1. 3 Days in Perth in a Camper:
Three Great Days in Perth, WA
Pack in the sights to your Perth holiday, known for its sunshine, natural beauty and relaxed pace.
Sail down the Swan River or look over the city from Kings Park.
Swim, surf or just watch the sunset from Cottesloe Beach, then hit Northbridge's cheap eateries and trendy bars.
Dine out on Indian Ocean seafood and explore Australia's best-preserved 19th century streetscapes in colourful Fremantle.
Dedicate a day to discovering Rottnest Island by bike, boat or foot. Swim and surf from perfect white beaches, snorkel with tropical fish and coral and get up close to diverse wildlife.
Day 1: City, gardens and river
Take a free city bus, jumping off at attractions like the Perth Cultural Centre, Perth Art Gallery and Swan Bell Tower.
Have lunch on the Swan River, watching boats sail past the city skyline. Or pack a picnic and head to the elevated green expanse of Kings Park and Botanic Garden.
Wander past the bushland, gardens and lakes and stare over the city, river and Darling Range from scenic vantage points such as the State War Memorial.
Take the bus to Cottesloe Beach, where you can swim, snorkel or surf in the clear waters or relax on the terraced lawns beneath the Norfolk Pines.
Watch the sun sink into the Indian Ocean from a pub or café along the boulevard. Then head to Northbridge, where you can dine out on an international kaleidoscope of cuisines and explore the many pubs, hotels and nightclubs. Alternatively, see a musical performance at the Perth Concert Hall or a play in the Perth Theatre.
Day 2: Fremantle fun
Cruise down the Swan River to the charming port of Fremantle. Have an al fresco brunch along South Terrace.
On weekends the carnival atmosphere with markets, magicians and musicians. Buy hand-made jewellery and local artworks, get your tarot cards read or sit for your portrait.
Learn about Fremantle's history in the Western Australian Maritime Museum or the Fremantle Prison. See the whipping post, gallows, solitary cells and chapel and learn about the daring escapes on a tour.
Wander from here into Henderson Street, where Fremantle's original market is held Friday to Monday and on public holidays.
Shop for Aboriginal artworks and local produce, then browse the bookshops and boutiques along nearby South Terrace and Market Street.
In the evening, soak up the maritime flavour of Fishing Boat Harbour. Visit the boutique brewery and enjoy fish and chips on the wharf or in a waterside restaurant.
Day 3: Rottnest Island
Take the ferry to Rottnest Island, where there are 63 beaches, 20 bays and no cars to spoil the tranquility.
Hire a bike and ride through the island's centre to Oliver Hill, where huge guns and underground tunnels were installed last century. Take in the views and walk to the salt lakes or old lighthouse.
Spot birdlife and quokkas, the island's native marsupial. Cycle north to Little Parakeet Bay for a swim in the clear, protected waters. Stop for lunch in a café at Geordie Bay, a little further along.
If you'd prefer to explore underwater, follow a snorkel trail at Parker Point or over various shipwreck sites. Scuba dive in Fish Hook Bay, where coral reefs make the water a patchwork of different blues.
Surf at Strickland, Salmon and Stark Bays, where the waves can be two to three feet taller than those off Perth beaches. Finish the day with a sunset meal in the island's historic beachside pub.
2. Three Weeks from Perth
Discover Margaret River, Ningaloo Reef, Broome and even Darwin and Sydney on an action-packed adventure from Australia's westernmost capital.
From Perth you can head south to Margaret River's wineries, waves, forests and caves. Dive shipwrecks and spot whales along the way. North from Perth you'll find Ningaloo Reef, the world's largest fringing reef, and Broome, where you can ride a camel at sunset along Cable Beach.
Fly into Darwin for easy access to World heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, a tapestry of wildlife, wetlands and Aboriginal rock art galleries. Alternatively, cross the country from Perth to Sydney on the epic Indian-Pacific rail journey.
Wharncliffe Mill Bush Retreat Eco Tours -camp, cabins lodge
www.wharncliffemill.com.au
Mc Queen Road, Via Carters Rd
Margaret River WA, Australia
+61 8 9758 8227
Margaret River Tourist Park Country Cottages
www.margaretrivertouristpark.com.au
44 Station Rd
Margaret River WA, Australia
+61 8 9757 2180
Week 1: Perth surrounds
Cruise the Swan River past parks and skyscrapers to the vineyards in the Swan Valley or the Perth Zoo.
Discover the lookouts, landscaped gardens and Aboriginal heritage of huge Kings Park. Visit Rottnest Island, where you can bike ride to secret beaches and kayak to secluded bays. Spot quokkas and learn about the island's interesting history.
Feast on seafood and soak up the carnival atmosphere in historic Fremantle.
Swim, surf, fish, windsurf and sail on Cottlesloe or Scarborough beaches, which mark the start of the long, uncrowded Sunset Coast.
Inland in the Darling Range, you can bushwalk in national parks and sleep in quaint bed and breakfasts.
Raft down the nearby Avon River or fly over the Avon Valley on a sky dive or in a hot air balloon.Explore the galleries, craft shops, cafes and museums of the National Trust-listed towns of Toodyay and York, the state's first inland town. Visit New Norcia, Australia's only monastic town.
Week 2: Margaret River and south-west or north to Ningaloo
Follow the South-West, Goldfields and Beaches drive to Margaret River. Stop to swim with dolphins in Mandurah or dive a scuttled pirate ship in Bunbury.
Spend the night in the whale-watching town of Dunsborough, on sparkling Geographe Bay. Drive through beachside Yallingup into Margaret River, where the 60 wineries are fringed by tall forests, underground caves and crashing surf beaches.
Stock up on gourmet produce, canoe through sun-speckled woodlands and ride the waves of Surfers Point. Further south, snorkel with stingrays in Hamelin Bay or look over two oceans from Augusta.
Alternatively, drive north from Perth to Ningaloo Reef, where you can swim with the whale shark, the world's largest fish, between April and June. Dive or snorkel with a huge range of tropical fish and coral.
Stay in the surfing town of Exmouth or idyllic Coral Bay. Four wheel drive in Cape Range National Park, where red rock gorges meet Ningaloo's white beaches and turquoise seas.
Roebuck Bay Caravan Park
www.roebuckbaycp.com.au
91 Walcott Street
Broome WA, Australia
+61 8 9192 1366
Kimberley Camping Outback Supplies
www.kimberleycamping.com.au
Frederick St
Broome WA, Australia
+61 8 9193 5909
Broome Vacation Village Caravan Park
www.broomevillage.com.au
122 Port Dr
Minyirr WA, Australia
+61 8 9192 1057
Barn Hill Beach Side Station Stay
Roebuck WA
Australia
Broome's Gateway Accommodation
www.broomesgateway.com
3000 Broome Road , Skuthorpe
Broome WA, Australia
+61 437 525 485
Roebuck Plains Roadhouse
136 Broome Rd
Roebuck WA, Australia
+61 8 9192 1880
Week 3: Perth to Broome, Darwin or Sydney
Fly from Perth to Broome or get there driving north from Ningaloo.
Pick up a campervan or motorhome here. Please note that there are very high pick up and drop off charges for Broome. They can be as high as AU$750.00.
Here at the gateway to the Kimberley, you can buy pearls in Chinatown or ride a camel at sunset along Cable Beach.
See dinosaur footprints preserved in rock at Gantheaume Point and, between March and October, a lunar illusion from Roebuck Bay.
Four wheel drive to Aboriginal communities on the Dampier Peninsula, navigating between white beaches and craggy red cliffs.
Fly to Darwin from either Perth or Broome if you want to discover Australia's tropical Top End. Visit the Tiwi Islands, where you can browse distinctive Tiwi art and watch weaving, painting and dancing demonstrations.
Swim beneath waterfalls in lush Litchfield National Park, then continue driving the Nature's Way to World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.
Get Gold Fever in Kalgoorlie
Discover gold fields and ghost towns, history and high adventure in the heart of Western Australia's wild west.
If you love old westerns, you'll feel right in your element in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia's largest goldfields city. Its historic buildings and colourful pubs are the legacy of more than a hundred years of gold rush history.
Kalgoorlie was born in the gold rush of the 1880s, when hordes of fortunes-seekers from across the country descended on the region. It was a heady but tough period for the early diggers, with lawlessness and disease rife. By the 1960s the population had grown to more than 200,000 people, mainly prospectors, and the region had gained a reputation as a wild west with bandits and prostitutes.
Today million dollar mining companies have replaced the starry-eyed prospectors, but the gold rush romance lives on in Kalgoorlie's grand old buildings, historic pubs and colourful characters.
On Hannan Street – named after Irishman Paddy Hannan who struck gold in 1893 – you can even drink a pint of Hannan lager. Explore a prospector's campsite and heritage buildings in the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame. See Aboriginal and Goldfields art in the Flying Doctor's Visitor Centre. See relics of the gold mine dream in the abandoned cottages, huts and shops of the dusty ghost town of Gwalia.
If you want to explore more recent gold mining history, visit the vast Super Pit Mine, which produces about 800,000 ounces of gold a year. At 3.5 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide, it's as deep as Uluru is high and about the same circumference.
This area is also rich in natural bounty. Explore the tranquil eucalyptus forests, wide sweeping plains, dry lake beds, low lying scrub land and spinifex fields on a trek or four wheel drive, but make sure you pack your pioneering spirit. As well as striking landscapes, you'll find an abundance of bird life, including the chuditch, mallee fowl and dunnart.
Back in town, it's hard to resist the friendly locals and their unique outback spirit. Join the festivities for their famous horse race, The Boulder to Kalgoorlie Cup. Or have a yarn with an old-timer in the pub. With one on just about every street corner, you're guaranteed an entertaining night out.
Out here adventure, golden history, outback landscapes and colourful characters are the real treasure.
Margaret River
Campsites Margaret River:
Wharncliffe Mill Bush Retreat Eco Tours - camp, cabins and lodge
Mc Queen Road, Via Carters Rd
Margaret River WA, Australia
+61 8 9758 8227
Margaret River Tourist Park Country Cottages
44 Station Rd
Margaret River WA, Australia
+61 8 9757 2180
With many world-class wineries and award-winning restaurants, Margaret River is one of Western Australia's most famous food and wine regions. Tour the cellar doors and taste local brews at the boutique breweries.
Here you can eat fresh crayfish straight from the ocean or dine on the local organic beef and truffles. Visit the farmer's markets and try the artisan cheeses. Indulge in local handmade chocolates and delicious fudge. When you've finished your culinary journey, take time to explore Western Australia's Great South West. In a few hours you can go from wineries to stunning beaches with world-class surf breaks, snorkelling and diving or walk amongst ancient forests and caves.
With more than 120 wine producers in the region, Margaret River produces some of Australia's best cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, semillon, sauvignon blanc, merlot and shiraz wines. Start at the Margaret River Visitor Centre, which features interactive displays and information about wine. It's a great place to get a few tips from the locals to help plan your journey.
Some of Margaret River's premium wineries include Leeuwin Estate; Xanadu Wines; and Voyager Estate. Each winery offers a range of fine food and wine experiences from wine tastings to gourmet degustation dinners featuring seasonal menus. Many food and wine events are held throughout the year.
One of the most popular is the four-day Margaret River Gourmet Escape in November which attracts the world's best international and Australian chefs and wine-makers.4
Driving south from Perth is a great way to see Western Australia's Great South West. In a few hours you can go from award-winning wineries to stunning beaches, tall forests, world-class surf breaks and ancient caves. A number of great driving routes allow for many detours on the way.
Explore the long stretch of Western Australia's south-west beaches and watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean. Go swimming with dolphins in Bunbury and Rockingham.
Spot migrating whales from the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse at Geographe Bay. A short distance away you can surf, fish and swim in the relaxed town of Yallingup. Walk along the southern hemisphere's longest timber jetty and see the colourful coral and fish in the Underwater Observatory at Busselton.
Dunsborough features a stretch of secluded beaches perfect for swimming, surfing and diving, including the HMAS Swan wreck dive. Hike the dramatic coastline of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park or take a gentle walk through jarrah, marri and karri forests which bloom with colourful wildflowers in season. From Augusta, head inland to Manjimup, famous for its truffles and home to the Truffle Kerfuffle in June. Margaret River is approximately 270 kilometres south of Perth.
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