Susanne11

Hi,

I'm new in this forum.
I'm planning to visit Perth in January/Feb 2012.
I'm going to hire a car (2WD or 4 WD, pls advise which one) and start my route from Perth up to Exmouth visiting the famous places (like Pinnacles, Shark Bay, Monkey Mia, Ningaloo Reef) and come back to Perth.
I've for this trip only 7 days.
Please give me advices is this possible to do this route in 7 days (of course I know that some people do this in 2,3 or even 4 weeks). Unfortunately I don't have so much time ;-(
I would be happy to get any information.

Bestr regards
Sus.

Melnq8

Hi Susanne -

Welcome to Fodor's.

Perth to Exmouth is a very long haul, some ~1,200 km each direction. We made this trip a few years back, but we took 17 days to do it, and we still felt a bit rushed.

Seven days isn't nearly sufficient to drive to Exmouth and return. The distances are vast, the towns are scattered and there's a whole lot of nothing in between. Keep in mind that once you arrive at a particular destination, you may still have many kilometers to drive to reach a specific attraction.

For example, Cape Range Nat'l Park is a 90 minute drive from Exmouth.

Driving at dawn and dusk and after dark is not smart, as there's just too much activity on the roadway in the form of kangaroos, misc wildlife and loose stock, so there's only so far you can drive in a day.

Keep in mind the Jan/Feb is the hottest time of year in WA. It's going to be brutally hot up north, and it will also be cyclone season. Local school holidays extend into January as well.

Accommodation up north is very limited and some of it is pretty rough. Don't be fooled by the word "resort' which is tossed around with abandon.

Flooding is quite common and when it floods up north, folks are cut off for days at a time. There aren't that many roads up there, so if one is flooded, well, there may not be an alternative route.

I have a very detailed trip report posted here from our road trip Perth-Exmouth-Perth. It might give you some ideas of what you're in for:

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...y-long-way.cfm

Melnq8

Susanne -

I've also put together some info on distances, things to see/do, etc between Perth and Exmouth. It can be found here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDet...th_It_s_a.html

eliztravels

We did a 3 generations caravan trip from Perth to Coral Bay in about 10 days, when our grandson was about 16 months old. It was our first time in Oz and it was fabulous, as nothing gives a better sense of the huge emptiness and unique character of the landscape and its inhabitants (human and otherwise). However, we are used to similar trips in Canada and weren't fazed by the remoteness and long hours of driving. Also, we went in October so the heat wasn't too bad and there were no floods. Even so, a couple of sights we stopped at only very briefly before getting back into our AC vehicle. And keep n mind the highway, although paved and easy to drive, does not give you a view of the coast for most of its length. If you are able to change your dates, I suggest you avoid summer for this trip. If you are committed to Perth at that time, I suggest going south instead to Margaret River, Augusta, Albany where you can expect more temperate weather and lots of beaches.

eliztravels

Some further thoughts:
-the Ningaloo reef at Coral Bay is just amazing, no need to as far as Exmouth.
- Monkey Mia is quite commercial and busy. If it's a Dolphin experience that interests you perhaps the Dolphin Discovery Centre at Busselton 2'5 hours south of Perth would fit the bill.

Susanne11

@Melnq8
Thank you so much for all information you gave to me.
Link to your detailed trip report was very helpful

@ Eliztravels
Thank you too for all advices. Unfortunately, I have no possibility to change the dates of my travel ;-(

I think that I'll decide to take a trip from Perth to Shark Bay (without Exmouth). But when I'll be on the route I'll decide if it's possible and if I have enough time to get to Ningaloo Reef (my dream ;-)
I'm not going to take any hotels, I'd like to stay in Campsite so I'll be free with making decisions without thinking about hotel reservations.
Another week of my stay I'm going to spend in Sydney with my family (visiting Sydney and it's surroundings)
And third week in Brisbane also with my family.

Thank you once more for all advices you gave to me
Best regards from autumn Warsaw

eliztravels

Wishing you happy travels. I agree that campsites are the way to go. I'm sure you will have wonderful experiences with or without the Ningaloo reef.