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Dunsborough
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Kings Park and Botanic Garden / Kaarta Koomba
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Cottesloe Beach, Perth
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Margaret River Region
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Fremantle / Walyalup
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Rottnest Island / Wadjemup
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Rottnest Island / Wadjemup
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Mandurah Giants
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Bunbury / Goomburrup
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Ngligi Cave
The southwest coastal strip between Perth and the Margaret River Region is one of the most rewarding drives Australia has to offer. Unfalteringly scenic with its sweeping white sands and jade waters, it’s lined with back-to-back sights, from the cosmopolitan cityscape to forest-clad vineyards and jewel-like satellite islands.
Here’s the ultimate route for exploring this corner of Western Australia on four wheels – whether you’re a first-time visitor or back to discover something new.
Start in Perth: four to five days
Coastal living & city culture
All that glitters isn’t gold in Perth / Boorloo, it’s the sleek high rises of the CBD – though it does still have its own working mint. A city that unthinkingly blends coastal living with urban culture, here you can go from watching a musical in a beautiful old theatre to the mesmerising Indian Ocean sunsets of Cottesloe Beach in the same day. Its laidback vibe is complemented by one of the biggest inner-city parks in the world, Kings Park & Botanic Garden / Kaarta Koomba; from here, there’s no better vantage point over the CBD skyline and boat-studded river. With the ocean to the west and the Swan River / Derbarl Yerrigan through its heart, there are bountiful opportunities in Perth for unhurried waterside lunches (you won’t regret ordering the seafood at the classically elegant Gibney at Cottesloe, particularly the spaghetti with western rock lobster, kombu butter, garlic, chilli and bisque).
Swan Valley wine & produce
30 minutes northeast from your Perth base are the cellar doors and producers of the Swan Valley. It was here in 1829 that WA’s first vines were planted, making it one of Australia’s oldest wine regions. Expect multi-generational, family-run boutique wineries that produce small-batch favourites, as well as pioneering techniques to take Australian winemaking into a sustainable new age. The Mediterranean-style climate here lends itself not just to winemaking but food production, with local artisanal makers proffering cheese and chocolate, alongside exciting new brewers and distillers. Feed body then soul with a gallery visit; the 4.5-hectare Gomboc Sculpture Park is a standout, as is Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery and the studios of local blacksmiths, potters and furniture makers. Time allowing, it’s also a delightful spot for a river cruise.
Fremantle day trip
Also pleasingly closeby at just a 30-minute drive south, yet offering a different vibe to Perth entirely, is Fremantle / Walyalup, whose maritime history is as ever-present as the salt on the breeze. As Western Australia’s oldest port, it’s deeply entwined with convict history, with the 1850, National Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison giving an insight into the era. Many go for the grand Victorian streets and heritage charm, but linger for the quirky culture shaped by local markets, craft breweries, street art and the so-called ‘Cappuccino Strip’. The boardwalk packs old-school seaside appeal (complete with a ferris wheel nearby), perfect for a stroll with an ice cream while spotting yachts amid the fishing boats in the harbour. Come lunch, don’t miss Little Creatures brewery for wood-fired pizzas and pale ale straight from the tanks.
Rottnest Island
A quick ferry ride from the mainland (30 minutes from Fremantle, or 90 from Perth), Rottnest Island / Wadjemup is an easy add-on for a taste of idyllic island life off-the-road. In fact, there are no cars here at all, with exploring undertaken on foot or astride a bicycle. While you may be getting back to basics, the customer service is excellent; you’ll be greeted warmly with a smile from the native quokkas (these wallaby-type marsupials are not called the ‘happiest animal on earth’ for nothing). There’s a bounty of bays and beaches here, each one different from the next, whether the popular Pinky Beach – one of the widest on the island, prefaced by rolling sand dunes – or the untouched Little Armstrong Bay, sheltered by dramatic rockfaces on both sides. Walking and cycling tracks lace all over the island, inviting you to discover old military sites and lighthouses. The dining scene is surprisingly diverse here, with everything from on-the-go bakery treats to waterfront fine dining.
The drive south: Perth to the Margaret River Region
Coastal stops worth the detour
Heading south from Perth, your first stop is a little under an hour from the city. It is here in Mandurah / Mandjoogoordap you could be forgiven for wondering if you’ve been on the road for too long, as Danish sculpture artist Thomas Dambo’s enchantingly whimsical wooden ‘giant’ sculptures loom largely from the sands and the forest. Lace up your walking shoes to discover all six, each crafted from reclaimed materials. An hour further is Bunbury / Goomburrup, where bottlenose dolphins can be spotted near the beach at Koombana Bay. Another 45 minutes and you’re in postcard-perfect Busselton / Undalup, loved for its iconic jetty, one of the longest wooden piers in the world (you can take the train all the way to the end). Back in the car for half an hour to Yallingup; this famous surf spot is well worth setting some time aside for with its impossibly clear lagoon and ancient Ngilgi Cave.
Where to eat along the way
The Crooked Carrot in Myalup (between Mandurah and Bunbury), is as charming as it sounds; this family-run farm café, with a converted Melbourne tram, sits amid paddocks and gum trees and serves farm-fresh dishes alongside bakery favourites, flowers and gifts. The nearby Miami Bakehouse offers dining on the lawn with 16 life-sized kangaroo sculptures, each painted by a Western Australian artist, watching over you as you shower yourself in crumbs from a gourmet pie (whether garlic prawn or ginger chilli pork). Busselton’s Shelter Brewing Co, founded by self-confessed ‘beer nerds’, promises paddles and pizzas as well as some local seafood – a prawn bun with cocktail sauce will fuel you up nicely for the drive ahead. Also in Busselton is The Goose, where woodfired cooking is the hero, with local beef, market fish and 48-hour-cultured pizza dough all getting the hot coal treatment. Close by, a taste of Italy awaits in Abbey at Claudio Bakehouse; the owner here frequented Margaret River Farmers Markets before opening his own patisserie selling filled focaccias, Pinsa Romana with prosciutto, potatoes and stracciatella, and brioche feuilletée with raspberries and chocolate.
Scenic experiences en route
Did you know WA is the wildflower capital of Australia? There are more than 12,000 species here, more than anywhere in the world, and they’re at their most spectacular from September through November when feathery golden wattle, cone-like banksias and orchids blanket roadsides and parklands. Stop to admire them on a coastal walk, an invigorating way to stretch your legs between drives. You’ll be spoilt for choice; there’s the clifftop Cape to Cape Track from Cape Naturaliste to Leeuwin, Canal Rocks near Yallingup, and the Inji Point Loop at Injidup, to name just a few. Take in the fresh air and ocean views from Bunbury’s Marlston Hill Lookout, on the site of the original Bunbury Lighthouse, or the iconic Busselton Jetty. Where raw nature is found, wildlife follows: spot dolphins from the Mandurah Estuary Foreshore, or seasonal humpback whales in Busselton between June and August.
Margaret River Region & Pemberton: four to five days
Wine, food & local flavours
You’ve arrived in one of Australia’s most celebrated food and wine regions, with more than 200 vineyards: so, where to begin? Where it all started is as good a place as any. Vasse Felix, Margaret River’s founding winery, offers tastings, tours, and fine dining at its two-chef-hatted restaurant, acclaimed for its modern dishes that champion local produce (the tasting menu takes you from fresh, citrusy kingfish crudo to earthy beef and beetroot). Experiential elements like art installations are a theme across the estates; at Vasse Felix, the original winery building has been reimagined a gallery with a seasonal program of exhibitions, while Leeuwin Estate showcases some 150 works, many specially commissioned. The winery, in its third generation of family ownership, offers an art, wine and three-course farm-to-fork dining experience at its three-hatted restaurant. Explore further at Voyager Estate, Wills Domain and Ampersand Estate, with the beachfront ilma Beach House and sashimi at Miki’s Open Kitchen recommended for a memorable lunch. Don’t miss the Margaret River Farmers’ Market come Saturday, where the region’s producers and artisans sell everything from cheeses to freshly baked bread and colourful flowers, and stop for organic olive oil and artisanal gifts from the 320-acre Olio Bello estate.
Nature & adventure
This pocket of Australia is uniquely beautiful, with its rugged limestone cliffs carved by the hands of time, crystal-clear bays juxtaposed with crashing surf, emerald forests, powdery sand coves, ancient caves and wildflower-carpeted heathlands. Embrace every facet on your explorations, starting with Ngligi Cave; here, shrouded in native bushland, this otherworldly underground cavern awes with its stalactites and stalagmites shaped over thousands of years, and captivates with the stories and sounds of Koomal Dreaming’s Didgeridoo experience. Take to the treetops on a zipline or high ropes course at the Pemberton Aerial Adventure, and the nearby Gloucester Tree Climb. The 12-hectare Manjimup Heritage Park promises a happy day for all ages, with its three onsite museums – including a recreated historic hamlet – forest-clad walking trails and barbecue areas. Gain first-hand insight into local Aboriginal tradition and try your hand at beach fishing with a Wadandi cultural custodian.
Relaxation & slow travel
After savouring the finer things in life at the region’s wineries, take a holistic approach to indulgence with a boutique stay nearby. Yallingup’s Cape Lodge is a standout; set across 40 acres of parkland, this luxury lakeside estate invites sunset walks amid its country-style rooms, ornamental lakes and an outdoor pool. The jewel in its crown is the two-chef-hatted restaurant, where seasonal dishes like Wagin duck with spinach and blood plum are led by availability from the kitchen garden and nearby farms. For spa lovers, the oceanside Injidup Spa Retreat awaits with a scented oil embrace. There are just 10 villas here, each with its own heated plunge pool, which adds to the feeling of exclusivity (especially if you enlist the resort’s chef to cook a private three-course meal for you).
Relaxation is also at the forefront of the experience at Pullman Bunker Bay Resort, where an award-winning day spa takes its inspiration from the bush and the beach. Days beside the infinity-edge pool are followed by evenings at the oceanfront restaurant and bar, warmed by a crackling stone fireplace in the cooler months. Head out of the resort to join the renowned Cape to Cape Track; whether you have a day to dedicate or can only complete a short section, you’ll be revived by the rugged coastal beauty, amplified during wildflower or whale-watching season.
Discover Western Australia
All images: ©Tourism Western Australia.
