Read on to learn about the lovely group of eight ladies who recently joined me for a trip to Western Australia – having known them all for a few years having previously travelled to Sri Lanka together, we all enjoy our local aqua gym classes and coffee catch-ups – I knew the trip was going to be great fun!
After arriving into Perth, greeted by stunning weather – we celebrated Mother’s Day by jumping aboard a bus and took in the stunning sites and views of Perth – Kings Park, Swan River and the Botanic Gardens. We then boarded a Captain Cook Cruise for a special Mother’s Day lunch cruise along the Swan River!
We took off the next day in our mini-bus (thanks to my dedicated driver – husband Russell), visiting some landmarks off the main roads on the way to Geraldton – Lancelin sand dunes – which I think we were all in awe of, the unexpected scale of the sand dunes! The moonscape of the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park and the Pinnacles Desert Discover Centre were definitely worth the visit!
Geraldton – Kalbarri: The Pink Lake near Port Gregory – wow, even though you expect it to be Pink – the moment of surprise and wonder when you first glimpse it is pretty amazing! The pink hue is created by the presence of algae in the water. Another must do: The HMAS Sydney 11 Memorial on Mount Scott – to learn and reflect of the events of the greatest single tragedy in Australian Naval History.
Kalbarri – what an amazing place! The ocean stretching before us, the gorges of the National Par at our backs. The Skywalk, the Loop, the Z-Bend trail – the lookout with a golden sunset sky – breathtaking! Tip: Fly nets. They paid for themselves as the flies were annoying!!
Kalbarri – Monkey Mia:
Shell Beach stretches over 70kms and is made entirely of billions of cockle shells forming a unique white beach – worth every step and worth the swim!
Monkey Mia – in the World Heritage area of Shark Bay. Bottlenose dolphins have been visiting the beach here for over 40 years! Now it is managed by Rangers and you can witness morning feeds. We enjoyed the wildlife – the emus down at the beach was a sight to see!
Carnarvon – did you know that the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum is home to the OTC Dish which relayed Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon from NASA? It was a fun museum to visit! Carnarvon also is a fruit and vegetable growing haven!
Carnarvon – Exmouth: a sneaky swim stop at the stunning Coral Bay – turquoise water that did not disappoint! And finally we arrived at Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef – UNESCO-listed marine wonder is home to over 500 species of fish, manta rays, turtles and vibrant coral gardens!
Day 10 – the highlight – swimming with whale sharks! We were lucky, he was a slow swimmer and friendly! Mantra Rays, many species of fish and a small boat group with crew who were so friendly and supported us to have a fabulous day!!
We explored Exmouth for a second day, we were so impressed by the tour operators, restaurants and the businesses for creating a spirit in the town! We did the ‘Top of the Range’ Safari – an outback safari of the Cape Range National Park. Canyons, Beaches, Lighthouses… rugged beauty of the outback – breathtaking!!
We flew back to Perth for one last night at the Esplanade in Fremantle, before heading back to Queensland on Day 13.
The scenery, beauty and places combined with the lovely ladies on this trip – open hearts and good humour – the perfect recipe for a trip West!
Contact me if you’d like me to organise and accompany you on your next Ladies Trip. Life is short – take the trip!
