Drive Me to WA Today!

Western Australia Driving Adventure
Great Australian Road Trip

Large is not the word for it. Massive doesn't cover it either. Gigantanormous might be a little closer to the mark, but unfortunately you won't find it in any dictionaries. Welcome to Western Australia, where elbow room has never been a problem.

If you're looking for the ultimate Great Australian Road Trip, then flying into Perth is an excellent first step. One of the most popular road trips you can do in the big WA is cruising up the enormous stretch of coastline to the north, stopping along the way to visit tiny towns, romp along beaches with no footprints, and burrow around mind-blowing national parks.

Gearing up and getting outta here!
The adventurous will be aiming for Broome and beyond, to lose themselves in the wilds of Kimberly, freaking out at the alien landscape of the Bungle Bungles before crossing the border and heading for Darwin. Those of us who like to shower a little more often will probably cruise along the North West Coastal Highway as far as the popular holiday town of Exmouth ? possibly popping over to Karijini National Park (well worth a look) ? before turning around and heading home.

Before you rush out into the unending horizon, make sure you've got a trusty car at the ready, able to take punishing distances, and equipped with life-saving air-conditioning. Not having a car isn't even an option in a state the size of India, with the majority of the population clinging to the outskirts of Perth and south coast. So if you don't have your own, grab yourself a good deal for a Perth car hire, chuck your luggage, stores of water and petrol in the back, and put your foot on the accelerator.

Need a car for your road trip? Rent one at Car Rental Perth

Cavorting up the coast
First stop should be the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park near Cervantes with random spooky limestone pillars standing silently in the sand, staring at you. Stay over in Cervantes or keep the wheels turning until you reach Geraldton ? WA's second largest city. If you're a keen diver or like to snorkel, then charter a boat (or catch the seaplane) and check out the Abrolhos Islands, and have a float around the Batavia shipwreck. Just up the road (relative to distances regularly encountered in WA) is the resort town of Kalbarri with its national park ? easily accessible by cars and walking.

Get back in your car and keep your foot on the gas until you get to the World Heritage listed Shark Bay. This unbelievably ecologically diverse area tends to be overshadowed by the fame of Monkey Mia's friendly dolphins, but poking around the bays to spot turtles and serene dugongs can be infinitely as rewarding as an encounter with one of the bottle-nosed dolphins. Visit the Zuytdorp Cliffs and Shell Beach (where the sand is actually composed of ? yep, you guessed it ? little white shells). If you're roaring around in a 4WD you can hike your way out to Francois National Park.

The next mandatory stop is Coral Bay and Exmouth to reward yourself with balmy year-round weather, and Ningaloo Reef, where you can't splash around without bumping into a big underwater creature of some kind.

After this, it's the determination of dusty traveler which will get you past the next many hundreds of kilometers, past the industrial towns of Dampier, Karratha and Port Hedland and on into Broome, the charming doorstep to the wilds of the Kimberley ? one of the last great unconquered expanses of nature left in the world. It's here you can throw around all the over-the-top descriptors you like: rugged, breathtaking, spiritual, bloody brilliant. But you'll have to go there yourself. Save me from using up all my adjectives.

Beyond that, you've only got Kununurra and the Bungle Bungles before you cross the border and into the NT.

Need a car in Perth?
There's a plethora of websites out there which hunt down cheap car hire deals and put them all on the one website. Just do a search on google for "car hire deals" or go to a website such as http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au who often have good Perth and Western Australia deals.

Drive Safe and Happy Adventuring!

Alyssa Betts
Vroom Vroom Vroom / Carhire
http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au

Tom Sawyer Day - Floating Down The River

There were four of us on that first Tom Sawyer... Read More

Calculate Food Quantities for Camping and Outdoor Recreation

As the warmer weather approaches, we look forward to another... Read More

The Best Safari Company for Your Safari Trip - Heres How To Choose

Which is the best African safari company for my safari... Read More

Things to Make Your Gap Year in Africa Easy!

The kind of things you pack when you go on... Read More

Protection from Lightning - Smart Strategies for Hikers and All Outdoor Enthusiasts

Prevention is your best protection against lightning. Be sure to... Read More

Block Island ? Memorable Vacations Are Made of This

Block Island is a seaside jewel lying 12 miles off... Read More

About Table Mountain Cape Town - Well Known in South Africa and Around the World

Table Mountain sheltered the original Cape explorers in the 16th... Read More

Alaska - Brief Travel Guide

WHAT TO SEE, TO DO AND WHERE: Mount McKinley is... Read More

Disneyland for Hikers: A Walk to Mt. Whitney

Base camp sits at 12,000 feet - stark, windy, unshaded... Read More

Lightweight Backpacking: How Light?

You aren't lightweight backpacking if you are carrying twenty-five pounds... Read More