There’s no place on earth quite like the North West of Western Australia and this 14-day itinerary includes spectacular gorges and ancient geological wonders (millions of years old), pristine white sand coastlines, swimming with sharks and dolphins, World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, camel rides on the beach at sunset, and much more.
WA, as the locals call it, is vast. Nearly 4x the size of Texas! Driving from Broome to Perth along the coastal road would take 24 hours of non-stop driving because it’s 2,351 km (1460 miles) without any side trips. That’s why we recommend you allocate 14 days for this unforgettable journey. You’ll be rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime set of experiences and a renewed appreciation of just how big the world’s largest island is!
The best time to travel to Broome and the North West is the dry season (April to October). For wildflowers, the peak season is July to October.
TIP: Fly from Perth to Broome, then start your campervan or motorhome adventure in Broome. Generally, you will find cheaper flights this way rather than beginning in Perth.
Get great rental campervan deals in Broome with Camper Champ's price comparison engine. Alternatively, you can pick up a campervan from Perth and drop it off in Broome.
Welcome to the Kimberley region of WA. On the shores of the Indian Ocean, Broome is a beach resort town famous for 22 km of white sand at Cable Beach. This is where you can enjoy a very Instagrammable camel ride at sunset.
Into dinosaurs? This is not called the Dinosaur Coast for nothing. Low tide exposes some of the dino footprints on Cable Beach, and north of Broome, there are more. Here is a list of GPS coordinates where you can see dinosaur tracks up to 140 million years old.
It’s a long drive to Karijini National Park in the heart of WA’s Pilbara mining region, so consider a short stop at Port Hedland. It’s one of the world’s largest bulk-loading ports. Massive ships are loaded from vast iron ore stockpiles that arrive in ridiculously long trains. Lithium and salt are also exported through the port.
INSIGHT: It’s worth noting that in WA, national parks are vast spaces, and beaches can be many miles long, so your point-to-point travel times may vary from ours depending on where you are in the park or which part of the beach.
In the heart of Western Australia’s mineral-rich North West, you’ll be struck by the dramatic landscape of immense gorges, awesome ranges and rocky watercourses of the Karijini National Park. More than 2 billion years old, the area contains some of the world’s most ancient rock formations and four stunning gorges (Hancock, Jeffrey, Red, Weano). It also contains one of the world’s largest open-cut mines Rio Tinto, and we rate it as a “must-see”!
Rio Tinto Mine Tour Tom Price Visitor Centre, 1 Central Rd, Tom Price
Visit this massive iron ore mining operation at Mount Tom Price and take the 90-minute tour. Hard hats, safety glasses, air-conditioned bus, it’s all included. Pre-booking (and covered footwear) is essential.
FUN FACTS: Rio Tinto owns 17 mines here and employs nearly 13,000 people. Each haul truck that brings the ore up to be crushed has a 200-tonne capacity. And each truck has six massive tires, each of which costs more than a Mercedes Benz. Wow, just wow!
Other highlights at Karijini include:
This is a long day’s drive, but the roads are sealed all the way. Pack your lunch & snacks (and top up your fuel tank) and look forward to the beautiful Ningaloo Coast, which is 300 km of untouched natural wonder.
Ningaloo Marine Park
World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef is 260 km long, so it’s accessible from Exmouth to Coral Bay. Depending on the season, you could swim with manta rays, turtles, the magnificent whale sharks (they’re harmless) and see humpback whales during their migration. Or even go snorkelling among the coral gardens or take a kayak tour.
Sub Sea Explorer 12 Osprey Way, Exmouth
Go underwater without getting wet. View the corals, the reef fish and maybe turtles, rays and sharks, all from inside the Sub Sea Explorer’s lower deck. It’s a semi-submersible vessel which means you’re sitting below the water level with windows on either side of your seat, unlike a glass-bottomed boat where you’re looking down all the time.
TIP: If you want to spend more time at Ningaloo, you can easily combine day 8 and day 9, with a total drive time of about 4 hours. But why would you want to miss Coral Beach, a laidback marine lover's paradise?
Gorgeous white sandy beaches with beautiful coral gardens just metres from the coast. Join a glass bottom boat to tour the coral gardens.
Other attractions include Coral Bay Walk Way (a 2 km trail along the Ningaloo Reef coastline), Pioneer Park, and Naturalist Park (kangaroos, emus, birdlife).
Fruit Loop & The Cactus Garden North River Road, Carnarvon
Travelling the 26 km Fruit Loop, you’ll drive by working plantations, orchards, farms and growers' markets. Pick up fresh produce, including organic and biodynamic, in these roadside shops. Enjoy locally grown preserves, dried fruits, seasonal fruit & veggies—even ice creams on the North River Road.
South River Road is home to "The Cactus Farm". Grab a unique selfie in front of 30+ cactus plants, some over 5m tall.
Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, Mahony Ave, Brown Range
Once Carnarvon played an essential role in space launches; now, this museum is staffed by volunteers. Open 10 am to 2 pm. The country town is home to a mere 5000 people.
Other Carnarvon attractions include snorkelling, beautiful Fascine Town Beach (a grassy area with a boardwalk and safe swimming for kids), Carnarvon Speedway, and fishing from Tramway Bridge.
Shark Bay World Heritage area is home to the world's largest (4,800 km2) sea-grass beds, dugongs (sea cows) and five endangered mammals.
Monkey Mia (renowned for swimming with dolphins) offers excellent diving, swimming, and snorkelling in clear waters.
At Shark Bay’s Hamelin Pool, you can see what are considered the best examples of marine stromatolites (the oldest life form on earth, dated around 3.5 billion years ago and still growing successfully here). Why? Because the sea water here is twice as salty due to a bar across the shallow bay’s entrance and rapid evaporation due to the heat. A purpose-built jetty lets you see these biological marvels without damaging them.
The highlights of this leg of your trip are at both ends of this drive. As with all long drives in WA, with the vast distances, be sure to top up your fuel tank before you hit the road, and pack your lunch, snacks and water. And get a good night’s sleep before you drive.
Drink in the majestic Kalbarri coastline on Australia’s Coral Coast, swim in its crystal clear waters or marvel at the ancient and rugged landforms and high rocky coastal cliffs. But if you want a break from all the North West’s stunning scenery, there’s fishing, golf, lawn bowls, tennis, and pelican feeding (free, at 92 Grey St). There’s even a skate park! Restaurants, cafes, and bars, of course. And the Skywalk is just 30 minutes from town.
Kalbarri Skywalk West Loop Lookout Road, Kalbarri National Park
Truly impressive! It cost $24 million to build. There are two cantilevered structures, meaning you’re standing 100 metres above the Murchison River, with nothing below you – except unequalled views of the 400 million-year-old, dusty red gorges and the river as it snakes its way to the Indian Ocean. Larger parking spaces are available for motorhomes and campervans. Open 6 am to 6 pm every day, but as there’s no shade, the best times are early morning or late afternoon. Wear sturdy walking shoes if you want to get off the paved walkways.
Pink Lake Port Gregory
Just south of Kalbarri, you’ll find Hutt Lagoon before you reach Horrocks Beach, as it’s also known. Depending on the time, cloud cover, and season, it can look soft lilac, bright pink, or red. Or sometimes blue if you view it from the road. But why is it pink? An algae in the lake (Dunaliella Salina) is used to generate beta-carotene, a colouring agent in foods and cosmetics.
Pinnacles Desert
In the Nambung National Park, the pinnacles are limestones that rise up out of the yellow desert. Formed 30,000 years ago, some are as tall as 3.5 metres. You can either drive or walk through the other-worldly Pinnacles Desert.
Perth is the sunniest capital city in Australia. Originally called the Swan River Colony when British settlers arrived in 1829, Perth is now notably multicultural with over 200 nationalities and tons of things to do and see, including: Cruise the Swan River, Elizabeth Quay, Perth Bell Tower and the Perth Mint where they make the local money.
And just down the road in Freo, as the locals call it, you’ll find the historic convict-built Fremantle Prison (it’s heritage-listed!). Not your thing? Perhaps 20 minutes of ‘white water rafting meet rollercoaster’ is. Then you climb on board the Fremantle Jet Boat Thrill Ride for the ride of your life.
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