Perth to Broome Road Trip: Highlights of the West Coast of Australia

You can expect a lot of nature and the endless expanses of the Outback. Turquoise sea, white sandy beaches, colorful coral reefs, gentle giants of the sea with whale sharks, and wonderful national parks. Pink lakes, vast eucalyptus forests, and endless stretches of uninhabited land. Small sleepy towns, often with just one restaurant, and thanks to the lack of lights, incredible starry skies with the Milky Way at night. But the most notable are the great distances to cover when traveling from point A to point B.

This is also one reason why far fewer tourists travel to the west coast of Australia than to the much more densely populated east coast. Australians told me in the first "part" of the road trip from Adelaide to Perth that the west coast is the "real Australia" and that you won't see these unique beauties on the east coast.

The distances along the Australian west coast are much greater than those on the east coast. Highlights are further apart, accommodations are scarcer and more expensive. Therefore, the road trip is ideal for setting off in an RV.

Day 1: Perth

Day 2: Perth - Lancelin - The Pinnacles (Nambung National Park). Overnight stay in Cervantes.

Day 3: Cervantes - Kalbarri National Park

Day 4 - 6: Kalbarri National Park

Day 7 - 10: Denham (Shark Bay)

Day 11: Carnarvon

Day 12 - 15: Ningaloo Reef Marine Park (Swimming with Whale Sharks)

Day 16 - 19: Karijini National Park (-> Detailed travel report and tips)

Day 20: Port Hedland (just a stopover)

Day 21 - 25: Broome

If you don't have three months like I do to travel through South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory (+ Outback), Perth is the ideal starting point for a road trip along the coast. You can also find reasonably good connections from Germany to Perth.

Suggested routes from Perth:

You can also travel the south coast as the northern part of Western Australia.

After five days in Perth, we are leaving the city to head more and more towards solitude and miles of straight roads. We're practically heading deeper into the wilderness!

Perth is not only the capital, but with 2.5 million inhabitants, it is by far the largest and most populated city in Western Australia. What I particularly liked about Perth is that you can explore the center (Northbridge and CBD) on foot. Also, the city is by the sea. The residents have over 19 beaches to choose from. My favorite is Scarborough Beach, which is wider and more spacious than the better-known Cottesloe Beach.

The views from Kings Park or the Bell Tower are particularly wonderful. All my tips for Perth can be found here. Overall, I spent five days in the city, including a day trip to Rottnest Island and Fremantle, the idyllic suburb of Perth.

If you're in Perth, you should take at least one day for Rottnest Island. Here live the so-called "happiest animals in the world": quokkas. If I were fed the best fruit by tourists all day, I would be happy too.

However, you should refrain from doing this because you can spot the animals without feeding them. More than 10,000 quokkas live on "Rotto," as the locals lovingly call their island.

The best way to explore Rottnest Island is by bike. Otherwise, it's hard to reach the beautiful secluded bays. The turquoise bays invite you to snorkel and surf. Beautiful!

The former fishing village is inundated with tourists during the holidays for two reasons: the beach, which can also be driven on (very popular with Australians), and the snow-white sand dunes that tower at the edge of the town.

Things are not as idyllic as they probably once were: the dunes have become a massive playground. You can rent sandboarding boards everywhere in town or drive through the dunes in your 4WD vehicle, motorcycle, quad, or buggy. The Lancelin Off-Road Area attracts large crowds daily.

One of the most famous attractions in Western Australia is the Pinnacles Desert, located about 200 km from Perth. Over 4 km², a bizarre landscape of sand dunes and limestone pillars has formed, rising up to 5 meters from the ground. The Indian Ocean Drive near Cervantes takes you through this desert with the pinnacles, which are part of the Nambung National Park.

You can explore them on foot or drive the loop trail. The best times to visit are early evening just before sunset or in the morning at sunrise. The light is warm then. After that, you can check into accommodation in Cervantes for an overnight stay.

The small alkaline salt lake Lake Thetis is only 2-3 meters deep and looks quite unremarkable. However, it is home to the stromatolites. They are among the oldest living forms on Earth.

The lake is one of the few places worldwide where you can view these living fossils. Not far away, on my further route, there are more stromatolites at Hamelin Pool. The microbes that formed these stromatolites are similar to those recorded as the oldest living forms on Earth.

On the drive from Cervantes to Kalbarri, there are a few places where you can take a short break. We made stops in Green Head (Dynamite Bay), Dongara & Port Denison, and at Hutt Lagoon.

I found Dynamite Bay not as exciting as described in the travel guide. You can walk to several scenic lookouts on dunes and get a good view of the beaches and bays. I think there are better views and would say it's not a "must-stop."

However, I recommend driving the 5 km long Tourist Drive along a beautiful coastal section after Green Head. We took a lunch break between the sea and sand dunes here.

Dongara, with its old fig trees on the main street, was pleasant to drive through and a change on the long journey, but it's not essential if you don't want to stop. We had an iced coffee here and then continued on our way.

The next stage takes us along the coast to Kalbarri. On the way, you have to stop at Hutt Lagoon, which you'll pass anyway. Depending on the rain, the lagoon is a semi-dried salt lake that takes on a pink hue due to the algae. When we were there, the salt lake was largely dried up, allowing us to walk on it. There is a parking lot from where you can explore the lake.

Thanks to a drone, I found a large section from above that still had water. Here, the algae did their work, and the lake shone in bright pink!

Kalbarri National Park is only 20 minutes outside the town of Kalbarri. We were lucky because the park is currently closed (road construction). Thanks to the Easter holidays, it opened just in time. As a result, we were able to view the deep red gorges and the Murchison River in Kalbarri NP with many Australians on Easter Monday.

Kalbarri and Denham are about 380 km apart. On the way, there are few places worth stopping. In the region around Shark Bay, you will encounter the colorful pristine wilderness in the Francois Peron National Park, as well as unique natural wonders. At Hamelin Pool, you'll find stromatolites. These 'living stones' are among the oldest life forms on Earth and consist of microorganisms, making them a UNESCO World Heritage site. Another natural wonder is Shell Beach: a beach that consists solely of small, white heart shells!

Don't miss the Francois Peron National Park with its vast bushland and deep red cliffs against the turquoise ocean. The water here is so clear that you can see sharks and rays swimming from above. Guided day tours in a 4WD Jeep are available, for example, at Naturetime Tours. The popular holiday resort Monkey Mia is where dolphins come right up to the shore every day, and you can watch them being fed by rangers. For all other explorations, the small town of Denham is a good starting point.

If you're wondering what life might have looked like three million years ago, you must visit Hamelin Pool. Here you can view the oldest living organisms on Earth in beautiful nature: stromatolites. This is also one reason why the Shark Bay region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A wooden boardwalk was built to enable visitors to view these beings up close without having to step on the stromatolites.

Unfortunately, it seems this fact hasn't reached everyone, as a tourist is seen climbing over the railing of the newly constructed boardwalk to walk over them and wash his hands in the crystal clear water. It's a shame because every sign states that stepping on the stromatolites is prohibited and bathing in this section is also forbidden...

Almost 40 km from Hamelin Pool and on the way to Denham, we arrive at Shell Beach. This beach consists of small white heart shells. According to the information sign, the beach stretches 120 km long, and the shell layer reaches up to 10 meters deep below the surface.

In the past, stones were even made from these shells, which can still be seen on some buildings in Denham and the ruins at the telegraph station in Hamelin.

The François Peron National Park, or Wulyibidi as Aborigines named this area 26,000 years ago, is located at the northern tip of the Shark Bay World Heritage Sanctuary.

You can drive a normal vehicle up to the former sheep station. From there, only a 4WD vehicle with high clearance can continue. But only after letting air out of the tires at the designated station. The rest consists of sandy - often deeply sandy tracks.

But the effort is worth it - the bays, sand dunes, and beaches are breathtakingly beautiful. We are greeted with spectacular color contrasts of red sand dunes, white sandy beaches, and turquoise sea.

Additionally, from the cliffs and on the beach, you can observe marine life with the naked eye in the clear water. It's not uncommon to see dugongs, sharks, turtles, dolphins, rays, mantas, and even whales during the whale season.

We saw a turtle pop up while standing on the beach, observed schools of rays, and saw a small shark swimming in the water. This trip was one of the most beautiful experiences of my journey in Australia.

Ningaloo Reef is Western Australia's answer to the Great Barrier Reef in the east. The 250 km long fringing reef is only 50 meters from the beach, making it easily accessible and is, fortunately, strictly protected. The corals are huge and, importantly, they are still growing - unlike many other locations worldwide.

The absolute highlight here is swimming with whale sharks (or in summer with humpback whales). The experience is unforgettable and hard to describe in words.

Read my detailed report on swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef.

In addition to whale sharks, the underwater world offers the chance to see stingrays, devil rays, dolphins, dugongs, sharks, sea turtles, orcas, and humpback whales. Besides turtles, we also saw stingrays, dolphins, small sharks, and numerous colorful fish and unfortunately also jellyfish (some of them very dangerous). The reef is sensational! I haven't experienced such a vibrant coral reef in a long time (neither in Honduras at the Belize Barrier Reef, nor in Florida or Indonesia).

We stayed at the luxurious Sal Salis, which is located in the midst of the national park between the Outback, sand dunes, and sea. The glamping accommodation was chosen as the fourth most beautiful eco-resort in the world by Lonely Planet in 2017. Rightly so.

Glamping at its finest with views of the ocean and the Milky Way at night. During the day, you can explore the reef by kayak, paddleboard, or snorkeling. All of this we tried, including a sunset hike to Yardie Creek, where numerous kangaroos (euros) gather.

Bright red rock walls plunge into the depths in Karijini National Park. Amidst the gorges lie natural water pools, which we wade through, swim in, or climb along for two days. I feel like I'm in an adventure playground. Only nature is the creator here.

On all fours, I climb through tight gorges, with ice-cold azure water below me. It ends in a pool, where I cool off at the end of the gorge. We undertake two days of climbing tours through the gorges. Dales Gorge, Weano Gorge, Hancock Gorge, and Joffre Gorge, just to name a few that I visited.

The old rock walls in Karijini National Park are over 2.5 billion years old. They glow bright orange or dark red depending on the sunlight. The adventure away from civilization and mobile reception is immense. Very few people stray here. It's a shame because for me, it's one of the most beautiful places in Western Australia. A place where you can completely unwind and become one with nature.

Karijini National Park is the second largest in Western Australia and is located in the Pilbara region. The distance to Exmouth (almost 650 km) and Broome (almost 1000 km) gives a hint of why so few people venture here. The long journey is worth it; nature has created something wonderful here.

Read more here: My tips for visiting the Karijini National Park in Western Australia

Broome, the 'Gateway to the Kimberleys' and a global center for the pearl industry, is reached after covering more than 3,800 kilometers since leaving Perth. The city is small and sprawling. Nevertheless, it pleasantly surprises me. Broome is somewhat cozy and relaxing.

Tropical temperatures around 30 degrees, wide kilometers of beaches, turquoise water, and bright red rock formations that begin behind the beach. Not to mention the sunsets. Magical.

I have spent a whole five days in the pearl fishing capital of northern Western Australia. Initially, I wanted to continue faster, but I was quite glad to rest, sleep in, and do nothing for a while.

We rented a place from Trish, who listed a wonderful 'treehouse' behind her little house on Airbnb with her dog Maddy. A true oasis of calm in hot tropical Broome.

What I particularly liked about Broome? The Baobab trees that remind me of Africa, which grow everywhere here. Baobabs are typical of the Kimberley region and are only found here in Australia.

To start in Broome, we undertook a town tour with Bart from Narlijia Cultural Tours. He takes us on a journey through the past of Broome and his ancestors, the Yawuru, the Indigenous people. He tells us about the most important places of the Yawuru, the local plants and foods, as well as dreamtime sites.

He also shared many insights into the development of the pearl industry with influences from Asia on the local population during the engaging tour.

Since there was still time and the tides were favorable, we spontaneously drove to Redell Beach, where dinosaur tracks were recently discovered. These can be seen at every beach during low tide, when you know what and where to look for. Thanks to Bart, we got to see them.

We watched these famously intense sunsets evening after evening from the beaches with countless other people.

Whether at the famous Cable Beach, where camels pass in front of the setting sun, at Redell Beach, where you can simultaneously see dinosaur tracks as the tide goes out, or on the rocks at Gantheaume Point on the southeastern edge of the city.

Here, the sandstone cliffs glow in all shades of red just before the sun sets. It's best to listen to the sound of the turquoise sea while holding a cold drink.

In Broome, there are never traffic jams, except every evening at Cable Beach. It seems that alongside fishing, the big hobby of all Australians is driving in a 4WD on the beach to watch the sunset from a camping chair with a cold beer in hand.

This traffic and noise - unbelievable. I find it awful that this driving on beaches is generally not prohibited.

During the day, we explore Broome's oldest district: Chinatown. Here, many shops, restaurants, and jewelry stores sell pearls from Broome. For entertainment, there is Sun Pictures, the oldest open-air cinema in the world.

Here, you can watch current Hollywood movies on beach chairs under the starry sky. But don't forget the mosquito spray. I didn't enjoy the movies, so I was only there during the day. You can simply enter the cinema and look around after 10 AM.

You can best explore the west coast of Australia in a campervan or RV. Since we booked very spontaneously, we had to resort to a rental car. This is naturally possible because there are motels and hotels everywhere, but with an RV, you are more flexible and can stay at more beautiful places, directly on the beach or in the national park. If there's only one restaurant option in the area (often a bad one), you can also cook for yourself.

For the direct route of the West Coast from Perth to Broome, at least ten days are recommended. Since we are traveling with a 4WD and no camper, and do not want to change accommodation every night, we planned approximately 17 - 18 days for the route. Due to the late onset of the rainy season before our trip and the extremely wet February, we had to cancel the drive along the Gibb River Road before our journey.

Because we could not have deviated from the alternative route (asphalt road) to visit all the great spots along the way, we flew from Broome to Darwin. This way we had time to explore more national parks in the Northern Territory and Arnhem Land.

If you want to travel from Perth south to Margaret River or even Esperance, I recommend planning at least an additional three weeks. These regions are also beautiful and I enjoyed them very much!

Read my travel report for the route from Adelaide to Perth (via Esperance and Margaret River) here.

In general, I would recommend booking a camper for this route. I've found many reasons for it: You are not dependent on - for our standards - expensive and outdated motels, you can cook better and healthier food for yourself, and you save a lot of money that way.

Even though I traveled in autumn (April - May) and the nights were quite chilly, a camper is worth it. Because the blankets in motels are no better, rather thinner. You must know that campers in Australia are not insulated, as it is too hot 80 - 90% of the year.

Warning: Don't underestimate the vastness of Australia in your planning. Western Australia alone takes up one-third of Australia's area. If you have little vacation and time, you should carefully consider which route to choose. Also, do not forget the additional costs of one-way rental for rental cars or campers.

I hope this article helps you plan your route!

Before my trip, I bought almost all the existing travel guides about Australia as e-books.

As a printed guide, I only had the Western Australia and Top End book with me. I found it best in combination with the Lonely Planet Australia (e-book) and the English-speaking Lonely Planet in conjunction with the guide West Coast Australia. The guides complemented each other perfectly.

For campers, the Iwanowski, Baedeker, and Loose for Australia might be okay. I have not gotten any more valuable tips from any of the guides that I didn't find more extensively in one of the above guides.

Australia is huge. Western Australia takes up one-third of it. This means you can cross over to another climate zone in just one day.

If you plan to go whale-watching or snorkeling with whale sharks on the west coast, you should check when the best time for observation is in those respective areas. The whales migrate from south to north, leading to some seasonal shifts.

Southern Western Australia:

In the south, the climate is quite European and temperate. Summers are warm, autumn (April - May) is also quite pleasant, but the nights are already cold. Especially considering that the houses have no heating. I really felt cold at first when we traveled at the end of March/beginning of April.

In winter (June - September), it gets even colder at night, with temperatures dropping into single digits.

Northern Western Australia:

In the north, there is a tropical climate with temperatures over 40 degrees in summer (December - March). It is also very humid and extremely muggy. After that comes the rainy season, where it rains heavily at least once a day. Roads often flood over a meter and become impassable. Moreover, it would not be wise to swim during this time as deadly box jellyfish can be found in the water.

See the best travel time for Australia

To make sure you don't forget anything, I've created a checklist for a road trip. To ensure you don't forget any clothes, there's the packing list to print and check off.

My further tip: Keep a travel diary during your trip!

The memories in it are the best souvenirs from your journey! That's why I designed and printed my travel diaries.

In these notebooks, you can enter costs, weather, impressions, highlights, and travel experiences. There's also space to stick in pictures. Ideal for travel memories.

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