We're planning a trip to WA next month and need to pick some Fodorite brains...

Last July we spent one night in Perth, four nights in Margaret River and three in Fremantle. We'll have 11 days this time, two of which will be spent in Perth on business.

We really like the MR area, but we're not sure we want to spend the entire nine days there.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good place in the area to base ourselves for 4-5 days?

We enjoy outdoor activities and prefer to avoid cities.

All suggestions appreciated!

Any thoughts on Albany?

ALbany is very pleasant. If you type it into the search box you'll get several useful threads.

Thanks - just did a search and found some interesting threads I'd missed. You mentioned in 2005 that you didn't find the Tree Top Walk near Walpole very interesting - have you been to the Tahune Airwalk in Tasmania and the Otway Fly Treetop walk on the GOR? We've done both and were looking forward to the one near Walpole - from what I understand there are only three in the world, so thought we'd take this opportunity to see #3.

Oops...posted too soon.

Just wondering if you could compare the Walpole walk to the others if you're familiar with them.

No, I haven't been on the other treetop walks you mention. I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone who's in the area from taking the walk--but I would caution against making it a destination. I read a ridiculously overblown description in one of Bill Bryson's books and had to hit the gas to get there by closing time: I was very disappointed and felt I would have done better to linger on the way and blown off the treetop walk.

In Albany, I enjoyed the Brig Amity (full size reproduction of the ship that brought the first settlers to WA) and the other historic stuff in that part of town (one-room school, prison, bits of the Eclipse Island lighthouse) and, especially, the scenery at Frenchman's Cove (rock bridge, slot with impressive ocean surges, views of Albany, flies). The road north through the Simpson Range and on to Hyden (Wave Rock) is a good drive.

Albany it is - thanks for your help.

Rottnest island near perth for a cycling and beach few days -no cars-if the winter weather was ok.
Albany beautiful but could be cold.
Coral Bay would be great this time of year but a long drive up north past Carnarvon.or maybe Kalbarri??

Hi last year we visited Kalgoolie (I've copied my trip report) for a weekend but could have spent longer - they say Esperance is absolutely fantastic - I think it is about 4 hours south of Kal.

Author: Sarvowinner
Date: 10/27/2005, 09:07 am


Just returned from a weekend in Kalgoorlie. Went with DH to Perth (we live in Sydney)for a long weekend. He was going on work. I wanted to go back to Margaret River but he wanted to try something new. So we went to Kalgoorlie for the weekend - as one does.

The Prospector is a new and very comfortable three car train. We left Perth at 7.15am and arrived at 2.15pm. The scenery was great and varied. I love the outback. Two recent films were shown. There was a good choice of food and they made cappuccinos.

We stayed at the All Seasons which was OK. It does have a very good restaurant. Highly recommended.

In my previous career, I had been to Kalgoorlie before and have visited many mines in Australia & Kalimantan but my husband was blown away by the scale of the Super Pit (the largest open cut gold mine in Australia) which lies right on the outskirts of Kal. The scale is amazing - it is almost 4k long and 1/2 k deep.

We also spent a good four hours at the Prospectors Hall of Fame (S22.00) where we went underground and watched a gold pour. The exhibits are also well done.

The museum was OK. Recommended donation of $5.00. The highlights are the preserved miners huts and gold vault.

We flew back to Perth early Sunday morning - met friends for lunch at Sorrento in Northbridge and I flew back to Sydney in the afternoon.

There is a lot of history in Kal. It was and still is a frontier town. The streets are broad with historic pubs and shop fronts.