Pilbara, Broome & Monkey Mia

Welcome to Broome with its white sandy beaches and tropical waters. Enjoy a two night stay. (D)

Today, choose from these exciting Scenic Freechoice options to make the most of your time in Broome. (B)

Freechoice:

• Willie Creek Pearl Farm: During a guided farm tour and cruise, discover how the rare and beautiful ‘Australian South Sea Pearl’ is produced. Your guide will reveal the intricate process of today’s modern cultured pearling industry.
• Broome Harley Davidson™ Tour: Tour Broome Town and surrounds on a Harley Davidson™ Trike. Learn about Broome’s colourful history, today’s Broome and its future. This informative tour is designed to give you your bearings of Broome.
• Broome Indigenous Tour: Join Robert Dann in the place where he was born for a cultural experience. Learn about a small slice of 40,000 years of Broome and Kimberley culture. Visit local landmarks of Broome, the coastline and surrounding bush. Hear local Aboriginal stories and try some bush tucker.
• Cable Beach Camel Ride: Take an iconic one-hour camel ride along the white sands of Cable Beach. Look out over the Indian Ocean and keep an eye out for dolphins and other marine life that can often be seen from atop a camel. (Weight restrictions apply)

Take an opportunity to fly in a seaplane and experience the Horizontal Falls on an exhilarating ride (at additional cost, must be booked prior to departure and will replace Scenic Freechoice touring).

Welcome to the Pilbara, the rural north of Western Australia, whose staggering scope contains some of the world’s most ancient landscapes. At double the size of the United Kingdom, the Pilbara region is filled with Indigenous archaeological sites, white sandy beaches, dramatic rocky canyons and colonial ghost towns. It’s also home to a sizeable mining industry, making it very much a land of extremes. (B/D)

Enrich: Your first port of call in the Pilbara is Port Hedland, its second largest town. On your afternoon Port Hedland Harbour Cruise, which sets sail from the town’s natural harbour, discover the secrets of the largest bulk export port in Australia.

Stay overnight in Port Hedland.

Head south this morning to the edge of the Western Desert and the town of Newman. Home to the largest open-cut iron ore mine in the world, Mount Whaleback, Newman was built to accommodate mining workers but has grown into an oasis in the desert. Put on your hard hat for a tour of BHP’s Mount Whaleback mine, where you’ll learn all about the lifeblood of Newman and the work required to keep a mine of its size operational. Enjoy an overnight stay in Newman. (B/D)

This morning you’ll head to the coast to one of WA’s fastest growing towns. Karratha is “the heart of the West Pilbara Coast”, and a great headquarters for anyone exploring the nearby Dampier Archipelago and the Burrup Peninsula. Once you arrive, you’ll explore the ancient gorges, crystal-clear swimming holes and freshwater falls of Karijini National Park, the second-largest in the state. Karijini is home to red rock landscapes over 2.5 billion years old. Visit Fortescue Falls, an evergreen waterfall 20m in height, and the Dale and Joffre Gorges for astounding views.

Later, view the spectacular Hamersley Range with its sheer walls of rock – some of the oldest on the planet - layered in many colours. As you explore the range (itself made up of three smaller ranges), you’ll discover natural waterslides and bushwalks. Stay overnight at the Karratha. (B/D)

Travel along the North West Coastal highway to the resort town of Exmouth. A gateway to the Ningaloo Marine Park, Exmouth is a favourite of those looking to spot some of the region’s abundance of undersea life, including manta rays and the awe-inspiring humpback whales. You’ll enjoy a two-night Special Stay. (B/D)

Start your day on the water with a revealing tour of the Ningaloo Reef. This coral viewing cruise opens up the underwater world of the World Heritage-listed reef. Learn about the innovative methods at work to protect the aquatic ecosystem and its colourful denizens while you enjoy a unique view of Ningaloo’s amazing coral formations.

Afterwards, pay a visit to historic Vlamingh Head Lighthouse for stunning views over Lighthouse Bay. Built in 1912, the lighthouse helped keep the coast safe until 1967, when it was stripped of its light and started its second life as a top tourist destination. (B/D)

Sunset Drinks: Enjoy a drink at the Mantarays bar and watch the trawlers head out to begin their evening’s work, set against a beautiful Indian Ocean sunset.

Continue south along the WA coast to Coral Bay, where the turquoise blue of the ocean meets the sandy bay at Ningaloo Reef. A favourite among wildlife tourists, Coral Bay is a marine sanctuary for turtles, whale sharks, over 500 species of fish and a variety of coral gardens.

From there, you’ll head south to the coastal town of Carnarvon, where the desert meets the sea. Known as WA’s food bowl, Carnarvon is home to booming seafood and fruit and vegetable industries, as well as a thriving watersports scene. Surfing, snorkelling, swimming and fishing are all popular pursuits in the town all year round.

During your stay, you’ll visit the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, which shines a spotlight on the little-known but crucial role the town played in the Apollo 11 moon landing. Discover the history of Carnarvon’s OTC satellite dish facility, which now houses the museum.

At the end of the day, arrive at your hotel in Carnarvon for your overnight stay. (B/D)

Your journey south continues as you reach Monkey Mia. Known for its stunning beaches and abundance of wild dolphins, Monkey Mia’s rust-red sand dunes, deep blue waters and white sand beaches make for one of the most colourful tourist destinations in WA.

You’ll visit Hamelin Pool, home to the world’s best-known colony of stromatolites. Also known as ‘living fossils’, stromatolites are a relic from an era billions of years in Earth’s past, and a fascinating glimpse at the beginning of life on the planet. Take a 200m boardwalk stroll at Hamelin Pool for a unique look at these prehistoric wonders.

Tonight, enjoy the first of two nights at your resort home to large groups of wild bottlenose dolphins. (B/D)

This morning, cherish the opportunity to see Monkey Mia’s bottlenose dolphins under the supervision of a national park ranger. Then choose between the following Scenic Freechoice experiences to enhance your stay in Monkey Mia. (B)

Freechoice:

• Monkey Mia Marine Life Cruise: Relax on a morning cruise on Shark Bay. Experience the excitement of the daily lives of the Monkey Mia dolphins and search for the unique dugongs.
• Sundown Shark Bay Cruise: Sail aboard your 18-metre sailing catamaran across the clear, calm waters of Monkey Mia and Shark Bay, watching the sun set in paradise.
• Didgeridoo Dreaming: Sit around a campfire and learn the traditional way of cooking fish and bush tucker on the campfire as well as Aboriginal culture and history. Lose yourself in Dreamtime stories and be carried away by the ancient sounds of the didgeridoo.

Just south of Monkey Mia, you’ll stop at Shell Beach, one of the few beaches on Earth made entirely of trillions of shells. Then it’s on to Kalbarri National Park, which includes the impressive Murchison River and its 80 kilometre red and white sandstone gorge. Experience the Kalbarri Skywalk for unforgettable views of the gorge from cantilevered viewing platforms 100m above.

You’ll arrive this afternoon in Geraldton, a coastal city known for its pink lakes, gorgeous crystal-clear beaches and delicious rock lobster. Enjoy an overnight stay. (B/D)

This morning, visit the HMAS Sydney Memorial, which commemorates the sinking of the WWII-era cruiser. Pay your respects to the 645 crew lost at sea as you explore one of the most moving and popular museum attractions in WA.

Afterwards, continue to the extraordinary Pinnacles Desert for your visit to Nambung National Park. Pinnacles is named for its captivating limestone spires that protrude from the desert and can be traced to the dawn of life on earth. Elsewhere in Nambung National Park, you’ll discover seasonal blooming wildflower gardens, gorgeous white sand swimming beaches and a spectacular offshore reef.

Then it’s on to the WA capital, Perth. Home to quirky art galleries, picturesque parks and a creative small bar and restaurant scene, Perth is a world of its own amid the sheer scope of Western Australia. Enjoy your two-night Special Stay in Perth. (B)

Today, choose from one of the following Scenic Freechoice options to enhance your visit to Perth. (B/D)

Freechoice:

• Rottnest Island: Enjoy a relaxing cruise to Rottnest Island, just off the coast from Perth and Fremantle. From the comfort of an air-conditioned coach explore and discover its spectacular beaches, fascinating history and unique wildlife, including the adorable quokka. A lunch is included.
• Half Day Morning Perth & Fremantle City Explorer with cruise: A fantastic half day tour taking in Perth and Fremantle, the city and the alfresco lifestyle that locals enjoy. Sights include Kings Park Botanical Gardens, Cottesloe Beach and a cruise along the Swan River.
• Half Day Swan Valley Wine tour: Explore the Swan Valley, just 25 minutes from Perth, on a wine tour. You’ll try some of the region’s most premium wines, gourmet cheeses and liquors on this leisurely tour of the state’s oldest wine region, all set against the Swan River’s natural beauty.

After breakfast, bid farewell to your newfound friends and prepare for your journey home, taking with you stories for life.

The itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. As such Scenic cannot guarantee the tour will operate unaltered from the itinerary stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions. (B)