Rottnest Discovery

Make your way to your Perth accommodation and prepare for a trip to Rottnest Island and an epic rail journey ahead. The evening is yours to discover some of the city's atmospheric laneway bars and restaurants, buzzing with live music and surrounded by colourful street art. Stay: Quay Hotel Perth

Make your way to Barrack Street Jetty, a short stroll from your hotel, and board the Rottnest Express bound for Rottnest Island, 22kms offshore. A 90-minute air-conditioned bus tour around ‘Rotto' takes you to some spectacular locations, including Wadjemup Lighthouse and the boardwalk lookout at the rugged west end. Enjoy a delicious lunch before exploring the island at your leisure – make sure you meet a quokka. Return to Perth by ferry in the afternoon. Stay: Quay Hotel Perth (B/L)

It might be the largest state in Australia, but Western Australia's capital city is a conveniently compact centre, packed with things to see and do. Enjoy your day at leisure in Perth visiting Kings Park, Barrack Square or some of the many museums and galleries. Stay: Quay Hotel Perth (B)

After breakfast, transfer from your hotel to East Perth Rail Terminal. Leave Perth behind and journey though the super-scenic Avon Valley over a gourmet lunch. Relax into the rhythm of life onboard and after a three-course dinner, disembark for an evening experience in the outback gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie. Travelling prospector Paddy Hannan struck it rich here 1893, sparking the greatest gold rush in Australian history. Visit Hannan's North Tourist Mine and the amazing Super Pit, where Kalgoorlie's gold rush continues to play out today. Stay: Indian Pacific (B/L/D)

After travelling through the night, watch the sun rise over tiny Rawlinna, a remote outpost bordering the largest sheep station in the Southern Hemisphere. Across the border in South Australia, you'll make a stop in Cook, an abandoned railway town that was once home to a bush hospital and more than 50 railway workers, before continuing across the vast expanse of the Nullarbor Plain. Stay: Indian Pacific (B/L/D)

Day breaks as you approach Adelaide, where your journey concludes. Disembark and make your way into this sophisticated but unpretentious city. The chances are it won't be raining - Adelaide is Australia's driest capital city.