I love adventures. Most people who know me know that.
I’m incredibly lucky to have a group of people in my life who, when I say, “Hey, what if we did this?” don’t immediately come up with all the reasons why we shouldn’t. They usually respond with, “Yes. Let’s do it.”
And honestly, those are my favourite people.
This adventure started late last year while I was at Rottnest Island with friends. We had just ticked off something pretty wild - skydiving - and I remember saying, “Thank you. You’ve helped me tick something off my bucket list that I probably wouldn’t have done without a little push to book (and fall out of the plane).”
Because sometimes you don’t need someone to convince you. You just need someone to say, “Come on, let’s book it.”
So naturally, the conversation turned to the next adventure.
“What are we doing next year?”
I mentioned that Cocos Keeling Islands were on my list, but then I threw another idea into the mix.
“I’d really love to swim with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef.”
The response was immediate.
“Yes. Absolutely. Let’s do it.”
And that was it. The plan was made.
The beauty of travelling with people who just make things happen
My friend who lives in Perth took charge of organising the trip. He researched the best dates, identified the best companies, planned the route, and found the places we should stop along the way.
This was actually a little challenging for me.
I like organising things. I like knowing the details. I like being prepared.
So handing over the reins and just saying, “Okay, I’ll come along for the ride,” was a good lesson for me.
And you know what? It was wonderful.
There is something really special about allowing someone else to create the adventure for you.
So in June 2026, I flew into Perth, jumped into a four-wheel drive with my friends, and we started heading north.
Four people. Two cars.
And a whole lot of kilometres ahead of us.
The road north
Our first stop was Cervantes, where we stayed overnight and explored the Pinnacles next morning. We were planning a sunrise visit, but rain halted that.
The landscape was definitely interesting - this incredible desert filled with limestone formations rising from the sand. It’s absolutely worth stopping to see, although personally, I wouldn’t say it’s somewhere I would make a huge trip just to visit. It was one of those places that was cool to experience as part of a bigger adventure.
From there, we continued north to Kalbarri, where I really started falling in love with the journey.
Kalbarri had a little bit of everything:
the beautiful inlet
the wild surf beaches
a bakery serving amazing buddha bowls, sweet treats and good coffee (always important!)
and a relaxed coastal feel
We also picked up some hilarious sunglasses along the way. The boys ended up wearing women’s sunglasses, while the girls went for the brightest, most colourful pairs we could find. Teamed up with our bright yellow ‘Minions’ jumpers that my friend bought - we looked like a crazy team.
But why not?
The trip was already becoming less about ticking off locations and more about collecting moments.
Kalbarri National Park after the rain
From Kalbarri, we headed into the National Park.
The timing was actually pretty special because there had been a lot of rain in the days leading up to our visit. As we walked down towards the gorge, we were surrounded by waterfalls spilling over the rock faces - something that isn’t always there.
It completely changed the landscape.
At the bottom, we explored along the river, climbed over rocks, watched people flying drones (who quickly ran the other way) and enjoyed the scenery before heading back up to experience the famous lookout points.
Even with plenty of other tourists around, those views were incredible.
Of course, we had to visit the famous rock window and the platform that hangs out over the cliff - ticking off all those classic tourist moments - before heading back towards town.
Monkey Mia and slowing down
Next stop was Monkey Mia.
It’s one of those places that feels like it’s made for slowing down. Beautiful sunsets, calm water, dolphins nearby and that relaxed holiday feeling where nobody is rushing anywhere.
It’s easy to understand why people fall in love with this part of Western Australia. The beaches around Exmouth reiterated this.
Exmouth: the gateway to the adventure
Then we arrived in Exmouth.
Now, I’ll be honest - Exmouth itself was not what I expected.
It had a bit of a rough-around-the-edges feel. Almost a little like Coober Pedy, but without the underground homes. It felt weathered, and perhaps the recent storms had left their mark, but it was also part of the adventure.
And this is where I experienced something I don’t do often (once in my life).
I camped.
Well… I “swagged it”.
Thankfully, my friend had organised everything - the swag, the platform, the bedding - so I was actually very comfortable. I was definitely spoilt.
The next morning was the day we had all been waiting for.
Whale sharks.
Swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef
Swimming with whale sharks has been on my bucket list for years.
We headed out with Ningaloo Blue on what wasn’t the perfect day. There was wind, there was swell, and the boat ride was definitely enough to make you think carefully about whether you’d eaten the right breakfast!
But once we were in the water, none of that mattered.
The spotter plane found the whale sharks, and suddenly we were getting ready to jump in.
We had the opportunity to swim with two different whale sharks four or five times.
I expected to feel nervous.
I thought I might feel overwhelmed being in the water with something so huge.
But when I was actually there, I was calm.
I remember thinking, “Oh… they’re not as big as I imagined.”
Of course, they were enormous. But there was something incredibly peaceful about watching them glide through the water.
My favourite moment was when I moved away from the group and found myself swimming alongside one without the blindness of bubbles, flippers and people pushing around me.
Just me, the ocean and this incredible animal.
I did take my GoPro, but honestly, I barely looked through it. I wanted to actually experience it rather than spend the whole time trying to capture it. (See the footage below though ;))
And that’s something I’ve really been thinking about lately - sometimes the best memories are the ones where you put the camera down and just be there.
Responsible experiences with wildlife
The experience also made me reflect on wildlife tourism.
After swimming with turtles on Gili Trawangan recently, I became much more aware of how important it is that these experiences are managed properly.
Wild animals aren’t there for our entertainment.
We shouldn’t touch them. We shouldn’t crowd them. We need to respect their space.
The Ningaloo Reef operators seemed to have a real understanding of this. The experience felt carefully managed, with respect for the whale sharks and the surrounding environment.
And that makes such a difference.
Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you don’t organise
Looking back, this trip reminded me why I love adventure so much.
It’s not always about the destination.
It’s about the people you share it with.
It’s about saying yes.
It’s about having friends who hear an idea and say, “Yep. Let’s make it happen.”
And sometimes, it’s also about letting someone else take the wheel and trusting that the adventure will be even better than anything you could have planned yourself.
Western Australia, you were pretty special.
I’ll be back.
