At the beginning of February 2020 we landed in Perth ready to explore some of Western Australia. We knew the week would be amazing but this area really is the most beaut part of Australia! This is our week trip broken down, a week summary of the trip to help with planning a Western Australia roadie & some tips for exploring Perth!

When we arrived into Perth and we had a couple days of exploring before we picked up our van and began our roadie down the west coast to Lucky Bay. Perth is a vibrant, buzzing city with lots going on (when we were here, the Perth Fringe was happening). Staying in Northbridge, at JJ’s Backpackers was a fab location. Lots of small, local restaurants and eateries, as well as quirky retail stores. The vintage shop down William street is always worth a browse and food wise, make sure you check out Old Shanghai (also in Northbridge) for a street market selling food ranging from dumplings to burgers or curry! There’s lots of big branded shops too in the inner city like Cotton On and more, as well as good bars with some really good deals on drinks such as $8 cocktails/$5 wines and beers.

If you’re fancying getting a tan top up it’s always worth heading out to the beaches. Scarborough beach was recommended to us as a cute beach with shops and restaurants along the esplanade. We were surprised how easy and quick to get out of the city and to the beach as you just hop on the 990 and its a direct bus from the central transport terminal to beach front. Both the terminal and the beach front are the end stops for the bus route so it’s so easy to do and completely hassle free. Heads up, you need cash though to purchase your ticket on board the bus. 

We didn’t have many days in Perth, but we had to fit in a trip to Rottnest after our Roadie. We used the Sealink ferry to get across and back, costing us $90 each (there was also a small service charge so be aware of that). It was a pricier excursion, possibly the priciest, but it’s the only place you can find Quokka’s and we didn’t wanna miss out on the best selfie opportunities with those little cuties. For more about our day trip there and what we got up to check out my Rottnest Island Day Trip Blog. 

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After a couple of rest and recovery days in Perth, we picked up our second camper of our Australia trip! Booked through RatPack, we had another Awesome Camper in the exact same style as previous. If this is your first camper, make sure that you take your time to get familiar with the van! Your camper is likely to be automatic and this is the easiest so you can focus on the windy roads but it can be worth checking if you’re concerned.

We didn’t collect it up from an Awesome Campers depot, but instead it was Boomerang Campers depot where we picked it up and who got us going. This was a much smoother pick up than our last camper and it was because Boomerang Campers is a really helpful family run business, who gave us the most thorough debrief of the van and explained everything as we went. Hopefully if you book an Awesome Camper in Perth you’ll get to pick it up from these guys!

So this is it! You’ve picked up your camper and you’re thinking where do I even begin?! We took some tips from a few different blogs which was great way to get an idea of how to fit driving all these kilometres and ticking off a must see list all into a week. I’d deffo have a browse of what you wanna see and do because there is so much but this is all we could cram in!

Heading out south from Perth city centre we began our drive down the coast, eventually arriving in Esperance and Lucky bay on Day Five. It’s pretty easy to manage the drive, ticking off some scenic spots along the way and is actually only about 9 hours from Perth to Lucky Bay. Which doesn’t seem tooooo long but Aussie roads can get very draining when they stretch for endless miles and you’ve got to be so alert for crazy Roo’s and other wildlife. Also, whatever you do, make sure you stick to the speed limit! Police are hot on speeding and it’s not fun to dampen your roadie experience by getting an expensive ticket. 

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To make things easier, I’ve broken it down into a break down of our days in detail and then included a mini week summary at the end too. I also did daily summaries on my Instagram story saved on my @hans_travels_ highlights under ‘Campervan 2’ if you want to see more pics of what our week looked like! 

Day 1

We picked up the camper and left Perth. Heading south, we got a feel for our camper and used to driving on the Aussie roads again. 

A couple hours brought us to Bunbury. There’s an Aldi here, so we stocked up on food. Had a wander around the beaches but there wasn’t much else to see here. If you have more time than we did, I’d say take an easy afternoon, chill on the beach or dip your toes in the sea and find somewhere to stay for the night. We freedom camped for the whole week (and it is totally possible to do that) but if that’s not your kinda thing, plenty of holiday parks in and around Bunbury and then down the west coast. Download the CamperMate app which will list all the sites near your location available. Quick tip: Purple is paid (this can really range in price, so if you’re thinking about doing so make sure you budget these prices in) Blue is Low-Cost campsites and Green are freedom camps. 

After we had our small wander around and purchased our food we decided it was time to head to our first camp and regroup cos we’d had a long day and knew we had an early start the next day. We chose a nearby freedom called Iron Falls Campground which was busy but not too busy and settled in with dins & Netflix. 

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Day 2

First morning of waking up back in a camper which was so nice. Today was an early start for one of the most exciting parts of the road trip; hopefully meeting some wild dolphins! Hans hint: Make sure the night before you’ve factored in your distance (we had a 45-minute drive from our freedom camp) back to Bunbury as you’ve got to arrive early. We left just after 7 and headed to the Dolphin Discovery Centre for 8am sharp. Led by the volunteers at the discovery centre, you can join them in the water whilst the wild but local dolphins (hopefully) will make an appearance. We had the best morning, stood in the water with our dresses in our bikini bottoms watching the dolphins swim around and play with each other. We even got to see a 2 week old baby who came back with her mum, who some of the volunteers remember as a baby herself! 

This took up a fair chunk of our morning, and it was worth freezing a bit in the sea to get as close as this to these beautiful creatures. If you do turn up later, it’s not a problem as the volunteers will try their best to accommodate you but the dolphins aren’t guaranteed to hang about and most days arrive closer to 8! 

Once you’ve had your fill of dolphin time (not sure that’s even possible, was a struggle to drag ourselves away) it’s always worth heading inside to the discovery centre itself, which has a lovely gift shop and a cafe. Fab hot chocolate, and the cakes looked amazing! 

This leaves the rest of the day for a bit of a further drive south. We headed to Dunsborough about 2 hours south west of Bunbury which is a cute, small seaside town. Not too much going on other than restaurants, cafes, boutique shops and surf shops. We had a browse in the shops, basked in the sunshine and topped up our water from the Coles supermarket in the shopping centre. Its recommended to require 4 litres of water per person at all times, and you can buy 10 litre bottles from Coles for about $4! It was a nice stop to break up the drive too. 

After if you’ve got a while to spend or you just fancy taking it easy, Meelup Beach is really close and we headed here and its just truly beaut. With white sand and clear water, it’s an absolute Aussie paradise! With (cold) showers and toilets it’s also a good spot to also have a wash down if you’re feeling another night freedom camping. The rest of our day was beach chilling, and we spent the night at Cane Break Rest Area. Buried in the trees and not too far from the main road, it was a pretty good spot. 

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Day 3

Already three days into the trip and it feels like the week is flying by but there is still loads to do and see! This morning was something else that we had read about as a must stop on our way to Lucky Bay and I can’t recommend it enough and even though it involves another early morning I promise it’s worth it!

Earlyish in the morning at Hamelin Bay, huge wild sting rays frequent the shores. They are most graceful sea creatures and it was truly so special to see them appear and swim right on the edge almost by your feet. The beach is at the end of a road so you can’t miss it and if you just wander down towards the end of the beach and past the boat ramp, this was the most popular spot for where the rays were happy coming up to say hi. We parked in the cars car park, but if you’ve got a bigger camper the other one might be easier! We spent a long time wandering up and down the beach, taking photos of the rays and watching them interact with each other. It was partially terrifying how close they came but they seemed super friendly (its seemed like a popular thing that the locals liked to do) and as long as you keep an eye on how close you’re getting then you’ll be fine!

After Hamelin, there’s a fair few things to. On the way to the bay, you’ll notice signs for caves and tere’s 4 in total that you can visit, and you can buy a ticket which allows you access to all four. Whilst we didn’t do a tour of the caves as we wanted to crack on, the ticket options especially if it’s a rainy day are worth considering. Not too much further is Cape Leeuwin which you can pay to enter and climb to the top of the lighthouse. The views look spectacular and you can see where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. If you’re not too fussed about the lighthouse visit but want a photo, there’s a couple of view points on the way which are always worth a look at as you drive in and this is all we did. If the weather is sunny and hot, on the road in and out of Cape Leeuwin is a small turning off which leads to a very cute beach; Flinders Bay. A stop and look is worthwhile even if you’re not tempted by a beach stay! Even though the weather wasn’t great on our day, it was warm and so I went for a dip in the sea as it was a proper enclosed area to swim in which was really nice. The small town by the beach and lighthouse has a good camping shop too if there’s anything you might last minute need (extra gas is always handy) and is a good opportunity to refuel.

Starting the next big stint down the coast, it’s an even prettier drive than before. A National Forest with the biggest trees and the chance to drive via Elephant Rocks or Greens Pool. We stopped at both and the views were so impressive. They are really easy to access from the car parks and don’t involve a lot of walking so if you’re quite short on time it’s good to stop here anyway because you can see the sites pretty quickly! This brought us to the end of the day, and as in rentals you can’t drive after dark, it’s a good time to get searching for a campsite. We chose another freedom called Cosy Corner East but this time however it was a managed site by the beach. It’s still classed as a freedom and therefore free, but you have to sign in with the campsite manager. If you’re thinking of heading to this site definitely aim to be there late afternoon for sure as the camps tend to become sparser the further down the coast and this is a real gem of a freedom camp! The site is basically on the beach too so it was such a beaut one to stay in & we made full use of the beach the next morning! 

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Day 4

Today was a long day of driving to get more miles under our belt and get us much closer to Lucky Bay! After our beach workout we stopped in Albany to fuel up, book our next lot of flights using the local maccies free WIFI and top up our food. After this, we headed to Little Beach in Two Peoples Bay National Park. This is a little bit of a detour but it is 100% worth the extra driving and the $15 National Park entrance fee because this is genuinely the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. It was deserted and so peaceful and in the loveliest little cove. I honestly can’t explain it or find the words to give it justice so enjoy the pictures and just please, go! 

Because we still had a long drive to Esperance we didn’t stay for very long before we got another couple hour’s under our belts and as it was we arrived in the dark (I do not recommend haha) to our freedom camp which was a locally run one in the village of Munglingup. The rest area is situated by a petrol station, with public toilets and access to a hot shower for $2.

Looking back on our day, we would have possibly been a couple hours ahead of ourselves if we hadn’t stopped and sorted our admin-y bits in the morning but there are limited WIFI spots in Australia so it made sense for us to spend the time in Albany. However, if you’re thinking of doing this route or something similar I would recommend skipping Little Beach today (Day 4) because we had much more time on our way back to Perth (Day 6). This could give you more flexibility with what freedom camps you choose or if you wished even the option of booking and paying for a nights stay in the Cape Le Grande National Park where Lucky Bay is meaning you have maximum time on Day 5. This would be something I would consider doing instead if I get the chance to do the route again!

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Day 5

Today is the day this whole road trip has taken place for and that’s when we finally made it to Lucky Bay! We still had a bit of a drive from Munglingup to Lucky Bay so we got up early and cracked on before much of the morning had passed. We paused in Esperance to stretch our legs before continuing on 45 minutes more to Lucky Bay most of which was through the National Park. It’s a good idea to stop in Esperance if you’re in need of petrol or food and there’s public loos and water refill taps too. 

Once we arrived at the bay in the Cape Le Grande National Park and had paid our entrance fee we parked up and got ready to head down to the beach. The rest of day was spent watching the wild roo’s exploring the beach, meeting a few of them and braving the sea despite the weather getting worse as the day went on. The water was freezing but it was the most beautiful blue colour so we just couldn’t not go in! 

The National Parks has a fair few paid campsites if you wanted to stay closer but make sure you book well in advance and there’s even a small café and toilets at Lucky Bay itself. We felt we had enough time at the bay by spending just a day but definitely make the most of it and if you can afford it stay in the National Park for sure.

We knew we had to start heading back in the direction of Perth today so we stopped in another small village with another locally run freedom camp called Ravensthorpe Freedom. We got to see lots more wild roo’s on the journey to tonight’s freedom so keep your eyes peeled because they were everywhere. The camp had access to public loos and was safe but secluded and really popular with other campers who had come to see Lucky Bay.

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Day 6

Today was the last full day we had in the van and this day which was probably my favourite of the entire road trip. We spent a couple of hours driving in the morning and then another couple hours driving later in the afternoon but the main part of our day was spent back on Little Beach in Two Peoples Bay soaking up the sun, reading and napping. Most of the time there was only us and one other group on the beach and it was just the most peaceful place. It was also the only time out of the three months we spent in Australia (and excluding snorkelling on organised trips) that we went in the sea properly like hair under n everything (a big deal for us haha) and there was no better place to do it! 

After our beach time, we headed to Mount Barker for a nearby-ish freedom camp. Mount Barker was probably the most deserted town I’ve ever been in, it felt like a film set or a Texas town where you’d see cowboys having a stand-off. The camp (called Mount Barker RV rest area) was supposed to be for only self-contained campers but as there was absolutely no one around and us being the only ones there, we just risked it (this isn’t something I’d recommend doing often though). There were public toilets in the town that we could use which was handy though and we were able to tuck ourselves in the corner of the car park too. We spent the evening repacking our back packs & cleaning the van down and getting it as ready as possible to hand it back in the next day (you won’t realise how much you spread your belongings out over the car so you wanna take the time to check every nook in the car where something could have gotten lodged).

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Day 7

Day 7 brings us to the end of our road trip and our return to Perth. Mount Barker to the campervan return drop off was still another 4 hours so we woke up early and got on the road in our PJ’s as we wanted to get some distance done before we stopped for breakfast. The drive was mostly good apart from a little traffic heading into Perth but that’s to be expected but it is definitely something to keep in mind because although our campervan people were super accommodating for our late arrival, not all companies will be. We returned DJ and hopped on the metro back into the city centre to JJ’s Backpackers the hostel we stayed in at the beginning of the week. 

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7 Day Trip Summary to help you plan your road trip!

Day 1: Pick up camper, drive to Bunbury, collect food supplies, petrol and settle in to the van. Spend the night not far from Bunbury at a campsite. Park up early, unpack a little and recuperate ready for the week ahead. 

Campsite: : Iron Falls Campground.

Day 2: Be at the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury for 8am. Spend the morning here before heading to Dunsborough for a wander. Plenty of shops, a Coles, petrol and ice cream here, a good stop for refuelling and water top ups. After, head to Meelup Beach where there are public toilets and cold but free showers.

Campsite: Cane Break Rest Area.

Day 3: Today is Hamelin Bay day and the opportunity for some cave exploring too if the weather isn’t the best. Then heading down the coast getting a few miles down and breaking up the journey at Greens Pools and Elephant Rocks before heading to a camp.

Campsite: Cosy Corner East

Day 4: This is a pretty flexible day which means it’s great for admin-y bits like booking flights or getting shopping and petrol in the nearby town of Albany. If you don’t need the time for that, today could be a good day for Little Beach or if not just getting the miles down to get you to Esperance earlier on.

Campsite: Munglingup Rest Area

Day 5: Lucky Bay day, yay! Depending on how long you wanted to spend on the beach and how far you are from the bay, a wander round Esperance could be worthwhile but if not, head straight to the beach to get the most out of your National Park entrance fee. Depending on your flexibility with your camper and whether you wanted to include another day at Lucky Bay or Little Beach will determine your campsite for the night.

Campsite: Ravensthorpe freedom.

Day 6: A day at Little Beach (or lucky bay, or wherever else catches your fancy!). We drove a couple hours via Little Beach and soaked up the sun and sea, doing very little else which was a fab way to spend our last full day. Pack up belongings, get the van ready to return and enjoy a last camper dinner! 

Campsite: Mount Barker RV Rest Area

Day 7: Cover the last few miles or minutes (or hours in our case haha) of your Western Australia road trip back to the camper depot and return your camper and head to hostel/hotel/airport! We headed back to our original backpackers and made the most of hot showers and takeaway dins in the city.

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I really hope this guide of our seven-day road trip and our time in Perth helps you plan for your future trip. I cannot explain how beautiful Western Australia is, it’s 100% my favourite part of Aus and I’d go back tomorrow if I could.

Thanks for reading and as always, feel free to message me if you’ve got any questions!

lots of love, 

Han x