Thread: 1st trip to W.A. - suggestions for things to see/do on this approx route?

G'day Timbernut had a week over there in November , two things spring to mind the flies were as bad as I have ever seen ( I believe some school sports were cancelled due to them ) so get a good flymesh head cover , colman make a pretty got one.
Two if you want to swim with the dolphins the dolphin discovery center at Bunbury do proberly the best tour , give them a ring it's on the way into town you can't miss it.
Rgds

Welcome to th west

There are plenty of wood related places to see around the bottom end between Albany and Bunbury. Look for places in Denmark, Pemberton and around Margaret River.

They are conveniently located close to the wineries.

Enjoy your trip
Macca

Macca,

I knew I'd find a local on here!!!

any particular ones come to mind??

also what do you think of the proposed travel route? We wanted to drive about 200kms per day (ish) with some longer hops and some shorter, and other than getting to Monkey Mia (1st stop) get around as much as possible. I'd appreciate any comments on the locations I've listed, and if you can think of any alternatives that wouldn't modify our route significantly, that'd help too.

Also, can we do the drive to Monkey Mia in the same day? (plane gets to Perth at lunchtime, so we planned on overnight at Geraldton on the way).
It looked too far to go in one day (when not starting till lunch) to me.

I'll certainly be keeping an eye out as we drive around for wood galleries etc (and Jarrah forests ) but if you have any in mind that I should make sure I don't miss, let me know!

Thanks.
Timbernut.

Be sure to visit the Valley of the Giants near Denmark. The coast road between Margaret River and Augusta goes through some impressive timber.
The Cape Leeuwin lighthouse is worth a visit - see the Southern and Indian oceans.
The Porongarup National Park north of Albany is worth a look too.

I'm originally from the west and had my first trip back in 35 years last year. Spent a week covering the southwest between Perth and Albany, covered 3500 kms - I like driving

March is possibly a little earlier than I would suggest but still you could put up a great itinery around W.A.

Quick suggestions off the cuff are here and I shall follow up with more and some details later (when I get a chance to type something out.

I would start by getting some brochures from the W.A. tourist beauro. First off the rank because you will be coming through Kalgoorlie is a brochure and map on the golden pipeline heritage trail http://www.goldenpipeline.com.au/trail/index.html which gives info on many points of historic interest along the Kal' pipeline. whilst in Kal' you may wish to spend some time visiting some of the mines, mining museum or the many ghost towns in the area http://www.discoverwest.com.au/kal/explore.html .between Kal' and Perth you may either try a detour a few kms north of the great eastern hwy on "the pioneers pathway" through the towns of Nungarin, Wyalkatchem an Goomalling http://www.pioneerspathway.org.au/su..._itinerary.php . Or south through York, Beverly and Brookton http://www.experienceperth.com/en/Co...ey/default.htm .

These are merely suggested places to see on your way into Perth. Once here there are many attractions, some of which I shall post later.

Denn

Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

Be sure to visit the Valley of the Giants near Denmark. The coast road between Margaret River and Augusta goes through some impressive timber.
The Cape Leeuwin lighthouse is worth a visit - see the Southern and Indian oceans.
The Porongarup National Park north of Albany is worth a look too.

I'm originally from the west and had my first trip back in 35 years last year. Spent a week covering the southwest between Perth and Albany, covered 3500 kms - I like driving

I agree with Snowy. Lived at Katanning for a couple of years. Go down to the blowholes and the gap at Albany (remember, its ALbany, not ALLbany!), and the Valley of the Giants takes me back there straight away.
I preferred Denmark to Margaret River. Good meadery (?) down there from memory. Although good wines at Margaret River....
And they should set up windmills at Cape Leeuwin as well...

Cheers

From Perth to the southwest there are numerous computations of routes but here is one that I would personally suggest. Of course you won’t have the time, or maybe not even want to go everywhere I mention – just pick the ones you think sound good.

I would personally head south from Perth on the Albany hwy until reaching Armadale some 30km south, from here head straight ahead on the south western hwy until reaching the small town of North Dandalup. As you pass the small school and a large water tank you see a sign for the north dandalup dam, this is an ideal place for a break or picnic. From here head straight ahead and the road turns into gravel for a few kms. On reaching the sealed road turn left heading for the forest town of Dwellingup - http://www.walkabout.com.au/location...ellingup.shtml , there are many attractions in and around town you may be interested in having a look at school of wood/forest heritage centre http://www.forestheritagecentre.com.au/ . From Dwellingup I would then head back to the south western hwy, this time via Pinjarra, famous for the massacre of aborigines in the early years of white fella settlement. You then carry on south waving at Wild Dingo as you pass his mansion. Many people then pass straight through the town Yarloop – after all it just looks like another one horse town. DON’T PASS BY, follow the sign to Yarloop workshop. The workshops were built to service the early timber industry and is a magnificent example of tool shop, foundry, engine builders etc. It looks today as though the workers just walked of the job one day and it is just awaiting their return http://www.yarloop.starwon.com.au/

This gets you to within a short distance of Bunbury but before leaving to travel further south, another must is Gary brooks “Dardanup Heritage Park”, everyone here would have seen Brooks transport heading up and down from the S.W. but not many know of this magnificent machinery museum http://www.dardanupheritagepark.com.au/attractions.html

So from here we must head for the capes and Margaret River – more of that later.

Denn

Ashore - thanks for the tips. Fly mesh - will get, ta!
Dolphins - DEFINATELY on the agenda (hence trip to Monkey Mia). We planned on coming back into Perth after our walkabout ) via Rockingham as we found a 'swim with wild Dolphins' tour thingy. But if you reckon there's a better one..I'M ALL EARS as SWMBO told me we can't leave Perth without a real close dolphin encounter. Bunbury huh? Is it better than Rockingham?

Snowy - I'm like you, I like to get about on hols. Can't sit in one spot. Thanks for the tips. will investigate them for sure.

Dennford - loving all the details. Keep em coming. That's what I need, some detailed local knowledge.

Thought about looking Dingo up for a beer, but that might kill the rest of the holiday... he'd talk me bloody ear off!!!

Hafgan - cheers! I've been told Margaret River is nice, but I don't drink wine, beer is more my style. So if you reckon Dennmark... I'll look into that.
I'm more into the scenery anyway, so if there's nothing at Margaret River other than wineries, it'd bore me.

Keep 'em coming guys.. this is good stuff!

Cheers
Timbernut

"Thought about looking Dingo up for a beer, but that might kill the rest of the holiday... he'd talk me bloody ear off!!!"

Margaret River has breweries too! If you are only going to Monkey Mia for the Dolphins then you may be better saving a few kms and doing them in Bunbury as suggested earlier. If you do decide to go north from Geraldton, a stop over at Kalbarri and a visit to the Murchison Gorges is worthwhile.

Flies should not be such a problem as November, the dung beetles are well and truely operational by March and fly numbers drop as their food sources dwindle.

Bunbury – Busselton.If you are a diver, Busselton jetty is a world class dive site, if not then you may want to visit the underwater observatory http://www.busseltonjetty.com.au/ . After leaving Busselton you have two choices, first is to follow the Bussell hwy to Margaret river and Augusta, but by taking the alternative of caves road you will find much more to enjoy http://www.naturebase.net/component/...80/Itemid,755/ . This route heads through Dunsborough to Yallingup. Dunsborough is worth a stop to visit the cape naturaliste lighthouse and Bunker bay, whilst Yallingup has some fantastic surf beaches. As you head south along caves road there are hundreds of wineries and wood galleries to take your fancy but don’t miss the turn off for canal rocks. These coastal rock formations afford some fantastic opportunities for photo’s and must not be missed. As you head further south you may wish to thake the short detour into Margaret River townsite, a town that for me has grown and been spoiled over the years. Nonetheless if you pass by without seeing then all your friends will want to know why? Also along caves road are the turn offs to many beaches. My favourite at the southern end is “cosy corner” or “Hamelin Bay where there are the remains of the old jetty where timber was once exported. My favourite gallery – “Boranup gallery” http://www.boranupgallery.com/furnit...niture&page=10 is right in the middle of a beautifull stand of karri called Jerusalem hollow. Jerusalem hollow is recognizable because of the steep winding road that seems to melt into this magnificent part of the forest.

Continue along caves road to Augusta, then following the coast around to Cape Leeuwin. Augusta is a pleasant place to stop, the estuary offering one of the few places where it is safe for toddlers to swim.


More tomorrow
Denn

Originally Posted by TimberNut

if there's nothing at Margaret River other than wineries, it'd bore me.


Cheers
Timbernut

See Margaret River via the caves road and there is ample beautiful coastal scenery only a few kms to the west on good roads, then of course there is the karri forest.

Timbernut,

My Daughter is a marine biologist and has worked with dolphin swim at rockingham - she will this season be working at Ningaloo filming whalesharks. Whalesharks don't normally appear untill april but you could be lucky. as for the dolphin swim, I shall ask her when they normally start. Monkey Mia you should be able to see them most of the year round but of course you won't be able to swim with them there.

Denn

Rockingham dolphin swims are on the go untill May http://www.dolphins.com.au/

Denn