What Inspired Me To Take This Trip To the West Coast of Australia

My inspiration usually comes from conversations with my close friends or other people that I have talked about travels with around Australia and the rest of the globe. 

Every time I talk about any destination I don’t know yet, I try to further research it at home, and the West Coast of Australia has really impressed me from the very beginning.

The turquoise water, surrounded by white sandy beaches, and the contrast of the intense orange-red desert scenery was something I’ve never seen before in my life.

How I Managed My Bookings

The first thing for me is always to book the best quality-price relation plane tickets at my preferred time, and once I have them I try to build the perfect itinerary considering the dates.

I don’t like to travel in the peak season, so we don’t really need to worry too much about booking everything with a lot of advance time.

We booked both our flights and the vehicle 2 months in advance: 

• 1x return ticket from Melbourne to Perth was 550 Australian dollars.

• 1x campervan for three people for 14 days was 1,350 Australian dollars.

My Take on Campervans vs Greyhound Bus To Travel Around the West Coast Australia

We chose the campervan option because it is by far the best way to travel around Australia.

This unique coast is all about freedom, nature, and adventure, and you cannot really appreciate all of that at its best if you need to be thinking about the timing for the bus, can you?

What I Packed for This Trip

Packing for this trip was extremely easy and fast since we went in March, and it is usually pretty hot in this part of the country at this time.

I did not pack anything in particular that I would like to mention, apart from the SPF50+ protection sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses, and a hat, which are all mandatory.

The sun is one of the greatest enemies while you are traveling around Australia. This is no joke and you can easily get burnt if you do not pay attention to it.

If you decide to visit this part of the country at this time, I will strongly recommend buying a mosquito head net in order to protect against the battalions of flies. I assure you that you will thank me later.

My Day-by-Day Itinerary 

It was a circular itinerary starting and finishing in Perth, which we had to change in the middle of it because Karijini National Park was closed due to a tropical cyclone.

This is my day-by-day itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrival in Perth and walk around the CBD.

• Day 2: Day trip to Fremantle suburb / coastal town.

• Day 3: Enjoy the beaches nearest to Perth city.

• Day 4: Day trip to Rottnest Island using the SeaLink ferry from Fremantle.

• Day 5: Yanchep Koala boardwalk + Lancelin Dunes + The Pinnacles.

• Day 6: Geraldton town + Pink Lake Hutt Lagoon + arrive at Kalbarri.

• Day 7: Kalbarri National Park in the morning and arrive at Monkey Mia.

• Day 8: Monkey Mia, Shark Bay, Shell Beach and arrive at Coral Bay.

• Day 9: Manta ray, sharks, turtles, and coral Marine Eco Tour.

• Day 10: Exmouth + Cape Range National Park

• Day 11: Whale Shark Eco-Tour complete day.

• Day 12: Drive back to Geraldton stopping in places of the desert.

• Day 13: Drive south until Margaret River.

• Day 14: Margaret River area: caves, surf beaches, and wineries.

• Day 15: Busselton + Bunbury and arrive in Perth in order to sleep.

• Day 16: Flight back to Melbourne

My Experience Was Incredible 

You meet quite a lot of people when you are moving around in a campervan and staying every night in a different campground or caravan park.

The experience was incredible and I cannot but recommend everyone to try it at least once in their lifetime.

Probably the best stories are related to both the Eco Tours we did in Coral Bay and Exmouth Area. You could see the biologists, photographers and even the local sailors were actually thrilled to be doing the safari and snorkeling with us, enjoying it as if it was their first time as the rest of us.

Some Must-Try Food on the West Coast of Australia

Considering we are talking about coastal towns, cities, and National Park, you can’t be wrong if you order any kind of fish or seafood, right?

The one you probably do not want to miss, if your budget can handle it, is the famous Lobster Shack at Cervantes.

In Perth and Fremantle you have hundreds of very nice options too, so do not forget to invest at least one of your mornings on a proper Australian brunch.

My Favorite Memory From This Trip

It is very difficult to choose just one memory from this amazing trip, but I would say the fact that I did it with my girlfriend and my little brother together was very special and different for me.

To see the huge manta rays so close or to swim near the majestic Shark Whale was something I don’t think will ever forget also.

Our Overall Expense and  Some Ways To Save Costs

Overall, we spent around 3,000 Australian dollars per person including all expenses during those 16 days traveling around the West Coast of Australia.

We could have easily saved costs if we had slept some nights in free campgrounds, which we did not.

Also, you can save a lot of money when you buy all the food and drinks in the supermarket and don’t go out for dinner/brunch as much as we did.

One way I don’t advise saving money is to avoid the most expensive tours. You will regret the decision all your life if you come here and you do not experience the Whale Shark swimming at least.

My Recommendations on Hikes and Sights To Not Be Missed in West Coast Australia

I think the best way to do this is with a short and ordered personal TOP 5:

1. Cape Range National Park + Ningaloo Reef

2. Rottnest Island

3. Shark Bay

4. Nambung National Park (The Pinnacles)

5. Coral Bay and Fremantle coastal towns

My Suggestions for People Doing This Trip for the First Time

As I said before, be very aware of the dangerous sun and the annoying flies if you travel during the hotter months.

If you want to go up north until Karijini National Park in the desert as we did, my suggestion would be to do so in April or May rather than in March.

Also, please download WikiCamps Australia and FuelMap smartphone apps. They will definitely make your life much easier during your trip around the West Coast.

Remember that this specific coast is not as touristy as the famous East Coast. This means bigger driving distances, fewer gas stations, and smaller towns with far fewer leisure options.

Finally, yet importantly, remember to enjoy the feeling of freedom and closeness to nature this astonishing wilderness region of the planet provides you.