Western Australia is the second-largest state in the world, and it occupies fully one-third of the Australian continent. Originally called the Swan River Colony when British settlers arrived in 1829, Perth is now notably multicultural, with over 200 nationalities. Economically the state is prosperous, and visitors have a great deal to look forward to when planning their time in WA. This itinerary takes you down the coast from Perth to Albany on the southwestern tip of WA and then back to Perth via the inland route.
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Perth, with just over 2 million residents, is the capital city of Western Australia and the sunniest capital city in Australia. It combines a progressive city lifestyle with the Aussie love of beaches and the bush.
Kings Park Fraser Ave, Perth
Central Park in New York is generally recognised as among the biggest inner-city parks, but at 400+ acres Kings Park is even larger! In spring, you’ll delight in the gorgeous wildflowers!
Within Kings Park, the Western Australian Botanic Garden has 3,000+ species of local flora. Kings Park offers expansive views of both the Swan and Canning Rivers, the city skyline, and the Darling Ranges to the east.
Fremantle Prison 1 The Terrace, Fremantle
It’s the biggest convict-built structure in WA, and you can take a tour to see what prison life was like, including the escapes.
Busselton Jetty 15 Foreshore Parade, Busselton
This is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. It’s one of Australia's top ten dive spots and also Australia's most extensive artificial reef. The Underwater Observatory takes you 8 meters underwater into a world of colourful coral, fish and molluscs.
Margaret River is world famous for its wines and surf, with 40 different spots to catch the waves.
Margaret River Visitor Centre 100 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River
Learn how the local wines are made and enjoy tastings at the region’s wineries. Then, at the centre, ask what’s open.
Margaret River Cheese Company 8063 Bussell Hwy, Metricup
The region also produces boutique cheeses and yogurts.
Mammoth Caves Caves Rd, Forest Grove
You’ll see fossils from now-extinct Australian megafauna (giant animals) up to 50,000 years old. Visitors enjoy a self-guided boardwalk tour.
Pemberton is a lovely town surrounded by national park forests of Karri, Jarrah and Marri trees. You can tour the 1913 lumber mill (it’s still operating) that supplied timber for railway sleeping cars.
Gloucester National Park Burma Rd, Pemberton
The Gloucester Tree will give you one of the most spectacular views of the Karri forest — after you’ve climbed 53 metres up to the viewing platform using the 153 metal spikes driven into the tree trunk. If you reach the platform, you’re part of the 20% of visitors who get to the top—congrats! Of interest, the tree’s total height is 61 metres, so you’re pretty close to the top. Viewing platforms like this were fire lookouts; some even had cabins high above the forest.
Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree Yeagarup
This tree’s viewing platform is 75 meters up, and they say it’s the tallest lookout tower in the world. However, it was built for visitors to climb, and it’s only 165 metal spikes to the top! Good luck with that.
Albany became wealthy during the gold rush of the 1890s, with many impressive buildings built then. But it’s also famous for whaling, a major industry from the 1840s to 1978.
Historic Whaling Station 81 Whaling Station Road, Torndirrip, Frenchman Bay
When whaling stopped in 1978, the workers just downed tools and left. Today you can stand on the same decks where they processed the whales, you can climb aboard the last whale chaser and see the primitive conditions the sailors endured, and you can stand right under the skeleton of the last sperm whale ever harpooned in Albany. It’s now an interactive museum about whales and whaling (including flensing decks and huge boilers where the blubber was processed) with a 3-D animated film. In whale season (August to October), you might see whales in King George Sound.
Other Albany attractions include Middleton Beach (5 km of white sand and water sports), the sandalwood factory (2 Down Road, Albany), and the National ANZAC centre (because it’s here that the first troops left in 1915 for WW1, so the centre follows the troops to the Middle East, then Gallipoli and the Western Front).
The drive back to Perth can be broken after 2 hours at Kojonup and/or at Williams, which is about an hour away from Perth.
Kojonup
Surrounded by rich pastoral land and native bush, the town of Kojonup is a convenient stop. In spring, the area is filled with beautiful wildflowers.
Rose Maze 2 Broomehill-Kojonup Rd, Kojonup
Visitors can walk a 500-metre path lined with 2000 Australian-bred rose bushes.
Kodja Place Cultural Centre 143 Albany Hwy, Kojonup
Learn about the area’s Noongar-Aboriginal culture and its settler culture through photos, objects and art in this architecturally designed, purpose-built rammed earth structure.
Williams Woolshed 101 Albany Hwy, Williams
Are you feeling peckish? One of their specialties is gluten-free pies made on the property. Wool clothing, sheep shearing, Ugg boots & more are in the heart of a primary wool-growing region and about an hour from Perth.
Aquarium of Western Australia 91 Southside Dr, Hillarys
At Hillary's Boat Harbour, 20 minutes north of Perth, is the Aquarium of Western Australia. It’s the largest aquarium in the nation. Observe the marine life, pet the seals, and you might even see qualified divers swimming with sharks on the living coral reefs.
SciTech City West Centre, Sutherland St, West Perth
Interactive science museum and planetarium. The kids will absolutely love it.
Rottnest Island
The quokka, a furry little marsupial, has been called the happiest animal on earth, and it’s unique to Rottnest Island, just off the coast near Perth. Book your ferry tickets early. Refreshing walks, 63 gorgeous beaches. Paddle boards, pedal boards, water bikes & more for hire. Make a day of it.
Fremantle Markets South Terrace & Henderson St, Fremantle
Open Fri-Sun. Entry is free.
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