Visit Kangaroos and Killer Whales on This 13-Day Virtual Tour of Australia

We’ve seen a lot of virtual tours in the past several weeks — of everything from museums to marine sanctuaries to Holland’s tulip gardens — and this is one of the coolest so far: a 13-day, 360-view tour of Western Australia, including beach time with kangaroos.

The Western Australia tourism board created the series of videos to feel like a virtual vacation. For 13 days, a new video premieres on the Western Australia Facebook page at 9 a.m. Australian Western Standard Time (that’s 9 p.m. ET).

The tour officially began on April 15, so you can now watch the videos at your own pace, whether one per day, all at once, or somewhere in between. 

What makes the videos special is that they’re filmed for 360-degree viewing, so you can drag around the screen to see the kangaroos and other sites from every angle. 

Day 1’s video begins with a drive to the beach in the town of Esperance. You can point yourself toward the beach to feel like you’re looking out the window on a road trip. After spending time in the sand with the kangaroos, keep your eyes on them as you drive away.

The trip is designed to follow the path of a real-life two-week trip beginning in Esperance and winding north around the coast of Western Australia. See wildflowers in full bloom, spend time with killer whales and stingrays, and explore wineries and caves.

Along with the daily videos, the Western Australia Tourist Information Center posts supplemental photos and stories on its Facebook page.

Tourism has mostly stopped in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but this creative take on virtual tourism reminds us that the world is still beautiful outside our apartments.

h/t House Beautiful