Western Australia is famous for its incredibly beautiful coastline and sparse population. It’s no exaggeration to say that I had never stood on such a heavenly beach before that was so empty of people – and that wasn’t even a one-off in Western Australia. Here’s a 10-day Western Australia road trip that will raise your beach standards to a level you weren’t even aware of.
Like many of my itineraries, this one is flexible to add more days if you have them. If I could have spent weeks on Western Australia’s incredible beaches, I certainly would have done!
Just how big is Western Australia?
First, just a word on size. This itinerary takes you around the south-west corner of Australia. This area will feel large during this road trip but it is actually just a tiny fraction of Western Australia. To give you some comparisons, Western Australia is roughly the same size as Argentina, twice the size of Peru, or 10 times the size of the UK. Western Australia’s population is around three million, compared to Argentina’s 46 million or the UK’s 70 million.
The area I cover in this Western Australia road trip is actually the most populous area of the state. You won’t really notice that though – there’ll be times when you’re pretty much alone on the beach, or driving for hours without passing more than a handful of other cars.
Driving in south-west Western Australia
Speaking of cars on this Western Australia road trip, before we embark on the route I’ll just briefly recollect my observations of what it’s like to drive it.
Most of the way is pretty straightforward: one lane on each side of the road, mostly straight roads, little traffic. Around Margaret River and heading north to Perth, it gets busier and the roads wind a bit more. You’ll encounter multi-lane roads and a bit more traffic.
I have two top tips for driving in Western Australia. First, fill up with petrol when you remember. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you get through a tank and you never know when you’ll next have an opportunity to fill up. Secondly, carry lots of water. You’re not driving through desert or through any seriously remote areas (you have to go to Northern Territory for that) but it’s worth being prepared.
Ok, enough logistics. Let’s get on the road.
Day 1: arrive in Perth
The only thing on the agenda for day 1 is to arrive in Perth. Collect your hire car from the airport (or leave this for tomorrow morning). Then get a good night’s sleep ready for a long drive tomorrow.
Day 2: Perth to somewhere halfway to Esperance
Given that the distance from Perth to Esperance is 700 kilometres, we decided to break up the journey. In this itinerary I haven’t specified where to stay because, to be honest, there’s nowhere that stands out in this area as anything other than a stopping off point! Western Australia is full of tiny villages with populations of just a few hundred people. So just find a hotel wherever you can. We stayed in Ongerup, a scrubby, sandy place with hot, empty streets.
Incidentally, throughout this trip you’ll see a lot of small-town Western Australia. It was pretty fascinating to me that people live in these tiny communities so far from a big city or even a town. But they certainly function independently. Many of them have a shop, perhaps a hotel or a petrol station, and a primary school. Every time I saw a sign for a school bus, my surprise reignited that there would be enough children to form a school in this remote region.
Day 3: continue to Esperance
On day 3, get out early and continue towards Esperance. You’ll have driven an inland route on day 2 but now you’re getting closer to the coast. You’ll see the sea soon enough – it quite literally glows.
In the evening, walk along Esperance’s long promenade alongside the sea, and choose from one of its surprisingly decent restaurants.
Day 4: Esperance
Spend day 4 of this Western Australia road trip exploring what Esperance has to offer. Grab a coffee from one of the coffee trucks along the promenade, and then I imagine your priority will be to go to the beach.
The beach
And you’re spoilt for choice. Each of Esperance’s beaches has soft white sand and glittering aquamarine waters.
If you head out along Twilight Beach Road (west of Esperance), you’ll pass Blue Haven, Fourth Beach, Salmon Beach and Twilight Beach. We opted for Twilight Beach, which has a huge, distinctive rock in the bay. From the beach, the sea is a vivid turquoise. From within the sea, the water is completely clear save for a cool, greenish tint – quite a lot like a swimming pool except I had to keep reminding myself I was in the natural world!
Observatory Point
When (if) you want a change from the beach, hop back in the car and head a few minutes further down the road to Observatory Point. Climb up the steps to the lookout and admire the view across the bay to Observatory Island, where Esperance’s namesake, the French ship Espérance, landed in 1792 to shelter from a storm. Round to your left stretches the arc of Observatory Beach, and you can climb all the way down the steps onto the sand.
Pink Lake
On the other side of Twilight Beach Road is Pink Lake. Contrary to its name, Pink Lake is no longer pink. It used to be pink because of the combination of a particular algae and a high concentration of salt. But unfortunately salt harvesting and the leaking of freshwater into the lake have reduced the salt content and turned the lake an ordinary blue. Go and have a look at it if you want – just don’t expect it to live up to its name!
Day 5: Esperance to Bremer Bay
On day 5, depart Esperance and head west to Bremer Bay. This is about 400 kilometres, or about four hours of driving.
For some reason, I had thought that Bremer Bay was one of the more major towns on this stretch of Western Australia’s coast. Actually, it’s tiny – it has a permanent population of about 200 (although this swells in high season).
Bremer Beach is stunning. The sea is a soft turquoise. The sand is the texture of icing sugar, so fine that it squeaks under your feet. The best part when I went was that there were only about three other people on the whole beach. I can’t even describe how surreal it is being practically alone on one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen.
Wildlife lovers might be interested to know that between January and April, Bremer Bay Canyon (about 70 kilometres out to sea from Bremer Bay) is home to a population of orcas and several types of whale. This makes it one of the best areas in the world for whale-watching.
Day 6: Bremer Bay to Albany
The next day, depart Bremer Bay and drive the 180 kilometres west to Albany. This is about two hours of driving. It’s up to you how you split your day between Bremer Bay and Albany – you might want to explore more of Bremer Bay’s wildlife, or you might want to maximise the time you spend on Albany’s beaches.
Day 7: Albany
Rest in Albany on day 7 of your Western Australia road trip.
Beaches
Like Esperance, you’re spoilt for choice of beaches in Albany although most of them are a short drive away from the town itself. The peninsula southwest of the town has a selection of beaches including Misery Beach (which looks anything but miserable), Frenchman Bay Beach and Goode Beach. There’s an old whaling station-turned-museum in between Misery Beach and Frenchman Bay Beach.
On the other side of Albany is Two People’s Bay Nature Reserve, within which there are several beaches including Two People’s Beach and Little Beach. There’s a small entry fee for this area. You can hike one of the trails within the nature reserve and enjoy magnificent views over the bay.
I would have liked to head into Two People’s Bay Nature Reserve but when I was in Albany it was windy and overcast. We decided to explore the peninsula and walked along Frenchman Bay Beach and Goode Beach. Despite the clouds, the sand was still almost pure white.
Wine
Albany is also part of Western Australia’s best-known wine region. If you’re getting tired of the beaches, consider heading out on a wine tour. If you don’t have time to do this in Albany, don’t worry because you’ll be almost unable to avoid the wine in Margaret River.
Day 8: Albany to Margaret River
To get from Albany to Margaret River you could cut the corner and drive the inland route. But I’m going to suggest that you take the scenic route and drive along the coast, making a few stops along the way. This slightly longer route is about 350 kilometres and will be about four and a half hours of driving.
Denmark
Your first stop is Denmark. You could have a coffee or breakfast here in one of its many cafes. There’s also plenty of free parking – this was one of my favourite small things about Australia. You won’t be surprised to hear that Denmark has yet more blissful beaches so, if you have time, you could go for a quick paddle.
Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks
Not too far along the coast from Denmark is Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks. Greens Pool is yet another stretch of pale sand with lovely teal sea – this is a popular swimming spot. A short walk along the beach path is Elephant Rocks, a collection of large, smooth rocks that (if you squint and use some imagination) look a bit like elephants. There’s also a lovely little beach here which is in a cove and therefore a bit sheltered, so it’s a nice spot for a quick swim.
Busier roads
Back on the road, as you approach Margaret River you’ll notice that there are more cars and more people around. The road has more twists and turns than the long, straight roads you’ve been driving on so far. I found this a little bit jarring so I thought I’d forewarn you!
Day 9: Margaret River
Margaret River is best-known for its wines and they are indeed ubiquitous in and around the town. If you’re a casual wine-drinker, pop into one of Margaret River’s many wine bars and try something local. If you’re more of a wine connoisseur, sign up for a wine tour of some of the vineyards in the surrounding area.
If you haven’t had enough of Western Australia’s beaches, that’s also an easy option from Margaret River. You’ve got several options within a 10-minute drive of the town.
Day 10: Margaret River to Perth
On the final day of your Western Australia road trip, you’ll head back to Perth. But I recommend making a few stops along the way. The total driving distance with these stops is about 300 kilometres, or a little under four hours of driving.
More beaches
First, depart Margaret River and make for a beach. You might want to spend the morning on the beaches near Margaret River if you didn’t have a chance to do this on day 9. You could drive half an hour north to Yallingup and head to Smith’s Bay, yet another deserted paradise of white sand and turquoise waves. Alternatively, drive up to the top of the spiky peninsula and check out Bunker Bay. There was one other person on the entire beach when we were there.
Busselton
After you’ve taken your last wander on Western Australia’s silky white sand, the last stop I recommend before you return to reality in Perth is Busselton. Busselton has the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere at 1.8 kilometres (there’s a small fee to walk on it). This might be a nice spot for lunch as Busselton has a range of nice cafés and restaurants.
Finally, drive the last 200 kilometres to Perth and return your car.
Where next?
Whilst you’re in Perth, I recommend visiting Rottnest Island.
Or head north from Perth up to another can’t-believe-your-eyes stretch of Western Australia’s coast. That’s next on my Australia bucket list!
Leave a Reply