Adelaide to Perth

[Gramps Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gramps]

I was wondering if anyone would be able to suggest what they found interesting between Adelaide and Perth. In November I'm planning to travel to Perth via the bitumen and come back away from it.

How long does it take to get to Perth along the highway?

The trip over is planned for 3 - 4 days, where as I will probably have 5 - 7 days for the return trip. I was thinking of Googs track for a start, but I suppose I can do that anytime so I'd like to stick to a couple of sites and tracks in WA.

So, can anyone suggest places of interest that my 9year old son and I should see on the return trip. Just the two of us, the Oztent and a few tanks of diesel.

Thanks in advance.

[TimA Member Find all posts View Profile Close TimA]

Hey Gramps,

I was planning a trip from Melbourne to South West WA some time ago but never got to go. However, I was looking at the following:

Coffin Bay in SA - this looks pretty good and is still on my radar
Following the coast from there up to Ceduna
There are a few places worth looking at on the Nullabor. (can't remember the details)
Esperance and its surrounds including Israelite Bay. Was considering going from Balladonia Road House (?) on the Nullabor to Israelite Bay to cut down on doubling back.
Following the coast from there to Perth.
Will take more than 3-4 days to do all that but you asked for options.

The South West of WA looks sensational. I had a 5 week return trip planned from Melbourne.

Tim.

[footoo Member Find all posts View Profile Close footoo]

Would strogly recommend you have a look at the Old Eyre Hwy, going west you can pick it up out of Ceduna. It is gravel but being not used too much is in pretty good nick, you can go up and down to the black top at several places plus the old abandoned cars and history of the old highway is well worth it.

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Gramps. Definitely go via Esperance, Albany, Margaret river, Pemberton etc. You will see some amazing trees and can even walk 40 metres up at at the giant trees (tingle) around Walpole??. Pemberton /Margaret river has huge Karri trees that make the trees in SA look like weeds. Margaret river is a famous surf spot with waves that dwarf 3 houses stacked on top of each other! There is a national park around Pemberton way De Est???? something where you drive through the forrest then up one mother of a sand dune that is drifting over the trees and through to the beach. The sand there is HARD! and the experiences will long live with you and your kids. Enjoy!

PS not sure if the whales will be along the bight but definitely sneak peeks at every turn in as the sea is only a few hundred metres away and always good photos.

mlc - ex sandgroper

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

PS. We drove there and back on the black a few years ago. 1.5 days driving there and 4 days back. BUT allow 8 days to see all WA has to offer in the southern region and make the most of the sights.

[KIMBOPRADO Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KIMBOPRADO]

Gramps

Agree with MLC comments - we spent a week down at Pemberton/busselton last school holidays. Beautiful part of south WA

Here tourism WA link to have a look at

http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/D...outh_West.aspx

Lake jasper is one place down there I want to go to

http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/campgrounds...operty_uid=126

Enjoy our state

Cheers

Kim

[Smithy - 120 D4D Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Smithy - 120 D4D]

I'm planning a similar trip as mlc has described in October this year with the 3 kids and wife with the tent and a very loaded up prado. The road from balladonia to the south coast and lucky bay area is part of our route plan too. We will be having 5 weeks to get from Tassie to wa and back, so should see a fair bit, but i will now keep an eye on this thread too.

[farmernz Member Find all posts View Profile Close farmernz]

wave rock is interesting, margret river is nice.

[ursos Member Find all posts View Profile Close ursos]

If you're into wildlife, check out:

Head of the Bight for whales
http://www.nullarbornet.com.au/towns/headBight.html

Eyre Bird Observatory
http://www.birdlife.org.au/visit-us/observatories/eyre

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

We will be coming back across the Nullabour in August, so keen to see others thoughts on this thread, also we will let you know what we find on our way once we get home. We have around the same time frame to get home as you 5-7 days, Also thinking Googs if we are up for it after 6 weeks on the road.


Cheers Andrew

[leachy_9 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close leachy_9]

We just did the trip from Balladonia down to Point Culver, along the beach and tracks to Israelite Bay. Then the telegraph track from Israelite Bay into Cape Arid. Great trip and arguably some the best beaches in the world. We didn't take the camper for this trip, but we didn't come across anything that would have stopped us if we had the camper (TVan).

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Great trip and arguably some the best beaches in the world. We didn't take the camper for this trip, but we didn't come across anything that would have stopped us if we had the camper (TVan).

No doubt about the beaches around there, we visited Esperance and out past Condingup 20 odd years ago and the beaches still stand out in my mind as spectacular. Kangaroo island is supposed to have Australia's best beaches but they are a pale imitation of those beaches on the WA bite.

Good to know about the camper as obviously we will have ours.

Cheers Andrew

[Gramps Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gramps]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep them coming. And the links posted are very useful.

MLC - I planned to get to Margaret River for a surf, it's been on the bucket list for a number of years.

AJ120 - I wish I had 6 weeks like you. Maybe we could leave Googs for a small PP trip in the future.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

AJ120 - I wish I had 6 weeks like you. Maybe we could leave Googs for a small PP trip in the future.

I cant really justify or afford 6 weeks, but hey I am gonna die long before I get to see all of Australia so to hell with everything else and just go! Also our last chance for a big trip with DJ as he gets into senior high school next year and we will be restricted to school holidays until we pack him of to Uni

I keep thinking about a PP googs trip, but there is also the Gawler ranges, Buckleboo stock route, My Ive and more in that area, which makes it a big trip. So many trips so little time and money

Cheers Andrew

[fishfinder Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close fishfinder]

If keen on surfing Margaret River I would suggest starting on the South Coast like Ocean Beach in Denmark then Lights Beach then Peaceful Bay just to get a bit of a taste of what you could be in for.