There are also a network of walking trails around the cape, and you could definitely lose yourself here for a few hours. Once youre in Manjimup, make a beeline for the main drag where you can wander through the quaint cafes and quirky stores. So once youre settled in, head up to the famous Castle Rock Granite Skywalk in Porongurup National Park, where youll enjoy sprawling views over the ranges. Tip: Dont miss the fantastic pano views from the Convoy Lookout at the top of Forts Road. 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. If youre driving around Australia anyway, you should definitely include this corner of the country in your road trip itinerary. There are also public toilets and a play area across the road. As we drive in, we can see signs to wineries and we know there are some great tourist drives around here, so were already plotting another visit and a longer stay in this region as we pull up to our accommodation. Total driving distance appx. 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. Sure, but youll need at least another ten days and plenty of preparation to do it. If you're heading towards Yallingyup, Augusta, Pemberton the Eaton Superchargers will get you through. Then we head around the rocky headland to Greens Pool for a quick dip. Its quite a long (albeit lovely) hike from the carpark down a pathway to the rocky cliffs, where huge boulders cluster in frozen tumbles to the sea. View The Gap and Natural Bridge rock . Mammoth Cave is renowned for the extraordinary fossils found here, including the 50,000-year-old jawbone of an extinct giant wombat-like species still embedded in the wall! It's another reasonably short drive from Albany to Denmark, mostly along the South Coast Highway, so take your time and enjoy a slight detour. We will be there for 6 nights and use it as a base, before coming back to Perth for 4 nights. Sydney to Melbourne Travel options. Australian Train Travel. Albany, Pemberton, Margaret River wine region, Bunbury seasonal wildflowers. We also stop for a cooling arvo beer at Pinks Beach Club, before rolling back into town in time for our return ferry. Save the maps to your hard drive for easy viewing and to get . We pick up some lunch at a local bakery and find a grassy spot by pretty Hardy Inlet. 170 km (105 miles)Total driving time appx. There are plaques and points of interest along the way, telling the story of its past and present. Last updated February 2021 The Giant Tingle Tree is an introduction to the world of the south west Australia hardwoods huge, ancient trees with a talent for survival in the harshest of conditions. A post shared by Donnybrook, Western Australia (@donnybrookwa), RAC members save on accommodation in WA's South West. There are RAC 50kw DC at various locations but reliability is poor. 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. Bus route 803 804 . This is our kind of town a vibrant waterfront precinct, a hub of historic sites to wander around, some excellent eateries and great drinking establishments. 6330.1. Since mid-February 2022, travel to and around Australia is possible again woot! A post shared by Thistlebank Estate, Mt Barker (@thistlebankwa). We make our way back in the early morning as were keen to spend a couple of hours here before moving on. Both have welcoming cellar doors with tastings just ensure you have a designated driver. Theres a museum and tearooms here, and guided tours including a climb up the 59 steps of the lighthouse to its balcony. Feb 25, 2023, 7:05 PM. There are a ton of places to eat and drink around Freos compact heart, mainly clustered along a stretch of South Terrace known as Cappuccino Strip. If youre dropping off a hire car though, be sure to factor in traffic and leave plenty of time to check in. The final thing for you to do now is head for your accommodations in Walpole which takes about 70 minutes. 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. See the Margaret River to Denmark . 440 km (274 miles)Total driving time appx. The drive from Margaret River to Nannup is around 45-50 minutes. Naturally, summers and holiday periods draw the crowds, especially in the Margaret River region. From here, the Coastal Survivors Walk and the Pupalong Loop Walk wind away, serving up some spectacular cliff-edge panoramas and views over the Southern Ocean. The shorter route takes you from Perth to Albany, then on to Esperance, and returning to Perth via Wave Rock and York. If Esperance is a non-negotiable though, swap out some earlier days/stops or add a couple more days to this itinerary. 5. Answer 1 of 31: We are visiting Perth in May to June for 14 days holiday. A few kilometres before you hit the town, youll pass Boston Brewing, a great place to stop for lunch. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 7 hours. Pls help me decide! But Perth is a smorgasbord of international dining and drinking options here are some ideas on where to spend your evening. See full website for details. Transwa. from $254. Early morning is also perfect for exploring a bit more of the park on foot the Desert View Trail is an easy, 1.5 km (0.9 mile) return walk. 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 . We opt for Hidden River Estate just north of Pemberton and around 15 minutes from the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree. Were definitely putting Denmark on our list for a longer future visit. This historic little town on the Blackwood River harks back to the early 1900s and was built on industries of timber milling and agriculture. Despite having our sensible planner hats on, we found it almost impossible to pick and choose what to include on our itinerary. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hello! The limestone of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge is pockmarked with spectacular, million-year-old caves and visiting at least one is a must. Members save up to 30% on Apollo campervan hire, 10% off admission to National ANZAC Centre. Option: Stop off at Kojonup and visit The Kodja Place a fascinating Total driving distance appx. V Limousines. If you are short on time, take Albany Highway and make stops on the way down. Unsurprisingly, there are also lots of cafs here but the name also reflects Freos Italian heritage, which is still very much alive. 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. 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. Member rate varies according to season. 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. Weve also booked bikes with our ferry ticket so we can explore the island at our leisure the bikes travel over with the ferry and we collect them when we disembark at the island. I agree the detour to Balingup is well worth doing and the road between Nannup and Balingup is among the nicest drives in the state. Heading further south to Cape Leeuwin, we make a brief stop in Augusta, Australias most south-westerly town. We were expecting a coastal cave with random whooshes of air followed by drenching explosions of sea water. We turned up for sunset so we didnt get to mingle with the rays. 165 km (100 miles)Total driving time appx. There are a range of exhibitions and tours at the prison, including a creepy torchlight night tour, and a tour into the bowels of the prison to explore the tunnels hacked out of the rock by convicts. It covers 1,621 km and 17 hours of driving time. Top 7 trips from Albany to Perth. Were Danielle and John: a couple of incurable travellers on a journey together to seek out the very best travel experiences on our beautiful planet. 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. Were totally exhausted and jelly-legged by the time we get back to the mainland, but time is of the essence. You can get to Albany in about an hour by flying with Regional Express. Accordingly, prices go up and accommodation availability goes down. One of the best ways to get to Pemberton is to hire a car from Perth Airport. Last day! Electric cars available in Australia in 2022, Pre-purchase building inspection benefits, WAs best road trips and long distance drives, Endless things to see and do in Perth and WA, WAs top destinations and places worth visiting, An epic road trip through the best of the South West. Keep an eye out for Boranup Lookout en route. The reality is, Esperance is a further five hours along the coast from Albany. From Pemberton, we head south to State Route 10, then take Windy Harbour Road further south until we reach DEntrecasteneaux Drive. Located on the Vasse Highway from Busselton and Nannup. . Many places have cellar doors where you can pop in and sample the wares, or settle in for a gorgeous lunch surrounded by vineyards. By this stage, you might be inclined to make for Pemberton, check into your accommodation and chill out for the rest of the day. 3.5 hoursOvernight: Busselton. The coastline along here is patterned with wind-and-sea-smoothed granite boulders and platforms, edged by sparkling white sands and pools of crystal clear water. Child: AUD $2190. DAY 4 Set off on a leisurely drive home via Albany Highway. 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. The Williams Woolshed. Our first stop on this tourist route is Beedelup Falls, in the Greater Beedelup National Park. $181 - $402. Its pretty quiet here on the weekday morning we visit, and the waters of Geographe Bay are mirror flat. Even if it is some of the nicest looking sand weve seen. It is also home to the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, stretching 1,841 metres. Transwa operates a bus from Brockman St Transwa Pemberton to Proudlove Pde Transwa Albany 5 times a week. A short drive west of Walpole, and around 4.3 km (2.7 miles) along Hilltop Road (off the South Coast Highway), is the Giant Tingle Tree. We did, however, enjoy an incredible golden hour over the ambient jetty ruins, and the silhouette of a lone dolphin cruising the shoreline. Were glad we didnt though because this tree is special. (1.5 hours' drive south-east of Pemberton) and . Theres no shortage of places to pick up a bite to eat in the villages dotting the peninsula, but were keen to visit the beautifully-sited Eagle Bay Brewing Co for lunch. If you don't have much time, you could skip the Margaret River region, and take a more direct route from Perth to Denmark via Bridgetown, Manjimup, Pemberton, and Walpole to Denmark. 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. Save. I also like Augusta for its country town vibe, river coast and some nice eating spots. Perth to Albany via Albany Hwy. As luck would have it, theres a small pod of five or six dolphins chasing each other back and forth along the shoreline. Depending on the weather, you can either visit the next couple of sites as they roll out along the coast, or do a bit of backtracking in order to be at Sugarloaf Rock for sunset, which is our plan of attack. From Perth; take the Forrest Hwy, travel to Bunbury and then via the South West Hwy to Vasse Hwy ~343km south. Some trees have been recorded with a circumference of 22+ metres (72+ feet) at the base. Getting to Albany is a breeze via the Williams Supercharger, plus Synergy should have some Kempower DC chargers operating in Albany by June. In Australia, you can search and book accommodation via all the usual booking engine suspects. Albany to Emu Point and Lower King. 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. We plan overnight. 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. For info on travelling within Australia, check out this site. Self-Drive Tour with Hotels Car Hire (unlimited kms) Bonus Vouchers. With more time in this town, you could explore some of the other local sights like the Old Courthouse Art Complex and Busselton Museum. As you head along The Gap Road, keep an eye out for signs for Cable Beach on the left. With a full tummy, get back on the road to Margaret River. But they are extra impressive in their girth. Just nearby, the Natural Bridge is exactly that a hulking granite span carved from the living rock over millions of years. Go un With hindsight, and if youre keen to see the stingrays of Hamelin Bay, then we suggest making straight for Hamelin Bay Beach first thing in the morning, then heading to Cape Leeuwin and visiting the other sites as you make your way back north to Margaret River. - See 604 traveller reviews, 159 candid photos, and great deals for Beach House at Bayside at Tripadvisor. Getting to Albany from Perth Heading to your destination (Albany) will mean taking on a 415-kilometre road trip. With hindsight though, unless youve got more days in Albany, this is probably a spot worth leaving for another time. There are more than 60 beautiful beaches (definitely some of the loveliest beaches in Western Australia that weve seen), snorkelling and diving sites, cycling and walking trails, WWII relics, historic lighthouses and heritage sites and, of course, the islands most famous resident the charming quokka (wed post a pic of the quintessential quokka selfie that just about every visitor to Rottnest posts, except that we found it virtually impossible to take a quokka selfie. If you have the chance, a truffle-hunting tour with a truffle dog is a must. 5 hoursOvernight: Fremantle. At just over 415km, from Perth to Albany, it takes just four and a half hours, and . Two hours from Perth, Williams is a great spot for a break on the . We trace a coast-and-hinterland path down to the most south-westerly point on the Australian continent, spending a couple of days searching out some of the best places to visit in Margaret River and surrounds, before heading east to Albany and then looping back towards Perth via an inland route. The Hawaiian Ride for Youth has raised more than $30million for mental health support services in WA. Most towns have a petrol station and general store. Around 10 minutes north of Canal Rocks is famous Yallingup Beach, a stunning stretch of white sand and a great spot for swimming, snorkelling and surfing. Technology can be a great tool for organizing your dinner party. Theres a path through the scrubby coastal heath overlooking the farm, and were so close to the nearest turbine that we can practically feel the slow whummp of the enormous rotor blades as they turn. 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. Theyre so understated, in fact, that we overshot the path and almost missed them. Day 4: Denmark to West Cape Howe. The Porongurups are renowned for producing exceptional cool-climate wines, notably riesling and pinot noir, with excellent ones being produced at Castle Rock Estate and Dukes Vineyard. All Rights Reserved. Perth to Albany via Pemberton. After brunch, get back on the road and head to Perth. Any difference driving clockwise from Perth to Albany and back via Pemberton-Augusta-MR-Dunsborough-Yallingup-Busselton-Mandurah-Fremantle route. If youd rather self-tour though, your options are many check out this site for some tips and suggested wine trails. All up, we travel around 2,000 kilometres (1,242 miles), give or take. From beautiful beaches and hiking trails to sandalwood shopping and shipwreck diving. 3 hours (with lots of stops)Overnight: Denmark. Day 3: Walpole to Denmark. 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. Once youre done exploring, jump back in the car for the home stretch to Perth, with (hopefully) full bellies, full hearts and full bags of amazing WA produce. Our plan is just to be in Albany. After the hair-raising experience of the fire tree, we need some time to reflect. The rest of the precinct is still open. Having recently completed a five-day road trip from Perth to Albany, via Bunbury, Margaret River, Nannup, Manjimup, Pemberton and Denmark, it's remarkable just how much of the time you feel like you have this corner of the country all to yourself. 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