Perth to Darwin Overland
Perth to Darwin Overland
Perth to Darwin Overland
24 Days Starting in Perth and ending in Darwin
Visiting: Perth / Pinnacles / Jurien Bay / Kalbarri, Kalbarri National Park / Shell Beach / Shark Bay, Shark Bay / Coral Bay, Coral Bay / Ningaloo Reef, Karijini National Park, Port Headland / The Pilbara, Eighty Mile Beach / Dampier Peninsula / Cygnet Bay, Dampier Peninsula / Broome, Broome, Broome / West Kimberley Gorges, West Kimberley Gorges, Gibb River Road / El Questro Station, El Questro Station, Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles), Kununurra / Lake Argyle, Lake Argyle / Victoria River Region, Katherine / Darwin
Tour Overview
On this 4WD Perth to Darwin safari adventure, you’ll explore the natural wonders of Australia’s Northwest. Spend your nights under a blanket of desert stars and your days in search of secret swimming holes among waterfalls. Snorkel with turtles, relax on Eighty Mile Beach, explore national parks like Karijini, Nambung and Kalbarri, watch spectacular sunsets, journey along the Gibb River Road, explore El Questro, check out the famous Bungle Bungles and take on some fun, active options in your free time to ramp up the adventure.??
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Perth / Pinnacles / Jurien Bay / Kalbarri
Location: Perth / Pinnacles / Jurien Bay / Kalbarri
Accommodation: Backpacker Dorm Share Accommodation
Meals Included: lunch, dinner
Welcome to Perth! Or Boorloo in the language of the local Whadjuk Nyoongar people, who are the Traditional Owners of the land on which Perth is now located. This morning, head to the fascinating Nambung National Park to check out the famous Pinnacle Desert – a unique landscape unlike any other in the country. After, journey to the massive sand dunes of Jurien Bay, where you’ll have the opportunity to go sandboarding down the slopes and perfect your surfing-on-land technique. From here, continue to Kalbarri, where you’ll spend the first night of your 4WD adventure after a group dinner.
Day 2: Kalbarri National Park / Shell Beach / Shark Bay
Location: Kalbarri National Park / Shell Beach / Shark Bay
Accommodation: Backpacker Dorm Share Accommodation
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Today, you’ll take the short drive to Kalbarri National Park, where you can explore some of the park’s diverse scenery, like Murchison Gorge, Natures Window, The Loop and Z-Bend Gorge (this gorge has a steep descent, but it’s worth the effort for a refreshing swim!). Maybe you’d like to abseil here – an optional activity for those looking for a bit more adventure. After lunch with your group, visit the beautiful Shell Beach – one of only two beaches in the world made entirely from seashells. Tonight, you’ll get back on the road and head towards Denham and Shark Bay.
Day 3: Shark Bay / Coral Bay
Location: Shark Bay / Coral Bay
Accommodation: Backpacker Dorm Share Accommodation
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast this morning, take the short drive across the Peron Peninsula down to the beach at Shark Bay. Continue along the highway to Coral Bay – the Jewel of the Northwest – via the fascinating stromatolites at Hamelin Pool. These are the oldest living organisms in the world! When you arrive in Coral Bay, sit down for a group dinner and enjoy a night to relax.
Day 4-5: Coral Bay / Ningaloo Reef
Location: Coral Bay / Ningaloo Reef
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Take a day to explore Coral Bay today. This place is just as relaxing as the name suggests! Maybe kick back on the warm sand or go for a swim before visiting Ningaloo Reef and the amazing marine life that lives below the waterline. Here, maybe go snorkelling or take a cruise on a glass-bottom boat to see the wildlife up close (while you stay dry). In the late afternoon, drive into Exmouth. Tonight, kick back at your excellent campsite and watch the sunset as kangaroos hop about the grounds. You’ll spend two nights here, to enjoy some free time in this gorgeous area and take on some active optional activities. In the morning, maybe go snorkelling (equipment provided) or diving, search for whale sharks if the season’s right or view Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. In the afternoon, maybe laze on the pristine beach at Turquoise Bay and soak up the sunshine.
Day 6-7: Karijini National Park
Location: Karijini National Park
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
This morning, head inland past the many Aussie cattle stations to reach the outback oasis of Karijini National Park. Along the way, you’ll pass through Tom Price – a little town known for its iron ore mining – before reaching your camp that overlooks the magnificent Hamersley Range. Enjoy a full day of adventuring and exploration in Karijini National Park and discover its amazing gorges and swimming holes. Formed over 2500 million years ago, the Hamersley Ranges are some of the most unusual landforms on Earth! You’ll be able to take some great photos while you’re here. Deep in the gorges, you’ll come across cascading waterfalls and fresh, still waterholes that are ideal for swimming. Dales Gorge, Fortesque Falls, Fern Pool, Circular Pool, Weano Gorge and Hancock Gorge are just some that you can visit.
Day 8: Port Headland / The Pilbara
Location: Port Headland / The Pilbara
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Say your sad farewells to Karijini this morning and travel towards the coast and the iron ore town of Port Hedland. Take some time for a quick driving tour of the town and marvel at the incredible size of the iron ore industry. After lunch, you’ll continue to the Pilbara region, where you’ll spend the night. Enjoy a group dinner together and take the opportunity to do a spot of stargazing in the blanket of night sky, which boasts very little light pollution.
Day 9: Eighty Mile Beach / Dampier Peninsula / Cygnet Bay
Location: Eighty Mile Beach / Dampier Peninsula / Cygnet Bay
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
This morning, you’ll have some leisure time on the stretching sands of the picturesque Eighty Mile Beach – one of Australia’s most remarkable hidden gems! Stroll along the white sandy beach and get some fantastic photos of the azure water before continuing north to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm on the Dampier Peninsula.
Day 10: Dampier Peninsula / Broome
Location: Dampier Peninsula / Broome
Accommodation: Backpacker Dorm Share Accommodation
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
A morning tour of the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm provides insight into this remote pearling industry, concluding with an in-depth pearl grading and appreciation session that will leave you feeling like a pearl expert. Then, journey north to the One Arm Point Aboriginal Community to tour a local aquaculture hatchery that’s perched right on the tip of One Arm Point, overlooking the impressive Buccaneer Archipelago. After lunch, head to Broome, which is where some of your group members may leave the trip.
Day 11-14: Broome
Location: Broome
Accommodation: Backpacker Dorm Share Accommodation
Over the next four days sit back, relax and enjoy your beach break at the Kimberley Travellers Lodge. Kick back on one of the best beaches in the world – Cable Beach – and have a couple of cold ones at Matsos Broome Brewery. Maybe search for dinosaur footprints on the rugged coastline or check out the local art galleries and spend every night watching the sunset over the ocean. 
Day 15: Broome / West Kimberley Gorges
Location: Broome / West Kimberley Gorges
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: lunch, dinner
In the morning of day 15, you’ll meet your leader and new group members to start the second half of your adventure. Set off into the Australian Outback. After a bit of highway driving, you’ll reach the Fitzroy River, then it’s all off-road to the Napier Range. The main attraction here is Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek) – a vast cave system that extends 750 m underground. It’s from here that the Indigenous warrior Jandamarra waged his rebellion against the colonial authorities – a legacy you’ll learn more about on a walk through the tunnel with your guide. Spend the night camping at Windjana Gorge – once an underwater reef! During the wet season, a river flows through it, but during the dry season, it’s a series of ponds and billabongs. Enjoy a camp dinner with your group and then maybe do a spot of stargazing – the sky in the Outback is something to behold!
Day 16: West Kimberley Gorges
Location: West Kimberley Gorges
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Spend the morning exploring Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge). In the afternoon, journey to Dalmanti (Bell Gorge) – a segment of a 375-million-year-old reef that was once underwater. Take a refreshing swim here, soak up the natural views and then travel further east to Mt Barnett Station. This is where you’ll camp for this evening.
Day 17: West Kimberley Gorges
Location: West Kimberley Gorges
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast, stretch your legs on a morning hike and be rewarded at the end with a swim in a large rock pool at the base of Manning Falls. After lunch, discover Adcock or Galvins Gorge before returning to camp to relax around the campfire.
Day 18: Gibb River Road / El Questro Station
Location: Gibb River Road / El Questro Station
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Ford rivers and weave through gorges as you travel by 4WD along the wild Gibb River Road – a 600 km stretch that winds right through the heart of the Kimberley. You’ve got a fair bit of ground to cover, so there’s a fair bit of drive time, but you’ll be breaking up the journey with lunch and a few stops to stretch your legs along the way. Cross the iconic Pentecost River crossing before arriving at El Questro and your campground for the next 2 nights.
Day 19: El Questro Station
Location: El Questro Station
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Originally established as an enormous cattle station, El Questro is now a vast wilderness reserve sprawled over more than one million acres. Camping out here, you’ll really feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere – albeit an extremely beautiful middle of nowhere. The ochre-coloured massifs of the Cockburn Ranges frame the landscape whichever way you turn and numerous natural springs offer plenty of opportunities for a refreshing cool-off. Following a soak in Zebedee Springs, enjoy a short trek to either El Questro or Emma Gorge (where there’s a very pretty waterfall). Then it’s another night camped out in El Questro.
Day 20-21: Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles)
Location: Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles)
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Say so long to El Questro and hello Bungle Bungles! Today, you’ll drive through the rugged landscape of Carr Boyd and the Durack Ranges into Purnululu National Park – home to the Bungle Bungles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dominated by massive sandstone karsts that rear hundreds of metres above the surrounding grasslands. You’ll spend the next two days and nights exploring this region. Arrive at your bush camp in time to sit back and watch the sunset over the Osmond Ranges. If you’ve had enough tent camping, you might want to spend tonight sleeping out beneath the stars, snuggled up in a swag. Unbelievably, only the locals knew this place existed until the early 1980s when they were ‘discovered’ by a film team. You’ll go on a walk through Echidna Chasm – a long and narrow ravine banked on either side by 200 m-high rock walls – and enter the massive natural Amphitheatre of Cathedral Gorge.
Day 22: Kununurra / Lake Argyle
Location: Kununurra / Lake Argyle
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Today, you’ll leave the Bungle Bungles behind and head for Kununurra – the largest town between Broome and Darwin. Tonight’s campsite is on the shores of Lake Argyle, which you have plenty of free time to explore. Maybe head out on a sunset cruise on the lake – this is highly recommended, as the best way to witness the immensity of this lake is on the water!
Day 23: Lake Argyle / Victoria River Region
Location: Lake Argyle / Victoria River Region
Accommodation: Camping with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Lake Argyle is a man-made lake, though you’d never have guessed it by looking! For a body of water situated in the centre of the world’s second driest continent, it looks pretty at home. Barramundi, birds and freshwater crocodiles thrive in these waters, and the islands that look like they’ve always been there (they used to be mountains). In the afternoon, push on across the state border into the Northern Territory.
Day 24: Katherine / Darwin
Location: Katherine / Darwin
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Today, you’ll head to Darwin, stopping at either Katherine Gorge or Edith Falls along the way for a quick swim and a last opportunity to soak in the natural wild views of rural Western Australia. Take in the gorgeous scenery and then arrive in Darwin, where your trip comes to an end.
What's Included
22 breakfasts, 20 lunches, 17 dinners
Transport
- 4WD tours are operated in custom-built, 21-25 seat 4WD trucks with a PA system and built-in storage. These comfortable, strong remote area vehicles allow our small groups extra space (including standing room), are fully air-conditioned and fitted with adjustable air-vents, reclinable seats, map pockets and footrests. It is important that when booking a 4WD outback adventure in the Kimberley, you understand that the roads we travel on can be heavily corrugated, which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. Rest assured, these are the conditions for which our 4WD trucks are designed.
Accommodation
- Nights 1 to 3 & 10 to 14: Enjoy the fun and community of staying in carefully-chosen local backpacker hostels. Bedding is dorm-share style, can occasionally be mixed gender and is likely to involve bunk beds.
- Nights 4 to 9 & 15 to 23: Camping in National Parks, Caravan Parks or on Cattle Stations involves dome tents (twin-share), swags with fitted sheets & pillows with pillow cases. Some on site ablutions have hot showers and flush toilets however on some nights the ablution facilities can be very basic. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Important Information
- START & END TIMES
- Your trip commences in Perth on Day 1 at 7 am and finishes in Darwin on the last day at approximately 6 pm. We recommend you arrive a day early and onward travel should be booked for the following day. No accommodation is included on Day 24
- LUGGAGE
- A strict luggage limit of 15 kg applies. Please bring a soft-sided bag only.
- ACCOMMODATION
- The accommodation on this trip is Basix-style mixed gender multi-share dormitories or twin-share camping in dome tents with swags with fitted sheets & pillows with pillow cases. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Some on site ablutions have hot showers and flush toilets however on some nights the ablution facilities can be very basic.
- SLEEPING BAG
- This trip requires a sleeping bag. You can bring your own or can purchase one. Please let your booking agent know ahead of time if you would like to add this to your booking
- WHALE SHARKS
- Swimming with whale sharks is not included on this trip and is an optional activity that you need to book online yourself. It is very important that you pre book any whale shark experiences, as this can sell out far in advance. Please also note that whale sharks visit the region between mid-March and mid-September only, so please make sure you schedule your trip accordingly if you would like to include this experience in your trip.
Mode of Transport
- 4WD tours are operated in custom-built, 21-25 seat 4WD trucks with a PA system and built-in storage. These comfortable, strong remote area vehicles allow our small groups extra space (including standing room), are fully air-conditioned and fitted with adjustable air-vents, reclinable seats, map pockets and footrests. It is important that when booking a 4WD outback adventure in the Kimberley, you understand that the roads we travel on can be heavily corrugated, which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. Rest assured, these are the conditions for which our 4WD trucks are designed.
Accommodation
- Camping & Backpacker Dorm Share Accommodation (23 nights)
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
On some days of this trip, you'll spend many hours driving through very sparse areas of Australia. Sit back and enjoy landscapes that you'd miss in any other form of travel. Extra space can be tight, and conditions may feel a little cramped. Think of it as a great way to get to know your fellow travellers. The drive days can be long, but it's as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie!
Accommodation on this trip involves camping out in nature or staying in backpacker-style dormitory accommodation, including bunk beds, so the facilities are very basic. It is a trip for either younger, fit travellers or the young at heart and fit in body! A lack of emphasis on creature comforts makes this an authentic experience of the Australian outback. Some locations will have little to no Internet connection or phone service.
This trip involves activities like hiking on uneven terrain and clambering over boulders. It is best suited to travellers with good mobility and fitness. Details on physical activities can be found in the itinerary.
This trip includes four days in Broome, where you’ll be unaccompanied by a trip leader. As this is a combination trip, your group members will also likely change before and after your time in Broome. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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