Things to do in Western Australia
60 places worth stopping for and 24 places to stay on a road trip through Western Australia.
See and do
- Beach
Beach · Exmouth
Turquoise Bay
The classic Ningaloo drift snorkel, with a gentle current and bright reef fish.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Mitchell Plateau
Mitchell Falls (Punamii-Uunpuu)
Four-tier falls on a remote plateau, reached by a long gravel road and walk.
- Walk
Walk · Halls Creek
Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles)
Beehive-shaped sandstone domes with gorges and a rough 4WD track.
- Beach
Beach · Esperance
Lucky Bay
White sand, turquoise water and kangaroos that lounge on the beach.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Kalbarri
Nature's Window
A natural rock frame over the Murchison River gorge, reached by a short walk.
Wildlife · Denham
Monkey Mia
Wild dolphins come to the shallows each morning and rangers manage the interaction.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Tom Price
Dales Gorge and Fortescue Falls
The easiest Karijini gorge, with a waterfall and a pool at the bottom.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Tom PriceHidden gem
Hamersley Gorge
A swirl of folded rock and a spa pool on the quiet western side of Karijini.
- Walk
Walk · Tom Price
Weano Gorge and Handrail Pool
A narrow gorge scramble with a pool at the end, mostly for confident walkers.
Walk · Tom Price
Hancock Gorge and Kermit's Pool
A steep descent into a gorge with a narrow 'spider walk' to a small pool.
- Beach
Beach · Broome
Cable Beach
22 km of white sand with camel rides at sunset.
- Activity
Activity · Exmouth
Whale shark swim, Exmouth
Swim alongside whale sharks on a licensed Ningaloo tour, Mar-Jul.
- Walk
Walk · Fitzroy Crossing
Windjana Gorge
Ancient limestone reef walls with freshwater crocodiles on the sandbank.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Gibb River Road
Bell Gorge
Multi-tier waterfall and swimming pools reached by a rocky walk.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Kununurra
El Questro and Emma Gorge
Station-based gorges with thermal pools and camping.
- Walk
Walk · Nornalup
Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk
A walkway 40 m up in the canopy of giant red tingle trees, with a free ground-level boardwalk below.
Swimming hole · Denmark
Greens Pool
A sheltered, clear lagoon ringed by granite boulders, one of the safest ocean swims on the south coast.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Albany
The Gap and Natural Bridge
A sheer granite chasm and a stone arch where the Southern Ocean surges through, with platforms to watch safely.
Scenic drive · Cervantes
Pinnacles Desert
Thousands of limestone pillars rising from yellow sand, with a short drive loop through them.
- Walk
Walk · Stirling Range
Bluff Knoll
The highest peak in the south-west, a steep rocky walk with cloud and views.
Wildlife · Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island
Car-free island with quokkas, beaches and bikes, reached by ferry from Perth or Fremantle.
- Gallery
Gallery · MenziesHidden gem
Lake Ballard Inside Australia sculptures
51 human figures spread across a salt lake by sculptor Antony Gormley.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Kalbarri
Kalbarri Skywalk
Twin steel platforms jutting out 100 m above the Murchison River gorge.
- History
History · Denham
Hamelin Pool Stromatolites
A boardwalk over some of the world's oldest living fossils.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · DenhamHidden gem
Steep Point
The westernmost point of mainland Australia, at the end of a long 4WD track.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · CarnarvonHidden gem
Quobba Blowholes
Ocean swell punches through rock tunnels, shooting water 20 m up.
- Walk
Walk · Exmouth
Yardie Creek Gorge
Red cliffs with black-footed rock wallabies, on foot or by boat cruise.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · ExmouthHidden gem
Charles Knife Canyon
A winding gravel road along the ridge to lookouts over red gorges.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · KarrathaHidden gem
Millstream Homestead and Deep Reach Pool
Palm-lined pools in the desert, with a historic homestead and cafe.
- Cave
Cave · Fitzroy CrossingHidden gem
Tunnel Creek
Wade through a 750 m cave tunnel with a torch.
- Beach
Beach · Denham
Shell Beach
A beach made entirely of tiny white cockle shells, metres deep.
- Walk
Walk · Denham
Francois Peron National Park
Red cliffs, white beaches and a hot-tub style bore pool at an old sheep station.
Town · Coral Bay
Coral Bay
Tiny beach town where the reef starts a few metres off the sand.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · ExmouthHidden gem
Jurabi Turtle Centre
Guided turtle nesting walks on a dark stretch of Ningaloo coast.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Tom Price
Oxer Lookout
A giant rock cross where four gorges meet, viewed from a short lookout.
- History
History · DampierHidden gem
Murujuga rock art, Burrup Peninsula
One of the world's largest concentrations of ancient rock carvings.
Beach · Coral Bay
Bills Bay snorkel
Walk into the water, snorkel over coral and spot turtles.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Broome
Gantheaume Point and Anastasia's Pool
Red cliffs, dinosaur footprints at low tide and a rock pool carved for a lighthouse keeper's wife.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Gibb River RoadHidden gem
Manning Gorge and Mount Barnett
Boat-hop across a creek then walk to a big waterfall and pool.
- Lake
Lake · Kununurra
Lake Argyle
A vast lake with an infinity-pool hotel and sunset cruise.
Wildlife · NarroginHidden gem
Dryandra Woodland and Barna Mia
Remnant woodland with numbats and woylies, plus a guided night walk at Barna Mia.
- Beach
Beach · Denmark
Elephant Rocks
Granite boulders marching into a calm bay that look like a herd of elephants, a short walk from Greens Pool.
- Beach
Beach · AlbanyHidden gem
Two Peoples Bay and Little Beach
A nature reserve east of Albany with a white sand cove, granite headlands and a rare bird that was thought extinct.
- Walk
Walk · CheynesHidden gem
Waychinicup Inlet
A quiet boulder-strewn inlet east of Albany with a beach, bushland and a small camp, well off the main tourist loop.
Viewpoint · WalpoleHidden gem
Mount Frankland summit
A steep stair climb to a fire tower with big forest views, plus a flat boardwalk lookout.
- History
History · Augusta
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
The tall limestone lighthouse at Australia's south-west corner, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.
Beach · EsperanceHidden gem
Hellfire Bay
A sheltered white beach in Cape Le Grand, quieter than Lucky Bay.
Museum · Albany
Princess Royal Fortress and National Anzac Centre
Albany's hilltop fort and the National Anzac Centre, where the first Anzac convoy left for Gallipoli in 1914.
History · Fremantle
Fremantle Prison
A UNESCO-listed convict-built prison with tours, including a tunnel tour.
Garden · Perth
Kings Park and Botanic Garden
A huge park above the city with a botanic garden, tree-top walkway and Swan River views.
Viewpoint · Porongurup
Castle Rock and Granite Skywalk
A walk up Castle Rock to a steel viewing platform, with Balancing Rock on the way.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · HopetounHidden gem
Fitzgerald River National Park
A huge wild park with thousands of plant species and whale watching at Point Ann.
Walk · Esperance
Frenchman Peak
A steep granite scramble to a cave near the top with big coastal views.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Hyden
Wave Rock
A 15 m granite wall curled like a frozen wave, with a walk over the top and a few smaller rocks nearby.
- History
History · Leonora
Gwalia ghost town and Hoover House
Preserved gold mining town beside the Sons of Gwalia mine, with a museum and Hoover's old house.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · KalbarriHidden gem
Hawks Head and Ross Graham lookouts
Quiet gorge lookouts and a river-edge picnic spot, both fine for vans.
- Walk
Walk · Kalbarri
Z Bend
A sharp zigzag in the river gorge, with an optional steep ladder trail down.
- Beach
Beach · KalbarriHidden gem
Red Bluff and Pot Alley, Kalbarri
Red cliffs, a sheltered cove and a rock pool a short walk from town.
- Walk
Walk · ExmouthHidden gem
Mandu Mandu Gorge walk
A rocky 3 km gorge circuit in Cape Range with wide ocean views.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · DenhamHidden gem
Eagle Bluff
Cliff-top boardwalk to spot sharks, rays and turtles in the clear water below.
Food stops
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Cervantes
Lobster Shack
A famous crayfish factory and cafe near the Pinnacles.
Market · Fremantle
Fremantle Markets
A heritage covered market with food stalls and local produce.
Restaurant · Fremantle
Cicerello's Fremantle
Fish and chips at Fremantle's Fishing Boat Harbour since 1903.
- Roadhouse
Roadhouse · Caiguna
John Eyre Motel and Caiguna Roadhouse
Roadhouse at the east end of the 90 Mile Straight, a Nullarbor fuel stop.
Farm shop · CarnarvonHidden gem
Carnarvon fruit and plantation stalls
Pick up bananas, mangoes and tomatoes grown along the Gascoyne river plantations.
- Pub
Pub · Marble BarHidden gem
Ironclad Hotel
A tin-clad outback pub in Marble Bar that has been pulling pints for over a century.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · KalbarriHidden gem
Finlay's Fresh Fish BBQ
Casual, long-running fish BBQ in Kalbarri that locals send you to.
- Brewery
Brewery · Broome
Matso's Broome Brewery
Tropical beer and mango beer in a 1900s heritage building on the bay.
Pub · Yallingup
Caves House Hotel
A historic 1903 hotel and pub near Yallingup beach.
Pub · Broad ArrowHidden gem
Broad Arrow Tavern
A tin-roofed outback pub, one of few buildings left of a once-big gold town.
- Roadhouse
Roadhouse · Mundrabilla
Mundrabilla Roadhouse
Small Nullarbor roadhouse with a mini wildlife park of emus and camels.
- Roadhouse
Roadhouse · Cocklebiddy
Cocklebiddy Roadhouse
Nullarbor roadhouse and gateway to the Eyre Bird Observatory.
Places to stay
- Campground
Campground · BroomeHidden gem
Cape Leveque and Kooljaman
Beach and bush camping at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, with a cafe and tents.
- Campground
Campground · Esperance
Lucky Bay campground, Cape Le Grand
Camp by the white-sand bay where kangaroos nap on the beach, 55 km east of Esperance.
- Glamping
Glamping · Cape Leveque (Dampier Peninsula)
Kooljaman at Cape Leveque
Aboriginal-owned beach camp and safari tents at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, red cliffs over turquoise sea.
- Campground
Campground · East Kimberley
Walardi campground, Purnululu
Remote bush camp for exploring the Bungle Bungle domes, reached by a rough 53 km 4WD track.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Coral Bay
Coral Bay holiday park beachfront camping
Park a few steps from Ningaloo Reef, where you can snorkel from the beach and meet turtles.
- Campground
Campground · BroomeHidden gem
Middle Lagoon
A calm lagoon and basic camp on the Dampier Peninsula.
- Campground
Campground · CarnarvonHidden gem
Quobba Station coastal camping
Cheap, wind-battered station camps along a wild coast near the Quobba Blowholes, north of Carnarvon.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Margaret River region
Hamelin Bay holiday park
Beach camp where wild stingrays glide into the shallows to be hand-fed with fish scraps.
- Campground
Campground · Kimberley (Gibb River Road)
Windjana Gorge campground
Basic national park camp beside a limestone gorge full of freshwater crocodiles, in the western Kimberley.
Campground · WalpoleHidden gem
Fernhook Falls campground
Nine tent sites and two bunk huts beside a small waterfall in karri forest near Walpole.
- Campground
Campground · Shark BayHidden gem
Big Lagoon campground
Twelve sand sites by a turquoise lagoon in Francois Peron National Park, 22 km of soft sand from Denham.
- Campground
Campground · Shark BayHidden gem
Bottle Bay campground
Fifteen beach sites in three loops at the northern end of Peron peninsula, with a day-use area on the water.
- Campground
Campground · Exmouth
Tulki Beach campground
Eleven reverse-in sites by Cape Range's Mandu sanctuary zone, the closest camp to Turquoise Bay.
Campground · Purnululu National Park
Kurrajong campground, Purnululu
About 100 unpowered sites in the north of the Bungle Bungles, near Echidna Chasm and Mini Palms Gorge.
- Campground
Campground · Cape Arid National ParkHidden gem
Thomas Fishery campground
Three very basic free sites at an old 1870s whaling station, with southern right whales close in.
- Campground
Campground · Mitchell River National Park
Mitchell Falls campground
A big camp near Mertens Creek, the base for the walk to Mitchell Falls, run with the Traditional Owners.
- Campground
Campground · Gibb River RoadHidden gem
Mount Elizabeth Station
Working cattle station with camping about 30 km north of the road, near Wunnamurra and Warla gorges.
- Campground
Campground · CarnarvonHidden gem
Gnaraloo Station camp
A remote surf and turtle coast station stay, with big swells and few people.
- Campground
Campground · Exmouth
Osprey Bay campground (Cape Range)
National park campground right by the Ningaloo lagoon.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · BroomeHidden gem
Eighty Mile Beach
Long beach with shell piles, bird life and a camp.
- Glamping
Glamping · Tom Price
Karijini Eco Retreat
Eco tents and camping near the main gorges, run by Indigenous partners.
Holiday park · WalpoleHidden gem
Coalmine Beach holiday park, Walpole
Holiday park on Nornalup Inlet in tingle forest country, a short drive from Walpole.
- Campground
Campground · EsperanceHidden gem
Cape Arid camping at Thomas River
A remote coastal camp east of Esperance with empty beaches and granite headlands.
- Campground
Campground · Stirling Range National ParkHidden gem
Moingup Springs campground, Stirling Range
Quiet bush camp at the base of Bluff Knoll, the south-west's highest peak.
Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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