Perth to Exmouth 2 week itinerary

Well Hello! Gosh it's been a minute. Life has been pretty overwhelming so blogging had to take a back seat, but I'm itching to share all the awesome things I've been up to so let's crack on aye!

So far since leaving the UK I've done a mammoth 10 week road trip along Australias East Coast, a 4 week outback Queensland road trip, a short 2 weeks along the West Coast and I'm now 4 weeks into New Zealands south island. So we've got a lot to cover!

Although our Western Australia road trip is the shortest one we've done, it is also by far my favourite. We did things on this road trip that were a once in a lifetime opportunity and big checks off the bucket list.

So where to start?

Two week itinerary from Perth to Exmouth and back to Perth

There is plenty to do and see over in WA, but this is the route we opted for. You could, of course, go further north towards Broome or south along Margret river. Here's what we did:

Day 1

Collect ya van. Yep, that's usually a good start for any road trip. We went with Travellers Autobarn booked via RatPack but I absolutely would not go with Travellers Autobarn again and I do not recommend them. Look elsewhere or if you book with a third party, like RatPack, tell them you don't want a Travellers Autobarn van.

Quickly why I wouldn't go with them again:

-have to pay $1 to hire an AUX cable (???) Like really? Come on!

-only provided us with 1 plate

-provided us with a handle-less mug

-dirty, long black hairs everywhere including in the crockery, couldn't see out the windscreen due to smears and big footprint on the inside of the windscreen

-charged us a random $45 living equipment hire fee on pick up but can't provide us with two plates?

-gave us 2 sleeping bags. No duvet? No offer of swapping them for a duvet? I get it's great for friends travelling but as a couple, we'd have preferred a duvet. Plus it'd be warmer

-gas canister was expired (legally they shouldn't have rented the van out to us, when we expressed this they replied saying "gas canisters do not go out of date so you were safe")

-the reviews for the company are really bad and so are the replies they leave

Anyway, now you've got your van you're going to need to stock up. Take lots of water (even if your van has a built in water tank). I recommend getting 2 of the 10L ones from Coles as an absolute minimum. Stocked up and ready to go, head to the closest free camp to Perth which is: Coomallo nature reserve. Doing this, you will miss Jurien Bay and The Pinnacles but panic not my friend, we shall return here on our way down. Chill out for the evening here (because that's about a 90 minute drive) and do the small nature walk.

Day 2

Hit the road. Nice and early. That'll be a recurring theme on this road trip! Heading for Dongara where you might need to fill up on fuel. Keep going north on Brand Highway, making time to stop at Greenough wildlife & bird park and the leaning tree in Greenough. Take a stroll along Geraldton esplanade before calling it a day and heading to the camp for tonight, a donation spot: Chapman Valley Rest Area.

Day 3

Make your way towards Northampton and then turn off for the Pink Lake at Gregory. From here make your way to Kalbarri, stopping off at all the coastal lookouts on the way (Natural Bridge, Island Rock, Red Bluff etc) After this you'll want to drive straight past the National Park, retiring to the next free camp: Galena Bridge Camp South Rest Area.

Day 3

She's a good one, it's Kalbarri day! Drive back into Kalbarri and enter the national park (there is a fee). Once in the park you'll get a map and it's pretty self explanatory. We did it all and I recommend you do to! Spectacular views. Next free camp on our route is: Nerren Nerren rest area.

Day 5

Big drive today up to the Shark Bay area. There's roadhouses along the way for fuel and I recommend you fill up before turning off the highway for Denham. On this "little" peninsula you'll make multiple stops at: shell beach, Eagle bluff lookout and Ocean Park Aquarium before arriving in Denham. Check out the lagoons here before heading onto Monkey Mia to feed the Dolphins! We opted to head back to the main highway and camp at Overlander road house. You can free camp here but we paid for a powered spot to charge the battery and for a hot shower.

Day 6

Head straight for Carnarvon where you can stop for petrol and have a nosey at the Cactus Garden. There's also a chance to replenish your supplies here and make the most of the cell coverage (if you're with Vodafone, be prepared to go without for days at a time). Back on the road heading for our next free camp: Lyndon River West rest area.

Day 7

Halfway already! Today's a good one, before you head into coral bay I recommend filling up with petrol in Minilya (it's cheaper than Coral Bay). In Coral Bay you need to do a Manta Ray swim. We went with Ningaloo reef dive & snorkel. There's plenty of activities to chose from in Coral Bay and plenty of companies but I do recommend Ningaloo reef dive & snorkel. We had a great time, the photographer was fabulous and all the snorkel/dive instructors were amazing. After your insane snorkel on Ningaloo reef and swim with a Manta Ray head into Coral Bay and chill out on the beach before making your way back down to Lyndon River West rest area.

Day 8

If you need petrol again, back to Minilya first before making your way up to Exmouth. It's a big drive, like most in this state, so when you get to Exmouth check straight into your camp ground and have a well deserved hot shower and a rest. We stayed with RAC Exmouth cape holiday park simply because it was the only one left with availability! Free camping isn't a thing in Exmouth so be prepared to pay. Once you're refreshed take a walk to the local iga for some snacks and check out the information centre for info on all the snorkel trips etc.

Day 9

Hire some snorkel equipment from your camp ground and head over the cape to cape range national park (there is an entry fee). Lakeside and Turquoise bay are fantastic snorkel spots! Spend a few hours exploring the underwater world here before heading back via the Mildura shipwreck and lighthouse.

Day 10

Last full day in Exmouth so it's the perfect time to do a mega fauna swim. Depending on what time of year you go you will get different trip itinerarys and different prices. We went right at the end of Whale Shark and Humpback Whale season. Due to this, we did our research and found a company offering an eco mega fauna swim, it's not guaranteed you'll get to swim with a mega fauna, but they do their best to spot a safe Shark, Whale or Manata ray for you to swim with.

We ended up goin with Ningaloo Blue Dive and I would absolutely suggest them to anyone heading to Exmouth. Amazing company with even better staff. Swimming alongside a Whale Shark is not that easy, especially for me as I'm not a strong swimmer/snorkeler at all. A member of staff helped me on every swim, held my hand and pulled me along with her so I could swim with the Whale Shark. They also provided a private opportunity for another weak/nervous swimmer so she was able to swim with the Shark whilst being supported by both members of staff. Honestly such a wholesome company that absolutely made this experience for me.

After your tiring day it's back to camp for a shower and an early night as we've got 2 solid days of driving ahead of us!

Day 11

Check out, fill up with petrol and download an audio book. Trust me, you'll need it. Today's goal is to drive back to Overlander road house and free camp there for the night. You're looking at around a 6 hour drive. Not too bad.

Day 12

Up early, fill up with more petrol and download a second audio book ready for the next stint. We are heading back to the first free campground: Coomallo nature reserve. A shorter drive today, coming in at 5 hours.

Day 13

Now we can visit all the bits we missed on the way up! Drive over to Jurien Bay for an early morning Sea Lion swim. It's adorable and cannot be missed. We went with Jurien Bay Oceanic who were great!

You'll be finished by 10am so that leaves plenty of time to head down to Namburg national park (fees apply) and visit the Pinnacles. Enjoy the walk and bush drive around the Pinnacles followed up by the educational museum.

The last free campground of the trip is a lil' bit annoying...it doesn't have toilets. But, there are public toilets a short 2 minute drive down the road. Sorry, it's the best we've got! You're heading for: Nilgen lookout rest area.

Day 14

The vans going back today but that doesn't mean we can't stop in Lancelin to do some sand boarding and grab pizza at the Endeavour pub right on the beach!

After this, unfortunately, you are going to have to clean the van, fill up the petrol and gas ready to hand it back over.

An absolute trip of a lifetime aye! Although it's a sparse state with very little between towns, WA definitely has the most beautiful road trips. Take time to explore this underrated coast of Australia.

As always I hope you enjoyed this blog! Follow along for more here on Wix Blogs, TikTok and Instagram (both @bilbo.h). Don't forget to check out Pineapple Island for all your traveller/surfer chic jewellery. Ethically sourced and made, it's the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one! Code 15BILLIE will save you 15% at checkout ❤️