Giants of the Ocean
Western Australia • South Australia • Queensland
Whale Sharks • Great Whites • Great Barrier Reef
Duration: 15 days
Departs: March - October
From: 9100 AUD / 5100 EUR pp
Subject to seasonal availability, flight schedules, accommodation category, and final itinerary design.
There are few journeys in the world that connect so many oceans, landscapes, and moments of awe. Giants of the Ocean is a rare expedition that links Australia’s three great marine worlds: the turquoise lagoons of Ningaloo Reef, the cold blue wilderness of the Southern Ocean, and the living coral walls of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a journey that moves with the rhythm of the sea itself, following whale sharks, great whites and hundreds of different tropical fish across a continent defined by water.
It begins in Western Australia, where red desert meets turquoise sea and the reef begins just metres from the shore. Ningaloo is one of the last wild places where you can still walk from land straight into coral gardens alive with turtles, rays, and fish of every colour. Out on the water, spotter planes guide boats toward the world’s largest fish the whale shark and, later in the season, humpback whales and manta rays glide through the blue. Few places on Earth offer such effortless access to such marine life.
The journey continues south to South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, a coastline shaped by wind, waves, and time. This is where you come face to face with the ocean’s most powerful predator: the great white shark. Lowered safely into the water, you’ll watch these immense animals rise from the deep with a calm authority that silences everything else. Nearby, sea lions spin and dance through the shallows, curious and full of life, a reminder that the ocean can be both fierce and joyful in the same breath.
Finally, you cross to the tropical waters of Queensland and board a liveaboard expedition across the Great Barrier Reef. Days are spent diving or snorkelling coral walls and bommies that glow beneath the surface. During the minke whale season, you might find yourself in the water as these curious creatures circle calmly, their eyes fixed on you as if deciding whether to come closer. It’s a connection that feels deeply human: fleeting, quiet, unforgettable.
From coast to coast, this is a journey through the wild heart of Australia’s oceans. It’s for travellers who love the sea not as scenery but as a living world who want to explore, to learn, to feel small in the best possible way.
Every Strada Expeditions journey can be customised. These itineraries are starting points, the best way to find inspiration. The best way to build yours is to reach out and tell me what you would like to experience, and I will design the perfect trip to your taste.
All itineraries are the intellectual property of Strada Expeditions and cannot be reproduced or distributed without our consent.
Western Australia — Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef
Day 1: Arrival in Perth
Welcome to Western Australia, the starting point of your coast-to-coast journey. After your flight, settle into the relaxed rhythm of Perth. Walk along the river at Elizabeth Quay, explore Kings Park for views across the skyline and the Swan River, and enjoy dinner by the water as the light fades. The west coast feels calm and spacious, a perfect introduction to the wild that lies ahead.
Day 2: Arrival in Exmouth and First Glimpse of Ningaloo
Fly north to the remote North West Cape, where red desert meets turquoise sea. On arrival in Exmouth, check in and breathe in the warm, salty air. This is where the wild truly begins. Spend the afternoon exploring Cape Range National Park. You can hike through Yardie Creek Gorge or join a small boat tour to spot rock wallabies and ospreys nesting on the cliffs. Later, head to Turquoise Bay for a relaxed shore snorkel, drifting over coral gardens and schools of reef fish just a few metres from the sand.
Day 3: Whale Sharks of Ningaloo
Today is one of those days you never forget. Head out with a marine biologist team for a full day on the Ningaloo Reef. A spotter plane overhead helps locate the whale sharks as they cruise near the surface. When it’s time, slip quietly into the water and find yourself swimming beside the largest fish in the ocean. Between swims, look out for manta rays, turtles, and sometimes even humpback whales. Return to shore in the late afternoon, tired but smiling from one of the ocean’s great experiences.
Day 4: Manta Rays and Coral Gardens
Spend another day exploring Ningaloo’s reef lagoons and outer edges. You might snorkel with mantas as they glide through cleaning stations, float above coral gardens full of turtles, or spot dolphins playing in the wake of the boat. Ningaloo is wild and full of life, one of the few places where the desert and the sea feel completely connected. As the day ends, enjoy a simple dinner of local seafood and watch the sky turn gold over the Indian Ocean.
Day 5: Relaxed Morning and Flight to Perth
Enjoy a slow morning before your flight south. Have coffee in town, visit the local aquarium, or take one last swim in the clear water. As the plane climbs, you’ll see the reef fade into turquoise and the red desert stretch endlessly inland. Arrive in Perth and rest overnight before continuing to South Australia.
South Australia — Port Lincoln & the Great White Sharks
Day 6: Arrival in Port Lincoln
Fly from Perth to Adelaide, then continue on to Port Lincoln, a small coastal town surrounded by rugged cliffs, calm bays, and some of the richest waters in the Southern Ocean. Known as the seafood capital of Australia, this is where the adventure turns wild. Settle into your hotel, walk along the marina, and enjoy dinner by the water as fishing boats return with the day’s catch.
Day 7: Great White Shark Cage Dive
Wake early for one of the most unforgettable days on the ocean. Cruise out through the Thorny Passage toward the Neptune Islands, home to one of the world’s most reliable populations of great white sharks. Dolphins often appear in the wake, and sea lions rest on the rocks as the boat anchors near the islands. After a safety briefing, step into the surface cage and watch as the first shape appears from the blue. Seeing these animals glide past with such calm power is a moment you will never forget. Enjoy lunch on board before returning to Port Lincoln by late afternoon.
Day 8: Sea Lions and Shark Combo
Today is all about contrast, adventure and play. Join a full-day tour that includes both shark encounters and a visit to nearby islands where Australian sea lions gather in shallow bays. These animals love to interact, spinning through the water and swimming right up to your mask. Between swims, the crew shares stories about the region and its incredible marine life.
Day 9: Travel Day to Cairns
Enjoy breakfast before starting your journey north. Fly from Port Lincoln to Adelaide, then connect through Brisbane to arrive in tropical Cairns by evening. The air is warm and humid, a world away from the southern coast. Check in, unwind, and get ready for the next chapter of your trip, the Great Barrier Reef.
Queensland — Cairns & The Great Barrier Reef
Day 10: Leisure Day in Cairns
Spend the morning exploring tropical Cairns at your own pace. Walk along the Esplanade Lagoon, visit the Botanic Gardens, or relax by the pool. In the evening, prepare for the start of your liveaboard journey, a week on the Great Barrier Reef surrounded by coral, colour, and life.
Day 11: Boarding the Liveaboard and First Ribbon Reef Dives
Late morning, transfer from your hotel to the marina and board your vessel. After meeting the crew and a safety briefing, you will set off toward the Ribbon Reefs, a chain of coral walls and bommies stretching along the northern reef. Enjoy your first dives this afternoon, then relax on deck with dinner as the sun sets over the Coral Sea.
Day 12: Diving the Ribbon Reefs
Today’s dives take you through some of the most vibrant sections of the Great Barrier Reef. Sites like Steve’s Bommie are full of life, trevally, snapper, and turtles gliding over coral towers. At Clam Gardens, you will drift slowly over giant clams and bright plate corals while schools of reef fish move through the sunlight. Each site feels different, from open blue to quiet lagoons.
Day 13: Cod Hole and the Northern Reefs
Wake to the sound of the ocean and prepare for another full day underwater. Today includes iconic dive sites such as the Cod Hole, home to friendly potato cod that approach divers with calm curiosity. Other favourites include Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie, each offering unique coral formations and marine life. An optional night dive reveals a different world as the reef comes alive with sleeping parrotfish, hunting crustaceans, and bioluminescent light.
Day 14: Lizard Island and Scenic Flight to Cairns
After breakfast, step ashore at Lizard Island, a small national park surrounded by reef. Take a short walk to the lookout for sweeping views across the Coral Sea, a perfect moment to take in everything you have experienced. Later, board a small aircraft for a one-hour scenic flight back to Cairns. From above, the turquoise lagoons and coral patterns look almost unreal.
Day 15: Explore Cairns and Surrounds
Spend your last day as you wish. Strada can arrange a visit to the Daintree Rainforest, a day exploring the Atherton Tablelands, or time at a quiet coastal retreat. It is the ideal way to slow down after days of diving and sea air.
Day 16: Departure or Optional Extension
Your Australian journey comes full circle. Depart for your next destination or extend your experience with an optional Coral Sea expedition, an unforgettable add-on for those who want to dive even further into the wild.
Optional Extension — Coral Sea Expedition (4-Night Add-On)
For divers who want to take things further, extend your liveaboard adventure with a four-night Coral Sea and Ribbon Reef expedition. This journey adds four extra days of diving beyond the outer reef, reaching waters few people ever see.
Overnight, the vessel travels more than 100 kilometres offshore to Osprey Reef, an ancient volcanic atoll that rises dramatically from depths of over two thousand metres. The water here is crystal clear, often with visibility exceeding fifty metres, and the vertical walls are covered in huge gorgonian sea fans, sea whips, and bright soft corals.
At North Horn, one of Australia’s most famous dive sites, you will see grey reef, silvertip, and oceanic sharks moving through the blue in powerful loops. The optional shark feed here is one of the most extraordinary experiences to witness underwater.
Each day brings new dives and new colours, from deep drop-offs to quiet coral gardens where turtles and barracuda drift in the current. Evenings are calm, spent under wide skies full of stars, with nothing but the sound of the sea around you.
The expedition ends with final dives at Ribbon Reef Number 3 or Bougainville Reef before cruising back toward Cairns on Thursday morning. Adding this extension turns your trip into a seven-night liveaboard experience that captures the very best of both the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.
Optional Extensions
This journey can be extended with any of the experiences and destinations offered by Strada Expeditions. You might combine it with a major city stay or an iconic Australian destination to create a seamless journey from coast to outback.
Strada takes care of every detail from the moment you land in Australia to the moment you depart, including accommodation, transfers, domestic flights, and hand-picked experiences. Every element is coordinated to create a smooth and memorable journey that feels effortless from start to finish.
Visit the Experiences page for inspiration, or reach out directly to Strada Expeditions to share your interests, travel dates, and preferences. Together we will design a complete itinerary tailored to you, ensuring every part of your trip captures the best of Australia.