In this article we tell you the first stage of our roadtrip in van through southwest Australia: the one that took us from Perth to Albany. They were 4 days and 802 kilometers sleeping in campsites and visiting incredible places in Western Australia (WA). We tell you what to see and do and what stops are essential.
At the moment these are the main data:
Stage Information
Point: Perth
Final point: Albany
Total km: 802 km
Days: 4 days
- Day 1: Perth - Capel (198 km)
- Day 2: Capel - Margaret River (189 km)
- Day 3: Margaret River - Denmark (311 km)
- Day 4: Denmark - Albany (104 km)
The last months we did nothing but imagine in the front seats of a campervan crossing an Australian road, parking in front of the ocean to improvise a picnic or sleeping under the constellations of the southern hemisphere. So when the day came to pick up the van our excitement was maximum.
But let's go to the previous night: although with difficulty we could curse a few hours and, in one of those heaps I dreamed that the van we had reserved was not available and offered us the biggest option, with bath and shower ... Can you believe it was exactly what happened? To be completely honest, in my dream they also gave us € 300 for gasoline, but hey, it wasn't a plan to haggle them ...
Day 1Perth - Capel
Still with the awkwardness of the first day we stopped at the Waikiki Beach to prepare our food and we didn't even know how to light the fires. It was a good time to start meeting Australians on foot, so we approached to ask for a lighter to a car parked next door and we took two gifts: the first, the lighter and the second, an expression that freaks out greatly "Cool bananas", Which means something like" debut "or" chachi "... You can imagine the face that left us ...
We followed the route south on Highway 1, the day was coming to an end and the sun was beginning to set, so it was best to find a place to spend the night and avoid the kangaroos that, apparently, choose these Hours to get on the road. Instead of kangaroos, what we found in our campsite was a beautiful horse, from which we became friends. Good night horse, and good night Chipy (the name of the newly baptized van).
We spent the night in a Capel bowling club, free. It is not wonderful but if you are selfcontained it is a quiet place, without more.
Day 2Capel - Margaret River
The next day we already had another carrot prepared for our favorite horse, which he had to share with another neighboring horse. He was already having breakfast, we headed towards the beach of Peppermint Grove Beach To do the same: for now a coffee with a nutella sandwich, we will have time to complicate our lives.
We cross the forest ofTuart Forest National Park and we get to Busselton Jetty. We do not know if it was Saturday morning but there was a great atmosphere that we loved: whole families having a picnic, children skating in the skate park, tourists walking along the promenade ... The place has a lot of charm, in addition to the beach It is perfect for bathing and the pier is very photogenic. Check out the inside of the booth to know more about this historic place.
Busselton Jetty
The next stop was also a town: Dunsborought. Here we walked around his market and ... SURPRISE! We meet Carmen Grau, the writer of several books, among which is "Dawn in Southeast Asia", a reference for those who prepare their backpacking adventure for this subcontinent. The market also had some stalls of organic products, handicrafts and clothing. The beach of the town is not the best in the whole area, but you can always approach to spend some time alone.
Dunsborought Beach
If you are looking for postcard beaches, you just have to go east and stop at one of the remaining beaches before reaching the Cape Naturalist lighthouse. We stay at the beach of Eagle Bay, to give us our first bath in Australian waters and we survived! The beach is simply stunning. Another very popular is Meelup Beach. Between them there is another tiny cove surrounded by rocks that is also worth it.
Eagle Bay Beach
Calita between Eagle Bay and Meelup Beach
If you get to him Cape Naturalist lighthouse you know that to visit it you have to pay a 5AUS ticket. From here there is also some option of hiking along the coast, for example the one that arrives at a viewpoint where there are possibilities to see whales, although apparently this is not a good time ... So it was a perfect excuse to follow our path and not tempt the snakes that, sure, were waiting for us on both sides of the road.
Returning we turn to the Sugar Loaf Rock, a point where the currents collide with the rocks and the power of the Australian waters is felt.
Cape Naturalist Lighthouse
Sugar Loaf Rock
On the other side of the peninsula there are also some interesting beaches, but they are not so suitable for swimming but for kitesurfers: we talk about the Yallingup Beach and the Smiths Beach. Although the strong point of this area is Rocks Channel, there a walkway takes you on the rocks and on a powerful water inlet. If you dare you can jump from the bridge to the pool under your feet. Keep an eye because when we came they had just seen a brown snake hanging around here, neither more nor less than the second most poisonous snake in the world.
Rocks Channel
The next scheduled stop on our roadtrip was the Injidup Natural Spa, a natural little pool that we really wanted after seeing instagram photos, but when we arrived we were disappointed. We do not know if because the sea level was too high (or low), but because the tide was strong ... added to the tremendous wind there could hardly be.
Indijup Natural Spa
Throughout this day we continue south on the Caves Road, named for the many caves that can be visited in the immediate vicinity, yes, the majority upon payment. There are also vineyard fields, craft breweries and in general an area where gourmets can enjoy a lot. On this road we also saw our first kangaroos (live), cows, sheep, and even a group of deer.
We did a pitstop to fill the beer fridge in Margaret River and from there to camping Conto, where we spent our second night and where we premiered with barbecues! The campsite costs 11AUS per person per night and you have to book online, if not, you can get there and connect to a wifi that ONLY allows you to enter the website to make the reservation. Although it has no power in the plots it is quite cool.
Day 3Margaret River - Denmark
The third day promised to be quieter in terms of visits, but longer in terms of km of road. And so it was, although the first stop was one of the most exciting moments of our trip: bathe between manta rays It is not something that is done every day! Ok, here the only one who really bathed was a kid who must live in the campsite next door, each of the blankets was known: that if this comes every day, that if this is the one that has a shark bite , that if this is the biggest and friendliest ... The rest we just put the little pieces in the water and not reach beyond the knee ... but having the blankets greeting you so close is a real pass! The site is inHamelin Bay Beach.
Blankets in Hamelin Bay
We follow the route along Caves Road through forests until we reach Pemberton, where we take the opportunity to cook a rich Campervan-style carbonara next to a swimming pool. Ok, they call it a pool, but in which pool in the world can people also fish? In one of Australia ... The site is definitely worth a visit.
Caves Road
The idea of the day was to end at the Center Road campsite, but after traveling the first 500 meters we realized that this road would not last a mile (we or the crockery of the van that rattled threatening to break), so We opted to continue towards Denmark and camp in the Boat Harbor Chalets, a family campground, in the middle of a grove that offered us another new surprise ... Let's make a compilation, so far we have seen: horses, rays, quokkas, dolphins, snakes, kangaroos, cows, sheep, deer, birds of all kinds including a pelican, a hairy worm most likely killer and a yellow fly with green eyes that better not throw up on you. Today we would complete it with a couple of lamas and three camels! And Bruce, a hominidus australianus more majete than the copon who showed us his precious creatures and let us feed them with carrots. By the way, a lama got angry and spit on him, Bruce didn't get angry, he just said that sometimes it happens.
Day 4Denmark - Albany
The first visit of the fourth day was a two in one: the Greens pool and the Elephant cove. And it could have been a thousand in one: the place is the best of the WA coast. We arrived at the parking lot at 10 in the morning and there was practically no one, we thought that maybe it was a little known place, of those who skip if you do not have too much time, those who only visit the neighbors in their spare time ... When we We went, about 12, the parking lot was full. I don't tell you anything and I tell you everything.
First you go down some stairs to the Green pool, a small bay separated from the fierce ocean by a line of rocks, which allow the waters closest to the beach to be calm and perfect for swimming. But the name of these natural pools does not lie: the water acquires different shades in green, it could not be otherwise.
Greens pool
Road between Greens Pool and Elephant Cove
If you get to climb the rounded rocks on the left you will reach the Elephant cove, with a little imagination and some attention you will know how to differentiate it from the other rocks. Finding it or not here is not the most important thing, the best gift you will take is a tremendous panoramic view! You can also go down to reach a beach a little more remote than the previous ones.
Views from the Elephant Cove
And as everything must be told, we are going to do it: in the same place from where the 10-year-old children and the 70-year-old grandmothers threw themselves, I dived with bad luck (or as a result of my incredible ability) to burst the one of a toe I repeat: the place where children and grandmothers launch!
From there we continue exploring the coast, through the panoramic road Ocean beach road: There are several viewpoints, of which we highlight the Ocean Beach Lookout and the Lions Lookout a little higher. Amazing views of the Pelican bay.
Ocean beach lookout
Denmark It was the last great town we went through before arriving in Albany, the end of our first stage of this roadtrip through Australia. There we met a small group of tranquil pelicans at the end of Hollings Rd and in that same street the Berridge Park, where we stopped to eat. Right in front of the park is the Denmark Hotel with offer of fish & chips to take for 13AUS and soup menu more main for 15AUS (with pint for another 5AUS). Guess what? Yes, we fell into the temptation of fish & chips, and by the way, it was very tasty.
Pelican in Denmark
To sleep the shot went to the second, like last night, this time we tried in the crowded Cozy Corner East Campground, where everything was already full at 4 in the afternoon, so we pulled towards Torbay West Campground and we found a place under trees, and free. The site was filled at night, keep that in mind!
