2 Weeks from Perth to Broome 1

2 Weeks from Perth to Broome

by

Morgane

Western Australia

PERTH – BROOME : 15 DAYS 
2 Weeks from Perth to Broome 2

Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Flight to Perth

Day 2: Rottnest Island (couldn’t do it because of bad weather)

Day 3: Pick up your vehicle, get some groceries → Pinnacles

Day 4: Pinnacles → Hutt Lagoon → Kalbarri

Day 5: Explore Kalbarri → Shark Bay

Day 6: Monkey Mia → Little Lagoon → François Peron National Park

Day 7: François Peron National Park → Coral Bay

Day 8: Coral Bay

Day 9: Exmouth

Day 10: Exmouth → Karijini
 
Day 11: Karijini
 
Day 12: Karijini
 
Day 13: Karijini → Broome
 
Day 14: Broome
 
Day 15: Broome

Van or 4WD: What Should You Choose? 

Short answer: go for a 4WD.

Many of the best spots on this route are only accessible with a 4×4:

  • Francois Peron National Park

  • Little Lagoon

  • James Price Point

  • Driving on Cable Beach in Broome

  • Some areas in Karijini

It’s the biggest expense, costing around €3,500 for two weeks.

=> You can find cheaper options but ours was fully equipped. We booked with RedSands Camps but I would not recommend it, too many hidden fees at the end of the trip.

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Accommodation

Your car is your hotel! We did mostly free wild camping. Paid campsites at Monkey Mia and the Karijini Eco Retreat are worth it for a bit of comfort and a shower, and they are not expensive at all.

Budget

  • Flight tickets, €500
  • Car rental, €1,166 (split between 3 people, €3,500 total for the car)
  • Gas, €477 (€1,432 total for the car)
  • Activities, €150 (manta ray tour)
  • Groceries, €150
  • Camping, €214
  • Extras (included National Park entries), €343

Total budget = €3,000 per person for two weeks. Not a cheap trip, and keep in mind that gas prices are unpredictable with the current global context, so budget a little extra. We also hit a cyclone, which didn’t help!

Our Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 : Landed in Perth after work 

Day 2 : Perth & Pinnacles 

We picked up our 4WD, did some grocery shopping, and hit the road straight away.

First stop: the Pinnacles Desert. We did some free camping nearby. 

Day 2 : Pinnacles → Pink Lake → Kalbarri

We explored the Pinnacles (and spotted some emus!). It’s worth a stop, it’s on the road anyway, even if it’s not the most spectacular landscape in Australia.

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Next: Hutt Lagoon. Honestly? With the naked eye, the pink isn’t that impressive
 but with a drone, it looks incredible.

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We continued to Kalbarri and camped in the wild again.

Day 3 : Kalbarri & Shark Bay

Kalbarri has beautiful short hikes and viewpoints, really worth exploring.

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Then we drove toward Shark Bay:

  • Stop at Shell Beach, as its name suggests, it’s not sand but shells, fun to see!

  • Another night of wild camping

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Day 4 : Monkey Mia & Francois Peron

At Monkey Mia to see the dolphins :

  • Entry fee unless you stay at the campsite to see the guards feed the dolphins

  • Can be very busy in the morning. Just walk further along the beach, dolphins will come to you and get between your legs, a crazy experience, and you might also see rays and turtles.

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In the afternoon:

  • Off-road to Little Lagoon (this is where the 4WD proves essential)

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  • Then into Francois Peron National Park

Don’t forget to deflate your tires before entering!

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We camped at Big Lagoon, stunning, with sand that almost looks pink.

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Day 5 : Change of Plans

We relaxed at Monkey Mia, but then
 bad news.
A cyclone near Exmouth blocked the road north 😅

Originally, we planned to go to Coral Bay, but had to change plans.

Instead: let’s go for a 16-hour drive toward Karijini (split over two days).

Day 6 : Long Drive to Karijini

More driving
 lots of it. We finally arrived and treated ourselves to a night at the eco retreat camping inside Karijini National Park with a cider, well deserved after that journey.

Day 7-8 : Karijini National Park

Absolutely breathtaking.

Gorges, natural pools, red rocks, easily one of the highlights of Australia. It’s quite far, even from exmouth, normally it’s a 7h from there but I would 100% recommend.

A lot of people recommend to spend 5 days here, I get it because it’s quite far but we did most of it in 2 days, but no worries you have enough things to do for more days.

Do not fly your drone there, there is no signal and you risk crashing it.

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The Famous picture !

This one is actually quite far from the others one, around 1h, it’s only rocks so be careful, our tyre explode… again. But definitely worth it !
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That’s why you need a 4×4 haha.
But no worries, Australian people will stop to help you, in about 4 minutes flat, they’ll change your tyre. Efficient!

Because one time wasn’t enough

Day 9 : Mount Bruce & Coral Bay

Sunrise at Mount Bruce, then good news: the road reopened to coral bay !
 

We drove 6 hours to Coral Bay.

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Day 10 : Coral Bay

Tiny but lovely place.
 
We went on a tour to see manta rays, it was unforgettable, first time I had the chance to see some, you can also swim with whale sharks (but it’s quite expensive, around 350euros and I had already done it in other countries like so I decided not to to it).
In the afternoon: back on the road toward Broome.
 
Amazing, isn’t it ?
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Day 11-12 : Broome

Highlights:

  • Sunset at Cable Beach to see the camels

  • Little treat in broome city, brunch, bakery, ice cream …

  • Swimming and relaxing (drive on the opposite side of Cable Beach, a lot of cars parks on the beach, a must do here)

  • dinosaur footprints

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Simpson Beach

Day 12 : James Price Point

We drove to James Price Point, absolutely stunning, it is worth the 1h30 ride in the sand, again…. Just be aware of the wild cows on the road !

I wouldn’t recommend sleeping there though, too many mosquitoes. But watch the night sky, you will see a lot of stars.
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Day 13 : End of the Trip

Returned the vehicle and flew back to Melbourne.

Essentials to Pack

  • Sunscreen, and lots of it, the Australian sun is no joke
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Fly net hat, a lifesaver, flies are going to make you crazy
  • Reusable water bottle for hikes
  • Snorkelling gear
  • Swimsuit (pack two, one is never dry)
  • Warm jacket, temperatures drop a lot at night in the outback, trust me
  • Head torch, essential for wild camping
  • Wet wipes, you will be covered in red sand, every single day
  • First aid kit, you’re often hours from the nearest town
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Before You Go – Important Tips

  • Deflate your tyres before entering Francois Peron National Park, James Price Point and Hamersley Gorge in Karijini
  • No drone flying at Karijini : no signal, high crash risk
  • Watch out for wild cows on the road to James Price Point
  • Always carry at least 5L of water per person
  • Download some maps offline before leaving mobile signal disappears fast
  • Carry a spare tyre (or two,ask us how we know 😅)
  • Check road conditions daily on the Main Roads website or app, especially during cyclone season
  • Be flexible on your planning
  • Stock up on fuel whenever you can, stations are very far apart

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