Coral Coast Wildlife Explorer

From up-close encounters with whale sharks and canoodling with dolphins to snorkelling crystalline waters swarming with sea life, get ready to tick off your bucket list. Here, along the Coral Coast, a life-changing wildlife adventure awaits. This trip spanning 13 days and just over 3,000 kilometres unearths the sensational UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage-listed Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef, with quirky desert formations, pristine coastlines and gorgeous gorges to discover along the way. Kicking off from Perth, hit the mysterious desert moonscape of the Pinnacles. Part of Nambung National Park, the limestone pillars jutting from turmeric-coloured sands evoke a surrealist scene straight out a Salvador Dalí painting. It’s fresh rock lobster for lunch at Cervantes, before a cruisy coastal run to Kalbarri – and then on to Shark Bay. Just across the peninsula from laidback, beachside Denham, must-do Monkey Mia is pure magic. Witnessing wild dolphins in the shallows is a humbling experience, while, further offshore, the local dugongs don’t seem fazed by all the fuss. In between swims and soaking up the sun on white-sand beaches, visit Kalbarri National Park for a hike among the spectacular rust-red gorges, jagged cliffs and kaleidoscopic carpets of wildflowers, in bloom July to November. After stopping in at palm-fringed, fruit-filled Carnarvon, push on to Coral Bay and the mind-blowing Ningaloo Reef, accessible directly from the shore. Swim, dive and snorkel the aquamarine waters among 300 types of coral and 500 species of fish. Near Exmouth, one of our planet’s most extraordinary wildlife encounters is yours to behold: swimming with whale sharks. Sharing the ocean with these regal, 12 metre long gentle giants is simply unforgettable – there’s no other way to put it. On the road trip back to Perth, don’t miss the chance to witness Australian sea lions in Jurien Bay – a wonderful way to complete this amazing wildlife adventure.