Perth is the worlds most remote capital city - it's nearest neighbor is Adelaide (the capital of South Australia) is 2500km away. With a population of around 1.8 million people there are plenty of things provided for in town, but also within a short drive in most directions you can find even more to do. For this reason it is best that you get a car when visiting, in fact it is better to get a campervan or motorhome, this way you can drift from place to place as you see fit and spend the night wherever you want.
South of Perth is the well known wine region of Margaret River. It has a reputation for delightful wines, amazing food and fair pricing. On top of that there is some amazing surf and serene beaches. There is even a beach where stingrays come right up to the very shore to feed on the left overs that fisherman throw away after cleaning their morning catch. If you stand about knee deep in the water, some stingrays may glide right up along your legs like a cat wending its way past your legs. I've done it and I am still alive but it might not be for everyone. There's also a great little sheep farm in Margaret River that has camping facilities for the public that includes a great communal kitchen and communal camp fire for everyone to gather around at night and share travel tales. All good camping sites in Margaret River, and elsewhere in Australia, can be found in Camps Australia Wide which is a highly recommended book if you are on the road for a while.
Heading north from Perth, a few hours along the coast road, is the famous sandstone phenomenon of The Pinncacles. These make for a great trip out of Perth and stay the night at the nearby town of Cervantes. However, as you travel up there, make sure you take the time to stop in the little town of Lancelin. Lancelin is the home to an awesome sand dune parkland and you can rent sand boards from some of the stores in town and really let loose some energy. If you've never sand boarded before, don't worry it is pretty much like snowboarding. If you never snow boarded before, don't worry, you'll have a great time learning. I even took the dog on the board it is that easy. However, keep in mind it can be quite tiring, so only rent the boards for a few hours. If you've got a 4WD campervan, you can drive it right up to the dune you want to surf. If you have a 2WD, it's probably best to park out on the road and walk in. The park also opens up opportunites for 4WD vehicles to really tear it up for a while as the sand is pretty well packed in most places and you are unlikely to get bogged. But remember to deflate your tires a little if you are really going to let loose. After you've done some boarding and got covered in sand, it is only a short way to the beach where you can wash off, and continue on to Cervantes and The Pinnacles.
There are tons of things to try in Perth itself and Tourism Western Australia has recently produced a brand new promotional video clip featuring some of the stuff you can get up to there. There is a also a cool listing of things to do on Trip Advisor called "77 things to do in Perth" - as you might be able to guess, it lists, um, 77 things to do in Perth.
Perth and Western Australia are a beautiful and amazing part of Australia. It is huge and contrasting in every way and the best way to see it is with a rented campervan or motorhome where you can set your own timetable, stay where you want, get up when you want and move on when you want.
South of Perth is the well known wine region of Margaret River. It has a reputation for delightful wines, amazing food and fair pricing. On top of that there is some amazing surf and serene beaches. There is even a beach where stingrays come right up to the very shore to feed on the left overs that fisherman throw away after cleaning their morning catch. If you stand about knee deep in the water, some stingrays may glide right up along your legs like a cat wending its way past your legs. I've done it and I am still alive but it might not be for everyone. There's also a great little sheep farm in Margaret River that has camping facilities for the public that includes a great communal kitchen and communal camp fire for everyone to gather around at night and share travel tales. All good camping sites in Margaret River, and elsewhere in Australia, can be found in Camps Australia Wide which is a highly recommended book if you are on the road for a while.
Heading north from Perth, a few hours along the coast road, is the famous sandstone phenomenon of The Pinncacles. These make for a great trip out of Perth and stay the night at the nearby town of Cervantes. However, as you travel up there, make sure you take the time to stop in the little town of Lancelin. Lancelin is the home to an awesome sand dune parkland and you can rent sand boards from some of the stores in town and really let loose some energy. If you've never sand boarded before, don't worry it is pretty much like snowboarding. If you never snow boarded before, don't worry, you'll have a great time learning. I even took the dog on the board it is that easy. However, keep in mind it can be quite tiring, so only rent the boards for a few hours. If you've got a 4WD campervan, you can drive it right up to the dune you want to surf. If you have a 2WD, it's probably best to park out on the road and walk in. The park also opens up opportunites for 4WD vehicles to really tear it up for a while as the sand is pretty well packed in most places and you are unlikely to get bogged. But remember to deflate your tires a little if you are really going to let loose. After you've done some boarding and got covered in sand, it is only a short way to the beach where you can wash off, and continue on to Cervantes and The Pinnacles.
There are tons of things to try in Perth itself and Tourism Western Australia has recently produced a brand new promotional video clip featuring some of the stuff you can get up to there. There is a also a cool listing of things to do on Trip Advisor called "77 things to do in Perth" - as you might be able to guess, it lists, um, 77 things to do in Perth.
Perth and Western Australia are a beautiful and amazing part of Australia. It is huge and contrasting in every way and the best way to see it is with a rented campervan or motorhome where you can set your own timetable, stay where you want, get up when you want and move on when you want.
About the Author:
Tim Ahern has over 5 years of world travel to his name with over a year spent in a 4WD motorhome around Australia. It is no wonder that campervan hire in Australia is his preferred method of transportation for check outors. If you are looking for campervan hire in Perth you should check out his motorhome review site to find out who the best hire companies are.
Wow, great article, I really appreciate your thought process and having it explained properly, thank you!
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