport (10.20am Qantas flight departs – lunch on-board)

04.20pm – Arrive Sydney Airport (move your clocks forward 2 hours)

05.20pm – Depart Sydney Airport (Port Stephens Coach)

06.20pm – Arrive Twin Servos M1 (comfort stop)

08.30pm – Arrive Nabiac (Taree change to coach 2)

09.00pm – Arrive Club Taree (coach 2)

08.50pm – Arrive Tallwoods

09.05pm – Arrive Beach St, Tuncurry

09.15pm – Arrive Club Forster

09.25pm – Arrive Forster Keys

09.30pm – Arrive Golden Ponds

09.50pm – Arrive Boomerang Beach