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There's a reason why Australia is known as "the Great Southern Land"- it's a massive, beautiful country that has so much to offer. However, when most people think to visit, they only picture the bustling east coast cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. I don't blame them because before I moved to Perth, I barely even knew anything about the other side. Somewhat of a hidden gem, Western Australia will forever be one of my favourite places on the planet. It's vast, wild and beautiful- a place where the red dirt of the outback meets the turquoise Indian ocean and the jagged coastline stretches for kilometres. It's the epitome of freedom. In this blog post, I'll share my unforgettable trip through Western Australia, main stops, things to see and tips so that you can head there yourself.
Back in March, I went a 10 day long camping trip through Western Australia, which was ultimately one of the most magical experiences of my life. This was a uni trip, so for a change, I traveled with a bunch of other people. We had amazing guides come with us from Australia Adventure Travel, who went from total strangers to good friends in a matter of days. Each day was spent driving through the outback, stopping in multiple places along the way to explore the pristine beaches, forests and desert that make up Western Australia. I don't think I've ever learned so much at once- from geography, history, and indigenous culture. It was worldschooling at its finest as we learned by retracing the steps of the first Europeans who landed in Australia 400 years earlier, rescuing a wedge tailed eagle (Australia's largest bird of prey) from the side of the road, listening to stories from the Dreamtime while driving through the Aussie bush, and more. So many timeless moments will remain forever etched in my mind, and I'll never forget all the nights spent watching shooting stars at the beach while the warm Indian ocean water lapped at my feet. The Route
*We slept in tents the entire trip, but you can sleep in your campervan or even book accommodation depending on what type of experience you want. Also, just an FYI, internet is pretty spotty up North. I only got service for short periods of time each day, usually while passing through the small mining towns. Great for social media detox :)
Checklist of must-have items for the road:
Day 1: Dynamite Bay & Geraldton
The first stop on our great big trip was Dynamite Bay, a stunning beach along Western Australia's Coral Coast, 3 hours north of Perth along the Indian Ocean Drive. The water is sooo clear, and the area is sheltered from wind thanks to the surrounding bluffs. This was our first lunch break spot, as there are picnic tables and bathroom facilities available. A few hours later, we pulled into Geraldton, which is a cute coastal town whose main source of income is fishing and tourism. We spent that first night at Northbrook Farmstay in Northhampton, which is a local Aussie farm that gives visitors the opportunity to experience daily life on a farm and hang out with some donkeys and horses. I loved walking around the dirt roads that surround the farm and got to photograph one of my best sunsets yet.
Day 2: Kalbarri
After waking up at the crack of dawn and eating breakfast at the farm, we drove to Kalbarri National Park. The roads that lead to the park are where the red dirt of Australia's bushland meets the turquoise Indian ocean and stretches for kilometres. It is so incredible. Upon arrival at the National Park, we parked the caravans on the cliff and followed the trails that hugged the coastline. Then we left the ocean behind and drove further inland to hike part of Nature's Window. It gets extremely hot during the day, so we weren't able to hike for long. It's only recommended to complete the hike if you are adequately prepared and leave early. The canyons were fun to climb, and from the top, it felt like we were the only people in the whole world.
We spent this night at a campsite in Shark Bay, just meters from a remote beach where we heard the Indian ocean lapping at the shore all night. I'll always remember jumping in the water at sunset and sitting on the sand watching the stars light up the Southern hemisphere.
Day 3: Monkey Mia We camped by the beach in Nanga Bay for two nights to explore Monkey Mia and its surrounding areas. Situated on the coastline of Shark Bay, Monkey Mia is a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike. Here, you can camp, swim, take a boat tour and watch Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins get fed (or feed them yourself if you're lucky), as they swim right up the shore. This began following a tradition that started in the 1960's when the local fisherman started feed the dolphins fish they'd caught. Since then, researchers have been studying, feeding and maintaining the welfare of the dolphins. They are completely wild, and precautions are taken to ensure they do not get stressed or conditioned to being fed by humans. For this reason, a few mature female dolphins are fed in the mornings. If chosen by volunteers, guests have the opportunity to feed a dolphin. You can book at the Discovery Centre or online. (Tickets cost $5 for children, $15 for adults & $35 for families). I absolutely loved Monkey Mia, as there is so much wildlife and natural beauty and dolphins are one of my favourite animals.
We went on a boat tour on the Aristocat 2, which was docked right by the dolphin feeding area. It cost us around $60 per person for around 2 hrs of boating. Click here for more info. They had free water on board and the staff was lovely, constantly answering questions and explaining the wildlife around us. We saw entire pods of dolphins, turtles and even dugongs. Then on our way back to shore, we got to sit in boom nets and get dragged through the water which was a lot of fun. When in the area, I also recommend checking out Shell Beach, which is a pristine beach that has a high salinity concentration and is full of white seashells, and Eagles Bluff, which is a beautiful hike along the coast where we spotted Nervous Sharks and turtles from the clifftop.
Days 4 & 5: Coral Bay
On the road to Coral Bay we stopped at Hamelin Pool (one of two places in the world where you can see stromatolites, which are the longest living fossils on Earth) and Carnarvon, which is an agricultural town that produces most of Australia's fruit. About 4 hours later, we arrived at Coral Bay. The water is so insanely clear, and only gets more blue throughout the day. We stayed at People's Park, which is a caravan park a few minutes from the beach with a great bathroom facility. Boats leave from the beach everyday to take visitors on a variety of tours to swim with whale sharks, manta rays, etc. As I'd already swam with whale sharks, I just spent a day relaxing and swimming at the beach and had a great time. One of my fondest memories from the road is an evening at Coral Bay: while we were eating dinner, this little kangaroo just hopped right by us right as the sun was setting and the sky turned this magnificent shade of orange. Unfortunately I barely took any photos here (the few I snapped are just quick iPhone shots) but I hardly regret it because the place is worth undivided attention. Days 6, 7 & 8: Karijini National Park We drove through the small mining town of Tom Price to arrive at Karijini National Park, where we stayed for about 3 days before driving down through the Tropic of Capricorn to Kumarina. Karijini is part of Australia's beautiful Pilbara region and is one of my ultimate favourite places in the world. Wild and secluded, the air is just different, and you can feel the magnitude of the ancient land you're walking on. Australia is Aboriginal Land, and much of Karijini is sacred to its traditional custodians. Go with an open heart and mind and remember to always respect the land and customs when you're out there. Spirituality is big in Aboriginal culture, and I was fascinated by the stories I was told. Upon arrival, one of our guides Craig stepped out of the caravan, grabbed a handful of dirt and blew into it, creating a cloud of red dust. He explained to us later that he was introducing us to the spirits of the land. The next day, we were hiking through a hidden gorge Aboriginal elders had given our guides permission to allow us to enter, and a crow watched us the entire time we were down there. Right as we were leaving, the crow flew off. Our guide Rainbow told us how in Aboriginal culture, crows are seen as spiritual siblings that protect and watch over the environment, and must have been doing just that while we explored the area. My top tip if you're traveling in any season other than winter is to wake up early and go hiking around 7-10am because it gets too hot to do anything but swim in the gorges after that. The main ones we visited are Fortescue Falls, Fern Pool, Joffre Gorge, Dales Gorge. I can't really even pick a favourite as they were all great. There are a couple of "secret spots" we visited that I am not going to share the location of out of respect to the Aboriginal community. So to sum it up, Fortescue Falls and Fern pool are closest to the campsite (about a 20 minute walk) and are easiest to access. There are stairs going down to Fortescue Falls, and Fern Pool is only a 5 minute walk along a path from there. Joffre Gorge is about a half an hour drive and a bit of a scramble to access as it's split into 2 sections with a rock wall separating them, which must be climbed carefully. Then there's Dale's Gorge which takes you on a beautiful hike to get there, and has a lot of cool surrounding spots to discover.
Camping in Karijini is pretty hardcore since there's minimal utilities. Apparently there is finally indoor plumbing at the campsite, but when we were there the toilets were simply a toilet seat with a straight hole into the ground. However, there is a nice visitor's center about a 15 minute drive from the campsite with regular bathrooms, a souvenir shop and mini museum. Regarding wet clothes, we hung everything on tree branches and they dried in less than an hour each time. Karijini also has a lot of beautiful and unique wildlife (including spiders), but as long as you respect everything, you will be fine.
Quick tip, make sure to keep your food locked away during the day to prevent dingoes from getting to it.
Day 9: Meekathara & Walga Rock
This was a big drive day. From Kumarina, we drove through the small towns of Newman and Meekathara, which have large indigenous populations and saw an influx of people in the 1900s due to the Gold Rush. We then ate lunch at and explored Walga Rock, which has significance to the Aboriginal people and is the second largest monolith in Australia, after Uluru. However, unlike Uluru, it is okay to climb Walga Rock. The climb looks really steep and difficult, but it is actually quite easy to reach the top, and there are small grooves in the rock. The views are incredible from the top. Additionally, there are ancient cave drawings that can be seen at ground level, which are said to depict European ships that reached the Western Australian coast in the 17th century.
Day 10: Drive Back to Perth!
That's a wrap for this guide! Western Australia is truly one of the most special corners of the planet, and I plan to discover much more of it soon. I hope this guide was helpful and has given you new places to add to your bucketlist. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
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AuthorYasmine is NYC born, world raised storyteller who shares the stories of the people and places of the world. Categories
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February 2022
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