South West Edge: Perth to Esperance
≈ 1116 km · ~13.5 h driving · ideal in 9 days · 5 stops
Western Australia's bottom corner, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet: cave systems and cellar doors around Margaret River, forests of 70-metre karri trees you can climb, a granite coastline at Albany, and finally the whitest sand in Australia with kangaroos lying on it.
Photo: Unsplash
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The route at a glance
- Perth — 2 nights
- Margaret River — 2 nights
- Pemberton — 1 night
- Albany — 1 night
- Esperance — 2 nights
The stops
- 1
Perth
The world's sunniest capital. Kings Park looks over the whole city, and Rottnest Island — quokkas, no cars — is a ferry hop before you head south.
- 2
Margaret River
Two hundred cellar doors, world-class surf breaks at Prevelly, and limestone caves under the whole region. Book a driver if you intend to taste seriously.
- 3
Pemberton
Karri forest so tall it changes the light. The Gloucester Tree has metal pegs spiralling 58 m up it and you are, remarkably, allowed to climb.
- 4
Albany
Where the Anzac convoys sailed from — the National Anzac Centre is superb. The Gap and Natural Bridge take the Southern Ocean full in the face.
- 5
Esperance
Lucky Bay's sand squeaks underfoot and kangaroos sunbathe on it. The Great Ocean Drive loop west of town takes an afternoon and beats most days.
Good to know
September–November is the sweet spot — wildflowers are out and it's warm without being fierce. This is a long way: the Albany–Esperance leg alone is 480 km with almost nothing between, so fuel up and start early. Whale watching runs June–October along the south coast. Esperance's best beaches are inside Cape Le Grand National Park, which needs a park pass and, for some tracks, higher clearance.
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