WEST COAST AUSTRALIA; discovering the other Wild West!
PERTH TO EXMOUTH – 1,253kms
This is an epic drive along one of Australia’s most beautiful coastlines with so many options for stops and visits along the way. If your interests are surfing, fishing, hiking, birds, flora, fauna, history, photography or all of the above this will tick all your boxes, therefore we have not put an exact route together, rather we are making suggestions of places you might want to visit during your adventure, highlighting what there is and the distance to and from the nearest town. You can then create your trip pulling together what interests and in the time you have. it’s going to be an amazing trip, happy driving!!
Perth is located on the banks of the Swan River, is the capital of Western Australia and is a bustling city with loads to see and to in and around it. WA has almost 8,000kms of stunning coastline ready for you to explore!
Swan Valley is the home of WA’s oldest wine growing region – jump on a river cruise from the city up to the Valley and sample the local ‘grapes’ … don’t mind if I do 😉
Kings Park and Botanic Gardens overlook the city and with 4,000 acres of park and 17 hectares of botanic garden it’s one of the largest inner-city parks in the world and really is a must see – also offers incredible views of the coast.
Penguin Island is a 45 mins drive south of Perth to Shoalwater where a short 5 min ferry ride will take you over to the island to see the world’s smallest penguins and how cute are they!
Fremantle is a short 30min drive from the city of Perth and an absolute must visit and explore – also check out the prison. From Freo jump on the ferry and go across to Rottnest Island.
Rottnest Island; approx 25 mins from Freo on the ferry. Rottnest is named after Quokkas when early Dutch explorers mistook the little marsupials for rats. Rottnest is the home of over 8,000 very cute Quokkas so make sure and visit them! Rottie is really a seamless segway into WA lifestyle – beaches, swimming, surfing, SUP, fishing, boats, kayaking, snorkelling, diving, sunbathing, eating and drinking. Sightseeing tours by bike or hire one and do your own tour, hop on/off bus tours, walking. history, wildlife (in abundance) you name it, island life on Rottie is waiting for you and so are the adorable Quokka
Heading north towards
JURIEN BAY
From Perth – Route 60 230km
Lancelin – 1.5hrs approx 130kms from Perth and barely leaving your main route to Jurien Bay famous for surfing and sand dunes – stunning white sand where you can try your hand at sand boarding, quad biking or 4WDriving
Cervantes – a small fishing town and the gateway to Nambung National Park, a coastal desert famous for its ancient limestone pinnacles, formed over millions of years making the desert resemble a moonscape. The NP is also home to grey kangaroos, black cockatoos and emus and in the winter carpets of beautiful native wildflowers bring stunning colours to the park. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to visit the pinnacles.
Jurien Bay is really well known for the cray/rock lobster fishing industry that has been established for many years. Depending on the season you will get the opportunity to see Sea Lions, Dolphins and humpback whales. The bay is sheltered by a string of islands and reefs and snorkeling and diving is just incredible. Go for a wander down the jetty, have a fish supper on the beach, just a glorious way to finish your day!
KALBARRI
From Jurien Bay – 2 routes to choose from; one coastal one inland: Coastal SR139, NR1 and Route 60 and Inland Route 60 415kms
Dynamite Bay – another beautiful circular bay ideal for swimming, fishing and snorkelling. An Aboriginal name, Cuencandjaa”, meaning “mouthful of sand”
As you continue north you’ll drive through BeeKeepers Nature Reserve and for any ornithologists reading this, over 56 species of birds have been identified living in this reserve so have your camera ready.
Geralton is a perfect town to stop for a traditional fish and chips lunch and stock up with any supplies and fuel.
Gregory Pink Lake Nature Reserve – this has to be the highlight for today …. This 70 square km stunning lagoon changes colour with the sun and can go from bright bubblegum pink to lilac through to red. It’s located at Port Gregory, about 30-40 mins south of Kalbarri. Head to the lake for sunset (or rise) to really see the water at its best, and, if you go in the winter you will experience the carpets of stunning wildflowers everywhere.
Kalbarri is a great stop for the night though Port Gregory is another good stop if you want to get sunrise pics of the lake. The Murchison River cut a 80km gorge through the red and white bands of sandstone through Kalbarri National Park and two really good viewpoints in the Park are Ross Graham and Hawks Head, both points offer beautiful views of the canyon and the river.
Red Bluff, Mushroom Rock and other cliff formations are well known features along this rugged coast. Watch the sunset at Nature’s Window and look out for the ‘roos and look hard and you will also see shy and cute echidnas.
SHARK BAY WORLD HERITAGE AREA
From Kalbarri – National Route 1 and Shark Bay Road 360kms
Shark Bay is a wonderland of world class natural attractions, so much to see and do, not limited to …
Hamelin Pool is the most extensive living Stromatolite system in the world and is UNESCO protected. The Marine Reserve covers 1,270 square kilometres and is one of only a few places in the world where living marine stromatolites can be found. The stromatolites are similar to 3,500 million year old stromatolite fossils found in many places around the world. Stromatolites are an example of the earliest record of life on earth.
In the Marble Bar area of Western Australia there are fossil stromatolites approx 50 metres high and 30 metres diameter. These are estimated to be over three billion years old.
There is so much to do and see in this wonderful slice of paradise so do your research so you allow enough time to see and do whilst you are here. The crystal clear water is absolutely teeming with wildlife – Dolphins, dugongs, sharks, rays, penguins, turtles, sharks, fish, pelicans and emus all call Shark Bay home (yes emus in the water). Also why not experience life on a working cattle station and book a station stay? Mix it up a bit!
Get a boat over to Dirk Hartog Island, the site of the first recorded landing on Australian soil by Dutch explorers, long before British Captain James Cook ‘found’ Sydney. Visit a pearl farm and learn the tapestry of the history of the pearl divers in the Coral Sea.
Steep Point is the most Westerly point on mainland Australia, and head to Francois Peron Nation Park for a four-wheel driving adventure along a scenic coastline with dramatic red cliffs and white sandy beaches.
Shell Beach, beautiful snow-white beach is made up of billions of tiny shells up to 10 metres deep and stretching for over 70 kilometres. There is no sand, only shells.
On a still day, the ocean at Shell Beach transforms into a palette of the most intense greens and blues and because the water is very salty (hypersaline) you can float around like you would in the Dead Sea.
CARNARVON, NINGALOO REEF AND CORAL BAY
From Hamelin Pool – 200kms to Carnarvon and 430kms to Coral Bay
Coral Bay is your stepping stone to the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef where you can snorkel, dive or fish to your heart’s content in the glorious turquoise waters. The drive is about 4.5hrs and will take you away from the coast and you will see landscapes of red sand and deserts for most of the trip. These keep changing as you drive which will keep you interested and camera ready. The Ningaloo Reef is one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world and Australia’s largest fringing reef system, stretching 300 kilometres.
The UNESCO Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area is regarded as one of the last great ocean paradises. The area was listed due to its marine and terrestrial (land) properties including rare flora and fauna such as the world’s largest fish the Whale Shark, with 300 to 500 of these megafauna aggregating at Ningaloo annually.
Further north Coral Bay is a small seaside location – a marine paradise for nature lovers and home to WA’s largest Manta Ray population which you can swim with. With pristine private beaches you will never feel you are on your own secluded private island!
Things to plan for this area – swim with whale sharks, manta rays and hump back whales, visit Carnarvon Space and Tech Museum, swim, dive and snorkel in Coral Bay and perhaps overnight at an Outback Station for a new experience. Station stays are generally working cattle or sheep stations and homesteads located in a range of breathtaking coastal and inland locations offering you an authentic station life experience. Accommodation choices include cottages, rustic Shearers quarters and spacious camping facilities some with season hosts to look after you during your stay. A true taste of outback Western Australia.
EXMOUTH
From Coral Bay 150kms
Exmouth is the northern gateway to the Reef and is the perfect location from which to explore the impressive landscape of the Cape and the underwater wonders of the Ningaloo Marine Park. There are over 500 types if tropical fish and 6 species of sea turtles living in ancient coral gardens.
On your way to Exmouth consider visiting Bullara Station for homemade scones and barista coffee in an outback setting.
Once you have entered Exmouth town, stop at the Ningaloo Aquarium and Discovery Centre to learn about the area and explore the town’s breweries and eateries. There really is a plethora of things to see at do in this area including – Shothole Canyon, sunrise at Sunrise Beach, drift snorkel at Turquoise Bay, look for the 700 caves in Cape Range National Park, turtle spotting in Sandy Bay, Osprey Bay, go boating or hiking along Yardie Creek, watch sunset at Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. Or learn to dive at Murion Islands or snorkel of the reef.
So, is Exmouth the end of the road or you, or it is the starting point for the next drive up through the top end on to Darwin? (see our other blog for some ideas for that trip)
TIPS BEFORE YOU START YOUR TRIP:
Do plenty of research on the coast to maximise your trip. There is just so much to see and do, this is just a snapshot ‘taster’, dive deep and discover all the incredible places there are to see and do. There might be some trips or tours you want to book, so be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Buy a snorkel, mask and fins on day one – you will get so much use out of them you will be pleased you did.
Perhaps buy a pop-up beach tent – it can get really hot and being able to get out of the sun can often be a welcome break whilst still being able to sit on the beach and have fun. Without sounding like your mother, wear long sleeves or slather yourself in SPF50 before you go out. Don’t let too much sun spoil your holiday or your tan (blisters and peeling skin are never a good look!)
Keep bottles of water in the car/esky, you can always top them up at the drinking fountains or ask at a coffee shop, bar or restaurant, they will always top up for you. Keep hydrated. If you can freeze them, they will then act as ice blocks to keep food and drinks cold and asa they defrost you get to drink nice cold water throughout the day.
Due to the number of photos you will no doubt take, perhaps consider taking a USB cable/flash to transfer pics to free up space, or a spare card.
Try to avoid driving at dusk and night, this is when a lot of wild animals come out and the most common time for collisions with animals. Read your rental agreement, some companies do not allow driving between dusk and dawn for safety reasons – if you did have an accident whilst on a remote road, it could take a long time for help to get to you, and if you don’t have a phone reception you have to wait for another car to come along who can go and get help for you and that will add further to your wait.
Remember that all wild animals are just that, wild. They are cute, adorable, amazing but keep a safe distance and help them stay safe by not getting used to or fed by tourists.
Overall, have a blast and stay safe.
