Fremantle to Darwin

The capital of Western Australia, Perth sits in glorious isolation on the shores of the Indian Ocean, where the Swan River meets the sea. Laid back and relaxed, this must be one of the most easy-going capital cities in the world, with everything within easy reach. It's great for a short visit, or you can use it as gateway to Margaret River's glorious vineyards to the south, and to the great wilderness of the Kimberley to the north. Swim and surf from its extraordinary clean and uncrowded beaches - or just sit and watch the sunset.

The Houtman Abrolhos archipelago, commonly known as simply the Abrolhos, is made up of over 100 islands and coral reefs off the coast of Geraldton, and provides a rich habitat for sea lions, green turtles, wallabies, carpet pythons and a fantastic array of bird life.

Named after an English pirate and explorer, the Dampier Archipelago is an extraordinary and ancient place, in a region that is home to the greatest concentration of rock engravings on earth. As well as aboriginal heritage, the archipelago is home to wildlife including flatback and hawksbill turtles, ospreys, sea eagles and the Rothschild’s rock wallaby.

The remote Buccaneer Archipelago consists of some 800 islands scattered along Australia’s Kimberley Coast, difficult to reach and virtually untouched by humans. Ancient Aboriginal art hints at past inhabitants, and the landscape of bizarre rock formations, mangroves and deserted beaches is rich in wildlife.

More of a large town than a city, Darwin is less about what’s contained within the city limits and more about the huge expanse of wild landscape that’s outside it. Closer to Jakarta than Sydney, the city really does feel remote in its tropical perch.