Catch the Bus to Wooleen
- APT Small Group 4WD Adventures
Australian Pacific Touring (APT) Small Group 4WD Adventures take you on an exciting journey along the coast and across the Outback. Travelling in a custom-built 4WD, you’ll visit exclusive, out-of-the-way destinations that large coaches cannot access, enjoying panoramic views of the passing scenery thanks to the large tinted windows of your vehicle. A friendly Driver/Guide is on hand to offer assistance throughout the tour and, where possible, you’ll be joined by a local guide, who will enhance your experience with an insight into the history, culture or wildlife of the area.
With a group of no more than 24 passengers, the focus is on exploring the natural wonders of Western Australia. The trips set a relaxed pace, with activities to suit varied fitness levels.
APT operate tours each year between Perth and Broome. These 11 day trips include a stop at Wooleen Station where you can appreciate all we have to offer. Arrive for lunch and spend the afternoon relaxing in the homestead and enjoying the garden. Take the 2.3km walking trail to stretch your legs and learn a little about landscape ecology, pastoral heritage and the flora before heading off on a sunset tour with David. Be back in time to enjoy a 3 course home cooked meal by Frances before retiring to your beautifully appointed bedroom in the historic 1918 homestead or rammed earth guesthouse. Wake to a glorious sunrise or enjoy the comfort of your bed a little longer before have breakfast and hitting the road to Shark Bay.
To find out more about the trip go to APT’s website by clicking here or contact us for more information. You can see a copy of the 2012 itinerary below.
Day 1. Arrive Nambung National Park, the Pinnacles, Kalbarri
This morning depart Perth and journey into Nambung National Park, home to the Pinnacles. Enjoy time to admire these eerie limestone pillars, which rise up to six metres from the shifting golden sand. Afterwards, continue to Kalbarri, the gateway to Kalbarri National Park on Western Australia’s spectacular Coral Coast.
Stay: Kalbarri Edge Resort
Daily Meal Included: • Dinner
Day 2. Kalbarri National Park, Wooleen Station
Discover the sights of Kalbarri National Park this morning. Take in amazing vistas from the natural rock formation, known as Nature’s Lookout, and see the spectacular Murchison River. This afternoon travel to Wooleen Station, which is committed to preserving the unique ecology of the region through limited energy consumption. Gather before dinner and head to a special visiting area to witness a dramatic sunset.
Stay: Wooleen Station, historic homestead or cottages, shared facilities
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Dinner
Day 3. World Heritage-listed Shark Bay
Spend time at leisure exploring Wooleen Station, a working cattle and sheep station this morning. Journey to World Heritage-listed Shark Bay, one of the world’s greatest wilderness treasures. The shallow waters of the beautiful area are divided by striking banks, peninsulas and islands, including Dirk Hartog Island, which was discovered by the Dutch almost four hundred years ago in 1616. Shark Bay is a region of major zoological importance, home to around 26 species of endangered mammals. Continue to Shell Beach and tonight enjoy a seafood dinner.
Stay: Two Nights: Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
Day 4. Denham
Explore Denham, Australia’s most westerly town, situated on the Peron Peninsula. Take in the interactive displays at the Shark Bay Interpretive Centre, where you can learn more about the incredible natural wonders and historic treasures of the local region. Take a stroll around the village and enjoy the exceptional views from Eagle Bluff.
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Dinner
Day 5. Monkey Mia, Hamelin Pool
This morning at Monkey Mia, see the wild dolphins that swim close to shore (subject to appearance). The famously playful bottlenose dolphins have delighted APT’s guests for years, as we were one of the first tour operators to escort visitors to this stunning location. Visit Hamelin Pool to see the stromatolites, dome-shaped layered structures formed in shallow water and known to be the world’s oldest known living organisms. Continue to Carnarvon.
Stay: Carnarvon, Fascine Lodge
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Dinner
Day 6. Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, Exmouth
Journey to Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, Australia’s largest and most accessible fringing reef. On arrival at Coral Bay, join a cruise aboard a glass-bottom boat and view the colourful tropical fish and forests of corals that make up this reef. Depending on season, look out for the famous whale shark, as well as dolphins, dugongs, manta rays and humpback whales. The beaches of the reef are vital to loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles, who breed along the shore. Later, continue to Exmouth, the gateway to the Coral Coast where you’ll stay for two nights.
Stay: Two Nights: Exmouth, Novotel Ningaloo Resort
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Dinner
Day 7. Cape Range National Park
Enjoy a full day today to explore Cape Range National Park, a spectacular place of rugged limestone ranges, breathtaking deep canyons and 50 kilometres of pristine beaches. The national park, which encompasses Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, is famous for the striking contrast of the turquoise waters of the nearby bay with the rocky, yet verdant topography of Cape Range itself. During your time in the park, you’ll enjoy a cruise on Yardie Creek through Yardie Gorge. Fed by the nearby ocean, the gorge boasts deep-blue water, red limestone cliff faces and a wonderful array of birds and wildlife, including the rare black-footed wallaby and red kangaroos.
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
Day 8. Tom Price, Karijini National Park
Travel through the mining town of Tom Price. At the base of Mount Nameless, the town is a showcase for the rich red and gold hues of the Pilbara. Continue on to Karijini National Park, known for its rugged red landscapes, spectacular gorges, waterfalls and refreshing swimming holes. With a two night stay in the heart of this beautiful national park, you’ll enjoy plenty of time to explore all that Karijini has to offer.
Stay: Two Nights: Karijini Eco Retreat in a Deluxe Eco Tent with ensuite
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
Day 9. Karijini National Park
Enjoy a full day to discover the contrasting landscapes of Karijini National Park. Here, the ever-changing light, colours and reflections highlight the intriguing geological structures of the park. Spectacular gorges, waterfalls and leafy verdure provide a luscious setting compared to the arid landscapes of the Pilbara, while the tropical climate has allowed a vast range of flora and fauna to thrive. Visit Dales Gorge, Fortescue Falls and Oxers Lookout. Perhaps walk to stunning Joffre Falls, located near the eco retreat.
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
Day 10. Millstream-Chichester National Park, Port Hedland
Visit Millstream-Chichester National Park, one of the most pleasant stopovers in the state’s north west. In between the rocky escarpments and spinifex-covered hills, the park’s rock pools and gorges form refreshing oases. Continue to the largest town in the Pilbara, Port Hedland. It’s one of the world’s highest tonnage ports due to the rich Iron Ore mining industry in the region. Huge ships export this sought after mineral to Japan, China, South Korea and Europe where it’s turned into steel, most commonly used in these parts of the world for car manufacturing.
Stay: Port Hedland, All Seasons Hotel
Daily Meals Included: • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
Day 11. Eighty Mile Beach, Broome
Break your journey to Broome with a stop at Eighty Mile Beach. Located half way between Port Hedland and Broome, Eighty Mile Beach forms a 220 kilometre-long coastline where the Great Sandy Desert meets the Indian Ocean. in On arrival to Broom your tour concludes.
Daily Meal Included: • Breakfast
