newie_77

Hi all, had planned a trip to Perth this coming June/July period. Had 2 itineray planned but still unsure which to take(itinerary 1 seems too much time wasted and itinerary 2 seems to streched), thus need the advice from OZ gurus. Here it goes:

Itinerary 1- Perth - Albany - Perth
Perth - (Day 1-3)
Mandurah - Stop by (Day 4)
Bunbury - Stop by (Day 4)
Margaret River - (Day 4-9)
Albany - (Day 9-11)
Esperance - (Day 11-15)
Kalgoorlie -(Day 15-16)
Coolgardie - Stop by
Southern Cross - Stop by
Merredin- (Day 16-17)
York - Stop over (Day 17)
Perth - 17-21

Itinerary 2 - Perth - Exmouth - Perth
Day 1-2 - Perth/Fremantle
Day 3 - Perth/Swann Valley
Day 4 - Cervantes
Day 5 - Geraldton
Day 6 – Abrolhos Islands
Day 7-8 – Kalbarri National Park
Day 9 - Monkey Mia
Day 10 – Monkey Mia to Exmouth
Days 11-13 – Ningaloo Reef
Day 14-15 – Exmouth
Day 15-16 - Coral Bay
Day 16-Carbarvon
Day 17 - Greenough
Day 18 - Cervantes
Day 19-21 - Perth

newie_77

Sorry to add on I will be there with 2 adults & 2 kids.

dotty

Hi, newie_77. There have been some great Perth trip reports posted in the last few weeks that may help you to make an informed decision on which itinerary. They have certainly convinced me a trip to Perth is essential and all the bones of the planning are there already for me!

Brizman

My word - that is quite a gallop you have written for yourself. How old are the children? Does the phrase: are we there yet? have any meaning for you? A few years ago we (my very adult wife and myself) did pretty much the same trip. But not at that pace. We drove express to Exmouth and then toddled back slowly. It is the most amazing part of Australia - I'd do that before the southern end of WA. Perth to Exmouth is a serious distance (1200kms - 15 hours) and we did it in two one-day hops, head down and just keep going. First stop Kalbarri. After a lunch time departure from Perth we drove in the dark from the highway into Kalbarri - yep, it's 50+klms from the main road. The last 50 are the longest! Then the long plug up to Exmouth and - yes, in the dark - down to our "luxury" camping resort right in the National Park at Ningaloo...at 20kph to avoid hitting the roos in our hire car. Don't know why I am telling you this but Ningaloo is the best - drifting down with the current just 25 metres out from the beach floating over the coral and fish. Back to the beach, back to the starting point, do it all over again and again....I go misty just thinking about it. The kids will adore it.

Are you sure you have allocated enough "travelling" days relative to looking around days - if you don't want to end up exhausted and yelling at each other. It's a holiday after all! Some other thoughts: combine Ningaloo and Exmouth - if the coral experience is the focus. If you want to swim with the whale sharks (might be a bit late in the year, I think) then Coral Bay is an alternative access point. Try to get a look at the Murchison River Gorge while you are up that way. The Abrolhos Islands are off the coast - not sure it is a day trip - have you allowed enough time? The kids will love Monkey Mia - and don't miss the shelly beaches at Denham. Kalbari is beautiful - drive down the coast a little and amaze at the cliffs. And check out the Pinnacles at Cervantes - quite quaint. They will have special meaning if you have ever seen the clip of a naked Billy Connoly cavorting among them. Despite this rave, I haven't done an analysis in detail, but it may be possible to review the schedule so that you can get down to Margaret River as well. Save the south-east for next time.

Any way, just food for thought. We loved WA - so beautiful and unspoiled. And you'll be in Ningaloo before they start drilling for oil 50 klms off the coast. Make sure you take photos and bring back some of those lovely pink pebbles from the beaches before they turn black.

Melnq8

Hi newie -

Regarding Itinerary #1:

I'd skip those days in Perth at the end and put them elsewhere - you've not included Walpole or Denmark - Walpole can be done enroute (Tree Top Walk, etc), but Denmark is well worth as much time as you can give it.

Any particular reason you're including Mandurah? I think I'd give MR one less day (you've got four full days allocated, right?) and add that day to Albany, especially as you appear to have rather long drives on days 9 & 11, not leaving yourself much time to explore Albany. Albany to Esperance can take as long as 8 hours if you make any detours (such as into Fitzgerald River Nat'l Park).

Not much in Southern Cross as I recall. What are your plans for Merredin? York is worth a few hours, but not an overnight IMO (I really don't get the fuss about the place, so take that with a grain of salt).

Regarding Itinerary #2:

Freo and the Swan Valley are easily done as day trips from Perth - only 30 minutes drive each. The Pinnacles are best viewed at sunrise and sunset, but please take care - you don't want to be driving after dark up there (other than to/from the Nat'l Park) as the roos will be out in force which makes for dangerous driving.

Monkey Mia to Exmouth is a haul - 704 km, about nine hours of driving. Don't forget that it gets dark early in the winter months, maybe 5:30 or so, and you don't want to be driving up there after dusk. Trust me on this.

<Days 11-13 – Ningaloo Reef>

I'm not sure what you mean by this - Ningaloo is accessed via Coral Bay and Exmouth, so no need to allocate these days separately.

You're stopping ovenright in Cervantes twice, right? For something different you might consider Jurian Bay or Dongara..either would give you about a 3:45 minute drive back to Perth the following day.

Melnq8

I've got a very detailed trip report posted here for our June 2010 Perth-Exmouth-Perth trip and several trip reports for the SW, as well as Esperance and Kalgoorlie.

Just click on my name and scroll down through my trip reports if interested.

judilie

You may find some useful information about Perth and immediate environs in my post (We Love Australia Fair: Perth and Environs (late Sept. 2009), Posted by: judilie on Mar 1, 10 at 10:37pm)