5 Southwest WA Road Trips You Can’t Miss (We’ve Driven Them All)

We’ve done the Big Lap of Australia twice in Bunji, our 1993 Toyota Coaster, and the southwest corner of WA still keeps pulling us back.

We’ve driven every one of these, so here are the 5 southwest WA road trips you can’t miss, all leaving from Perth: wineries and caves, karri trees you can climb, a whaling town, a wild shack settlement and a jarrah forest just 1 hr 35 min from the city.

1. Perth to Margaret River (WA)

Distance: 280km one way (about 3 hr driving)
Time needed: 3 to 5 days
Best time: September to May
Vehicle: 2WD
Good for: First-timers who want the classic southwest drive in any car, with wine, caves and beaches on the way.

It’s a dead easy drive: leave Perth after breakfast and you’re in Margaret River for lunch.

We spent a month in the southwest and still wanted more, so we reckon 3 days is the minimum before you start feeling rushed.

Highlights

• Busselton Jetty stretches 1.8 km, the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere, so you can ride the train out, snorkel among the pylons from December to April or stay dry in the underwater observatory at the end.
• Margaret River wineries number over 200 and Dr John Gladstones likened the climate to Bordeaux back in the 1960s, so book a wine tour and leave the driving to someone else, ideally during the March to May autumn harvest.
• Margaret River caves (Jewel, Mammoth and Lake Cave) all sit a short drive from town and are packed with dramatic stalactites and flowstone, and they’re open year round, which makes them the pick for a wet winter day.
• Injidup Natural Spa and The Aquarium near Yallingup are natural rock pools for a summer dip, though the ocean can surge into Injidup, so check conditions and skip both in big swells.
• Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse is a historic working lighthouse with guided tours and clifftop views, and whales pass close to shore roughly August to November.
• Meelup Beach and Eagle Bay in Dunsborough are pristine, clear-water beaches about 20 minutes from Busselton, and they’re best for swimming and snorkelling from December to March.

Heads up: Summer school holidays (December to January), long weekends and the Margaret River Pro book out accommodation early, so reserve ahead. Swim only at patrolled beaches because of strong currents.

Want every stop between the city and the vines? Our Perth to Margaret River road trip guide has 7 of them mapped out!

2. Perth to Pemberton (WA)

Distance: 330km one way (4 hr driving)
Time needed: 2 to 3 days
Best time: Year-round; spring for wildflowers, winter for truffles and waterfalls
Vehicle: 2WD
Good for: Forest lovers and families after a tree-climbing weekend away from the coast.

Pemberton has always been one of our favourite weekend escapes from Perth, and it’s SO underrated next to the coastal towns that get all the attention.

We stayed at RAC Karri Valley Resort, which has a lake out the back that’s great for paddling. If you’d rather leave the planning to someone else, our guide to the best Pemberton tours has the guided options.

Highlights

• Gloucester Tree is a 61 m karri with a lookout platform 37 m up that you reach by climbing metal pegs, or you can walk the forest loop at its base, and climbing early beats the slippery pegs after overnight rain.
• Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree stands 65 m tall as WA’s tallest fire lookout tree, and you can climb to the first platform at 20 m after a drive along a good unsealed road.
• Beedelup Falls comes with a forest walk to a suspension bridge over the falls, which run strongest in winter and spring and weaker in late summer, and you can walk there from RAC Karri Valley Resort.
• Pemberton Pool is a free swimming spot ringed by towering karri trees, open all day but unpatrolled, right next to the mountain bike park and best for a summer dip.
• The Cascades are rock cascades and swimming holes on Lefroy Brook that a 2WD can reach, best in winter and spring when the water flows, and the Pemberton Tramway runs here too (not on Sundays).
• Pemberton truffle hunt (Truffle Hill) sends you out with dogs on a guided hunt through the cool season, roughly June to August, and weekend spots book out fast, so reserve well ahead.

Heads up: Most Pemberton restaurants close by about 7:30 pm, so bring dinner or eat on the way, and grab a park pass for the National Park spots.

We’ve squeezed the forest into a weekend in our Perth to Pemberton weekend road trip guide!

3. Perth to Albany (WA)

Distance: 630km one way (7 hr 40 min driving)
Time needed: 5 to 7 days
Best time: October to April (whales June to October)
Vehicle: 2WD
Good for: Road trippers who want rugged coast, big trees and proper history on one southwest route.

Albany pairs a rugged Southern Ocean coastline with real history, all within an easy drive of town.

We’ve mapped this one as a 5-day express and as a 14-day loop through the southwest. Once you land, our guide to 20 essential things to do in Albany will fill every spare hour.

Highlights

• The Gap and Natural Bridge sit in the same Torndirrup National Park just south of Albany, a granite cliff lookout platform beside a rock arch the Southern Ocean has carved, and they’re best on still days because swells and wind can get extreme.
• Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk puts you on a walkway 40 m up through giant tingle trees near Walpole, about 50 minutes west of Denmark and well worth the detour, with year-round access that’s best in the dry months.
• Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool in William Bay National Park sit within walking distance of each other, with clear sheltered water and giant granite boulders that make a perfect morning swim from November to April.
• Misery Beach is a quiet white-sand beach in Torndirrup National Park, with turquoise water between rocky headlands, made for a summer snorkel.
• Historic Whaling Station tells Albany’s whaling story at a former working station, and it’s one of the town’s two main history stops.
• National Anzac Centre is the other, a museum on Albany’s role as the departure point for the ANZAC troops in WWI and a must for understanding the town’s heritage.

Heads up: Albany’s coast is exposed to wind and Southern Ocean weather, so check the forecast before coastal walks and lookouts. Book your Albany stay ahead too, because the town gets busy.

Both the 5-day express and the 14-day southwest loop are laid out in our Perth to Albany itineraries, with tips to save money along the way!

4. Perth to Windy Harbour via Cape Leeuwin (WA)

Distance: about 520km one way (about 6 hr driving)
Time needed: 4 to 5 days
Best time: November to April
Vehicle: 2WD (4WD for side trips)
Good for: Self-sufficient campers and 4WDers chasing the far corner of the southwest.

Windy Harbour is where the southwest runs out of road, a tiny shack settlement where the weather decides your day.

We reckon you should stay the night, because the camping is superb, then hike on a blustery afternoon to watch huge waves smash the cliffs.

Highlights

• Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse in Augusta is Australia’s tallest mainland lighthouse, standing where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet at the continent’s far southwest tip, with daily tours and whales passing roughly June to August.
• Windy Harbour shacks and Salmon Beach pair a tiny settlement dating to the 1920s, with about 80 huts by the 1950s, with a quiet beach for surfing and fishing (salmon run in autumn); go in summer, because winter weather gets very intense.
• Cliff Top Walk and Pupalong Loop Walk give you big ocean views on a 2.6 km and a 400 m track, the wind and waves are most dramatic in the afternoon, and whales pass from May to August.
• Cathedral Beach is a swimming beach a short drive from the settlement, with huge rock formations and a good stroll, so swim in the morning when the wind is calmer.
• Mount Chudalup is a granite dome in D’Entrecasteaux National Park with a summit view over a sea of green forest, about 17 minutes’ drive from Pupalong and best in the dry months from November to April.
• 4WD tracks and dunes around Windy Harbour include tall sand dunes and graded but sandy, boggy tracks, so leave them to experienced drivers in the dry summer months.

Heads up: Windy Harbour is remote, with patchy reception and limited services. The nearest fuel is Northcliffe, about 20 minutes away, so fill up there or in Pemberton or Manjimup, and remember park entry fees apply and the wind and weather can be wild even in summer.

Planning to camp out there? Our Windy Harbour guide covers the hikes, the fishing and the weather you’re signing up for!

5. Perth to Dwellingup and the Darling Range (WA)

Distance: 120km one way (1 hr 35 min driving)
Time needed: 2 to 3 days
Best time: September to November (spring wildflowers); autumn is a close second
Vehicle: 2WD
Good for: Anyone after a short getaway from the city with hiking, paddling and a campfire.

Dwellingup is the shortest drive on this list and our pick for a quick forest fix, especially when the jarrah and marri forest explodes into colour during wildflower season.

We camped at Baden Powell Campground in Lane Poole Reserve, and cooking dinner over the fire was a massive highlight.

Highlights

• Lane Poole Reserve is about 50,000 acres of jarrah forest with the Murray River running through it, and it’s the base for most hiking, paddling, biking and camping near Dwellingup, so pay the entry fee ($17 on our visit) and go in spring before summer fires close parts of it.
• Treetops Adventure has you swing, climb and zipline through rope courses up to 25 m high in the jarrah canopy, with 2.5-hour sessions and a cafe afterwards, so book ahead, especially on weekends.
• Kayaking the Murray River suits beginners on the calm sections, and we did a half-day guided paddle with Dwellingup Adventures that included lunch and pick-up from town, best in spring when river levels are good and the weather is mild.
• Hotham Valley Tourist Railway runs vintage steam and forest trains out of Dwellingup, from the 1.5-hour Forest Train to the 2-hour Steam Ranger and the 3-hour Restaurant Train, and weekends fill up, so book ahead.
• King Jarrah Walk was our favourite, an 18 km loop that mostly follows the Murray River to a 250-year-old jarrah tree, taking 5 to 6 hours with some steep sections, so pick spring or autumn and skip hot summer days.
• Marrinup Falls Walk Trail is a free 2.6 km loop 15 minutes from town, with wildflowers in season and falls that flow best from August to October.

Heads up: Summer bushfire risk can close Lane Poole Reserve and its campsites, so check fire bans before you go. Mobile reception is patchy, so download your maps first.

All 14 things to do around town are in our Dwellingup guide, including where to camp!

FAQs

Before you go

Want to join a few of these into one big loop? Our 14 day South West Australia road trip strings the best of the region together with a free map.

[NEXT STEP PLACEHOLDER – Chris will add the relevant Rexby guide, newsletter sign-up or affiliate links here]

See you on the road, Chris and Bec