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If you want to turn a single day out of Perth into something that feels like three completely different Western Australian experiences, this loop south is hard to beat. On this one-day road trip you will experience calm canal cruises with dolphins, brilliant waterfront pizzas, vast inland spaces, beautiful public art, and one of the oldest living ecosystems on Earth.
Western Australia is one of those places where the landscape changes dramatically within a short drive. You can go from coastal marinas to forested valleys to ancient wetlands before dinner. This route really leans into that.
You’ll be looking at roughly 4 to 6 hours of total driving across the day, depending on traffic/stops, and it’s best done with an early start. You will need a car for this journey although you can get to Mandurah via train from Perth, but you won’t be able to do the other stops easily.
We left Perth at around 07:00 AM, leaving us enough time to get ready and wake up properly. The drive to Mandurah takes around an hour, mostly down the highway, which if travelling at rush hour, does get quite busy.
| Time | Activity | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 AM | Depart Perth | Start early to beat highway rush hour; approx. 1-hour drive. |
| 08:00 AM | Coffee & Views | TOD’s Cafe, Mandurah: Grab a coffee on the boardwalk; watch for dolphins from the shore. |
| 09:00 AM (Approx) | Dolphin Cruise | Mandurah Estuary: 75-minute cruise through canals. Book in advance. |
| 11:30 AM | Early Lunch | Bellini Italian: Wood-fired pizzas at the marina (dietary-friendly). |
| 12:30 PM | The Giants of Mandurah | Mandurah Foreshore/Beach: Visit the large-scale recycled wood sculptures by Thomas Dambo. |
| 01:30 PM | Inland Drive | Travel from the coast toward Collie (approx. 1 to 1.5 hours). |
| 02:45 PM | World’s Largest Dam Mural | Wellington Dam: View the “Reflections” mural by Guido van Helten and explore the lookout. |
| 03:45 PM | Ancient Ecosystems | Yalgorup National Park: 30–45 min drive to Lake Clifton to see the 2,000-year-old thrombolites. |
| 05:00 PM | Return Journey | Begin the drive back to Perth via the Forrest Highway. |
| 06:30 PM | Arrive in Perth | Arrival time depends on traffic and length of stops. |
Getting to Mandurah this early means there should be ample free parking on the waterfront; we had no issue. Before anything else, we stopped at TOD’s Cafe on the waterfront. There’s something about that first coffee of the day when you’re travelling, it just hits different.
TOD’s is right on the boardwalk, so you get to sit looking out over the water, and if you look close enough you may get lucky and see some dolphins from here. From TOD’s, we boarded the Mandurah Estuary Dolphin Cruise, a double decker boat that moves at an easy, unhurried pace through the canals and estuary. We were lucky to see a couple of dolphins next to the ferry jetty even before setting off.
In Mandurah’s waters live around 90-100 wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, which are the apex predators here as the shallows keep sharks away. The dolphins aren’t fed or chased, they just weave alongside the boats, surfacing near pontoons, or cruising the canals. We saw multiple pods, including a mother and her calf, which was truly magical.
The cruise itself runs for 75 minutes, with some light commentary as you go, pointing out wildlife, local history and the ridiculously impressive waterfront homes lining the canals. If you can, head up to the upper desk for the best views (and photos), and keep an eye out not just for dolphins but also pelicans and other birdlife drifting through the estuary.
Between sightings, the cruise glides past waterfront homes so large you naturally Google the average house prices in Mandurah, before quickly closing the tab. Multi-million dollar properties line the canals, and seeing them from the water gives a whole new perspective. Overall, it’s just a really relaxing way to start the day with no rushing around.
After the cruise, we walked down to the marina and opted for an early lunch at Bellini Italian. The pizza was some of the best we’d had while in Perth, proper wood fired, with generous toppings. Portions were also generous without being over the top and everything just felt well done.
The marina itself has a great atmosphere, with boats coming and going, people strolling along the water, that easy holiday feel even if you’re only there for a couple hours.
With my nut allergies in the mix, the waitress went well above and beyond, double-checking ingredients, communicating clearly with the kitchen, and making sure everything felt safe without making it awkward. If you travel with dietary restrictions, this alone makes Bellini worth seeking out.
If you decide not to eat at Bellini Italian, there are also quite a few other restaurants around this area of the marina. There were a couple curry houses, as well as a steak & seafood restaurant.
Before leaving Mandurah, we squeezed in one more stop – Santi Ikto, one of the Giants of Mandurah. These are part of a series of large scale sculptures by Thomas Dambo, built entirely from recycled wood and scattered across the ruins, wetlands and bushland.
These massive, detailed, and slightly hidden sculptures are along a trail, which can be completed as a kind of treasure hunt. Some can be spotted from the water on certain cruises, but most require short walks to reach, which adds to the fun.
We visited one overlooking the water, tucked away on a beach. The sculptures are incredibly family friendly, but equally enjoyable as an adult because of the craftsmanship and the message behind them; sustainability, connection to nature, and reusing materials in a creative way.
If you’re planning a visit, it’s worth checking the map on www.giantsofmandurah.com.au beforehand, as they’re spread out and you’ll want to pick one or two that fit your route. The trail is expected to continue evolving through 2026 and beyond, so it’s something you could revisit.
If you’ve got more time, there’s also a Giants of Mandurah cycling trail (40km+), which is a great way to explore a larger portion of the installments. You can hire e-biked in Mandurah and comfortably see around 2 to 4 giants in one day without it feeling like a slog.
One of the giants is even located down near Lake Clifton (around 33km from Mandurah), which means you could combine it with the Thrombolites at Yalgorup, but realistically, that turns this into a more of a two day trip rather than a single day loop.
After the coastal vibes, we headed inland (roughly 1 to 1.5 hours drive toward Collie), and it felt like we were entering a completely different part of the world. The landscape changes quickly, with far less water, and much more trees, winding roads, and an impressive quietness.
The dam sits within the wider Wellington National park, which is around 17,000 hectares of protected area. There is a car park, a kiosk and toilet facilities.
However, Wellington Dam is the man-made centrepiece here, and it’s home to the world’s largest dam-wall murals – Reflections by Guido van Helten. The area of the artwork takes up around 8,000 square metres, and is roughly 34 metres high, and 367 metres wide. It’s actually really hard to get the scale of it in pictures, until you’re standing in front of it. The artwork stretches across the dam wall in these soft, almost dreamlike tones, depicting local community figures (miners, families, and Aboriginal children) and their story.
You can walk along the lookout and across parts of the dam to take it in from different angles, and each viewpoint gives you a slightly different feel for it. There are also short walking options nearby, including the heritage quarry picnic area, which is a great spot to pause for a bit.
Surrounded by jarrah forest, and the vast reservoir, it’s calm, open and a complete contrast to Mandurah’s canals.
From Wellington Dam, we looped back north-west (around 30 to 45 minutes) toward Yalgorup National park for the final stop of the day.
At Lake Clifton, a short, easy boardwalk takes you out over the water to see thrombolites, a rock-like formation created by microorganisms, some of which are over 2,000 years old. These are in fact living structures, and are part of one of the oldest ecosystems on Earth.
The area is part of a Ramsar-listed wetlands, so it’s also great for birdwatching, and there’s a real sense of stillness here. The car park is quite small, so there aren’t any crowds, just water, sky and stillness.
One thing to note is, if you’re visiting in January and you’re not great with spiders, just be aware. We discover (the hard way) that this is peak time for the Jewel (Christmas) Spider and Australian Golden Orb Weaver’s reproductive cycle, and combined with the heat bringing out a boom in insects, it means there are a lot of spiders along the trails. It’s nothing dangerous, as Jewel Spiders are harmless to humans, but you’ll likely find webs stretching across paths.
That said, January is actually one of the best times of the year to see the thrombolites. Lower water levels and calmer conditions make them more visible and easier to appreciate, so it’s a bit of a trade-off, more spiders, but better viewing.
Access is straightforward, but dogs aren’t allowed and it’s worth bringing water and maybe a snack if you want to linger. There are simple picnic spots nearby, and it’s a nice place to just slow everything down after a busy day and before heading back to Perth.
From here, it’s a straightforward drive back to Perth, and you’ll likely arrive in the early evening depending on how long you spend at each stop. If you are planning to do this epic road trip, then I would recommend:
What I loved most about this day is the variation. If you only had one or two weeks in Perth, this road trip lets you see quite a bit of the varying landscapes within South Western Australia, without travelling too far.
Also, you could use this road trip as stopping points on your way down to Margaret River, just add Bussleton and the Shoal Islands to the list, and you’re on for a winner.
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