A Travellers Guide to the South West - Perth to Esperance
The South West offers just about everything a traveller could hope to find. We could have spent months exploring this region alone and I’m sure you too will feel the same, once you land foot in Western Australia’s South West. Spanning from giant forests to white sandy beaches, you’re sure to fall in love with this region.
Rottnest Island
We spent three months living and working on Rottnest in late autumn and although the days began to get much cooler, we still found so much beauty around the island.
1. The Basin
The Basin is the perfect spot to spend some time snorkelling in the crystal clean blues. Only a 10 minute walk from town, this beach is a great place to spend the day if you haven’t opted to hire a bike whilst on the island.
TIP* As with most other tourist spots, it can become busy quite quickly, especially if your visiting in peak season, so make sure you get there nice and early.
2. Geordie Bay
Dotted with small units over looking the beach below, Geordie Bay makes you feel like you’ve just landed in Europe. We spent many afternoons riding from town to the lookout at the Western end of the bay and back. This ride takes you along the coast line, past the previously mentioned beaches/bays. Only a 20 minute ride there and back again, this is a route that I highly recommend.
3. Little Salmon Bay
Located on the Southern side of the island, Little Salmon Bay is definitely one of the better snorkelling spots. It is a distance from town so you can get there by either riding or jumping on one of the shuttle buses. The distance makes for one of the more secluded spots on the island, so if you don’t love crowds, a morning here would be well spent.
TIP* Make sure you check the wind direction as this spot is best visited on a northerly wind.
The best way to get around the island quickly and freely is definitely on a bike. You can hire bikes from Pedal and Flipper. The shop is located close to the ferry so you can walk there upon arrival. There are multiple ferry companies, but if you decide to head over with Rottnest Express, you can also hire a bike from them, or you can opt to bring your own. Bike hire ranges from about $30 - $50 a day and the ferry is minimum $160 return for 2 adults and $40 for a child (age 4-12). These prices do vary day to day, depending on the season and ferry you ride with.
If your not up to riding a bike you can also opt to jump on the shuttle bus. Leaving from behind the general store, the buses stop at each location around the island every 20 minutes. Of course there are plenty of other stunning beaches to explore around the island, these are just a few of my favourites.
Margaret River Region
1. Yallingup
Located 30 minutes North of the town of Margaret River and 3 hours from Perth, Yallingup is home to a plethora of beautiful coves, beaches and rock pools. This is a region you can not miss.
A couple of my absolute favourite beaches were Little Meelup/Meelup Beach and Smiths Beach. Meelup is the perfect place to spend the day relaxing by the water and has a couple of more secluded spots if you follow the walking track south about 50 meters. Smiths beach is the ideal location if you are into surfing and would be perfect for a morning walk as the beach stretches a fair distance along the coast.
If you feel like spending the day floating in a rock pool, two of my favourite rocks pools were The Aquarium and Injidup Spa Pools. The Aquarium is definitely the more secluded of the two, as a track takes you about 15 minutes north along the coast before you reach the pools. If you decide to check out the Injidup Spa Pools, there are two main pools to choose from, one located to the north and one west, both equally as beautiful in their own way.
The Cape to Cape Track stretches along the coastline and although we didn’t complete the entire walk, even just doing a couple of sections allowed us to experience some the most breathtaking views.
2. Boranup Forest
Only a 20 minute drive south from the town of Margaret River lies the Boranup Forest, known for its densely populated karri trees, some towering over 60m in height. If you're looking for a quick visit and just passing through, the windy bitumen road (Caves Road) passes straight through the forest, (from Margaret River to Augusta) and has to be one of the most beautiful drives I've done in Australia. On the other hand, if you are wanting to do some more exploring and adventuring, I highly recommend taking a detour onto Boranup Drive. Many of the walks and campgrounds will be found along this drive, and although the road is gravel, it can still be accessed by 2wd cars, just be wary of corrugations and pot holes every now and then!
We stayed at Boranup Campground for 2 nights and absolutely loved being able to spend some time amongst the beautiful forest. However, if you only have time to check out the area for the day, I highly recommend visiting in the early morning, as its not so busy and the morning golden glow will be beaming in through the forest.
3. Hamelin Bay
Located 30 minutes south of Margaret River, Hamelin Bay is a must see spot in the South West. This beautiful location is know for two things, the friendly rays that your sure to spot only meters off the sand and the jagged cliff faces that look out to the ocean. I recommend spending a sunset at this spot to experience the glow against the cliff faces, and an early morning if you are hoping to spot some rays.
Albany
In my opinion, Albany has to be one of the most stunning areas I've ever visited in Australia. The whole coastline of Albany is filled with unreal beaches, walks and sights that would absolutely blow your mind. The weather here can be quite unpredictable, but when its good, its unlike any place you've seen! Here's a list of some of my fav destinations we saw in Albany.
Two Peoples Bay
Two peoples Bay is a nature reserve, approximately 35km east along the coastline from Albany, and is home to two of my all time favourite beaches. Starting with Little Beach, famously known for its 2 big boulders which sit on the shoreline, this spot will leave your jaw falling to the floor. Its turquoise crystal clear waters accompanied by the whitest sand will make you feel like you're in an absolute paradise. But it doesn't stop there, if you make your way to the southern end of the beach, you'll find a little hidden track. The five minute sand track walk will take you through bushland and to a whole other paradise, making you feel like youve just landed in Europe. Here you will find a small secluded hidden gem called Waterfall Beach. If you're looking for a more private beach to escape the crowds, I highly recommend checking out this spot. In my opinion, it's just as, or arguable more beautiful than little beach, especially when you have it all to yourself!
Frenchman Bay
Just south of Albany you'll find this awesome little spot called Frenchman Bay. If you're looking for a beach to relax, swim, snorkel in calm flat waters then this spot is just perfect. The shallow turquoise waters here are protected from the winds and are most of the time always waveless. Depending on when in the year you're visiting you might even get to see a few whales in this bay on their migration.
Some other breathtaking spots that we unfortunately did not get to see due to bad weather conditions were Misery Beach and the beautiful Bald Head Walk Trail. Ive heard very good things about them both and Misery Beach was also voted Australia's Best Beach in 2022, so although I didn't get to see it myself I would still highly recommend taking a visit!
Denmark
Another stunning place we visited from our time on the south west was the beautiful little town of Denmark, a 4 and half hour drive from Perth. Two of my absolute favourite spots here were Greens pool and Elephant Rocks, situated in William Bay National Park.
1. Elephant Rocks
Obtaining its name from the enormous boulders that scatter along this bay, almost looking like a herd of elephants, Elephant Rocks is yet another beach along this pitch perfect coastline that will take your breath away. Take the short walk to see the boulders from above, or you can opt to take a small set of stairs that lead down to the beach, which is perfect for a relaxing swim or snorkel.
2. Greens Pool
Just around the corner you will find the pristine Greens Pool. This beach/coastline is also scattered with slightly smaller granite boulders that make up the 'pool' and is the perfect place to go for a swim in the calm waters due to its protection from the Great Southern Ocean.
Esperance
As there are so many beautiful places to explore in Esperance, I have decided to write a seperate blog post about the region. My ESPERANCE GUIDE will be coming very soon. You can sign up to my mailing list to be notified when my Esperance Travel Guide is released.
