Travel & Touring | WA Road Trips
By: Ronan O'Connell
Pack the car and spend five days exploring the heart of the Great Southern.
Towering forests, imposing sea cliffs, blissful beaches, dramatic ranges, and historic towns decorate one of Western Australia’s finest road trips, from Perth south to oceanside Albany.
While Perth is the modern epicentre of our State, Albany outranks it with history.
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Getting there
The quickest route to Albany, which takes 4.5 to 5 hours depending on traffic, follows Albany Highway directly to Albany. There aren’t a great deal of interesting stops on the direct route but to add variety to your trip, you can opt to do the journey there (or back to Perth) with a small diversion either via Collie or Katanning.
To go via Collie, take the South Western Highway and travel through Pinjarra, Waroona and Harvey, then head east on Coalfields Road to Collie, before connecting up with Albany Highway at Arthur River.
To explore further inland, take Albany Highway to Arthur River then head east to Wagin then south towards Katanning on the Great Southern Highway, joining back up with Albany Highway just past Cranbrook.
Pit stops
The quickest route to Albany, which takes 4.5 to 5 hours depending on traffic, follows Albany Highway directly to Albany. There aren’t a great deal of interesting stops on the direct route but to add variety to your trip, you can opt to do the journey there (or back to Perth) with a small diversion either via Collie or Katanning.Main route:
Williams Woolshed – Almost halfway to Albany, on the quickest route, turn left when you see a smiling horned sheep. This sign is for Williams Woolshed (open 8:00am to 4:00pm daily), once a sheep shearing hub, it’s now a family-friendly attraction.
Kids can conquer its playground, while parents shop for local wool products, wines, chocolates, chutneys and giftware. Chunky beef burgers and Thai salad (both $22) stand out on the menu of its café, which takes final orders at 2:30pm.
Kodja Place – Located at Kojonup’s visitor centre, this facility (open 9:00am to 4:00pm daily) explains Kojonup’s Indigenous and agricultural history via photos, artworks and artefacts. Guided tours are $10 for adults, $5 for children. The adjacent Australian Rose Maze is both beautiful and educational.
It tells the Australian stories of three women - one Indigenous, one English, one Italian – through signs, mosaics, and displays of written journals. Visitor centre staff, meanwhile, provide free tourists maps of the region and advice on nearby restaurants, accommodation and lesser-known sights.
Mt Barker Country Bakery - Honey Glazed Bourbon Brisket, Himalayan Herby Chicken, and Salmon Peas and Pearl Couscous are among the array of savoury pies (starting from $7 each) created on site daily at Mt Barker Country Bakery.
Located 3.5 to 4 hours south of Perth, it’s perfectly positioned for a lunch break en route to Albany. Sit inside when it’s chilly, or on its outside bench tables if the sun is shining.
Secondary routes:
Dip, dine or de-stress at the stops along the route to Albany via Collie. Near Collie, you can wade in the shade of the jarrah canopy at Honeymoon Pool, take in the expansive Stockton Lake, or the turquoise waters of Black Diamond Lake. Then head to Wellington National Park to see the giant Wellington Dam Mural – the biggest mural of its kind in the world.
Each of these spots have bushwalking trails to stretch your legs, and tables for a picnic. Stockton Lake and Honeymoon Pool also have campgrounds. Collie has a good number of dining options, from the town’s quaint old hotels to the Kiosk at the Dam – a licensed café at Wellington Dam.
The route to Albany via Katanning is uniquely photogenic due to a dozen large and vibrant murals that embellish grain silos as part of the PUBLIC Silo Trail. Also adding colour is the bubblegum-pink hue of Cranbrook’s Pink Lake.
If you want to feel like a kid again, Katanning has a unique ‘all ages’ playground, featuring a 10m-tall spiral slide, a 35m-long elevated walkway, a 30m-long flying fox, and 2.5m-tall rock climb. Spend the night in Katanning at the Premier Mill Hotel, an 1890s flour mill stylishly renovated into a boutique property of 22 rooms, which start from $310 a night.
Albany
How long to visit
To truly experience and explore Albany and its surrounds, ideally you’ll need five days. Should you have the time, a full week would allow for extra side trips to the isolated beaches and untouched nature reserves east of Albany, especially Fitzgerald River National Park.
Where to stay
Hilton Garden Inn Albany - Albany’s largest hotel, the five-storey, 108-room Hilton Garden Inn overlooks Albany Waterfront Marina, a blossoming dining and entertainment precinct. Modern twin rooms start from $300 per night.
Six Degrees Albany – Similarly central, but easier on the budget, Six Degrees has neat double rooms, with shared bathrooms, starting from $110.
Pelicans Albany – Also nestled by Middleton Beach, this property flanks the playground of Eyre Park, and has self-contained one-bedroom apartments from $180.
Albany Harbourside Apartments & Houses – Families will also appreciate the room to move at this property, opposite the marina, where three-bedroom apartments start from $290.
Rose Gardens Beachside Holiday Park - Pitch a tent or book a powered caravan site within walking distance of one of Albany's best beaches, Emu Point.
Things to do
Go whale watching
From June to early October, the annual migration of humpback and southern right whales makes Albany a prime location to spot these enormous beasts. Albany Whale Tours has 3.5 hour excursions ($110 for adults, $65 for children) which depart Albany marina at 9:30am daily during the season.
Wear a warm, waterproof jacket, as it gets cold on board. If you’re unlucky enough to not encounter any whales, this company offers you free ticket for another tour.
Visit Albany’s Historic Whaling station
Whaling was a key Albany industry from 1800 until 1978. Cheynes Beach Whaling Company in 1980 reopened as a tourist attraction, where visitors can explore former whaling ships, see the giant skeleton of a sperm whale, and browse a gallery of historic photos, artefacts and marine animal art.
Open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm, tickets are $35 for adults and $12 for kids - this includes admission to the adjoining Australian Wildlife Park, where visitors can see kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and possums.
Explore Albany's history at the National Anzac Centre
During WWI, almost 10 per cent of Australia’s population enlisted in the military, close to 59,000 of whom died. The large, modern National Anzac Centre, built at historic Princess Royal Fortress, commemorates and tells the stories of these men and women with videos, photos, artefacts and text displays.
Open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm, tickets are $25 for adults, $11 for kids. It is flanked by the large Albany War Memorial.
Drive to one of the many beautiful beaches
Albany is surrounded by dazzling beaches. Winner of the 2022 ‘Australia’s Best Beach’ award, Misery Beach is not just picturesque, due to the rock shelf which towers over it, but offers calm swimming conditions in all weather, being sheltered and north-facing.
More family-friendly, with parkland, barbeque facilities and playgrounds, are beaches like Middleton and Emu Point closer to town. Frenchman Bay, too, is a great sheltered beach that is well equipped, with toilets, a picnic area, and a boat ramp.
For greater tranquillity, pick isolated Little Beach, Waterfall Beach and the sheltered cover at the end of popular surf spot, Nanarup Beach, or closer-to-Albany options Goode Beach and Vancouver Beach.
Hit one of the walking trails
Matching Albany’s volume of beaches is its plethora of nearby walking trails. Visitors can opt for easy strolls or tough treks, mountainous routes or coastal journeys, forested environments or open plains. Located near the whaling station, 12.5km Bald Head Trail is steep and taxing, taking 6 to 8 hours, but very rewarding, with its elevation revealing panoramic peninsula views.
Also lofty is the 6.8km trail up and then down Bluff Knoll, the South West’s tallest peak at 1,099m. Depending on your fitness, the return hike requires 3 to 4 hours.
Mt Trio and Mt Toolbrunup trails also rise towards the clouds, while Lake Seppings’ 2.9km walking trail reveals abundant birdlife. Serious hikers can tackle sections of the iconic Bibbulmun Track, which curls about 1,000km from Albany to Kalamunda, near Perth.
Be blown away by The Gap and Natural Bridge
The Southern Ocean’s savage force is displayed by two spectacular coastal features 20 minutes’ drive south of Albany in Torndirrup National Park. From a 40m high viewing platform, visitors stare down at the frothy ferocity of The Gap, a narrow opening in the cliffs where waves detonate. Those same swells have gradually eroded nearby granite, creating the Natural Bridge, a unique, arching slab of stone.
Tast fresh produce at the Farmers' Markets
So rich is the earth near Albany that its markets brim with premium fresh produce and delicious products handcrafted from local ingredients. Each Saturday, from 8:00am to 12:00pm, shop for fresh produce, local yoghurts, nuts, honey, baked goods and seafood at the outdoor stalls of Albany Farmers Market.
On Sundays, from 10:00am to 1:00pm, similar gourmet fare is sold at the indoor Albany Boatshed Markets, as well as handicrafts. Every day of the week, meanwhile, artisanal jams, relishes, syrups and sauces are available at Handasyde’s Strawberry Farm in Albany’s tranquil northern outskirts.
Dine at some of the best foodie spots
Home to almost 40,000 people, Albany is big enough to offer a wide range of dining options.
Keep things simple with fresh sourdough for breakfast from Bred Co bakery (from $8 a loaf), a fish and chips lunch ($34) at Emu Point Cafe, barista-made cappuccino ($5) at Hazbeanz, and a pub dinner at The White Star Hotel (cheeseburger and chips $26) or The Earl of Spencer Historic Inn (steak sandwich $27.50).
Or go more upmarket with a wagyu steak lunch ($59) at Monty’s Leap, a prawn risotto dinner ($28) at Little Italy Restaurant Albany, succulent pork belly ($32) for lunch or dinner at Liberte Albany, or braised lamb shank ($48) at Majuba bistro.
Day trips
Albany’s natural surroundings are uniquely varied. This city is encircled by contrasting landscapes: rocky mountains, sky high forests, dramatic sea cliffs, pristine bays and rolling vineyards, which means daytrips galore.
Some 35 minutes north of Albany looms the majestic Porongurup Range. Rising to 670m, the range is cloaked by karri trees, through which visitors walk while following the 4.7km-long (return) trail to its Granite Skywalk, Castle Rock.
From the lookout platforms, visitors peer across fields, farms and forests to Albany. In the shadows of Porongurup Range are wineries like Ironwood Estate, where visitors can do tastings between 11:00am and 5:00pm Thursday to Sunday, and Maleeya’s Thai Cafe, which serves fiery curries and flavoursome noodles from Friday to Sunday.
Wine also flows in Demark, 40 minutes west of Albany. Originally a timber town, Denmark’s undergone a luxury tourism facelift centred on spas, restaurants, boutique accommodation, art galleries, and vineyards. Forest Hill, Castelli Estate, and the Lake House wineries each produce fine shiraz and sauvignon blanc, and welcome visitors to their cellar doors.
Chocolate lovers can indulge in the ruby, gold and French toffee handmade chocolates at Denmark Chocolate Company. Nearby dining venues include Pepper & Salt Restaurant (open for lunch Thursday to Sunday, and dinner Fridays), The Dam (open 11:00am to 5:00pm every day, with later closing hours on weekends), and Boston Brewing Co. (11:30am to 9:00pm Tuesday to Sunday) which also crafts its own stouts, ales, and alcoholic lemonade.
Denmark’s core appeal, however, remains its astonishing natural surroundings. Sandwiched between forest to its north, and a spectacular stretch of coastline to the south. At Elephant Rocks, 18km drive south-west of Denmark, swimmers walk across blinding white sand, wade into glassy azure water, and then drift between the boulders which dot this small cove.
Adjacent beaches Madfish Bay and Greens Pool both are similarly pretty, the former being well sheltered and calm for snorkelling. Visitors to Denmark can also absorb water views while staying dry, either by following the undemanding but ever-so-pretty Wilderness Ocean Walk, which takes about 90 minutes, or picnicking alongside Prawn Rock Channel, both of which are near Denmark.
At Walpole, 55km west of Denmark, visitors are dwarfed by the aptly named the Valley of the Giants, an area of forest studded by colossal karri and red tingle trees, some as tall as a 25-storey building.
You can walk through the tree canopy along the 40m high 600m-long Valley of the Giants treetop walkway. Open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm, tickets are $21 for adults, $10.50 for kids, and free for children aged 5 or younger.
Once your feet touch the ground again, head back towards Albany for one final beauty spot. About 25 minutes’ drive south of the treetop walk is Peaceful Bay. True to its name, the waters here are wonderfully calm for swimming or just relaxing and taking in the view, making it a fine way to end a your day out.
Image credit: Tourism Western Australia
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