Author: Matt and Danielle
29 February 2024
Western Australia is a big and beautiful part of Australia. It's by far the largest state, and while there can be some long drives between things, what you can see is truly outstanding. Australia's South West, however, is surprisingly not that long of a drive, and there are tonnes of stops along the way. What is this part of Australia known for? Having possibly the best beaches in the world. The colour of the ocean in this part of Australia is the most beautiful shade of crystal baby blue, and the beaches are all covered in the softest white sand. If you're starting in Perth then you have the best beaches of them all awaiting you, like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Esperance and the Cape Le Grand National Park are two places where you realise there really are levels to the beaches in Australia, and the ones you will find here blow the others out of the water.
First things first. If you are starting in Perth, then why not take a few days to explore Australia's most remote city?
We loved visiting Perth, and after driving 3/4 of the way around Australia we were happy to have a bit of a city break. There are amazing beaches in Perth, cafes, bars and much more. If you're spending a couple of days in Perth City then we recommend visiting Cottesloe Beach. This is the best beach in Perth. It's a long stretch of white sand lined with bars and cafes, and this whole area is usually full of people all enjoying the sun and living their best lives. Scarborough Beach is another really nice beach in the area and you can surf here too, or do a lesson if you're interested in learning how to catch some killer waves.
When you're ready to step away from the beaches then there are some other must-see spots around Perth. Kings Park has an incredible view of Perth City, with a beautiful skyline and a view of the Swan River. You can take some snacks and a blanket here for a beautiful picnic. Fremantle is another great place to walk around. It's got a hipster vibe with quirky cafes and street art, with some history too. You can visit the Fremantle Prison for a tour, and when you're done exploring then stop by one of the many breweries for a well-earned drink.
We can't talk about what to do in Perth without a huge mention of Rottnest Island. This tiny island is packed with some of the best beaches in Western Australia. Hop on a ferry, we took it from Fremantle and it's around a 30-minute trip across to Rottnest. Here you can rent a bike and spend the day cycling around Rottnest Island. Little Salmon Bay, Little Parakeet Bay and Ricey Beach were among our favourites. Little Salmon and Parakeet Bay are nearer to the port, whereas Ricey Beach will take some peddling to get to. Being harder to reach has the benefit of fewer people being there too, however. Other than beach hopping and exploring Rottnest Island on a bicycle, the other main thing to do here is stop for a selfie with a quokka. The quokka is known as the friendliest animal on the planet. It has no natural predators on Rottnest Island and therefore is not afraid of people. This results in people being able to get close enough to these cute furry little creatures for an amazing selfie. Make sure to get your quokka selfie when you visit Rottnest Island!
Now you've seen the sights in Perth and been across to Rottnest Island it's time for an epic road trip! You can drive from Perth to Esperance in 8 hours if you really want to, but for this trip, we are going to take the coastal route. If you do take the shorter inland route then it takes you right past Wave Rock and Lake Magic, which are popular tourist attractions. This itinerary is going to be a 3-week road trip from Perth to Esperance, but you can do it in less time if you want. Here is the perfect itinerary for one of the best road trips, packed with all the best things to do along the way.
Leave Perth on your first day and take the short drive south to the Margaret River region. There are some great places around here, and while the beaches are still a must, the most iconic thing in Margaret River is the vineyards. Margaret River is one of the best wine regions in the world, so make sure to book a vineyard tour while you are here. Park up in a caravan park for a few days while you visit the best places in the area. In Dunsborough, you have the crystal-clear waters of Eagle Bay and the beautiful Meelup Beach as well as breathtaking views at Cape Naturaliste. Busselton is a quiet laidback seaside town with some nice restaurants and a long beach to enjoy a seaside stroll and the Busselton Jetty is also a must. This is a chance to see the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, and the second longest in the world. Take the short walk along the jetty to the end where it sticks out into the ocean for some amazing views. Hamelin Bay is a beautiful beach with an amazing unique feature. You can see eagle and manta rays here, and they come right up to the shore.
Take the 4-hour drive from Margaret River down to Denmark, where you start to get a glimpse of the beautiful ocean that awaits you further south. If you want to break up the drive then you can stop at the Gloucester tree in Pemberton. This is a huge 53-meter tree with "steps" built into it that you can climb to a treehouse at the top. It's very high and quite scary so only tackle it if you are good with heights. The main two things to see in Denmark are Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks, which are conveniently right next door to each other. They can be found in the William Bay National Park, and are two amazing sights. Greens Pool is a much larger stretch of beach, with rocks along the shoreline that help to keep away large waves and shield you from winds. The shallow waters stretch out quite far here so you can enjoy a very nice paddle to cool off on a hot day. Elephant Rocks is next door which has a very small beach, but large granite boulders that you swim to, climb and jump from. If you're looking for places to visit in Western Australia for families then this is a great choice.
After leaving Denmark make your way to Shelley Beach in the West Cape Howe National Park. You will need a Western Australia National Park pass to camp here, which you can buy on the government website here. Believe us, you are going to want to stay here! This is our favourite campsite in all of Australia. You can reach Shelley Beach in a 2-wheel drive but be warned as there are a few hundred meters of dirt road right at the end. We made it in our 2WD campervan easily enough. Follow the road up and over the mountains and then back down to this beautiful campsite. You can park up here around 30 meters from the ocean, it's the perfect place to rest your head after a few days of exploring. Having the sound of the waves send you to sleep and then wake you up in the morning is amazing.
When we visited you didn't need to book a space online. The park ranger would turn up and you could pay them cash to secure your space for the night and it was around $15 per adult.
The next day it's a short 30-minute drive into Albany, which is a small town packed with plenty to see and do. Misery Beach, Salmon Holes Beach and Frenchman Bay are incredible white-sand beaches next to bright blue ocean waters. If you love to hiking and walking trails then the Baldhead Hike is a must. This 15km return trip hike takes you up and over some large hills that stretch out into the ocean. It is packed with incredible views, and at the end, you can sign your name in a small notebook and find a stone to add to the large pile in honour of your accomplishment. Take a sit and look out into the vast ocean before making your way back. For some awesome sights of huge waves crashing against the cliffs below then visit The Gap in Torndirrup National Park. These views are spectacular.
It's time to head out of Albany, towards Esperance. On your way make sure to stop at Little Beach, Tiny Beach and Bremer Bay. To get to Tiny Beach you have to walk across Little Beach until you find the small path that leads up and over a hill and it will bring you to some rocks. We couldn't find another way to get to the beach itself other than swimming there from the rocks, but it is worth it! Bremer Bay is another amazing beach near the Fitzgerald River National Park and is great to stop at to break up the driving.
Now it's time for the long drive, although, by Australia's standards this is still very short. It's 5 hours from Albany to Esperance, where the best beaches of the whole trip await. The first stop is Esperance Town. There are plenty of things to do in Esperance, as it is a beautiful coastal town packed with epic beaches. The best beach in Esperance is Twilight Beach, which is typically the busiest as it is very popular. Luckily this beautiful beach is a long stretch of beautiful soft white sand, so there is plenty of room for everyone to enjoy it. There are spectacular views of the ocean and a huge rock you can swim out to, which is around 30 meters out from the coast. You can climb this, relax on it while you catch some sun and jump from it into the beautiful clear blue water below. The other incredible beaches in Esperance are Blue Haven Beach, Wylie Bay, 10-Mile Lagoon, Salmon Beach and West Beach. You get the point...there are a lot of amazing beaches here.
There's no free camping in Esperance, but there are several campsites you can choose from. We stayed at the overflow campsite at Esperance Showgrounds, which was basic but fine for a few days. If you are visiting during peak season then make sure to book all your campsites in Esperance as far in advance as possible. Places to stay in Esperance get booked fast.
Now it's time to make your way to the Cape Le Grand National Park, which is our final stop when travelling from Perth to Esperance. This beautiful national park is a 1-hour long journey from Esperance town, and if you can then the best option is to stay in the national park campsites here. They get booked up very quickly all year round, so book in advance otherwise you'll have to keep making the drive back and forth from Esperance town centre. You are going to want to stick around here for a few days because this is where the most beautiful beaches are.
Lucky Bay is the big one, and a must. If you can stay at the nearby Lucky Bay Campsite then you can get to the beach and park up bright and early to see if you can sit and see any wild kangaroos hopping around. This beach is driving-friendly, even for 2WD, so find a good spot and sit here for your morning coffee. Even if there are no kangaroos there will be epic views! Nearby you have our personal favourite beach in Australia, Thistle Cove. This was considerably quieter than most other beaches in the Cape Le Grand National Park that we stopped at. There are large rocks which help shield you from any wind, which makes it the perfect spot to enjoy the beautiful calm waters in peace. Hellfire Bay is another very popular spot, which we found to be very similar to Thistle Cove but much busier. Cape Le Grand Beach is another great beach to visit. You drive along here, even in a 2WD and enjoy the beautiful views. If you want a break from the soft white sand beaches then you can enjoy the Frenchman Peak walking trail. This amazing hike is packed with scenic views, the best of which await you at the very top.
If you are looking to do a roundtrip and go back to Perth again then you will likely have to take the fast route inland from Esperance to Perth. It's almost a full day of driving to get back, so make sure to factor that into your itinerary.
That covers the must-see spots along this South West road trip. The route from Perth to Esperance is beautiful and packed with many of Western Australia's best beaches. Depending on how much time you have you may want to tackle this trip fast or take it slower and leave no stone unturned. If you have plenty of time then here are some other stops you may want to add to your itinerary.
In Margaret River, you can find Sugarloaf Rock which is a large jagged rock formation just off the main coast. If you drive East of Margaret River, you can reach Lake Grace which is one of the salt lakes in WA that has a pink hue to it. Nearby you also have the Stirling Range National Park, which would be easy to spend a few days exploring. There are incredible nature walks and lush forests here. In Esperance, you have the famous Pink Lake, which isn't actually pink anymore. If you want to see a truly Pink Lake then the best one is Hutt Lagoon near Kalbarri National Park.
Finally, if you want to continue your trip and take a beautiful scenic drive then you can make your way to the Duke of Orleans Bay. This is further along than the Cape Le Grande National Park, but still a beautiful large bay with more of those beautiful soft white sands and blue oceans that you'll be used to by now.
A road trip in Australia is awesome, but you can be very remote at times with no internet and you don't want to be left waiting for someone to drive by hoping they have some spare petrol on them. Here are some must-have apps that will help you plan and have a successful trip in Australia:
If you enjoyed our ultimate Perth to Esperance road trip, and are looking to hit the road again then there are plenty of other trips you can take. Try Perth to Broome, Alice Springs to Darwin, Australia's famous East Coast, The Great Ocean Drive and even Esperance to Adelaide. They are all packed with so much beauty with amazing things to see and do. You are guaranteed a great time on all of them.
The best time of year to visit Western Australia: Western Australia is huge, so there isn't a one-time suits-all approach. For the North, you will want to be there in the Winter, and then the best time to be in the South is the summer. Places like Esperance are very popular so bare that in mind and book any accommodation as far in advance as you can. If at all possible we would recommend visiting either Esperance (South) or Exmouth (North) outside of school holidays.
How to get around Western Australia: The best way to get around Western Australia is to drive. Compared to other parts of Australia, road trips in WA can be a little more challenging. There can be 500 km between petrol stations, so make sure you plan your route out beforehand.
Do you need a 4WD for Esperance? We visited Esperance in a 2WD and didn't feel like we missed out on anything. There are fewer beaches you can drive on, but you can still comfortably drive on Lucky Bay or Cape Le Grande Beach. In a 4WD you would likely be able to camp on some of the beaches, which would be incredible, but other than that it is perfectly fine to do a Perth to Esperance road trip in a 2-wheel drive.
Is Esperance worth visiting? Absolutely! Esperance is one of the highlights of our whole lap around Australia. We have yet to see any beaches anywhere else in the world that can compete with the ones here. The colours are so incredible, and the beaches are the softest, whitest and cleanest beaches you will ever see in your life. What is more crazy is that there are so many beaches here that most of them don't feel over-crowded either.
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