When our eldest daughter said she was heading to Australia for a gap year, we assumed she would make straight for the east coast. She did not. Her first stop was Perth.
The accolades started arriving almost immediately, all of them about how beautiful Western Australia was, and eventually we gave in and booked flights. What we planned was a family road trip from Perth to Esperance and back, following the coast down and around on the South West Edge route.
It turned out to be one of the best trips we have taken, and the part of Australia almost nobody in the UK talks about.
Perth to Esperance is 720km and around eight hours if you drive it straight through the inland route. Nobody should do that. Taken the scenic way down the coast it is roughly 1,250km and around 14 hours of driving, best spread across two weeks with six overnight stops. Here is exactly how we did it.
There are three honest answers, depending on your time…
The direct inland route: 720km, around seven hours fifty minutes of driving. This is the way home, not the way there.
The coastal route down the South West Edge: Around 1,250km and roughly 14 hours 20 minutes of driving, before you stop for anything.
The full South West Edge loop: The official route runs 1,600km or more and is designed as a 12 day trip, going down the coast and returning inland through either Hyden and Wave Rock, or Kalgoorlie.
Two to three weeks. We had two and a half weeks over the UK Easter holidays and it was enough to do the route properly, but not enough to linger. If we went again we would add days in Margaret River, Denmark, Esperance and Cape Le Grand rather than adding more stops.
Older children and teenagers, solo travellers, couples and empty nesters. We did it with two of our children, then 16 and 19, who were happy to amuse themselves on the longer driving days. Younger children who struggle with long car journeys, or with a very long flight to get there in the first place, would find it hard work.
If your family likes the outdoors, though, this route is close to unbeatable – surfing, kayaking, wildlife spotting including orcas in the right season, wine tasting, art trails, caves and some of the biggest trees you will ever stand under.
| Location | Nights |
|---|---|
| Perth and Cottesloe | 3 |
| Fremantle | 3 |
| Margaret River | 2 |
| Denmark | 1 |
| Bremer Bay | 2 |
| Esperance | 3 |
We chose six overnight stops, mindful of driving distances, and looked for a decent pit stop on any day with a long leg. This is the route, and each stop links through to the full write up…
Start here and do not rush it. If you have flown a long way, you need the time anyway, and Perth is a great place to get your bearings. We stayed at Cottesloe with a flat overlooking the ocean.
From Perth we took a day trip north to Nambung National Park to see the Pinnacles, which sit in completely the wrong direction for the South West Edge but were too good to miss. If you would rather not drive it, there are guided Pinnacles trips from Perth that run to sunset and stargazing instead, which is a different experience altogether.
Only 15 minutes from Cottesloe, and worth its own base rather than a day trip. Freo has the markets, the prison, the coffee and the ferry across to Rottnest Island, which we did as a day trip and would recommend to anyone.
Then drive to Margaret River, around three hours. Break it at Shoalwater Islands Marine Park near Rockingham, where we went kayaking, and at Busselton Jetty.
Two nights was not enough and we knew it at the time. There are the wineries, the caves, the surf and the town itself, which is small, walkable and full of good shops. We booked a vineyard lunch ahead because we were there over Easter weekend, and we were glad we had.
Then drive to Denmark, around three and a half hours. This is one of the great drives. Stop at Hamelin Bay for the stingrays, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet, Pemberton for lunch, and the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, a 600 metre steel walkway 40 metres up in the red tingle canopy.
One night was a mistake and we would give it two. Denmark has Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool in William Bay National Park, over twenty wineries, an arty main street and a bakery that wins awards for its pies. We had kangaroos on the lawn outside our 1980s bungalow on the first evening.
Then drive to Bremer Bay, around two and a half hours. Stop at William Bay National Park on the way out, then Albany and Torndirrup National Park, where The Gap viewing platform hangs 40 metres above the water and cantilevers more than ten metres out from the cliff.
We came here for one reason. The orca whale expedition out to the Bremer Canyon is a full eight hour day at sea and one of the most reliable places in the world to see orcas in the wild. Book it well ahead. It was the only activity on our whole trip that we could not have arranged on the day.
Then drive to Esperance, around four hours. Stop at Ravensthorpe for the painted grain silos and the world’s tallest lollipop, which is exactly as odd as it sounds.
The pay off. Three nights and we still wanted more. The day trip out to Cape Le Grand National Park is the highlight of the whole route: Lucky Bay, where kangaroos really do lie about on the whitest sand in Australia, plus Hellfire Bay, Thistle Cove and the steep scramble up Frenchman Peak at 262 metres for the view back over all of it.
Then drive back to Perth, around seven and a half hours. Or fly.
Once you reach Esperance you have a choice:
Fly back to Perth: Quick and easy, and gives you the time back.
Drive the inland leg: Seven and a half hours, but it takes in Wave Rock at Hyden, which is one of Western Australia's great landmarks and hard to see any other way.
We drove, though not for noble reasons. The luggage allowance on the domestic flight from Esperance to Perth was smaller than our international allowance and we simply had too many bags. That settled it, and we were glad afterwards. We finished with one night in Perth before the flight home.
Western Australia spans 25 degrees of latitude and about 2,400km from its northern tip to the south coast, so good weather in one part of the state means nothing about another. Plan around the season for the region you actually want.
If you are tied to UK school holidays, the rough guide is:
April: The sweet spot for this route. Summer easing into autumn, sunny, warm without being punishing.
July and August: Better spent heading north from Perth to Exmouth, Broome or the Kimberley during the northern dry season.
December: The hottest time to travel and the heat can be hard work. Stay coastal in the south to catch a breeze. It is also the start of the tropical wet season up north, so not the time to go that way.
We went in April and had two weeks without a drop of rain and temperatures in the mid twenties every single day. Be aware that this is an average rather than a promise: only a fortnight before we arrived, Perth had been in a heatwave touching 40 degrees.
If you live in Europe, the honest objection to Western Australia is that it is on the other side of the world. It is also four hours closer than Sydney, which is a better way to think about it.
The Qantas Perth to London service is no longer the straightforward nonstop it was. Since 4 March 2026, the westbound Perth to London flight has been rerouted through Singapore and renumbered QF209, taking the total journey past 20 hours instead of around 17. The eastbound London to Perth leg, QF10, is still flying nonstop. The change was made because of Middle Eastern airspace closures, and at the time of writing it is filed through to mid July 2026 with no confirmed date for restoring the direct westbound service. Check the current position before you book, because this one moves.
We flew with Qatar Airways, an alliance partner of British Airways, from London Heathrow to Doha and then on to Perth. Total flying time was 18 hours, seven to Doha and eleven onwards. Breaking the journey suited us. Getting off, stretching our legs for a couple of hours and getting back on made the whole thing far more bearable than one enormous leg would have.
Be active on the shorter flight, so eat the meals, read, watch the films. Then treat the long leg as a night, eat lightly and skip the entertainment. It worked well for us.
Then build in recovery time. Give yourself three or four nights in Perth before you start driving. You will be jet lagged, and starting a long drive tired is the one thing on this route that could actually hurt you. Use those days for Perth itself, Rottnest, the Pinnacles or an evening at Red Hill Auditorium up in the hills.
We collected an AVIS car at Perth Airport and the depot was efficient and easy to find just outside the terminal. If you book a British Airways Holiday to earn double tier points, car hire tends to be with AVIS anyway. A full UK driving licence was all that was needed, with no international permit required, but check with your own hire company before you travel.
Travelling as five, Airbnb worked out far cheaper than three hotel rooms, so apart from the last night in Perth every booking was an Airbnb.
The variety became part of the trip – a Neighbours-style 1980s bungalow in Denmark, a flat with ocean views at Cottesloe, a modern concrete box in the trees at Margaret River, a strictly vegetarian cabin in Esperance for our daughter, and a remote shack on a beach at Bremer Bay. If you would rather have hotels or serviced apartments, they are there.
Travelling at the end of summer, most things could be arranged on the day. The three exceptions for us were the Bremer Bay killer whale expedition, a vineyard lunch in Margaret River because it was Easter weekend, and the Shoalwater kayaking. Otherwise you can stay flexible, as long as you keep an eye on public holidays and peak season.
The whole route exists as a guided six day Margaret River to Esperance tour departing Perth, from around $1,088 per person. It covers less than a self drive fortnight, but it removes every logistical decision on this page.
It is a pleasure, and that is not a throwaway line. Long open roads, almost no traffic once you leave the cities, and on some legs we barely saw another vehicle beyond a handful of cars, lorries and the occasional road train, which is a string of trailers hooked together behind one cab.
Driving is on the left, the same as the UK, which removes one thing to worry about.
I was anxious about finding fuel on the remoter sections and that turned out to be unnecessary. There were plenty of stations and the fuel was reasonably priced. Some were unmanned, which took a bit of working out.
Go into the booth, select your pump, enter the amount you want, put your card in, take your card out, go outside and fill up, come back in, put your card back in so the machine adjusts to what you actually used, take the card and go.
We used the built in sat nav in the hire car without a problem, even in the remote stretches. I took a paper map of the South West region as a backup and never needed it.
One small thing nobody warns you about – instead of insects on the windscreen, you get red dust. Lots of it. Plan on washing the car down every few days.
Do not let this section put you off. It is here so you are prepared rather than surprised:
The single biggest risk on this route. The roads are long, straight and empty, which becomes hypnotic. Switch drivers regularly if you can, plan proper pit stops with toilets, make a playlist you can sing along to rather than podcasts that send you to sleep, and keep snacks going.
We inherited a game from John Torode’s Food Trip Down Under called “What’s in the glove box?”, where one person secretly stocks up on Australian snacks and produces them at intervals. It works.
Animals come out of the bush without warning, usually at dawn and dusk but not exclusively. It happened to us twice. Once in broad daylight a kangaroo hopped out and then stopped dead in front of the car, entirely unbothered. There was nothing behind me and nothing coming, so I could swerve safely.
Worth knowing – under Australian road rules it is an offence to swerve out of an animal’s path, so I could not have done that with other traffic around. The second time was at dusk and we simply slowed and stopped.
The usual risks, plus road trains crossing the country whose drivers may be more tired than you are. Take it easy around the long vehicles and be very sure before you overtake.
This was what worried me most beforehand and we saw neither snakes nor spiders. My husband did stand on a scorpion in the dark at Bremer Bay. It was tiny and the sting was vicious. Some middle of the night googling and regular painkillers got us through until the waves of pain eased several hours later.
There are sharks, and Western Australia takes them seriously with shark nets, spotter helicopters, tagging, apps and alert sirens. Swim between the flags where there are lifeguards, use a shark tracker app, and follow local advice without arguing with it.
There are jellyfish too, with beach signage telling you when the harmful ones are around and whether you need a stinger suit. And know how to spot a rip and how to get out of one. Yellow and red flags mean the beach is patrolled.
Carry plenty of water and snacks, tell someone your route and expected arrival time, pack warm clothes in case you break down, and take a first aid kit. Make sure your travel insurance covers medical emergencies, breakdowns and any activities you plan, including surfing and kayaking.
Most of the best stops on the South West Edge are national parks that charge vehicle entry, including Nambung for the Pinnacles, Torndirrup near Albany, John Forrest if you go up into the Perth Hills, and Cape Le Grand at Esperance:
Single day, private vehicle: $17, or $10 concession.
Motorcycles: $10.
Holiday Pass, five days: $30.
Holiday Pass, 14 days: $50.
Holiday Pass, four weeks: $70.
All Parks Annual Pass: $130, or $80 concession.
On a two week trip taking in three or four fee paying parks, the 14 day or four week Holiday Pass pays for itself almost immediately. Buy it at the first park you visit. These figures come from the Parks and Wildlife Service fee guide and are worth checking for the current year before you travel.
British passport holders need an eVisitor visa, subclass 651, which is free, allows up to three months per visit and multiple entries over twelve months. Most applications are approved within hours, though some take a day or two if manual checks are triggered, so apply about a week ahead.
It is tied to your passport number, so if you renew your passport you have to apply again. Check current passport validity requirements with the Department of Home Affairs and with your airline, since airline rules can be stricter than the government’s.
Short list, because Australia is not a formal country:
Casual is king: Unless you are booking high end restaurants, which is unlikely with teenagers in tow, shorts and flip flops cover most of it.
Layers: Warm and often hot in the day, but the evenings cool quickly, and the Freo Doctor sea breeze around Perth can take the edge off an afternoon. Pack a couple of jumpers.
Serious sun protection: Sun damage in Australia is a real danger. Slip, slop, slap. Suncream at all times, plus a hat, sunglasses and a rash vest for watersports.
A cagoule or a light waterproof: Rain showers happen at any time of year, and umbrellas are less used than you think in coastal wind.
Holiday Pass, four weeks: $70.
Reading for the trip: We used the Lonely Planet West Coast Australia guide and the Bradt Western Australia guide, and Bradt was the one that came in the car with us.
In closing
Without hesitation - The South West Edge is a fantastic route and the only real disappointment was not having longer, particularly in Margaret River, Denmark, Esperance and Cape Le Grand.
The strange part is that Western Australia was not even on our list until our daughter went there by accident of her own planning. We would have missed it entirely, and it turned out to be one of the best road trips we have done anywhere.
Put a Perth to Esperance road trip on your list. Give it two weeks minimum, three if you can. You will not be disappointed.
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