I board my flight QF840 to Darwin on the 15th of June, leaving at 9:35 am, arriving at 1:30 pm. Pending any further changes from Qantas!

My first night is at DoubleTree by Hilton in Darwin. If I arrive on schedule I plan to take a sunset cruise on the harbour, Unfortunately, I miss out on Mindil markets that are only open on Thursdays and Sundays.

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Arriving in Darwin to clear sky’s and a nice 31 degrees with a light breeze blowing, and very little humidity. I have forgotten how nice it is in the sun with wam weather.
after a short taxi ride I arrived at the hotel where a room was ready for me. As usual I wanted to get out and explore, I set off to the esplanade, but rather than my normal power walk I took it slowly and didn’t go as far. I even stopped half way in the shade and read some of my book. 

I am now back in my room getting ready to head out on my sunset cruise.

 I made my way down to Stokes Wharf and boarded Sundancer.  Fancy waterproof bean bags were scattered around the deck for us to sit on. It was a beautiful night with a light breeze enough to raise the sails. Music played, champagne flowed and an 8 course tapas menu was served, All bought to us as we sat down enjoying the sunset. The food was amazing and included fresh seafood, chicken satays, dumplings, beef and much much more. 

We really did have a perfect night and the atmosphere on board was great, there was even dancing! And for those that are wondering, yes I did drink the champagne and danced.

The sunset was amazing, and when the sun set the full moon rose. It was pretty spectacular.

 Today I booked a small group tour, there was only 8 of us to travel into the Litchfield National Park, know for its waterfalls and watering holes.

Our guide had an itinerary that kept us away from the large coach tours that come into the park.

First stop was Florence Falls, that was also our first swim. Only thing was is that it was at the bottom of 135 steps, not good for someone with a dodgy knee. I made it down the bottom and enjoyed an early morning swim, made easier with stairs into the water. The water is so clear and beautiful. Then a walk through the forest to get out. By this time my knee was playing up, not much i can do about it, now just focusing on managing the pain.

At this stop it was also time for morning tea - freshly baked mango muffins and Anzac biscuits. 

Second stop was Buley Rockhole where there is a series of shallow and deep holes. It was not as easy to get into the water here because the rocks were very slippery. I hesitated about going in, but eventually made it in to sit in front of one of the waterfalls. Getting out was not as easy, but I was glad I did it.

Third stop was Tolmer Falls, this was not a swimming stop, just a lookout with a vantage point.

This stop also included lunch, an amazing chicken salad (I know, even i liked the salad), filled with all sorts of ingredients.

Then onto Wangi falls, unfortunately we could not swim here as it was still closed for ‘crocodile management ’, basically that means they are still checking to make sure no crocks have taken up home after the wet season.

Finally Berry Springs, our final swim for the day, turquoise waters were amazing and there were stairs to get in! This is my blog image.

I have now returned to the hotel and am resting the knee, before starting the tour in the morning.

We board our Private Jet in Darwin.  Our first hop will take us to the town of Katherine where we’ll venture to Nitmiluk National Park and the famous Nitmiluk Gorge (Katherine Gorge). Here, we’ll board a boat to cruise through this natural wonder, looking out for hidden waterfalls, Indigenous rock art and wildlife. This afternoon return to our aircraft and reboard for our flight to Kununurra. Transfer to the Kununurra accommodation, then set off on a sunset cruise and welcome dinner on Lake Kununurra.

Stay: Two Nights, Kununurra Country Club or similar

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First day of the tour begins with boarding our private plane for the next 8 days.

 I thought this deserved a separate post. After being picked up from the hotel we travelled to Darwin Airport where our Alliance Airline (Fokker 70) awaits. The plane and crew is ours for the remainder of the tour. There are 34 people in total, with spare seats on the plane, which is lucky, because originally I was sitting at the back over the wing (not happy), but was able to move to the front with unobstructed views. 

Our first plane service was a glass (plastic cup) of champagne and a cup cake (sorry half eaten before taking the photo), followed by sandwiches and coffee. Not a bad way to travel!

 Kununurra is where you shop for Argyle Diamonds, I found something I liked, but need to find $21k to pay for it. Maybe next time.

Lunch was at either one of the two cafes or pub. After lunch we headed to the Ord River where we boarded what was a large speed boat. We were on board for a few hours making our way down the river, spotting crocodiles and enjoying the scenery. We ended the tour watching a beautiful sunset.

We then made our way to the hotel for the next two nights - Kununurra Country club. It is pretty basic, but had a comfortable bed. Internet is not great, so will see how I go uploading photo's.

Today we set off for El Questro Wilderness Park. Where we can enjoy a soak in the natural thermal pools of Zebedee Springs. Surrounded by a forest of palm trees and with a soundtrack of birdsong, we’ll feel our cares melt away. Later, we join a guided cruise along Chamberlain Gorge. Where we will learn about the region’s diverse flora and fauna as we cruise one of the Kimberley’s longest gorge systems.

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Today we headed out of town to go to El Questro, where we visited Zebedee Springs and Chamberlain Gorge.

First stop was the springs, several pools of water in amongst palm trees, with a water temperature of at least 28 degrees - just like a warm bath. After a 10 minute walk and navigating some slippery rocks I got in. I tried my waterproof camera for the first time. 

After the pools we headed to the Chamberlain Gorge and our boat. Today's boat was the opposite of the jet boat yesterday, it was a very slow moving relaxing trip down the river. The scenery was various shades of red rock with the occasional greenery. We spotted both Crocodile and rock wallabies. 

Then back to El Questro station where we were free to have lunch before heading back to our hotel in Kununurra.

After breakfast, we transfer to Kununurra airport and board our Private Jet for our flight to Broome. Our captain will be taking the scenic route over the Bungle Bungle Ranges and before heading to the coast to fly over the spectacular Cape Leveque before arriving in Broome. Here we’ll learn about Broome’s unique history and culture during a guided tour.

Stay: Two nights, Broome, Oaks Cable Beach

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The benefit of a private charter is that the pilot can travel the scenic route on our way to the destination.  Today was a day I was looking forward to. We first flew over lake argyle, the bungle bungles, then over the horizontal falls (more on that later), Cape Leveque and then into Broome.

The scenery was spectacular and the weather perfect, not always good photo's due to the reflection through the planes windows, but I should have some. Otherwise you will just have to take my word for it.

Now for an update on the Horizontal Falls. Since the accident a few weeks ago the tour operator has not been cleared to operate as yet. At one stage we were still doing the sea plane flight and a boat in the bay. Unfortunately, this has also been cancelled. So no horizontal falls for this trip. This is why I was looking forward to the fly over on our way to Broome. It still spectacular from the air.

I will put some of these photos under the Broome gallery.

Today is free for us to relax by our resort’s pool, or spend the day lazing on Cable Beach’s iconic sands, maybe treating myself to a sunset camel ride along Broome’s famous shores. Alternatively I might like to set off on an optional air tour to Horizontal Falls and cruise through the incredible rapids.

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Upon arriving in Broome we headed out to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. It was fascinating learning about how pearls are created and farmed. A lot more to it than I had realised. The visit also included a cruise on the river and afternoon tea. There was a gift shop at the farm, but no shopping today, saving my money for another holiday! That night was dinner at the hotel, not too bad.

I now had a free day in Broome because the horizontal falls tour was cancelled. I would have loved to do a helicopter ride over the coast, but they needed more than one person, so that was not meant to be. 

I really wanted to explore the red rock and blue ocean, so found a tour that went to Gantheaume Point amongst other things. That was where most of my photo's were taken. That tour was around 3 hours and after it had finished I had some lunch back at the hotel. After some downtime I then walked back to Cable Beach to get ready for sunset.

The beach and grass area around there was busy with people that all come down for the sunset. There was also a highway on the sand for 4WD's and the camels!

Not the best night for a sunset, there were lots of clouds that did not let the sun through, however it was still beautiful watching the colours of the clouds change.

Now back at the hotel, packing to go to our next stop - Exmouth and the whale sharks! 

This morning after breakfast board our Private Jet and fly to Exmouth. Located on the tip of WA’s North West Cape, Exmouth is surrounded by sparkling turquoise waters and the famous Ningaloo Reef. Then enjoy a brief sightseeing tour of the town and learn about its military history before checking-in to our resort hotel for the next two nights.

Stay: Two nights, Exmouth, Exmouth Escape Resort

Today we’ll get to spend a full day cruising the waters of the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. As we relax on board, a spotter plane will be scouring the area for whale sharks and alerting the skipper for the best location for us to take the plunge into the water alongside these gentle giants of the ocean. Afterwards, we enjoy a gourmet lunch on board as well as time to snorkel in warm crystal-clear waters. Beneath the surface, we look out for dugongs, dolphins, manta rays and more than 500 species of fish that make Ningaloo Reef their home.

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The day finally arrived, I am in Exmouth where we planned to swim in the Ningaloo reef and with Whale Sharks. Today is the shortest day, but the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky and there was a high of 26 degrees. My knee is feeling much better, so nothing to stop me.

We were picked up just after 7am and transferred to the boat ramp on the reef. We had a long waiver to sign in case something went wrong, but nothing was going to deter me.

The first group boarded a tender that was transporting us to the larger boat. On board there was the safety briefing as we made our way out to our first snorkeling spot. We were given our wetsuit (even though the water was around 24), snorkel and goggles (I managed to get a prescription mask, so I could actually see!). The first snorkel was for testing out the equipment and getting used to the water. 

The water was relatively calm and clear, there was plenty of coral and fish to see. There was a photographer on board taking photos that are shared after the day, so I decided to leave it to the professionals. The boat was easy to get in and out of. We passed our first test in the water inside the coral reef, now for the deeper waters on the other side of the reef.

The planes spotted from above any potential whale shark sightings. Then the whale shark briefing, they gave us specific instructions on how to get ready, how to enter the water and how to swim around the sharks.

Then the instructions came through - get ready, which meant put all of your gear on and stand/sit at the back of the boat ready to get into the water. This had to be quick to be ready in the right position. The crew had spotted the shark and gives the instructors the location and best place to get into the water for our best chance of seeing it. Then it was into the water and line up shoulder to shoulder in a straight line. Then ‘start swimming’ , now it is face in the water and watch the shark approach. Various commands to swim forward, swim back etc to make sure we were in the best position. The first shark we saw was between 6-7 meters, it was amazing to be along side as it glides by. The crew were great, if you were struggling they would grab you and push you into a better position. We were lucky that our shark was not swimming fast and did not dive. Overall we dived in and out of the boat around 4 times and spent around an hour with it. 

Back on board they had plenty of food and drink for us to snack on and we headed out to an area where humpback whales had been spotted. We ended up seeing around 3 pods of whales, humpbacks and Minki. We also saw a couple of loggerhead turtles, a manta ray and sea snake. The whales were not breaching but they were still great to see. 

Then the next spotting of a whale shark, we dived in again, this time a much smaller shark and more brown than blue. We swam for a short while before it started to dive, back to the boat and we were told that a larger shark was near by, but unfortunately it had dived before we could get in.

We then headed back into the calmer waters of the reef for lunch, still on the water. Then our final snorkel on the reef. Seeing all of the fish and coral was amazing, hart to put into words.

Then it came to an end as we headed back into the jetty, I had an amazing day, we were very lucky to experience it. 

This morning, we fly across Western Australia’s wheat belt to the goldfields area and the historic mining town of Kalgoorlie. There we discover the inner workings of Australia’s golden heart on a 'Super Pit' tour. After lunch, take off again, bound for the Margaret River region. Upon arrival at Busselton airport, we transfer to the Pullman Bunker Bay Resort. Time to settle in and enjoy the facilities of this luxurious resort before enjoying a special Farewell Dinner this evening.

Stay: Margaret River, Pullman Bunker Bay Resort

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Not something I would normally add to my holiday list, but fascinating to see the ‘super pit’. Everything is super sized, especially the machinery and trucks that move the rock around the mine. Have added some photos. I have also added some now from Exmouth of the whale sharks.

This morning we set off on a gourmet tour of Margaret River including a visit to Gabriele Chocolates before heading to a landmark local winery for a winery tour, tasting and lunch. This afternoon transfer to Busselton airport for our flight to Perth where our tour ends.

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We arrived around dinner time to our final hotel. The Pullman was probably the nicest hotel that we have stayed at, unfortunately the weather was not great, with some showers. Everything is very green here.

Our last day on tour was a visit to a chocolate maker, with taste testing! Then onto a winery where we had a degustation menu paired with wines.

First course: duck liver parfait, pickled walnut, grilled ciabatta, orange; Jamon iberico 

Second course: Western rock lobster, profiterole, pickled onion; Abrolhos island scallop, cauliflower, Pernod bisque, tobiko

Third course: Roast timber hill pork belly, carrot, px jus; Stracciatella la delizia, zucchini, pea, strawberry

Course four: Kilroy beef, chickpea, romesco, chopped chimi, fried jalapeno; pumpkin aranchini, px sherry custard, manchego

Course five: Chocolate torte, coffee cream, Evoo, black salt; Cheese board, bread, lavosh, quince fruit.

We were very full boarding our final flight into Perth, where I am now getting ready to go to the airport!

After a sleep in and breakfast, I leave Perth today on QF646 at 12:50 pm arriving back in Sydney at 6:50 pm.