Day 1: Perth – Margaret River (L)

The leisurely drive southwards takes us past places like Mandurah and Bunbury. In Busselton, we visit the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. We then explore the region around Margaret River, one of Australia’s best-known and best wine-growing regions. The town, with its Mediterranean climate and relaxed atmosphere, has become an extremely popular vacation resort in recent years for the above reasons and its beautiful surfing beaches. We have the opportunity to enjoy a delicious wine tasting at a renowned winery followed by lunch. Back on the coast, we admire the fascinating Canal Rocks. We later drive to the hotel in Margaret River.

Accommodation: Grand Escape Resort, Margaret River

Day 2: Margaret River – Pemberton (F)

Today, after breakfast, we explore the town of Margaret River, followed by another wine tasting at an internationally renowned winery. The Cave Road takes us through beautiful forest areas to the most south-westerly point of Australia, Cape Leeuwin. This is where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet. The Cape is known for its harsh westerly winds in the winter months – called the “roaring forties” by the locals. From here, there is no land separating you from Africa to the west and Antarctica to the south. After a visit to the picturesque Hamelin Bay, we drive from the coast of the Southern Ocean and green pastures into the imposing karri forests of the Pemberton/Walpole region.

Accommodation: Pemberton Hotel, Pemberton

Day 3: Pemberton – Albany (F)

After todays breakfast, courageous visitors will have the opportunity to climb a spiral ladder to the platform of the “Gloucester Tree” in Pemberton. The Valley of the Giants, a section of forest appropriately named for its huge trees, is our next destination. Tree Top Walk offers an amazing bird’s eye view to this window of the past. Much of the vegetation in this region is unique to the southwest of Western Australia. In the afternoon, we will visit William Bay National Park with its bizarre Elephant Rocks and popular swimming beach Green Pool. The colours of the ocean and coastline are beyond words and will inspire you. We reach Albany, Western Australia’s first settlement, in the evening.

Accommodation: Quality Apartments Banksia Gardens, Albany

Day 4: Albany – Esperance (F)

A city tour and the magnificent panorama view from Mt Clarence overlooking King George Sound, where the firts settlers landed in 1826, let you realise Albany’s important to Western Australia. Afterwards, we will be exploring “Natural Bridge and The Gap” in Torndirrup National Park. The tour continues with a drive through farmland in the Stirling Range. The many different varietes of plants originating in the Stirling Range are mainly due to its insular location. This mountain range is a climatic island and the plain is typical for its dry and warm weather conditions. If time and weather conditions permit, we will have the opportunity for some hiking towards Bluff Knoll, the highest peak of the Stirling Ranges. Late afternoon, we will arrive in Esperance.

Accommodation: Hospitality Motel, Esperance

Day 5: Esperance – Kalgoorlie (F)

The local Aboriginals called this region “Gabba-Kyle” which means “the place where the water is shaped as a boomerang”. You will enjoy the scenic Great Ocean Drive wtih its highlights Rotary Lookout, Twilight Beach and Pink Lake. We are then visiting Cape Le Grand National Park with its scenic, turquoise bays and extended white beaches. Leaving the gorgeous Southern Ocean behind us, there is still 400km of sealed road in front of us! At Norseman starts the Eyre Highway which crosses the 1500km wide Nullarbor Plain towards Adelaide. However, we are heading north and will eventually arrive at the so-called “Golden Mile” in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Accommodation: The Plaza Hotel, Kalgoorlie

Day 6: Kalgoorlie (F)

After a sight-seeing tour,  a short visit to the Kalgoorlie Museum completes our knowledge of the past of Australia’s richest gold mine. Located 10 minutes north of town is the original corrugated iron shed and bush ring that was once the Two-Up School. Two-up is a traditional Australian gambling game that is still periodically played here. From Menzies, a former gold mining town, a dusty track brings us to Lake Ballard. The highlight is the amazing and not to be expected sculpture park spread out on the dry salt plains of the land. The artwork is a collection of 51 different steel sculptures by Antony Gormley. They stand against the dramatic backdrop of the lake’s dry salt bed. Back in Kalgoorlie, the rest of the day is leisure time.

Accommodation: The Plaza Hotel, Kalgoorlie

Day 7: Kalgoorlie – Hyden (F)

In the course of the morning a visit to the mine site ” Super Pit” – Australia’s biggest open cut gold mine – enables us to capture impressions of the unbelievable ratio and dimensions on the Australian continent. Now we start to realise the differences of gold mining of the past and present. By tracing the footsteps of the first gold seekers, we will be reaching Coolgardie and Southern Cross and leaving Western Australia’s Golden Mile. From here we will be following the track of the Emu Fence Road in a southerly direction to Hyden.

Accommodation: Wave Rock Motel, Hyden

Day 8: Hyden – Perth (F)

After breakfast, we will visit the famous and astounding Wave Rock. There is enough time to explore and learn about the story of this unbelievable natural wonder. Afterwards, we drive through the wide-stretched West Australian wheat belt to reach York at about lunchtime. A quaint short stroll in the oldest inland settlement of WA will take you back to the time of the first settlers. The old well-maintained and renovated houses boasting their original facades bring forth still today the atmosphere of the pioneer’s time. Continue to Mundaring Weir. The dam was built together with the pipeline according to the idea and plans of Charles Yelverton O’Connor as part of the Goldfields water supply system. It thus brough the precious water to Kalgoorlie. The Goldfields Pipeline is a major engineering achievement. Cross the dam wall on foot and ejoy the fantastic view. After an enjoyable travel back to Perth, this tour concludes at your hotel.