GO WILD! Wildlife Expedition (in French)

Perth – Cervantes  – Fremantle  – Rottnest Island – Fremantle  – Bunbury – Dunsborough  – Margaret River – Pemberton – Albany – Narrogin  – Bremer Bay – Bremer Bay (Orca Whale Expedition) – Esperance – Hyden – Perth

Whether your wildlife interests have feathers, fur, scales or skin; we’ve got a tour tailored to meeting your fauna friends. Many of the Australian wildlife- like kangaroos and emus – are relatively easy to spot. There are introduced species like camels and there are extremely cute animals like quokkas and sea lions. Others, being either nocturnal, rare, endangered or endemic to small areas, are famously elusive – bilby, woylie, mallee fowls and Orcas best fit this category.

HIGHLIGHTS

• KANGAROOS, KOALAS & QUOKKAS
• SEA LIONS & DOLPHINS
  
• RAPTORS
• STINGRAYS
  
• BILBY, WOYLIE & QUENDA (NIGHT WALK)
  
• MALLEE FOWLS
  
• ORCAS / KILLER WHALES
• EMUS & CAMELS
  
• PINNACLES
  
• MARGARET RIVER WINE REGION WITH WINE TASTING
  
• VALLEY OF THE GIANTS / TREE TOP WALK
  
• LAKE HILLIER (PINK LAKE)
• WAVE ROCK

SERVICES INCLUDED

TRANSPORT & ACCOMMODATION

• Transport in an air-conditioned 4WD bus with a maximum of 12 passengers per vehicle
• Accommodation during the tour 12x in Hotels/Motels
  

MEALS

• Meals (12x B – Breakfast / 1x L – Lunch)
• Free cold non-alcoholic drinks during driving

EXTRAS

• Comprehensive information kit in vehicles

LANGUAGE

• French speaking guiding
• 24/7 English/German/French emergency assistance
  

ITINERARY

Day 1 Perth – Cervantes

After pick up from your hotel we are leaving Perth headed north along the coast to Yanchep National Park. Here, we have the opportunity to discover kangaroos, koalas and native birds. Lancelin, a small fishing and tourist town, is well known for the biggest white sand dunes of Western Australia. We will enjoy these mountains of sand for a while. From here, we are heading to Nambung National Park. The Pinnacles are among the most visited natural wonders of the state. Thousands of limestone pillars rise out of a stark landscape of yellow sand. There is ample time to explore the area and to take some colourful photos from these amazing formations. These impressions of lights and colours will stay with you for many years to come.

Day 2 Cervantes – Fremantle

Today we will visit Western Australia’s second largest colony of Australian sea lions – an unbelievable aquatic experience. After a short trip by boat we will get close enough to a colony. If you are keen, jump into the water and interact with these playful creatures. Leisurely drive back to our destination of the day; Fremantle. This City is known for its harmonious combination of culture, maritime history and entertainment

Day 3 Fremantle – Rottnest Island – Fremantle

Enjoy the crossing to Rottnest Island, which is famous for its crystal-clear waters and pristine beaches. The island awaits you with its raw coastline, limestone cliffs, salt lakes and picturesque coves. The island can be explored particularly well be bike, because the traffic is strictly limited. You will come in contact with a unique flora and fauna and of course with those Quokkas so well known for this island. In the late afternoon you say goodby to this interesting nature reserve. The deluxe ferry trip will bring you back to the mainland safely and comfortably.

Day 4 Fremantle – Bunbury – Dunsborough

First stop of the day is Bunbury. We visit the Dolphin Discovery Centre which has lots and lots of interesting information and facts about these intelligent mammals. We will take part in a 90 minutes Eco Cruise within Koobana Bay where we hopefully see dolphins frolicking, playing, sleeping and feeding. Our vessel provides an excellent viewing platform designed to get you as close as possible to the dolphins – without getting your feet wet!! Before we get to our accommodatin in Dunsborough, we will visit the longest timber piled jetty in the southern hemisphere in Busselton.

Day 5 Dunsborough – Margaret River

This morning, we visit the fascinating coast of the famous Canal Rock formation. Afterwards we are exploring the Margaret River Wine region, which is one of the most renowned wine areas of Australia. Based on its Mediterranean climate, its outstanding wine, its relaxed atmosphere and excellent surf zones Margaret River has become quickly a very popular holiday destination. We have the opportunity to enjoy some wine tasting at one of the most renowned vineries. In the afternoon we will visit the Margaret River Eagles Heritage, Australia’s largest wildlife center dedicated to birds of prey and owls. We take a short and relaxed walk of about 1km to see many different Australian raptor species in their hug aviaries. The highlight must be the flying display which conveys the natural behaviour and abilities of these fascinating birds.

Day 6 Margaret River – Pemberton

The scenic drive “Caves Road” takes us through Boranup Forest’s pale-barked Karri Trees to picturesque Hamelin Bay. If we are lucky, we will be greeted by some wild sting rays in the shallow water of this beautiful bay! Hamelin Bay is one of the best places in Australia to spot wild sting rays up close. The gentle and friendly, yet completely wild sting ray population that live in the bay are unafraid of people. From here, our tour continues to Australia’s most south-westerly point, Cape Leeuwin. This is the point where the Indian and Southern Ocean meet. From here the nearest landmass is Africa to the west and Antarctica to the south. We then travel along the coast of the Southern Ocean through farmland into the Karri Forest region of Pemberton/Walpole.

Day 7 Pemberton – Albany

After today’s breakfast, courageous visitors will have the opportunity to climb a spiral ladder to the platform of the “Gloucester Tree” in Pemberton. The Valley of the Giants, a section of forest appropriately named for its huge trees, is our next destination. Tree Top Walk offers an amazing bird’s eye view to this window of the past. Much of the vegetation in this region is unique to the southwest of Western Australia. In the afternoon we will visit a small reptile park where we get face to face with snakes, lizards and some local bird life. William Bay National Park awaits with its bizarre Elephant Rocks and popular swimming beach Green Pool. The colours of the ocean and coastline are beyond words and will inspire you. We reach Albany, Western Australia’s first settlement, in the evening.

Day 8 Albany – Narrogin

A sightseeing tour and the magnificent panorama view from Mt. Clarence overlooking King George Sound, where the first settlers landed in 1826, let you realize Albany’s importance to Western Australia. Afterwards we will be exploring “Natural Bridge and The Gap” in Torndirrup National Park. Leisurely drive to Narrogin in the heart of the Wheatbelt of Western Australia. Today we will take a guided nocturnal tour in a tranquil sanctuary nestled in the heart of the close-by Dryandra Woodland. This is a place to discover threatened native marsupials in a natural setting, and experience the wonders of the woodland. Once the sun has set the action begins. With the guides special torches, you can see threatened native animals such as bilby, woylie, mala, quenda and boodie.

Day 9 Narrogin – Bremer Bay

Drive to the largest natural inland water body in the state. On the unusually named Pussy Cat Hill you’ll get to view a memorial to Donald Campbell who set a new world water speed record across Lake Dumbleyung with his boat Bluebird. This made Donald Campbell the fastest man on both land and water. In Ongerup we will visit the Malleefowl Centre. During a walk through the aviaries, we learn a lot about the endangered malleefowls. We continue our drive to the south coast to Bremer Bay.

Day 10 Bremer Bay (Orca Whale Expedition)

The all-day expedition today out on the water will provide you with unforgettable memories that will surely be rememberd for a lifetime. We are going to visit one of the least explored places on earth. As the pristine and scenic bays and cliffs of one of the worlds most ancient coastlines slip from our sight, the sparkling turquoise waters change to the deep blue of the Southern Ocean. Seabirds fill the sky as we leave the continental shelf behind and the sea floor plummets up to 3,5 kilometers below our keels. This is the only place in Australia you can reliably encounter killer whales (orca), the ocean’s undisputed apex predator.

Day 11 Bremer Bay – Esperance

After all the excitement of yesterday we take it easier today. Leisurely drive eastwards to Esperance where we will visit Cape Le Grand National Park. Indulge in the spectacular white beaches, the whitest in Autralia as certified by Geoscience Australia, and the stunning turquoise waters of Lucky Bay. This beach is famous for its kangaroos which are often seen on the white sandy shorline.

Day 12 Esperance – Hyden

Today you experience a scenic flight over Middle Island to view the dazzling pink Lake Hillier. It is rapidly becoming a ‘bucket-list’ experience for nature lovers from all over the world and one of the region’s best-kept secrets. According to scientists, many extremophile microbes, bacteria and organism play an important role in the colour of the astounding lake within an extremely high salinity environment. And truly, from a bird-eyes view, the lake appears a solid shiny pink. It is surrounded by a rim of white beaches and dense woodland. The lake is separates from the deep blue Southern Ocean by a narrow strip of white sand dunes, covered in vegetation. Back on land, you will enjoy a scenic drive along Great Ocean Drive with its many highlights and lookouts. Leaving the gorgeous Southern Ocean behind us, we are heading towards the spectacular Wave Rock in Hyden. There is enough time to explore and learn about the story of this unbelievable natural wonder. Today we enjoy dinner with a cold beer or a glass of wine and review the past 12 days of our fantastic tour.

Day 13 Hyden – Perth

In York, a quaint short stroll in the oldest inland settlement of W.A. will take you back to the time of the first settlers. The old well-maintained and renovated houses boasting their original facades bring forth still today the atmosphere of the pioneer’s time. A visit to a Camel farm is another highlight where you wil get valuable informatin and details about the history and modern use of the single-humped desert ships here in Australia. After an enjoyable travel back to Perth, the tour concludes at your hotel.