Highlights, lowlights and all the in-between.
June & July 2019 - 21 days
As I sit here with my cup of coffee, the morning I’ve landed back in Sydney waiting to get back to reality and routine I am reflecting on the wonderful adventure Josh (J) and I have just encountered up the West Coast of Australia, specifically from Perth to Broome and back down to Fremantle. This piece notes how we went about our trip, where we stayed, how long I would recommend in each of these places as well as some must dos and some things to note/avoid. So grab a cuppa and enjoy x
The Why Not Bus
After much deliberation, cost and time analysis, J and I decided that the most beneficial way for us to see everything we wanted to up the West Coast in the three-week period we had was to do a tour. Although in an ideal world we would have loved our own camper van, it was not economical or time efficient. The petrol cost is high and we would have either had to sacrifice time to drive the camper van back to its pick up or fork out more money for a one-way fee.
We did our research, and unlike the East Coast there are not a huge number of different tours in the West. We found the Why Not Bus and instantly noted that the itinerary included everything we’d hoped to see. So we booked on - it was brilliant and certainly the right decision for our circumstances. However, if we had longer I would definitely chose to do it by ourselves as there are some places I feel you need longer to explore in.
PERTH. Coming from Sydney, Perth was a bit of a shock - it seemed more like a ghost town rather than a city but it is very picturesque. You do not need long here, 3 days maximum (excluding Fremantle).
Perth’s highlight for me had to be King’s Park - if you think Sydney’s botanical gardens are special, you will be blown away by Perths vast version. Do not let the steep steps put you off, the views from the top are phenomenal.
If visiting Perth, I would argue you are better off staying in Fremantle (see end of post) as there is much more going on in this city and you can still access Perth’s gardens easily.
Whilst in Perth other places worth visiting include Rottnest Island - famous for Quokka’s (the world’s smiliest creatures) and Penguin Island - self explanatory. Unfortunately we did not make it to Penguin Island due to it being their breeding season. We did however, go to Rottnest Island but we left this for when we were staying in Fremantle post the West Coast road trip as the ferry journey is much quicker.
THE PINNACLES. Day one on the Whynot bus we set off to see The Pinnacles Desert. This is a place you may have seen many photos of but until you go there you cannot appreciate it fully. The way the limestone has formed it so bizarre and the desert almost has a slightly eery feel to it. Definitely not somewhere to miss.
We set up camp not far from the Pinnacle Desert, next to Jurien Bay so that those of us who wished could get up early and swim with sea-lions. This swim set us back $70 and for that price I would certainly do it again.
If you have swam with the wild dolphins in Kaikoura, do not expect the same level of interaction - rather than 400 wild dolphins, there were about 4 sea-lions at any time but they came up very close - some even touch you, kiss you and almost hug you, especially if swimming alone. Obviously, like any wild creature you are to respect them and therefore cannot touch them yourselves but if they come up to your body that is okay.
We were lucky that only 7 of us chose to do this activity and therefore the interaction was wonderful. I had no idea how sweet sea lions were prior to this swim. The photos and videos taken by the company were also sent out to us free of charge - definitely the most economical experience of the trip.
GERALDTON & PINK LAKE. After our morning swim with the sea lions we headed to the seaside town of Geraldton for lunch. The pictures speak for themselves and had J and I been travelling this route alone without a time frame I would have liked to have spent longer here.
After a relaxing hour or so and post our wraps (we ate these every day for lunch and let me tell you I am missing them dearly) we ventured on to The Pink Lake. I was so excited for this but unfortunately the weather was not on our side and therefore the lake was not still, hence not as pink as it usually is. It was still worth the visit but if I ever get the chance again I would definitely like to go back on a sunny day and see it in its full glory.
KALBARRI NATIONAL PARK. Unfortunately the forecasted storm came in full force for our overnight stay in Kalbarri, forcing us to abandoned our tents for the night and set up base in a hostel - albeit I was not complaining having a flushing toilet and hot shower.
This did however mean that we did not enter the national park until the late afternoon. This turned out to be a blessing - we arrived at Natures Window alone (apparently it is rare not to be surrounded by other tourists) and half way through our photoshoot the sun graced us with its presence. Seeing this beautiful, natural scenery go from dark and grey, to sunny and bright was just stunning and something I wont forget in a hurry.
It is a shame we did not get to experience any more hikes within Kalbarri National Park but I still left on a huge high and admiring the beauty around me.
SHARK BAY and MONKEY MIA. Shark Bay - what a place. Full of marine life, stunning beaches and beaming sun! We spent a few hours at Shell beach - a beach with the bluest of waters and full of shells (no sand - heaven for people like me who find sand VERY annoying). Having all completed our shell-throwing photoshoots we carried on to a beautiful lookout point and then to Monkey Mia where we’d spend the night in luxury at Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort.
That evening we set off on a sunset cruise around Shark Bay, which looking back was one of my favourite moments of the road trip. Whilst a sunset at sea is always hard to beat anyway, it was topped off by being joined by a pod of wild dolphins who swam alongside us.
However, the next morning was one of controversy and one I’d dreaded from the start. We got up early to visit the local dolphins who come up to shore every morning as they are fed a few fish. After deliberating whether to go or not I decided I would to see what they had to say. It is not ethical.
However, I was pleased to hear that they only now feed two dolphins and they claim they will not start feeding any new ones so eventually dolphins will no longer be fed. They explained that when they had started doing this that (obviously) it had negative affects - notably the adults were not feeding meaning their young were not learning how to catch fish and therefore wouldn’t survive if they carried on this way. Due to these findings, each of the two dolphins only got given three fish which means although there are a couple of viewings a day, the dolphins continue to catch their own fish throughout the day and therefore teach their young basic life survival skills.
If like me you very passionate about animals lives then I would probably give Monkey Mia a miss and concentrate on the other spectacularly beautiful parts that Shark Bay has to offer.
CORAL BAY. Our first stop along the Ningaloo Reef and a heavenly one at that. Staying at the Caravan Park situated next to the beach this was a lovely little spot. We stayed here for two nights but if we had been travelling independently I think we could have stayed for double that time frame.
We arrived around midday and spent the first day relaxing on the beach and checking out the local bakery before enjoying the sunset and having a bbq.
Day two we went on an excursion to find some Manta Wrays. These creatures are utterly majestic. The one we got to see today was actually an all-black one (very rare to see) and pregnant. Sadly however, the visibility in the water was not amazing today so it wasn’t until she came quite close to the surface that we got to have a good look at her. For the $135 we paid it was certainly worth it nonetheless.
EXMOUTH and CAPE RANGE. 10 out of 10. Wow. Exmouth is a lovely little surf haven town also located on the Ningaloo Reef. We spent 3 nights in total here and I could easily have spent another. Our first day was spent at one of Exmouth’s best beaches for surfing and then an afternoon hike in Cape Range followed by camping near the lighthouse - a superb place to visit for sunset and one of the few places around Cape Range with signal should you need.
Our following two nights were spent at a hostel. On day two we explored more of Cape Range, beginning with a hike, a swim and nap at Turquoise Bay and then we went back to the Lighthouse for photos. Turquoise Bay took my breathe away and I certainly could have spent longer there but nothing could prepare me for the excitement tomorrow would bring.
Day 3 spent in Exmouth, J and I went on one of the external excursions to swim with Whale Sharks. Seeing these magnificent creatures was a huge, if not the main reason we were doing the West Coast, along with me having a semi-mental breakdown that I hadn’t left Sydney in 5 months.
I also had the opportunity to swim with Whale-sharks in Oslob, the Philippines. Admittedly in Asia it is a fraction of the cost - about $60 compared to the $380 we paid here. However, naturally this comes at a price and it only takes one google search to realise it is completely unethical in Oslob. The whale-sharks are fed and therefore no longer migrating. Some people argue that the animals are not harmed because they are not allowed to be touched but that is simply untrue, alarm bells should be running once a creature no longer adopts the habits its ancestors have carried out for centuries - I urge everyone to boycott.
However, the Ningaloo Reef is known for being the best place to swim with these majestical creatures and it soon became apparent why. Before finding the whale sharks we had a practice swim, including how to enter the water quietly and were briefed how to swim around the sharks and what distance had to be kept at all times. Unfortunately, one ignorant individual on our boat did not obey the rules, therefore spooking the shark - causing it to dive (I will delve into this in another post). It goes without saying that when going on these excursions you should feel utterly blessed and not want to harm or spook the animal or its home you are entering. The crew dealt with the girl, who I hope felt utterly mortified and the rest of us luckily got to continue swimming with another shark nearby.
If swimming with Whale-sharks was not enough excitement for one day, we were also so lucky to find another Manta Ray, but this time with wonderful visibility, I spotted my first ever Reef Shark, Dugongs swam along with our boat and we saw 6 different Hump Back Whales playing in the water. It was one of those days where I had to keep pinching myself and one I will be telling people about for years and years to come.
KARIJINI. Along with the Whale Sharks, Karijini National Park drew me to the West Coast. The scenery is utterly spectacular and photos simply do not do it justice. The many walks and Gorges you can explore are simply stunning and I would not miss this off your trip (some people chose to end their West Coast trip in Exmouth and I do believe this is a big mistake).
The many natural pools we got to swim in, the waterfalls we visited and the simply striking rock formations that form the Gorges are without doubt one of the most impressive things I’ve witnessed. Karijini is a geographers and geologists dream.
It should be noted that the hikes are graded 1-5 and the 5s are quite tricky so it is important to take your time and be sensible (we had three falls in our group) but it is well worth the views. We spent two nights here but a third would have been welcomed.
With the Whynot bus you either drive back to Perth with the tour guide from here or you take a public bus on to Broome. What we were not informed about (until the day before) was that this journey actually consists of two public buses and a 7 hour wait in the middle of nowhere until 1:30am. I felt very unsafe and there were 9 of us taking this journey. I cannot bare to think what I would have felt like if I had been alone and I do think this is worth noting.
BROOME. Known for its spectacular beach and sunset, Broome did not disappoint on either front. After a hellish journey it was a welcomed scene. J and I took full advantage of the beach over the three days we spent here, with the main aim to relax before we’d be back in work within the week.
We stayed a 5 minute walk away from Cable beach and other than the Thursday Night Markets near Town Beach (which have a wonderful variety of food stalls) we didn’t venture far.
Our days consisted of strolling to the beach, tanning all day with a quick meal break at Zanders on Cable Beach (a cute little spot offering both sit down table service or takeaway next door for slightly cheaper suiting all that visit) before heading back around 4pm to shower, pick up some beers and return to the beach for sunset (drinking on Cable Beach is allowed). Heaven.
Despite the journey, I would definitely say Broome is worth a visit and I would love to return soon - although I’d obviously fly direct this time and wouldn’t mind staying for a week!
FREO. As mentioned, Fremantle is a little jewel situated not far from Perth & is where I recommend anyone to stay over Perth’s CBD. Freo, as the locals call it has a lot more atmosphere, with many cafes, bars and shops.
We had three days in Fremantle & I feel this was enough time. Having checked the weather forecast whilst we were in Broome it appeared the only day it wasn’t going to rain on Rottnest Island was Sunday and so despite landing late Saturday night we set our alarms and got the 9am ferry over to Rottnest Island.Â
Typically this was the one day I decided travel pills would not be needed - it was only a half an hour ferry ride after all. How wrong I was. Thankfully with my phobia of being sick I managed to keep it down but I did spend a lot of the day anxious about the return journey (which thankfully was incredibly calm) so I do recommend you take your pills.Â
Nonetheless, nothing was going to stop me perfecting the ‘Quokka Selfie’. Quokka’s are always smiling and I think my new favourite things. One followed J and I around for a while - a fellow camera lover and so we named him Quintin and adopted him as our son (we will have to go back and visit him soon). Of course Quokkas are wild but the ones nearest the settlement are very tame and so do come right up to you and in my case kept nibbling my green anklet which they were clearly mistaking for a leaf. However, it goes without saying - you don’t approach them too closely, they will come to you.Â
What I was not expecting however was the beautiful scenery that Rottnest has to offer. We probably spent two hours walking around - wouldn’t see people for miles and it was very calming. If you’re into hiking this would be a great spot but in order to take full advantage of this you would be forced to spend a night on the island as the last ferry leaves at 4.30pm.Â
Costing $70 for an adult return, some people think this is steep and not worth it but I would disagree and if I ever return to Perth or Fremantle, Rottnest Island would be my first excursion.Â
Unfortunately J became unwell whilst we were in Fremantle and so we didn’t venture too far. We did however spend one morning at Cottesloe beach which is worth a visit if you have the time. If we had another day I would have also have liked to have visited Scarborough for a day.Â
IS WEST BEST? I have constantly heard the phrase #WestIsBest and I can say with certainty that this trip confirmed that for me. Compared to its sister trip up the East Coast of Australia, there is less partying or socialising but it is far more spectacular, breathtaking and simply superior. I urge you to go if you get the chance.
All the love, A x