WESTERN AUSTRALIA ROAD TRIP GUIDE | PERTH TO BROOME
We just landed back home in Perth after one of the most epic road trips we have ever done! We are a little embarrassed to say it, but after exploring over 50 countries we have only now put aside time to finally explore our own home state - Western Australia.
This trip has really opened our eyes to the importance of exploring your own backyard. We are always seeking out adventures and journeys on the other side of the world, but why have we never just jumped on a bus and ventured up north? It was time to change this!
We decided to jump onboard Adventure Tour's Perth to Broome Overland tour - a 10 day road trip with a small group of like-minded travellers, all excited to hit the road and experience what Western Australia has to offer!
First things first: Who are Adventure Tours & why we chose them?
Adventure Tours offer small group adventure tours for all agers in Australia. Running for over 24 years, they wanted to create a company that allowed people to come and enjoy their home country. Adventure Tours run a number of tours throughout Australia from camping trips through Uluru to road trips through Tasmania.
Adventure Tours is the perfect choice for those looking for an Australian group tour adventure that isn’t your standard 60 seater bus. Instead you will experience Australia with a small group of people, visiting all the hotspots without needing to hire a car or do any of the planning!
Our Route: 10 Day Western Australia Road Trip
Day 1: Perth to Kalbarri
Starting in our home city of Perth, this is where our journey began. We jumped onto our Adventure Tour bus and left the city behind, driving north to Lancelin. This spot is known for its massive sand dunes so once we arrived we all grabbed some boards and went sand boarding. This was the perfect way get to know the other people on our tour, as we all huffed & puffed our way to the top of the dune before racing down together.
Once we were all sand-boarded out we continued our drive to Nambung National Park to explore The Pinnacles. These ancient rock formations that rise out of the desert are still a mystery on how they came to be here. After hiking through the park we journeyed on to Kalbarri, a quiet beach town where we would be spending our first night.
Drive time: 7 hours
Day 2: Kalbarri to Shark Bay
We started the day with some hiking at Kalbarri National Park, one of the most beautiful parks we have visited in WA. We began with a hike down into Z-Bend Gorge, where you can take a refreshing dip in the river. Along the way there was a spot you could do abseiling, and of course Stephen couldn't resist! We spent the rest of the morning hiking to Murchison Gorge, hiking the Loop Walk and marvelling at Nature's Window.
After lunch we hit the road on our way to our Shark Bay where we would be staying the night. On the way to stopped off at beautiful Shell Beach. This is one of only two beaches in the world composed entirely of shells!
Drive time: 4 hours
Day 3: Shark Bay to Coral Bay
Today we woke up bright and early and headed down to the beach. Monkey Mia is famous for its friendly dolphins, which swim right up to the shoreline every morning. This was such a special experience, being only an arms reach away from a pod of dolphins as they came to greet us!
The next stop of the day was Carnarvon where we checked out the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool. These marine rock formations are some of the world’s oldest and largest living fossils. After lunch we continued along the highway, crossing into the Tropic of Capricorn on our way to Coral Bay, which is known as the ‘Jewel of the Northwest’.
Drive time: 6 hours
Day 4: Coral Bay to Exmouth
Coral Bay is one of the most picturesque spots in Western Australia and home to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. Here we had plans to go snorkelling and had a tour booked in to swim with the manta rays. Unfortunately a massive storm hit us the night before and our tour had to be cancelled.
After grabbing a morning coffee and watching the storm roll in we all jumped on the bus and headed to our campsite in Yardie Creek, right near Exmouth. This was the first night we were planning on camping, however because of the storm we were upgraded to beautiful cabins with our own kitchen and BBQ's (which everyone wasn't too sad about). We ended the night grilling up some fish and playing cards.
Drive time: 1.5 hours
Day 5: Exmouth
As we were spending two nights in Exmouth, we had today free to spend however we pleased. Luckily for us the storm had passed by morning and we were able to go out and explore the reef - and this time we were going to dive with whale sharks!
Swimming with the whale sharks in Ningaloo has been on the top of our Western Australia bucket list for years, and we couldn't believe we were finally going to do it. It is so hard to put into words what it was like jumping into the ocean and having a 9m whale sharks swimming directly in front of you - it is hands down one of the most incredible things we have ever done!
This was simply the best day ever!
Day 6: Exmouth to Karijini National Park
We packed up bright and early and hit the road for a long day of driving through the Pilbara desert. Known for its red earth and rich in mineral deposits, this part of WA really gives you a look into the Aussie Outback. In the afternoon we passed through the little town of Tom Price for lunch before continuing on to Karijini National Park.
We arrived at our campsite just has the sun began to set and cooked up a big feast after a long day of driving. Our tents were all set up for us, and even though we were in the middle of nowhere we still had flushing toilets and hot showers available.
Drive time: 9.5 hours
Day 7 & 8: Karijini National Park
Over the next two days we explored the stunning gorges of Karijini National Park. Formed over 2,500 million years ago, the Hamersley Ranges feature some of the most unusual landforms on Earth. Due to the storm half of the park was closed, but that didn't stop us from having the most incredible time. We hiked deep into some gorgeous gorges, went swimming in fresh waterholes and found breathtaking cascading waterfalls.
Day 9: Karijini National Park to Pardoo
After three nights of camping in Karijini we reluctantly packed up our things and headed back on the road. Karijini is hands down the most stunning National Park in Australia and we are already planning to return to see more!
We travelled back towards the coast visiting Port Hedland before arriving at a cattle station in Pardoowhere we would be staying the night. This was our last night together as a group and we were not ready for our trip to end!
Drive time: 5 hours
Day 10: Pardoo to Broome
It was time to drive to our final destination - Broome. Along the way we stopped off at 80-Mile Beach for a stroll, before arriving into Broome. We said our goodbyes at Cable Beach and were dropped off at Seashells Broome where we stayed for a few extra nights.
We highly recommend extending your stay, Broome is a beautiful, beach side town with a lot to do & see!see & do!
Drive time: 5 hours
The Vehicle
Something we found really unique was the Adventure Tour vehicle. It was an all terrain vehicle, with large windows and a lot of room. Australia is a very big country, which means our road trips always involve driving long distances. Our driver was such an amazing guy, with some days having to drive for many hours but always had a smile on his face!
The Accommodation
The accommodation on this tour was a mix of hostels and camping - with 4 nights staying in multishare accommodation with shared facilities and 5 nights of camping.
Every hostel we stayed at was nice & clean and the camping conditions blew our expectations. The tents were already set up when we arrived and they were raised off the floor. We slept on little bunks inside swags which meant each night we stayed dry, warm and comfortable!
What does a tour like this cost?
The price for this 10 day tour from Perth to Broome starts at $1,525 AUD.
What’s Included?
Guide & driver
9 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 9 dinners
Daily transport
All accommodation: Camping (3 nights), Hostel (4 nights), Permanent Safari Camp (2 nights)
Entrance into Nambung National Park (Pinnacles)
Sandboarding in Jurien Bay
Entrance into Kalbarri National Park
Monkey Mia Dolphins
Ningaloo Reef Marine Park
Entrance into Karijini National Park
Additional
So in terms of what else you need to cover;
Flights, travel insurance
Additional activities (such as abseil in Kalbarri National Park AUD30, snorkel with manta rays AUD165, snorkel with whalesharks AUD350)
Personal costs
Thanks to Adventure Tours for inviting Flying The Nest to experience their Perth to Broome Overland Tour, as always all opinions are our own.