Western Wonderland

Perth is an easy city to like. It's got all the perks of a capital, but with plenty of breathing room, sunny river views and a laid-back streak that makes slipping into holiday mode pretty easy. Join your Travel Director for a city tour, then stretch your legs in Kings Park, where more than 3,000 species of Western Australian flora fill the Botanic Garden above the Swan River. A pretty good way to start.

Tonight, meet your fellow travellers over dinner and get the trip properly underway. New faces, first laughs and a taste of the adventure ahead.

Travel to Busselton, home to the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Tip your cap to those who built this 1.8-kilometre structure out into Geographe Bay. Continue to the Margaret River region of Western Australia deserves its reputation as one of the county's top grape-growing areas. The Margaret River's 200 vineyards produce 25 per cent of Australia's premium wines.

There are too many high-quality vineyards to name here. So, we'll give you just one: Xanadu Wines. For almost 50 years, this estate has been producing wines that celebrate this unique corner of the state, where the Indian and Southern oceans converge. Its cabernet sauvignon reigns supreme, but the range stretches from sauvignon blanc and chardonnay to rosé and shiraz, which you'll enjoy during a hosted tasting at the cellar door.

Journey to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the tallest of its kind in Australia, set at the tip of a peninsula where the Indian and Southern oceans meet. Standing here, the wind in your hair, you'll feel like you're on the edge of the Earth. More lofty attractions await. Suspended 40 metres above the forest floor, the Tree Top Walk gives you a bird's-eye view of the soaring tingle trees that stand large through the Valley of the Giants.

Nature, history, food and wine… there's not much that Albany can't do. The hardest thing you have to do today is decide which direction you want to travel with Choice Experiences. Perhaps an Albany tour that relives the town's heritage as the last port of call for ANZAC troopships departing Australia in WWI. Being here is a moving experience that tells the tale of thousands of servicemen.

Maybe explore Torndirrup National Park, where steep cliffs give way to dramatic rock formations and whales are a common sight during migration. Or get a taste for the region on a culinary excursion that includes tastings of local cheeses, fudge, chocolate, ice-cream, cider, wines and gins. Better wear your elastic-waisted pants for this one. How you spend your day exploring the region is totally up to you.

Today, travel through some of the most bountiful wilderness areas in the state, including the Stirling Range National Park, filled seasonally with a staggering range of wildflowers (seasonal) – more than 1,500 different species, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. At scenic Hellfire Bay, meet your Aboriginal guide. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, learn about the cultural history of Wudjari people and the rich nature of this stunning area

Leave the stunning coastline behind and head inland toward Kalgoorlie. View the wide gold rush era streets and buildings of Kalgoorlie and see the vista over the staggering 'Super Pit' open-cut gold mine. Today's outings continue to gleam as you visit Hannans North Mine – the history here is overwhelming – Kalgoorlie's ‘Golden Mile'. Nothing quite puts things into perspective like standing next to enormous Haul trucks and loaders.

Wave Rock deserves its name – the cliff resembles an enormous surf wave about to crash into the bush. Stretching 110 metres, the rainbow-hued granite swell was formed more than three million years ago. Wave Rock locals are a friendly bunch, and they're truly passionate about the place they call home. But don't take our word for it. Meet Sheenagh, who will proudly show you around her farm and discuss life on the land, which can be harsh, but also extremely healing, in a way unique to the wide-open spaces of the Aussie outback. Glimpse her collection of vintage cars and hear about the stories behind them.

Leave the eastern Wheatbelt behind and make your way to the vibrant city of Fremantle. This elegant, energetic port town is known for its narrow, heritage‑lined streets and lively atmosphere. Rich in history, dining, markets and attractions, Fremantle invites you to explore at your own pace for the rest of the day. Why not explore the Fremantle Markets, which boasts over 150 stalls?

Sometimes, the most memorable travel days are those where you lose yourself wandering the foreshore, lingering over lunch or a cool ale. We highly recommend you spend this day of leisure doing just that (Freo's Little Creatures Brewery is legendary). Of course, there are Optional Experiences, like having a local show you around, with a Fremantle tour revealing those hidden haunts most visitors pass right on by. Or if you're catching the ferry to Rottnest Island, make sure you have your phone ready to capture selfies with the island's smiley quokkas, not to mention the blindingly turquoise water.

Yanchep National Park is staggeringly beautiful, a union of bush and wetlands that is as spectacular as it is sacred. The best way to understand its significance to First Nations communities is in the company of an Aboriginal guide. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, hear about how stories are told and used. Hear didgeridoo playing, and hands-on learning with traditional tools.

Two national parks in one day – your next stop is Nambung National Park where you're greeted by an ethereal moonscape. Your Pinnacles tour meanders around this collection of head-scratching limestone formations. This afternoon, Geraldton's moving HMAS Sydney Memorial beckons.

Wave goodbye to Geraldton as you make your way to Monkey Mia, located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shark Bay region. The colours there are so vivid, you'll think they're painted on, a patchwork of blues fading into powdery sand. Keep your sunnies handy at Shell Beach, a powder-white cove formed from billions of coquina bivalve shells up to 10 metres deep.

This morning, keep an eye on the shoreline for Monkey Mia's most famous locals. Wild dolphins regularly swim into the bay, and if they decide to make an appearance, National Park Rangers will introduce you to these much-loved regulars and explain their habits and personalities. Nothing is guaranteed, of course. They are wild dolphins after all, which is part of the magic.

The rest of the day is yours to spend exactly as you please. Go for a barefoot wander, find a shady spot with a view or settle in for a slow afternoon by the water. There are worse places to do absolutely nothing.

Kalbarri National Park does drama very well. Over millions of years, the Murchison River carved through the landscape, leaving behind deep gorges, red-and-white sandstone and coastal cliffs that don't exactly do subtle. To take it all in, step out onto the Kalbarri Skywalk, which juts 25 m (82 ft) beyond the gorge rim and hangs 100 m (328 ft) above the river below. Not one for anyone scared of heights.

You'll also meet an Indigenous guide for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and be welcomed to Country. Learn about bushfoods, medicine plants and the traditional uses of local flora, while hearing stories that reveal the region from an Aboriginal perspective.

Just when you think Western Australia has shown you every colour it has, Hutt Lagoon appears and changes the mood entirely. Depending on conditions, this famous pink lake can shift through shades from lilac to bubblegum and everything in between. From here, continue south to Perth, where your journey comes full circle.

Tonight, join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for dinner and a final chance to relive the best bits from the past two weeks. There'll be stories, laughs and probably a few “remember when” moments before the trip wraps up.

After breakfast, it's time to say goodbye to Perth and your fellow travellers. Two weeks ago you arrived as strangers. Now, after outback landscapes, big skies, beach sunsets and more than a few memorable moments along the way, chances are you'll be leaving with a camera full of photos and a few new friends too.