Make your own arrangements to arrive at Exmouth (Learmonth) airport today. After lunch and settling into our accommodation, there will be an opportunity for some birding around town. The most obvious birds will be species like White-plumed Honeyeater, Yellow-throated Miner, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Torresian Crow, Zebra Finch, Brahminy Kite and Rainbow Bee-eater. There may be Banded Lapwing on the main oval or golf course and possibly Emu. There might also be an opportunity to visit the coastal heathland of North West Cape for an introduction to this remote area. North West Cape is an arid peninsula extending north into the Indian Ocean. To the east is sheltered Exmouth Gulf, with its white sand beaches, seagrass beds and clear waters that are a shelter for Dugong and Green Turtle. The hills that run north- south are made of limestone, dissected into gorges by infrequent rain. With some luck we’ll be able to locate the tiny, secretive Rufous-crowned Emu-wren and Rufous Fieldwren (subsp rubiginosus) among the spinifex and samphire. We will also look for one of the plants endemic to this area – Cape Range Kurrajong, Brachychiton obtusilobus.

Accommodation: Exmouth (en suite rooms).

Meals included: L, D

After yesterday’s taste of the area, today we will explore further around Exmouth and the Cape Range, starting with a visit to the mangroves at Turquoise Bay and Yardie Creek. Birds include a chance of mangrove species like Mangrove Golden Whistler, Mangrove Fantail and the Western Australian endemic Dusky Gerygone. Nearby we’ll look for Rufous Fieldwren, Western Bowerbird (Cape Range subspecies carteri), and Grey-headed Honeyeater. We should get good views of Black-footed Rock Wallaby, plus the very reddish-looking western morph of Euro. Red Kangaroo are also in the area. Perentie (Varanus giganteus) will be the main reptile target but quite a few other reptile species are possible, including the parthenogenetic Bynoe’s Gecko (Heteronotia binoei), sleek Spinifex Slender Blue-tongue (Cyclodomorphus melanops) and diminutive Children’s Python (Antaresia childreni). If there has been recent rain, we might be fortunate in finding the bright yellow Flame Grevillea (Grevillea eriostachya) in flower. The afternoon can be spent closer to Exmouth, visiting Shothole Canyon for birds like Little Woodswallow, Grey-headed Honeyeater, Pied Butcherbird and Little Woodswallow, or at the harbour, sewage ponds and golf course, areas that are popular with birds. We will have dinner in town and then check the roads after dark for nocturnal critters.

Accommodation: Exmouth (en suite rooms).

Meals included: L, D

We will head away from the North-west Cape region today and move north-east to the port of Onslow. En route we will look for Spotted Harrier, Australian Hobby, Budgerigar, Cockatiel, Rufous Songlark, Brown Songlark and Horsfield’s Bushlark. If the spiky Wickham’s or Holly-leaved Grevillea (Grevillea wickhami) is in flower then we may see Crimson Chat, Black Honeyeater, Pied Honeyeater, Black Honeyeater and Masked Woodswallow. Near Onslow we will be looking for nomadic Flock Bronzewing, Painted Finch, possibly Pictorella Mannikin, Brolga, Black-necked Stork and a variety of water birds. This hot, arid area is also home to a range of reptiles, including the Western Australian endemic Western Spiny-tailed Gecko (Strophurus strophurus) and the Pilbara endemic Long-tailed Sand-dragon (Ctenophorus femoralis). We will keep a look out for the delightful Green Bird-flower (Crotalaria cunninghami), which bears yellow-green flowers that resemble birds. (The flowers also attract birds!)

Accommodation: Onslow (en suite rooms).

Meals included: B, L, D.

We continue north today with our destination Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula. As we head north, we cross several rivers: the amount of water in them depending on the success of the summer rains. Near Karratha we will stop at a place on the Nullagine River hoping for Barking Owl, Brown Quail, Star Finch, Blue-winged Kookaburra (Pilbara subspecies occidentalis), Pictorella Mannikin and Pheasant Coucal. We’ll also keep an eye open for Pilbara Minni Ritchi or Curly-bark Tree (Acacia trachycarpa), identified by its characteristic ‘hairy’ bark made of thin strips that peel away and curl but remain attached to the trunk. We may also see the Rock Kurrajong (Brachychiton acuminatus), which occurs between Karratha and the Karijini area. During the late afternoon we will check in at our accommodation in Karratha. Karratha is a working town lying on Nickol Bay between a line of low hills and tidal flats. The flats separate the town from the Burrup Peninsula.

Accommodation: Karratha. (en suite cabins).

Meals included: B, L, D.

We will spend the day in the Port Samson and Cossack areas north of Roebourne. Here we’ll look for birds like White-breasted Whistler, Mangrove Robin, Mangrove Grey Fantail, Torresian Kingfisher, Mangrove Golden Whistler and Dusky Gerygone, as well as a range of terns and shorebirds.

Late in the afternoon there will be a drive out to Murujuga National Park on the Burrup Peninsula, to look for the Pilbara endemic Rothschild’s Rock Wallaby, as well as Spotted Nightjar and small flocks of Finlayson’s Cave Bat emerging from caves for the night.

Accommodation: Karratha (en suite cabins) as for last night.

Meals included: B, L, D.

In the morning we’ll visit the South Karratha Treatment Plant, where from outside the fence we may see a selection of waterbirds, as well as the possibility of Spinifexbird and Painted Finch in the adjacent rocky hills. As we move toward Port Hedland we’ll stop at various places like Sherlock River, Whim Creek and South Hedland Waste Water Treatment Plant for various waterbirds and bush birds like Red-browed Pardalote, Spinifex Pigeon and the chance of Brolga.

Our destination this evening is Port Hedland, where we can check out the shoreline in the afternoon for waders and terns, including a chance of Beach Stone-curlew, and nearby mangroves for the Mangrove Golden Whistler if it has proven elusive beforehand.

Accommodation: Port Hedland (en suite cabins).

Meals included: B, L, D. 

Leaving the coast this morning, we’ll head inland toward Tom Price, stopping at various intervals as the landscape changes into more arid inland habitats and we start to see more rocky hills and ranges. Wherever we cross creeks with water will be the chance of arid zone birds like Cockatiel, Budgerigar, Diamond Dove, Masked Woodswallow, White-fronted Honeyeater, White- winged Triller, White-plumed Honeyeater, Hooded Robin, Zebra Finch, Little Crow, Weebill and Red-backed Kingfisher. The trees will change also and we’ll start to see the gnarled, twisted forms of Snappy Gum (Eucalyptus leucophloia) on the hillsides.

Once we get to Tom Price we can check out the town ponds for a few waterbirds, after which we’ll settle in to our lodgings, go for dinner and spotlight in the evening (or tomorrow evening) for Spotted Nightjar and Barking Owl.

Accommodation: Tom Price (en suite cabins). 

Meals included: B, L, D.  

This morning we will explore the Mt Nameless area, where a very early start is required to find the target, Pilbara Grasswren, in the extensive stands of Spinifex of this area. Also here are Spinifexbird, Rufous-crowned Emuwren, Black-chinned (Golden-backed subsp laetior) Honeyeater, Grey-headed Honeyeater, Grey- fronted Honeyeater, Western Bowerbird, Spinifex Pigeon, Australian Ringneck (smaller form in the Pilbara) and Little Woodswallow plus others such as Brown Quail, Common Bronzewing, Hooded Robin, Purple-backed Fairywren and Western Gerygone. At some point we will visit Kings Lake to look for a variety of species including Star Finch, Blue- winged Kookaburra, Mistletoebird, Crimson Chat and Black-tailed Native-hen. The Australian Magpie in this location is the strange, noticeably longer-billed subspecies longirostris).

Accommodation: Tom Price (en suite cabins) as for last night.

Meals included: B, L, D.

We will spend a full day visiting the gorges in Karjjini NP, which have been cut out of 2.5-billion-year-old rocks. The geology here is as beautiful as it is interesting. Among the ancient formations are the Banded Iron Formations laid down during the period of Earth history known as the Great Oxidation Event. The park contains habitat for birds such as Grey Honeyeater, Slaty-backed Thornbill, Crested Bellbird, Little Buttonquail, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Black-tailed Treecreeper (Pilbara subspecies wellsi), Painted Finch, White-winged Fairywren and Redthroat. We might also see Pygmy Python (Antaresia perthensis) and the lively Ring-tailed Dragon (Ctenophorus caudicinctus) sunning itself on the red rocks. This area is rich in endemic plants, among them several species of eucalypts found only in the Pilbara. Although not restricted to this area, the Rock Kurrajong (Brachychiton gregorii) also occurs here.

Accommodation: Tom Price (en suite cabins) as for last two nights.

Meals included: B, L, D. 

Today is mostly a travel day, as we have a long drive to Carnarvon, but there will be opportunities for birding along the way. Our main target will be Western Quail-thrush, as we pass through a band of suitable dry, rocky mulga habitat west of Paraburdoo. Raptors are always possible, and we’ll keep an eye out for species like Australian Bustard, Spotted Harrier, Australian Hobby, Square-tailed Kite, Black-breasted Buzzard and the exceedingly scarce Grey Falcon. In the afternoon we’ll arrive in Carnarvon, a bustling coastal town on the Gascoyne River.

Accommodation: Carnarvon (en suite rooms).

Meals included: B, L, D.

We will bird around the Carnarvon area this morning where our main target will be Slender-billed Thornbill, which lives in coastal marshes and salt lakes. We will also visit the mangroves and mudflats near town to look for Dusky Gerygone, White-breasted Whistler, Mangrove Fantail and shorebirds such as Lesser Sand Plover, Eastern Curlew, Great Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper, and maybe Broad-billed Sandpiper. Common Redshank and Asian Dowitcher have been occasionally recorded here. Wetlands and the sewage treatment plant in town may yield birds like Musk Duck, Red-kneed Dotterel, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Hoary-headed Grebe. After lunch we’ll hit the road again, making our way to Denham and our accommodation for the next three nights. Denham is on the Peron Peninsula, a long sandy strip of land that is part of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. The peninsula is named after French naturalist François Péron who visited in the early 1800s. Copperback Quail-thrush is in the area, and this is the northern limit of Dusky Woodswallow, Australian Raven (western subspecies perplexus), Splendid Fairywren and Western Yellow Robin in WA.

Accommodation: Denham (1 or 2 bedroom apartment).

Meals included: B, L, D.

Today we are booked on a boat trip out to the remote Dirk Hartog Island, where we will take part in a guided 4x4 tour. In the sand dunes and coastal scrub, we’ll look for the range-restricted black & white form of White-winged Fairy-wren (nominate ssp. leucopterus), the Dirk Hartog Southern Emu-wren, (ssp hartogi) and the Dirk Hartog Rufous Fieldwren (ssp hartogi). Whilst on the boat we will also have a chance to see Dugong in the sea-grass meadows of the sheltered waters around the island, as well as Green and Loggerhead Turtles, Eastern Osprey, and White-bellied Sea-Eagle. Lunch will be included on the tour. Dirk Hartog Island is WA’s largest island and is a band of limestone with cliffs to 150 m tall on the Indian Ocean side and to 30 m on Denham Sound. Dutch East India Company captain Dirk Hartog landed on the island in 1616 on his way to Java. He left a pewter plate on the island to mark his arrival. After Hartog, a succession of Dutch, French and British explorers investigated the island although none deemed it suitable for settlement. In the 1860s, the island was turned into a pastoral lease with devastating effects on native species. Destocked and protected, the island is now home again to a variety of native mammals.

Accommodation: Denham (1 or 2 bedroom apartment) as for last night.

Meals included: B, L, D. 

Today we’ll explore the fascinating Shark Bay region, including the coastal town of Denham, Peron Peninsula and the famous Monkey Mia. Here we’ll have a great chance of seeing the range restricted Western Grasswren, as well as getting up close and personal with Inshore Bottlenose Dolphins. Other birds here in the coastal shrublands and shoreline include Emu, Rufous Fieldwren, Chiming Wedgebill, Southern Scrub-robin, Spotted Scrubwren, Red-capped Robin, White-fronted Honeyeater, White- browed Babbler, Crested Bellbird, Pallid Cuckoo, Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo, Black-eared Cuckoo, White-backed Swallow, Grey Butcherbird, Osprey, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Pacific Gull, Eastern Reef Egret, Pied Cormorant, Caspian, Lesser Crested & Fairy Terns and Eastern Curlew. Malleefowl has been re-introduced into the area as well. Terrestrial mammals feature well in the region, with several successful re-introduction programs having taken place. Species such as the Greater Bilby, Brush-tailed Bettong (Woylie), Rufous Hare-Wallaby (Mala) and Banded Hare-Wallaby have been re-wilded in the Francois Peron National Park but we are unlikely to see them as access is not possible after dark.

Accommodation: Denham (1 or 2 bedroom apartment) as for last two nights.

Meals included: B, L, D. 

Today we will visit the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool on our way back to Carnarvon. Hamelin Pool is a hypersaline embayment at the southern end of the Peron Peninsula. Stromatolites are limestone bommies, formed by colonies of cyanobacteria, which set down layers of calcium carbonate as they grow. These stromatolites are a link to the earliest days of life on earth: they are ‘living fossils’, unchanged in form over 3 billion years. Hamelin Pool offers a rare view of ancient Earth. Western Grasswren also occurs here, and Orange, Crimson & White-fronted Chats have been seen in the samphire nearby. There is an excellent area of mulga at the turnoff where we can look for Crested Bellbird, Red-capped Robin, Hooded Robin, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Inland Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, Slaty-backed Thornbill, Mulga Parrot, Bourke’s Parrot and Chiming Wedgebill. Closer to Carnarvon we will search for nomadic birds such as Pied Honeyeater, Black Honeyeater, White-fronted Honeyeater and Masked Woodswallow.

Accommodation: Carnarvon (en suite rooms).

Meals included: B, L, D. 

This morning we will get an early start looking for woodland birds east of town with the possibility of Bourke’s Parrot, Black-tailed Treecreeper, Black-eared Cuckoo, Grey-crowned Babbler, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater and Rainbow Bee-eater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Hooded Robin or Spinifex Pigeon there in eucalypt woodland and adjacent shrublands. We can look for birds at their northern limit such as Silvereye and Dusky Moorhen. We will then head north, returning to Exmouth for our last night.

Accommodation: Exmouth (en suite rooms).

Meals included: B, L, D.

Tour ends after breakfast today. You will be picked up at 7am today from the hotel reception for your Whale Shark day excursion. These giant filter-feeding sharks visit Ningaloo reef in the cooler months.

Accommodation: Exmouth (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B, L.

Own arrangements for meals, activities and transfer to airport today.  

Accommodation: None.

Meals included: None.