DAY WISE ITINERARY

Day 1 : 
Individual travel arrangements to arrive at your accommodation in Karratha (no transfer included), for a 2-night stay. Known as “the powerhouse of the Pilbara”, it’s the largest township of this area. This evening meet at the hotel’s restaurant for a welcome dinner and overview of the tour program.
(- – D)

Day 2 : 
Morning visit to the nearby major industrial port town of Dampier, the largest tonnage shipping port in Australia and primarily used for the export of iron ore from Rio Tinto mines. Next travel east to the town of Cossack, an early hub for gold prospectors and pastoralists and the original port of pearls before the luggers moved north to Broome in 1886. Take part in a guided walking tour to explore part of the Cossack townsite. Continue to the peninsula town of Point Samson, known for its restored heritage buildings, its beautiful beaches and its coral gardens. After lunch we’ll have a look at the small mining town of Wickham, as we return to Karratha
(B L -)

Day 3 : 
Today we depart Karratha and travel to visit Michael and Julie Percy’s Yalleen Station; a one million acre property, running up to 7,000 head, when the season allows. They are running a medium to high grade Brahman herd and do some cross breeding with Charolais for more weight. Travel on to Minderoo Station, established by the Forrest brothers and Septimus Burt in 1878. After a short spell outside family ownership, Andrew and Nicola Forrest bought the station back in 2009 and have since focused on improving the pastures, herd genetics and infrastructure. Late afternoon arrival into Onslow – a town gazetted in 1885 to serve the port at Ashburton Roads, exporting wool from sheep stations of the Pilbara hinterland.
(B L D)

Day 4 : 
Today travel through Nanutarra to visit the privately owned Yanrey Station, part of the de Pledge family since 1898. Here sheep were phased out in the early 2000’s and replaced with predominately a Droughtmaster herd. With the use of trapping yards and a laneway system to the house yards, 1,500 head of cattle can be managed without a helicopter. Cattle are backgrounded for feedlots and live export and, in good seasons, direct to meat processors. Lunch with hosts. Travel on to Exmouth, North West Cape, for a 2-night stay.
(B L D)

Day 5 : 
Exmouth lies at the northern edge of the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Coast – a 300km stretch of pristine coral reefs, home to beautiful coral gardens, tropical fish and annual visits by the gentle giants of the sea – whale sharks. We will spend some time exploring the town, go on a cruise and visit the Ningaloo Centre. Exmouth is a relatively young community, established in 1967 for the Harold E. Holt US Naval Communication Station North West Cape. A cluster of towers including one reaching a staggering 387m high, provide a VLF radio transmissions for US Navy and Royal Australian Navy submarines, echoing the time when this region was a refuelling base for Allied submarines during World War II. Dinner at leisure this evening.
(B L -)

Day 6 : 
Travel through the Shire of Ashburton along the Nanutarra – Wittenoom Road into the spectacular Hamersley Ranges to Tom Price the highest town in Western Australia. Lunch at Cheela Plains Station. Travel on to the town of Tom Price, which was once owned by the Rio Tinto mining company. It is now owned and run by the Shire of Ashburton and is located below the impressive Mount Nameless. Tom Price has been described as the ‘Top Town in Western Australia’ because it is the highest town in the state. It is nestled in the Hamersley Range – a flat-topped mass of Precambrian sediment which was deposited on the seabed more than 500 million years ago. Check in for a 2-night stay.
(B L D)

Day 7 : 
This morning travel to visit Rio Tinto’s Hamersley Station – one of six pastoral stations owned by the company in the Pilbara region. Travel on to visit Coolawanyah Station – a 310,000 ha station that has been in the Parsons family since 1922 and is currently running 4,000 head of Santa Gertrudis cattle. The Parsons have had some outstanding results with steers on feed for the domestic/export market. Enjoy lunch with your hosts. Return to Tom Price.
(B L -)

Day 8 : 
Travel to Marandoo to visit the Hamersley Agricultural Project – HAP. Comprising of 16 centre pivot irrigators at this site (and 19 pivots at another site), HAP represents an innovative use for excess water from the dewatering of the nearby Marandoo mine, as it is developed below the water table. Crops grown include perennial lucerne and rhodes grass, along with annual oat crops, which are turned into hay purchased by cattle stations across the Pilbara. Travel on through Karajini National Park to Newman. Covering 627,422 ha, Karajini is WA’s second largest park. Packed lunch at Dales Gorge with time to explore this park where erosion has slowly carved a landscape out of rocks that are over 2,500 million years old. Late afternoon arrival into Newman for a 3-night stay.
(B L D)

Day 9 : 
Experience a guided ground tour of the BHP Billiton Mt. Whaleback mine – the biggest single-pit open-pit iron ore mine in the world at 1.5 kms wide, more than 500kms long and scheduled to eventually reach a depth of 0.5 kms! Opportunity for a spectacular optional (own expense) helicopter flight for an aerial view of the enormous mine pit and the surrounding area. After lunch in Newman, visit Sylvania Station, owned by Weldon Percy. Purchased in August 2020, the station is in the establishment phase. At nearly 500,000 acres it is running a herd of predominately Santa Gertrudis breeding females increasing to around 2,000 head. Weldon also owns Fortescue Helicopters, comprising 15 helicopters operating out of Newman. Dinner at leisure this evening.
(B L D)

Day 10 : 
Travel north of Newman to Roy Hill Station. First settled in 1886, Roy Hill always ran a mixture of sheep and cattle – 32,000 sheep at its peak! When wild dogs became an issue, it switched to cattle and has been that way ever since. The Station is currently running roughly 6,000 head of
Droughtmaster / Santa Gertrudis cross cattle. Enjoy lunch with the hosts, as we tour this outstanding cattle station. Return to Newman late afternoon.
(B L -)

Day 11 : 
This morning we depart Newman for our journey north on the Great Northern Highway to Port Hedland, passing through mining, pastoral and spectacular Pilbara scenery. Lunch at Munjina Auski Roadhouse. Afternoon arrival into Port Hedland for a 1-night stay.
(B L D)

Day 12 : 
Depart Port Hedland and travel east to the Bettini family’s De Grey Station. Gain an insight into the work they have undertaken, which has focused on improving pasture efficiency, an enhanced human resource program and watering infrastructure for their Brahman herd. Travel on to Pardoo Station, a 200,000 ha working cattle station owned by Pardoo Beef Corporation and the hub of a $200 million development to establish a world-class Western Australian Wagyu beef industry. Lunch here and a 2-night stay.
(B L D)

Day 13 : 
A full day of driving today for a visit to Warrawagine Station. Privately owned for 26 years and located on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, Warrawagine has 485,000 ha and runs 30,000 head of Droughtmaster and Droughtmaster Cross cattle. Warrawagine is complemented with Wallal Downs, a backgrounding property on the Great Northern Highway. Enjoy some quality Pilbara grass fed beef with your hosts today at a BBQ lunch. Later return to Pardoo Station.
(B L D)

Day 14 : 
This morning’s first visit will be to Pardoo Station’s pivots – 6,000 ha of irrigated crops using groundwater from regional water resources. Next, visit the pivots at Wallal Downs, which complement Warrawagine Station (visited yesterday). Two very interesting visits! Continue the journey north and stop for lunch at the Sandfire Roadhouse. After lunch, pass Eighty Mile Beach (with a stop, if time permits), forming the coastline where the Great Sandy Desert approaches the Indian Ocean and later Lagrange Bay. Travel on to the ‘romantic’ pearling town of Broome for the next two nights.
(B L -)

Day 15 : 
Transfer to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm for a very informative tour. After lunch return to Broome. Free afternoon, which offers time for you to explore the town. Farewell Dinner
(B L -)

Day 16 : 
Tour ends after breakfast. Own arrangements home or onward travel. Why not consider some more time in Broome to relax or explore other parts of the Kimberley? We are happy to assist with onward travel arrangements
(B – -)

(Meal basis: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

TOUR INCLUDED

• ALL LAND TRAVEL IN THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF A MODERN COACH – SOME OF THE DAYS WILL INVOLVE LENGTHY TRAVEL
• SPECIALIST QUADRANT TOUR MANAGER – WITH PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE NORTHERN CATTLE AND AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES
• SIGHTSEEING, SPECIAL EVENTS AND TECHNICAL VISITS AS OUTLINED IN ITINERARY
• HOTEL/MOTEL/STATION ACCOMMODATION AS DETAILED (OR SIMILAR)
• MEALS SHOWN AS BLD. B=BREAKFAST, L=LUNCH (OCCASIONALLY PACKED LUNCH) AND D=DINNER
• COMMONWEALTH GOODS & SERVICES TAX (GST) – 10%
• TOUR KIT INCLUDING BACKPACK, TOUR BOOKLET AND A REFILLABLE STAINLESS STEEL WATERBOTTLE

TOUR NOT INCLUDED

• AIRFARES OR ANY OTHER FARES, TAXES OR CHARGES NOT SPECIFIED (WE CAN ASSIST WITH DOMESTIC FLIGHTS)
• MEALS NOT SPECIFIED IN THE ITINERARY
• EXPENDITURE OF A PERSONAL NATURE; I.E. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, LAUNDRY, MINI BAR OR PHONE CALLS
• TRAVEL INSURANCE, CANCELLATION FEES, PASSPORT FEES AND VISA CHARGES
• TIPS/GRATUITIES