Explore the Wheatbelt, Great Southern & Bremer Bay (Perth roundtrip, Mar 2024)

Your fare excludes:

Day 1   Woolsheds, “Bart” the Sheep and the Multi-Cultural “Capital” of WA

• After a quick pick up from Perth City location (starting from 7.30 am) we drive a short distance to Kings Park for morning tea to enjoy the landscaped wildflower gardens, the magnificent views over the Swan River and City, the Anzac Memorial and the Darling Ranges before heading south
• Departing Perth through the “General Darling Ranges”, named by Captain James Stirling’s Government Botanist, Charles Fraser, and known locally as ‘Darling Range or the scarp’, we travel along Albany Highway to Williams Woolshed for lunch
• Then travelling through Narrogin and Wagin this land in the Wheatbelt region has seen millions of sheep grazing and crops stretching skyward from the early settlement days of the 1800’s where wool raised on this land fetched record prices in Britain during the Industrial Revolution feeding the growth of the weaving industry and then followed by the “wool boom” in the 1950’s. In Wagin we view the massive merino sheep “Bart” and walk around the landscaped gardens
• We depart Wagin and head for Dumbleyung to learn about the “ace” Donald Campbell’s world speed lake exploits, visit Wuddi Tours Indigenous shop and take a short tour if time permits to visit local cultural sites and their bush garden before travelling to Katanning
• Our final stop is Katanning for two overnight stays. Guests stay at the Premier Mill Hotel which is a converted roller flour mill, refurbished into modern accommodation, with an accompanying restaurant and cafe.  End the day by partaking in a traditional Australian pastime, a ‘Sundowner’, at the downstairs Cordial Bar at the Premier Mill Hotel, before tucking into a delicious meal at the nearby Royal Exchange Hotel. This is a tour favourite experience!

Day 2   Pioneers and Prospectors, Kokoda Track and Mosques

• Start the day at 8.30am by finding out about the history of Katanning with a special guest historian who will impart the secrets of this famous town. Learn about the unique personalities that developed the railway line and opened up the hinterland for sheep and cropping
• Then we depart to another famous icon in Western Australia, Broomehill. Famous for the remarkable ingenuity of John Holland and his team, who in April 1893, carried their meagre supplies on horseback through harsh terrain to cut a shorter route for gold seekers to the new gold discoveries in the outback. In Broomehill we can enjoy morning tea at the historic Henry Jones Café and listen to several enthralling stories about Holland and the gold seekers who trekked over 533kms to the newly discovered goldfields in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in the 1890’s. Guests walk the town looking at remnants of the early prospectors
• Then following morning tea we meet and chat to local community leader Alep at the “The Daily Grind” where we also enjoy lunch with a distinctly Malay cuisine before heading off to finding out how modern multi-cultural Australia is reflected in the celebration of Islamic culture and the opening of a local Mosque in Katanning along with viewing the painted wildlife artwork and other local features around this incredible town
• After lunch we head off to Kojonup for afternoon tea at Kodja Place along with viewing the old barracks, the spring and the historic water trough and learning more about Brigadier Potts and the Kokoda Track of WWII.
• At Kodja Place we view the Indigenous and settler handcrafted tools before enjoying billy tea and damper and chatting to the local Indigenous person “Billy” along with enjoying local wine and cheese tastings and other platters before departing back to Katanning
• Again end the day by partaking in the traditional Australian pastime, a ‘Sundowner’, at the downstairs Cordial Bar, at the Premier Mill Hotel, before tucking into a delicious meal and getting that feeling of being spoilt for choice!

Day 3   Malleefowl, Wheatbelt, Silo Art and Seaside Landscapes

• Next morning we are up and about early departing Katanning after 2 glorious days where we head to the Nyabing “Hub” to enjoy morning tea refreshments after a stop at Badgebup to see how the local Indigenous Ranger program is going
• After an enjoyable morning tea and chat we continue our journey to Pingrup to view the painted wildlife artwork on the wheat silos (part of the FORM Public Silo Art Trail) to photograph the painted grain silos
• In the meantime lunch is being scheduled at the Yongergnow Malleefowl Centre Ongerup where guests can experience the Malleefowl sanctuary. The sanctuary is part of the National Malleefowl Recovery Program to protect endangered Malleefowl and their habitat. This country is known for the massive deforestation or clearing of vast ecologically rich and diverse Eucalyptus Mallee
• We make a quick visit to the Ongerup Railway Museum and wildflower display before heading via Jerramungup onto Bremer Bay on the south coast where we disembark for 2 nights at the Bremer Bay Beaches Resort. A ‘Sundowner’ is followed by dinner at the Resort

Day 4   Killer Whales and Deep Sea Canyons

• With an early rise and hearty continental breakfast at 8.30am we depart down to the harbour to catch Naturaliste Charters for a day trip of around 40-50kms out into the blue horizon to search for Killer Whales and other marine life that are located within the deep sea Bremer Canyon
• Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are served on board and after the sea adventure we proceed back to shore with an estimated arrival time of 4.30pm
• Once back on shore we clean up, refresh and share a “sundowner” at the front bar in the Resort which is followed by dinner

Day 5   Mountain Country, Wildflowers and Biospheres

• Next morning we are up and about early departing Bremer Bay and we head to Wellstead for morning tea and viewing the displays before travelling into “Gondwana Link” ie a connection of sub-economic rural properties where re-vegetation and restoration of natural habitats has been taking shape for several decades. A visit to a property maybe available depending upon the situation at the time
• In the meantime again lunch is being scheduled at the Yongergnow Malleefowl Centre Ongerup where guests can experience the Malleefowl sanctuary. After lunch we depart to Gnowangerup before travelling down the “Horsepower Highway” viewing all the painted artwork on the water tanks and the vintage painted tractors stationed along the Mt Trio Road
• As we travel south we can view the scenic Stirling Range in the distance and as we approach the Range we can see the extent of the amazing landscape – a relic of a pushed up seabed elevated by the movement of the tectonic plates over 1.5 billion years ago as ‘Gondwana” was split up into different continents
• We take a short detour to the carpark lookout at Bluff Knoll, the highest peak being 1099 metres above sea level. It is known as the ‘place of many eyes’ or Pualaar Miial, by Indigenous Noongar people. We enjoy the panoramic views of the surrounding plains and see if we can spot black cockatoos, birds of prey, purple-crowned lorikeets, scrub wrens and other birds in their natural habitat
• Next stop is the Porongurup Range for afternoon tea at a local winery. This country is famous for the stunning beauty of tall karri and open jarrah forests, unique eco systems and massive granite rocks. One of the five wine growing regions in the Great Southern, it is important for sheep, cropping and producing intensely flavoured wines  
• We then depart and travel straight to our destination for two nights in Albany at the Dog Rock Motel with dining and the daily ‘Sundowner’ at Lime 303 a classy restaurant which is part of the motel complex

Day 6   Whales and Anzacs

• In the morning we start the day afresh at 8.30am and travel in the footsteps of people living at the first colonial settlement in Western Australia in late 1826. The settlement was originally a military outpost and part of the Colony of NSW and called Frederick Town (this changed in 1831 when it was formally proclaimed part of the Swan River Colony) and renamed Albany in 1832
• We travel out to the “Natural Bridge,” the “Gap” and Albany’s Historic Whaling Station, where you can step aboard the former Cheynes IV Whalechaser ship. We enjoy the region’s wildflower garden and the wildlife park. Lunch is planned in Whaler’s Cafe that flanks the picturesque views across the islands to the mainland
• The afternoon activities include a visit to the National Anzac Centre and the Convoy Lookout which offers a truly unique opportunity to absorb the reality of Australia’s and New Zealand’s first contingent of 30,000 troops to WWI who were anchored in a large convoy in King George Sound (October 1914)
• Finally we take a journey around the coast line to Middleton Beach, to view spectacular beaches and coastline, which offers locals and tourists alike, aquatic beauty and tranquillity before the final night of the tour with a dinner at Lime 303 restaurant

Day 7   Sandalwood, Wines and Woolsheds

• On our return journey to Perth we visit the Sandalwood Shop for morning tea and a tour before visiting Mt Barker lookout, the Museum and then Gilberts Winery for tastings and an early lunch
• We then proceed along Albany Highway for afternoon tea at the Williams Woolshed before we head out of the Wheatbelt toward Perth with a quick trip along the coast as the tour ends at the Hotel Rendezvous in Scarborough on the beachfront (or the option of the Perth CBD)

Please note the above itinerary is subject to change without notice.

Commencing in Perth 17 March 2024, ending in Perth 23 March 2024.

• Twin share from $3,713 per person
• Sole use from $4,706 per person

If visiting from interstate, we recommend a night before your stay at the Oaks Perth Hotel or Rendezvous Hotel Perth Central. If you would like to unwind with post-tour accomodation, we recommend the Rendezvous Hotel Scarborough.

• Premier Mill Hotel Katanning (2 nights)
• Dog Rock Motel Albany (2 nights)
• Bremer Bay Beach Resort (2 nights)