The Ultimate Western Australia Road Trip
Updated: 07 October 2022
We spent over six months travelling Western Australia by van, and this ultimate Western Australia road trip is undoubtedly our favourite drive in the entire country. It’s known as the South West Edge and we’d recommend taking around two weeks to explore it.
Being known for having less people, less pollution, and more tranquility, this Western Australia road trip won’t disappoint.
Below are the top places you should visit along the way.
Overview of this Western Australia Road Trip
1. Perth
Most people start their Western Australia road trip from Perth. Perth is such a laid back city, with loads of awesome food spots, markets, and beaches to see. Our favourite spots include Cottesloe beach for a quick dip, snapping a photo at the iconic rainbow-coloured shipping containers in Fremantle, and watching the sunset at Zig Zag lane.
Check out our blog on Perth’s best beaches to visit.
2. Rottnest Island
We 100% recommend taking the ferry across to Rottnest Island when you’re in Perth. You honestly can’t have a bad time on Rottnest even if you tried. Charlie almost broke his nose on Rottnest Island and still rates the trip a 9/10!
Learn everything you need to know about Rottnest Island before heading there.
3. Dwellingup
Only an hour drive from Perth on the South West Edge, Dwellingup is a nature lovers playground. Full of remote campsites, mountain bike tracks and swimming holes, Dwellingup is one of our favourite little weekend getaways from Perth. We had a picnic on those rocks where Charlie is standing!
4. Stockton and Black Diamond Lake
Stockton and Black Diamond Lake are such beautiful, tranquil lakes. It’s worth knowing that the vibrancy of the lakes are only visible on a clear sunny day. Otherwise, they just look like any other lake. So if you have a clear day, you should stop off at both of these lakes along this Western Australia road trip.
5. Busselton
Busselton is one of those quaint little seaside towns in Australia’s south west that has a lot of charm, along with the worlds longest Jetty stretching 1.8km! It takes 30 minutes to walk, and you can snorkel with all the fishies at the end. It’s well worth the visit, and ziplining in the forest with Forest Adventures in Busselton is a pretty epic experience too.
6. Dunsborough
Dunsborough has some of the best beaches in the world. Meelup beach is SO stunning and is not to be missed. When we spoke to the locals about whether they ever got sick of the beaches here, they always said no. Dunsborough is where the 123km Cape to Cape hike starts also, going through the Margaret River coastline all the way through to Augusta.
Don’t miss out on Dunsborough while you are exploring the South West Edge!
7. Margaret River
You could spend over a month in Margaret River and not get bored. There is SO much to do. Cycling in the Boranjup forest, swimming in secluded swimming holes, hiking along the Cape to Cape, and tasting wine in one of the 200+ wineries of the region just to name a few. This part of the South West Edge will not disappoint.
8. Augusta
The reason you come to Augusta: to chill out. Flinders bay and the last section of the cape to cape walk in Augusta are such beautiful chill spots that are so quiet and remote, but still offer incredible beauty.
As much as we love Augusta, if you are pressed for time, this is one that we’d recommend skipping.
9. Pemberton
Pemberton is such a magical little spot along this Western Australia road trip. Its luscious trees make up the majority of the Pemberton region and make driving, exploring, and adventuring in the region so much fun.
We had the best time in Pemberton, especially at Pemberton Swimming Pool which is a free local hotspot!
10. Denmark
The beaches that stretch between Denmark and Esperance are honestly next freaking level. Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool are world heritage listed areas, which means the water is so pristine and so beautiful that you won’t even believe these places exist.
11. Albany
Home to what was rated Australia’s best beach in 2022 (Misery Beach), Albany is a must do. The town of Albany itself is so different from any other town you’ll come across in Australia, but the nature itself is what will blow your socks off.
Whaling Cove is even a nudist beach in Albany, which is one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve come across in Australia!
Find out more about our favourite nudist beaches in Australia.
12. Stirling Ranges National Park
The Stirling Ranges National Park is home to the Bluff Knoll hike that everyone raves about (and rightly so). Bluff Knoll is best seen at sunrise, and Stirling Ranges National Park has some of Western Australia’s best hikes.
Learn our best tips for hiking bluff Knoll.
13. Two Peoples Bay
Two peoples bay, and particularly Little Beach, is Charlie’s all time favourite beach in Australia by far. It deserves a spot on this list alone. This is our number one place to visit on our Western Australia road trip.
14. Esperance
You could spend weeks in Esperance, let’s be real. Our Instagram audience rated Esperance as their favourite place in all of Australia, and now that we’ve been, we know why. Right next to Esperance is Cape Le Grand National Park, which is an adventurers playground. The water here is so blue, that you’ll feel like you’ve entered the Maldives.
Are you excited for your Western Australia road trip?
We hope this blog has got you excited for your road trip in Western Australia! Have you travelled the South West Edge before? If so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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