And if youve done some swimming and snorkelling at Cosy Corner, youll have worked up an appetite for their freshly cooked woodfired pizzas - so grab a table on the grass and enjoy. The Granite Skywalk is at Castle Rock and the trail leaves from the Castle Rock picnic area (be sure to get a parking ticket from the machine). Total driving distance appx. From Castle Rock, we make our way back to the Albany Highway/State Route 30 and plot a route to Kojonup. TransAlbany. Day one: Perth to Collie via Jarrahdale, Serpentine and Dwellingup (198 kilometres) Travelling via the South Western Highway, make your way to the heritage-listed town of Jarrahdale, where you can stretch your legs on one of the towns beautiful bushwalks. You can either spend the morning exploring more of Perth city before driving straight to Busselton, or get on the road earlier and make a pit stop en route in the quirky town of Bunbury. A bright white beacon on the headland, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse rises above the dense coastal heath, serving up sweeping ocean views and lighting the way along this dangerous coast, just as it has for nearly 120 years. Phone reception is fine in and around the main towns, but everywhere else including while youre driving on the long stretches of road will be patchy at best. In Australia, you can search and book accommodation via all the usual booking engine suspects. 3 hoursOvernight: Cervantes. While this itinerary doesnt leave much time for Denmark wineries, we really dont want to leave without sampling some of the local vino. See the Margaret River to Denmark . view full itinerary. Back on land, were drawn to the bright lights and glinting taps of Shelter Brewing Co, which overlooks the grassy foreshore and beach. Our next destination on the Karri Forest Explorer Drive is Warren National Park and the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree. After a coffee under the vines at the Blackwood Caf, we have time for a short wander of the main street to check out its heritage buildings. Win! Its a big drive, so were starting the day with a hike to a unique platform on high. Albany Albany is 419 km south of Perth and will take around 4 hours and 40 minutes to drive non-stop. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with this. Coastal trails and mountain tracks make Albany a hiker's dream. What?! The perilous WA coastline has claimed more than its fair share of vessels over the centuries, and the fascinating relics of some of the oldest wrecks have found their way here, in an epic combo of two of our great loves history and underwater archaeology. Total driving distance appx. Its impressive in its own right but the real head spin comes with a read of the signage onsite turns out these rocks are the remnant foundations of a once vast mountain range where Australia joined Antarctica. The highway stretches just over 400 kilometres, which you can drive in 4 or 5 hours if you do not intend to stop for a rest. A rugged coastline, picturesque beaches and an incredibly diverse national park are just the beginning. While you can certainly drive to the various sites around Freo, we decide to leave the car behind for another day and instead take the free CAT bus service. If you've got more time, or if you prefer beaches to mountains, then from Perth to Albany you can road trip via Margaret River. For us, at least, thats a whole other future Australian road trip. The best time to visit the Pinnacles is sunset and sunrise, when the low light casts the pinnacles in beautiful golden hues and long shadows. We also opt to visit the nearby Lake Cave. And a drink. The story of mutiny, murder and island castaway horror is the stuff of fiction but its all too real*. $181 - $402. Most towns have a petrol station and general store. At The Gap, a new cantilevered platform hovers out over a narrow fissure in the sheer cliffs for a thrilling view of the crashing sea 40 metres (130 feet) below. This is no small commitment its a 60 km (37 mile) drive each way but the temptation of a sunset over dramatic coastline gets us every time! Dramatic nature is a theme of this journey, so in keeping with that, for the second last day of our road trip in Western Australia we head around 2.5 hours north of Perth for a visit to one of the states most famous natural attractions the Pinnacles Desert of Nambung National Park. Weve got two caves on todays agenda. Busselton is a great laid-back stop to kick off your trip, or for a quick visit on your way to spend a couple of days in the Margaret River area. Perth to Albany via Bunbury and Pemberton. Leave Manjimup for Walpole. As the other must-see on our Torndirrup list, we make a beeline for The Blowholes as the sun is dropping. The Coastal Route is longer, coming in at just over 8 hours of driving and covering around 690 km. Perth Airport is just 20 minutes from the Perth CBD and around 35 minutes from Freo. Depart Albany via Porongurup National Park along Chester Pass Road. If you don't have much time for your Perth to Esperance road trip, then you can simply skip out the Margaret River section of the drive and . Stop in the quaint Mount Barker for a quick stroll down the main street, to stock up on any supplies you need from the IGA, and to admire some of its heritage architecture. 230 km (140 miles)Total driving time appx. Sydney to Melbourne Travel options. So we went ahead and visited as much as we could and have captured it all here, with the caveat that if you do as we do, you can expect to be on the go most of the time. Our plan is just to be in Albany. A quintessential stretch of gorgeous white sand and sparkling aquamarine sea, Hamelin Bay Beach has become famous for the stingrays that cruise the shallows here, weaving between excited ankles and feet. Perth to Esperance Itinerary at a Glance. Well be basing ourselves in the town of Margaret River for the next three days of our south west road trip, and tackling this region in sections, starting today with the area around Cape Naturaliste. We plot a cycle loop around the island that takes in some of the natural and heritage highlights, including the crystal clear waters of Little Salmon Bay, the dramatic coastline of West End, the frolicking New Zealand fur seals of Cathedral Rocks, Wadjemup Lighthouse, and the pink salt lakes. 5. Walk through town, go for a swim at Gnarabup Beach and get a coffee from the laid-back White Elephant Beach Caf. The Giant Tingle Tree is the grand dame and showpiece of a lovely, 800 metre (1/2 mile) loop walk through karri and red tingle forest. At the end of Leeuwin Road out of Augusta is Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Denmarkfor a full list of highlights. Dont miss the chance to have a feed at the towns famous Lobster Shack. After breakfasting in Freo, pack the car and make for the tiny town of Cervantes, keeping a look out for shifting white wedding cake dunes and wild emus. Once you leave Pemberton, you will head south either via the main highway or the village of Northcliffe. Perth to Albany Road Trip: A Two Week Itinerary for Spectacular South West Australia, For a round-up of the absolute must-sees in this corner of the country, check out our post , bucket list of 100 ultimate road trips around the world. Theres also an Island Explorer hop on hop off bus if youd prefer to explore without taxing your legs (and lets be honest, by mid-afternoon, sweaty and sunburnt, were definitely having second thoughts about the bikes). With just a couple of hours to play with though, were making for the parks most famous spots: The Gap and Natural Bridge and The Blowholes. Keep an eye on the weather before you go, and take a warm top no matter when you visit the coastal cliffs and lookouts along the south those Antarctic winds can bite. Table . Western Australias South West is the perfect place for a driving holiday, but with so much to see, it can be overwhelming to decide where to go. Or the other way round. Any difference driving clockwise from Perth to Albany and back via Pemberton-Augusta-MR-Dunsborough-Yallingup-Busselton-Mandurah-Fremantle route. Our first stop on this tourist route is Beedelup Falls, in the Greater Beedelup National Park. Transwa operates a bus from Brockman St Transwa Pemberton to Proudlove Pde Transwa Albany 5 times a week. Amongst the trees on the road from Perth to Albany Stop 4 - Walpole. Practically next door to Meelup but a world away is Eagle Bay, a spectacular little hideaway for the rich and famous. Meelup is gorgeous during the day (moreso with the shifting clouds and light we have on our visit), but this spot is also renowned for its moonrises-over-ocean. Journey Planner. . 255 km (160 miles)Total driving time appx. This is one of the regions famed fire trees epic old-growth karri trees once used as above-the-forest-canopy fire lookouts. From the carpark at the top of the hill, you have the option to head right to Greens Pool, or left to Elephant Cove. Thats a bus and a half wide! Albany to Perth via Pemberton. We plan overnight. But its the location of the lighthouse, on a dramatic rocky point at the confluence of the Indian and Southern Oceans, which is truly breathtaking (and by all accounts an excellent spot for whale watching between May and November each year). Since mid-February 2022, travel to and around Australia is possible again woot! If youre looking for more great road tripping itineraries and adventures,check out our Road Trips page, and our bucket list of 100 ultimate road trips around the world. Any difference driving clockwise from Perth to Albany and back via Pemberton-Augusta-MR-Dunsborough-Yallingup-Busselton-Mandurah-Fremantle route. Find the top 10 trips from Perth to Albany and plan a trip that works best for you. If you're planning a road trip to Perth, you can research locations to stop along the way. I park myself atop a high rock overlooking the dazzling water and boulders of Elephant Cove below, while John climbs down into the inlet to explore further. The shoulder periods between March May (Aussie Autumn) and September November (Aussie Spring) are said by many to be the nicest times of year, though chilling out by a fire with a Margaret River cab sav in winter has definite appeal for us. Seeing the artefacts of the fateful voyage set out around a massive section of raised and carefully restored stern, brings it all back to gruesome reality. Perth to Albany (and back) in 8 days An epic road trip through the best of the South West Travel & Touring | WA Road Trips By: Kirsty Petrides Western Australia's South West is the perfect place for a driving holiday, but with so much to see, it can be overwhelming to decide where to go. Perth to Pemberton via South Western Highway. Despite having our sensible planner hats on, we found it almost impossible to pick and choose what to include on our itinerary. The four most popular caves in Margaret River are Mammoth Cave, Lake Cave and Jewel Cave to the south, and Ngilgi Cave, which is to the north near Yallingup. 145 km (90 miles)Total driving time appx. In the Margaret River region also check out accommodation in Dunsborough. To give you a picture; Pemberton is surrounded by national parks and located in the order of 3.75 hours south of Perth, 3 hours from Albany and half way between Margaret River and the Tree top Walk near Walpole. Or do we as do, and chase the sunset again, this time at Denmarks famous Elephant Cove and Greens Pool. With a full tummy, get back on the road to Margaret River. Total driving distance: Driving is optional today but if you do drive, the trips are shortOvernight: Fremantle. Our next stop, Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, gives us a chance to get up close with these amazing trees in their upper reaches. When putting together this south west Australian road trip planner, we plotted to visit the sites below roughly in the order they appeared on the map heading south from Margaret River. You can pick some of the fresh produce at Spring Valley Orchard, and if travelling with kids visit the Apple Fun Park, Australias largest free entry playground. This will help you keep track of who has RSVPed and which tasks need to be done in time for the event. Route Timetable SW2 Coach line East Perth to Pemberton via Bunbury and Donnybrook There are three services to Pemberton, one travelling a more direct route, one travelling down the coast and one that loops inland, hitting Collie and Boyup Brook. Hopetoun Connection. Approx. Re: Drive from Albany to Pemberton 5 years ago Save Allow most of the day between Albany and Pemberton to do the region justice. *If you want to learn the story of the Batavia, two of my fave reads are Batavia by Aussie journo, Peter FitzSimons, and a fictional account written through the arch villains eyes called The Company, by Arabella Edge. - See 604 traveller reviews, 159 candid photos, and great deals for Beach House at Bayside at Tripadvisor. Accordingly, prices go up and accommodation availability goes down. We will be there for 6 nights and use it as a base, before coming back to Perth for 4 nights. The Albany . Transwa. With hindsight though, unless youve got more days in Albany, this is probably a spot worth leaving for another time. Bus route 806 807 808 . Back on the South Coast Highway, we set the GPS for the National Anzac Centre in Albany. Take the inland route on your Perth to Albany road trip to discover historical sights, a boutique hotel and classic country towns. You'll need a national park pass RAC members save 50%. For the many, many Aussies who never made it back, this is where they last stood on home soil. Now all that's left to do is hit the road. Theres actually a festival going on at Esplanade Park the weekend were there and its a hive of activity in addition to all the usual things to do in Fremantle, be sure to check out whats on while youre in town. Our plan is just to be in Albany. Kojonup is a great place to stop for fuel, a snack and to stretch the legs. Pemberton is surrounded by state forest and is also fairly near to the coastline of the Southern Ocean. Virgin Australia also flies up to three times a day from Perth to Albany Airport. It is 420 km and 5 hours from Albany to Perth. This sweeping vineyard has a lovely, friendly cellar door and we leave with a couple of bottles for the nights to come. Use an online calendar to create reminders for all the tasks you need to do and invite your guests to the dinner via email or text message. Pemberton itself is pretty low-key its main road boasts a sprawling historic pub, a couple of restaurants and a cool whisky bar (naturally). This is also the launchpad for the famous Cape to Cape Track, an epic 135 km (84 mile) coastal hike. As luck would have it, theres a small pod of five or six dolphins chasing each other back and forth along the shoreline. Albany, Pemberton, Margaret River wine region, Bunbury seasonal wildflowers. When we were researching our Perth to Albany road trip, a certain eco-tour out of Walpole kept turning up on our radar. Break your fast in Busselton, or make the half-hour trip west to the resort town of Dunsborough for brekkie. Theyre practically exclusive to this corner of the world, live for hundreds of years, can survive the ravages of fire, and reach heights of 50 metres (164 feet) and more. Today we hit the roads south of Margaret River to explore the natural and historic highlights along the coast to Cape Leeuwin, Australias most south-westerly point. But what fun is a road trip without exploring your surroundings! Pemberton is especially spectacular in the spring, but the tall Karri trees are gorgeous all year round. While the demographic of the tour was decidedly older than us, the 2.5 hour slow boat tour out of Walpole is easily one of the most memorable and educational tours weve been on, all thanks to Garys charisma and encyclopaedic knowledge. We recommend eight days for this road trip, but if youve time on your side, you could linger a little longer in some of the towns and really scratch beneath the surface. What: Perth to Albany via Margaret River and Walpole Distance (approx. This is old growth karri forest at its best with great bird and wildlife spotting to be had. The falls are just a couple hundred metres from the carpark but if you feel like stretching your legs on a further walk while youre here, hit up the 4.5 km (2.8 mile), moderately tough Beedelup Loop Walk. Built back in the 1890s to pump fresh water to the lighthouse keepers cottages, the wheel has become encrusted in limestone over the years. Pls help me decide! Find the top 10 trips from Albany to Perth and plan a trip that works best for you. Then were chased off the rocks and all the way back to Denmark by a solid wall of rain. You'll find listed Perth Events, shows, free events in Perth, local community events, fairs, farmers markets, City of Perth events, even events at your local library. All up, we travel around 2,000 kilometres (1,242 miles), give or take. And that's ok. With more time in this town, you could explore some of the other local sights like the Old Courthouse Art Complex and Busselton Museum. Its a steady, 2 km (1.24 mile) climb to the Skywalk along a bush track through beautiful native forest we find it a solid cardio workout. 1,150km return trip weve allowed eight days. Alternatively, if you just want to stretch your legs after two weeks of driving, then there are a bunch of guided and self-guided walking tours in Perth city. Can you drive to Perth from Sydney? The cantilevered walkway here takes you from ground level up to 40 metres and into the canopy of the Walpole-Nornalup National Park tingle forest. We spend a bit of time climbing around the rocks, taking in the view as the clouds roll in and the crashing waves continue their constant sculpting. Margaret River is one of Australias top wine regions (and world-renowned for its chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon), so it goes without saying a trip here really isnt a fait accompli without a visit to a winery or two. Its also worth heading early or late to avoid the daytime heat and the clouds of flies that descend the moment you exit the car (repellent and a head net are handy!). We break up the journey between Margie River and the Karri Forest Explorer Drive with a coffee stop and wander in the charming village of Nannup. What to include on our radar doesnt leave much time for Denmark wineries, we make our back. Aussies who never made it back, this time at Denmarks famous Elephant Cove and Pool. Or six dolphins chasing each other back and forth along the shoreline Albany Highway/State route 30 and plot route. 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Or six dolphins chasing each other back and forth along the way back to the Albany route.
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