Western Australia - Dec 2010
For the benefit of Jane and everybody else who would like to plan a road trip around Western Australia, here's my rather detailed itinerary and experience.
We arrived in Perth at around 3pm due to a connecting flight delay and set about to collect our rental car and buy a prepaid SIM card. The service is pretty lax so expect to spend some time waiting. It is advisable to go for a prepaid SIM card which gives you some data roaming as the rental car company would only provide a basic Perth map, which doesn't cover the whole Western Australia as shown from the map above. Data roaming would allow you to access Google Maps, which is kindof important, especially when you don't have a GPS available.
Our hotel, Kings Perth Hotel, is a convenient half hour drive from the airport. Unfortunately, Google Maps may not be the most updated and we found that we couldn't turn into the streets due to the problem of one-way streets. Took another half an hour to finally reach our hotel and park our car (you have to pay a surcharge of AU$9 for parking). Kings Perth Hotel is a really basic hotel, with good access to cable channels (we watched a World Without Thieves).
Decided to go shopping around our hotel area. But due to jet lag/general tiredness/sickness, we weren't up to much shopping. And cuz it's me and JW we are talking about here, we wanted to save money at the start and decided to shop towards the end of our trip, a decision I regret till today.
Day 02 - 23rd Dec - Perth / Margaret River [Busselton] (280km/3hr.30mins) - The day we got sunburnt
Today, we visited Penguin Island, a one-hour drive away from Perth. Ferry leaves every hour starting from 10am. Feeding time is 1030am, 1230pm and 230pm. A$17 for ferry ride and access to penguin enclosure and island. I liked penguins, but there are only ten fairy penguins in the enclosure. The rest are in the wild around the island and you can see them when you trek around the caves and hills on the island. Bring sunscreen and try to opt for the 1030 feeding session as it gets really hot towards the afternoon and the penguins aren't really hungry. There is no food and drink on the island so prepare your own meals.
You can also choose to visit Mandurah and the Dolphin Discovery Centre, as well as wineries along the way. We passed those stuff and basically drove straight up to Abbey Beach Resort. Abbey Beach Resort is a lovely, out-of-the-way resort in Busselton. Small beachy town with drive-in cinemas and small malls. Abbey Beach Resort has a swimming pool and an in-room private jacuzzi. TV's not bad, has a lot of the latest movies, like Expendables, Bolt, etc. Our fave hotel.
Day 03 - 24 Dec - Xmas Eve - Margaret River / Pemberton (180km/2hrs.30mins) - A relatively packed day
In the morning, we traveled up to Dunsborough and visited Cave Ngilgi (A$18). It's pretty cool and worth the visit really. Geog trips should be here instead of M'sia. JW and me both liked the experience of going deep into the cave and looking up at the stalactites and stalagmites and other natural cave formations. There are other stuff around the Yallingup river as well.
We toured around Margaret River, visiting all the little specialty shops. Bought stuff from the Chocolate Factory, Margaret River Nuts and Candy Cow. Some specialty shops were closed as it was Xmas eve though. I think Margaret River's specialty shops are catered for mothers, not people like us.
Headed south to Augusta. Bought tickets for the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse tour (A$15). You get to go up to the actual lighthouse which is probably the tallest lighthouse in Australia. The lighthouse is situated on the coastline where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, so that's pretty cool. The winds were rather chilly here.
That night, we stayed at Karri Valley Resort, situated along the Vasse Highway. It was a pretty scenic lakeside stay. Rented Valentine's Day dvd for A$5. Had dinner at the restaurant (A$74). No choice, nothing else to eat or visit around the area. It was that secluded.
Day 04 - 25 Dec - Merry Xmas - Pemberton / Walpole / Denmark / Albany (250km/3hrs30mins) - The day of ghost towns
Everything, including Visitor Information Centres and petrol kiosks are closed during Xmas. :( Luckily, our resort was like a little Club Med and there was stuff to do still. JW and me bought an all day activities pass (A$10), which allowed you to rent bicycles, play mini golf, archery, feed farm animals, kayak etc. We trekked a little (over 2hr) to visit a small waterfall and look at tall trees as well. Haha.
And then it was the long and trying drive to Northcliffe, Walpole, Denmark and then Albany. It was scary driving through these towns and using the roadside toilets, cuz there was no one. You expect zombies to pop out at any moment. We passed through various nature parks - which was terrible, cuz the tall trees obstructed all forms of internet access or phones (so we were just navigating based on the road signs) and the roads were winding and long and the speed limit was 80km/hr and we didn't dare to travel faster cuz of the sharp bends. We were quite worried that we didn't have enough petrol, but thankfully there was a Caltex opened just before Denmark, which served takeaway fish and chips (cuz not many eating places were opened as well). Awesome. It was raining parts of the way. Once we reached Walpole, the winds got very very strong and the weather was a stark contrast to sunny and humid Perth.
There are other sights to visit - the Glouchester Tree, some tram ride, the Tree Top Walk etc. But we were in no mood due to the tough drive and the winds and we just wanted to get some shelter and sleep and well, these tourist sights were closed on Xmas day. We stayed at All Seasons Albany, which serves a nice and hot breakfast buffet. The room is motel standards. They had cable comedy on TV though, watched a bit of Becker and Iron Chef. It was quite a sad Xmas.
Day 05 - 26th Dec - Boxing Day - Albany / Kojonup / Perth (400km/5hrs) - The day of regret
After breakfast, we visited the Gap formation, which was along the coast. Damn damn cold. Stupid winds. You can commit suicide there I think and people would think it's an accident. 250m drop down from a cliff. Point where Australia used to be a part of Antartica.
And then it was Whaleworld, which gave a good background and history to the Australian whaling industry. Ticket price A$25. The first 3D show on whales can be found here. I fell asleep during the screening though. Oops. Too many blue, muted colours.
Drove back 5hr along a highway back to Perth, hoping to shop. The drive back was easier cuz it was mostly straight roads and the speed limit was 110km/hr. We got a high traveling at oh-I-don't know some very high insane speed and overtaking and shit. Adrenaline rush. Same one way street problem. Reached at 6pm. Too late. All shops closed. :(( Damn sad walking along empty streets with the other dumb-ass tourists, as you look at closed shop after shop (Target, damn, Cotton On, damn, Rubi, damn, Jwest, damn...and so on and so forth...). Since we had so much money left over (we have been scrimping and saving, with two out of three meals a day being ham sandwiches that I made), we treated ourselves to a good hotel meal. Perth was a bit like Little Korea. There seemed to be many Koreans around. The Oriental section of the supermarket sold Korean food with no English. It was surreal.
Ended up shopping at the airport. Bought cheap havianas and even shopped in the airplane. We were that desperate. *laughs* Sorry my good friends, I really couldn't shop much for you guys even though I really wanted to.
I couldn't ask for a better driver, partner, tour guide, companion or bestie though. :) JW was always accomodating and we usually went to visit sights that I wanted to visit. Haha. *hugs*
Photos are up on FB. :)
Survival Tips for driving along the Great Southern Highway...or planning a trip along this route
1.) Do not travel during the Xmas period. It's like CNY in Singapore, but worst.
2.) Always bring a good jacket. You never know what climate you would meet.
3.) Plan this trip after you turn 25 so that you don't have to foot additional insurance costs.
4.) It's good to plan ahead, so that you know what sights you want to visit. You can be spontaneous like us, but it's better to plan your time and factor in the driving cuz you don't want to drive in the dark.
5.) Turn on your headlights, even during the day. People will notice your car when you are overtaking.
6.) Do not overtake unless you are confident, or on an overtaking lane or following an overtaking car in front of you (cuz the highway is two-laned with differing directions of traffic).
7.) Bring an iPod or some form of music (like SingTel's AMP) cuz there is practically no radio signal in some of the outskirts. Entertainment is essential to keep your tired driver from falling asleep.
8.) Pump prices range from $1.27 - $1.39 per litre. Affordable compared to Singapore. Parking, except in city areas, is usually free.
9.) Try not to drive in the dark. There is scarcely any streetlamps. The day hours in December are pretty long - till 730pm.
10.) In the city area, if you miss a turning, it's easier to navigate back. But in the outskirts, it's hard. Anyways, in the outskirts, it's hard to miss a turning. Try to U-turn at the various rest spots available.
This is basically a map of Western Australia and the route we traveled. But this tiny map hardly does justice to the time and distance we drove.
Day 01 - 22nd Dec - Singapore / Perth - The day we discovered the trouble with one-way streets
Our hotel, Kings Perth Hotel, is a convenient half hour drive from the airport. Unfortunately, Google Maps may not be the most updated and we found that we couldn't turn into the streets due to the problem of one-way streets. Took another half an hour to finally reach our hotel and park our car (you have to pay a surcharge of AU$9 for parking). Kings Perth Hotel is a really basic hotel, with good access to cable channels (we watched a World Without Thieves).
Decided to go shopping around our hotel area. But due to jet lag/general tiredness/sickness, we weren't up to much shopping. And cuz it's me and JW we are talking about here, we wanted to save money at the start and decided to shop towards the end of our trip, a decision I regret till today.
Day 02 - 23rd Dec - Perth / Margaret River [Busselton] (280km/3hr.30mins) - The day we got sunburnt
Today, we visited Penguin Island, a one-hour drive away from Perth. Ferry leaves every hour starting from 10am. Feeding time is 1030am, 1230pm and 230pm. A$17 for ferry ride and access to penguin enclosure and island. I liked penguins, but there are only ten fairy penguins in the enclosure. The rest are in the wild around the island and you can see them when you trek around the caves and hills on the island. Bring sunscreen and try to opt for the 1030 feeding session as it gets really hot towards the afternoon and the penguins aren't really hungry. There is no food and drink on the island so prepare your own meals.
You can also choose to visit Mandurah and the Dolphin Discovery Centre, as well as wineries along the way. We passed those stuff and basically drove straight up to Abbey Beach Resort. Abbey Beach Resort is a lovely, out-of-the-way resort in Busselton. Small beachy town with drive-in cinemas and small malls. Abbey Beach Resort has a swimming pool and an in-room private jacuzzi. TV's not bad, has a lot of the latest movies, like Expendables, Bolt, etc. Our fave hotel.
Day 03 - 24 Dec - Xmas Eve - Margaret River / Pemberton (180km/2hrs.30mins) - A relatively packed day
In the morning, we traveled up to Dunsborough and visited Cave Ngilgi (A$18). It's pretty cool and worth the visit really. Geog trips should be here instead of M'sia. JW and me both liked the experience of going deep into the cave and looking up at the stalactites and stalagmites and other natural cave formations. There are other stuff around the Yallingup river as well.
We toured around Margaret River, visiting all the little specialty shops. Bought stuff from the Chocolate Factory, Margaret River Nuts and Candy Cow. Some specialty shops were closed as it was Xmas eve though. I think Margaret River's specialty shops are catered for mothers, not people like us.
Headed south to Augusta. Bought tickets for the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse tour (A$15). You get to go up to the actual lighthouse which is probably the tallest lighthouse in Australia. The lighthouse is situated on the coastline where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, so that's pretty cool. The winds were rather chilly here.
That night, we stayed at Karri Valley Resort, situated along the Vasse Highway. It was a pretty scenic lakeside stay. Rented Valentine's Day dvd for A$5. Had dinner at the restaurant (A$74). No choice, nothing else to eat or visit around the area. It was that secluded.
Day 04 - 25 Dec - Merry Xmas - Pemberton / Walpole / Denmark / Albany (250km/3hrs30mins) - The day of ghost towns
Everything, including Visitor Information Centres and petrol kiosks are closed during Xmas. :( Luckily, our resort was like a little Club Med and there was stuff to do still. JW and me bought an all day activities pass (A$10), which allowed you to rent bicycles, play mini golf, archery, feed farm animals, kayak etc. We trekked a little (over 2hr) to visit a small waterfall and look at tall trees as well. Haha.
And then it was the long and trying drive to Northcliffe, Walpole, Denmark and then Albany. It was scary driving through these towns and using the roadside toilets, cuz there was no one. You expect zombies to pop out at any moment. We passed through various nature parks - which was terrible, cuz the tall trees obstructed all forms of internet access or phones (so we were just navigating based on the road signs) and the roads were winding and long and the speed limit was 80km/hr and we didn't dare to travel faster cuz of the sharp bends. We were quite worried that we didn't have enough petrol, but thankfully there was a Caltex opened just before Denmark, which served takeaway fish and chips (cuz not many eating places were opened as well). Awesome. It was raining parts of the way. Once we reached Walpole, the winds got very very strong and the weather was a stark contrast to sunny and humid Perth.
There are other sights to visit - the Glouchester Tree, some tram ride, the Tree Top Walk etc. But we were in no mood due to the tough drive and the winds and we just wanted to get some shelter and sleep and well, these tourist sights were closed on Xmas day. We stayed at All Seasons Albany, which serves a nice and hot breakfast buffet. The room is motel standards. They had cable comedy on TV though, watched a bit of Becker and Iron Chef. It was quite a sad Xmas.
Day 05 - 26th Dec - Boxing Day - Albany / Kojonup / Perth (400km/5hrs) - The day of regret
After breakfast, we visited the Gap formation, which was along the coast. Damn damn cold. Stupid winds. You can commit suicide there I think and people would think it's an accident. 250m drop down from a cliff. Point where Australia used to be a part of Antartica.
And then it was Whaleworld, which gave a good background and history to the Australian whaling industry. Ticket price A$25. The first 3D show on whales can be found here. I fell asleep during the screening though. Oops. Too many blue, muted colours.
Drove back 5hr along a highway back to Perth, hoping to shop. The drive back was easier cuz it was mostly straight roads and the speed limit was 110km/hr. We got a high traveling at oh-I-don't know some very high insane speed and overtaking and shit. Adrenaline rush. Same one way street problem. Reached at 6pm. Too late. All shops closed. :(( Damn sad walking along empty streets with the other dumb-ass tourists, as you look at closed shop after shop (Target, damn, Cotton On, damn, Rubi, damn, Jwest, damn...and so on and so forth...). Since we had so much money left over (we have been scrimping and saving, with two out of three meals a day being ham sandwiches that I made), we treated ourselves to a good hotel meal. Perth was a bit like Little Korea. There seemed to be many Koreans around. The Oriental section of the supermarket sold Korean food with no English. It was surreal.
Ended up shopping at the airport. Bought cheap havianas and even shopped in the airplane. We were that desperate. *laughs* Sorry my good friends, I really couldn't shop much for you guys even though I really wanted to.
I couldn't ask for a better driver, partner, tour guide, companion or bestie though. :) JW was always accomodating and we usually went to visit sights that I wanted to visit. Haha. *hugs*
Photos are up on FB. :)
Survival Tips for driving along the Great Southern Highway...or planning a trip along this route
1.) Do not travel during the Xmas period. It's like CNY in Singapore, but worst.
2.) Always bring a good jacket. You never know what climate you would meet.
3.) Plan this trip after you turn 25 so that you don't have to foot additional insurance costs.
4.) It's good to plan ahead, so that you know what sights you want to visit. You can be spontaneous like us, but it's better to plan your time and factor in the driving cuz you don't want to drive in the dark.
5.) Turn on your headlights, even during the day. People will notice your car when you are overtaking.
6.) Do not overtake unless you are confident, or on an overtaking lane or following an overtaking car in front of you (cuz the highway is two-laned with differing directions of traffic).
7.) Bring an iPod or some form of music (like SingTel's AMP) cuz there is practically no radio signal in some of the outskirts. Entertainment is essential to keep your tired driver from falling asleep.
8.) Pump prices range from $1.27 - $1.39 per litre. Affordable compared to Singapore. Parking, except in city areas, is usually free.
9.) Try not to drive in the dark. There is scarcely any streetlamps. The day hours in December are pretty long - till 730pm.
10.) In the city area, if you miss a turning, it's easier to navigate back. But in the outskirts, it's hard. Anyways, in the outskirts, it's hard to miss a turning. Try to U-turn at the various rest spots available.
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5:52 PM
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