Western Australia

The Coral Coast: Pinnacles, pink lake and Monkey Mia dolphins

The run north of Perth is one of the country's great road trips, and the Exmouth Explorer: Perth to Ningaloo, 7 Days, from $2,399, covers it properly: the limestone spires of the Pinnacles Desert, Kalbarri National Park's Skywalk and Nature's Window, Shell Beach's millions of tiny cockle shells and Monkey Mia's wild resident dolphins, before it carries on to the reef.

Sea turtles, dugongs and emus are likely along the way, and the Perth to Broome tour runs the same coast one-way north if you're not coming back.

Ningaloo Reef: the reef you walk into from the beach

Ningaloo is the reef you can swim to from the sand, and the Exmouth Explorer: Perth to Ningaloo, 7 Days, from $2,399, is the week-long highlight reel that gets you there. It collects the Coral Coast icons on the way up (Pinnacles, Kalbarri's gorges, World Heritage Shark Bay, the stromatolites, the Monkey Mia dolphins), then pays off with snorkelling at Coral Bay and drifting the clear water of Turquoise Bay.

The optional add-on is the big one: a swim with manta rays or whale sharks. Private rooms all week, 15 meals, park entry and guided walks up to 8km are included, on a mini-coach with an 18 to 39 crew.

Which Western Australia tour is right for you?

Exmouth Explorer: Perth to Ningaloo, 7 Days, from $2,399: the Pinnacles, Kalbarri, Shell Beach and Monkey Mia, plus Shark Bay's stromatolites and Ningaloo snorkelling, with the whale shark or manta option. Best if the reef is the point.

Perth to Broome Tour, With Kalbarri, Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth & Karijini, 10 Days, from $2,989: one-way north, billed as an adventure for the fit and active. Monkey Mia dolphins, snorkelling out of Coral Bay, swimming and hiking in Karijini and Kalbarri, a free day in Exmouth and a go at sandboarding. Best if you're heading to the Kimberley next.

Abrolhos flights from Kalbarri, from $479 to $569: add one to any trip that overnights in Kalbarri. Details in the next section.

The Abrolhos Islands: fly to a reef chain almost nobody visits

The Abrolhos Islands are 122 islands and coral reefs 65 kilometres off the coast, with no hotels, no ferries and barely any people. The only sensible way in is by air from Kalbarri, over the 400-million-year-old red cliffs of Gantheume Bay, max 14 passengers.

The Abrolhos Island Discovery Tour, from $539, is five and a half hours: land on East Wallabi Island, snorkel Turtle Bay's protected reef, take a guided nature walk, and fly home over the site where the Dutch ship Batavia hit Morning Reef in 1629, mutiny and all. The Abrolhos Islands & Batavia Shipwreck Tour, from $469, is the two-hour version with an island landing for tea and coffee. The Abrolhos Islands, Pink Lake & Gorges Grand Flight, from $559, never lands: 1 hour 45 of low passes over the islands, Hutt Lagoon and Kalbarri's gorges.

A sample 7-day Western Australia itinerary

Roughly what the Exmouth Explorer: Perth to Ningaloo, 7 Days, from $2,399, looks like on the ground.

Days 1 to 2: Perth north to the Pinnacles, then Kalbarri for the Skywalk, Nature's Window and the Z-Bend, with a clifftop hike over Murchison Gorge.

Days 3 to 4: Shark Bay. Shell Beach, the stromatolites, and the wild dolphin encounter at Monkey Mia.

Days 5 to 7: Ningaloo. Snorkel Coral Bay, drift Turquoise Bay, and if the season and your nerve allow, add the whale shark or manta ray swim. Then the long run back to Perth.

Know before you go: seasons, safety and getting there

Seasons: the Coral Coast is at its best from autumn to spring (roughly April to October) when days are warm, not scorching, and the north is in its dry season. Whale shark season at Ningaloo runs roughly late March to July. Summer is very hot up north and the Kimberley's wet season brings heavy rain and the odd cyclone.

Safety: the sun here is brutal, so hat, long sleeves and reef-safe sunscreen are not optional. Drink more water than feels reasonable, snorkel with the group, and expect long driving days. The Perth to Broome tour is pitched at the fit and active, so be honest about your hiking legs.

Getting there: everything starts in Perth. The Abrolhos flights depart Kalbarri, about six hours north by road.