My 10-day Western Australia itinerary: Perth to Margaret River

In November, I had the opportunity to visit Western Australia for ten days and it exceeded all my expectations. It only takes around three hours to drive from Perth to Margaret River, but the variety of landscapes you can experience along the way is massive. Within a short time, you can visit coastal cities, ancient forests, native bushland, wild beaches, and captivating islands. 

In addition to these amazing landscapes, you can see some incredible wildlife. During my trip, I had the opportunity to see quokkas, spot dolphins, and track kangaroos, possums, bandicoot and woylies on a nocturnal animal tour. You really can cover a huge amount of ground in ten days and see more wildlife than you could ever imagine.

Getting to Western Australia 

Perth has great international connections so getting there is easy. You can travel directly with Qantas, but I would recommend flying with Singapore Airlines and breaking up the journey with a stopover in Singapore. The flight time is around 13 hours from London and, from Singapore, it’s another 5 hours to Perth. Not only is Singapore a great city, but it’s in the same time zone as Perth. This means that you’ll be able to recover from jetlag, so that when you arrive in Perth, you can hit the ground running.

Stopping over in Singapore 

I enjoyed three nights on Sentosa Island at the Oasis Sentosa Hotel, located near Universal Studios and the beach. If you are visiting Singapore for the first time, I recommend staying either by the Marina or along Orchard Road, as there is a lot to see and do within walking distance. If you are visiting for the second time, then Sentosa Island is a great choice. 

You’ll never run out of things to do in Singapore and there’s something for everyone. You can visit the Gardens by the Bay and see the Rhapsody Light Show, walk or bike around the Marina at night, shop until you drop on Orchard Road, ride the cable car over to Sentosa Island, grab a Singapore Sling in a rooftop bar, and try the local cuisine at one of the many Hawker Centres. 

Additionally, I recommend getting back to the airport early to enjoy the Jewel @ Changi Airport. This is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex with many attractions, such as the Rain Vortex and Canopy Walkway. There’s nowhere else like it in the world!

Exploring Perth 

Sitting on the west coast of Australia, Perth offers the best of both worlds – city and beach. Relax on soft sand beaches, explore scenic parks and enjoy the thriving downtown area of small bars, restaurants and street art. 

I stayed at the QT Perth in the heart of the city, close to shops, restaurants and Elizabeth Quay. If you are looking for something a bit more unique, try staying at COMO The Treasury instead. I recommend staying in Perth for at least three nights, so that you have one full day to explore the city and one day to head over to Rottnest Island.

Taking a local walking downtown tour 

On my first morning, I took a walking tour of the city, to get my bearings and learn about the history of Perth. Two Feet and a Heartbeat is a local company that specialises in walking tours, offering everything from food and drink tours to crime tours. 

I joined the two-hour Arcades & Laneways Tour, which explores the malls, arcades, laneways, backstreets, and alleyways of downtown Perth. Along the way, I learned loads about the city and the local street artists from the friendly knowledgeable guide.

Visiting Karrgatup (Kings Park) with a Noongar guide 

In the afternoon, I headed for Kings Park, one of the world’s largest inner-city parks and home to the Western Australian Botanic Gardens. Here you can see over 3,000 species of native flora against the backdrop of the city skyline. 

I recommend taking a tour of the park with a local Aboriginal from Go Cultural Tours, to learn about the ancient past and significance of ‘Karrgatup’ (Kings Park) to the traditional owners, the Noongar people. 

Perth has a great public transport network and it’s really easy to explore without a car. There are five different CAT (Central Area Transit Buses) bus routes that are free to use around the city centre of Perth, Freemantle and Joonalup. You don’t need to pick up a rental car until you’re ready to begin your Margaret River road trip!

The journey to Rottnest Island 

A visit to Perth is not complete without a trip to Rottnest Island. Located 19km off the Perth Coast and surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Rottnest is a slice of paradise away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The ferry departs from Elizabeth Quay at 9:30am each morning. so you can easily walk from your hotel if you’re staying downtown. 

During the 90-minute ferry journey, you’ll meander down the Swan River. Simply sit back and enjoy the views. We were lucky enough to see dolphins swimming alongside the ferry and, if you visit during whale season (September – November), you may be able to see whales along the coast. If you would prefer to reach the island quicker, you can either board the ferry at Freemantle (30 minutes to Rottnest) or splash out and take a seaplane.

Meeting the smiling quokkas 

When you arrive on Rottnest Island, you’ll be greeted by the charming local quokkas who helped the island get its name. When the Dutch explorer landed on the island, he thought the quokkas were rats and named their home ‘Rotte Nest’ meaning Rat’s Nest. However, they are not rats! Quokkas belong to the kangaroo and wallaby family. They can only be found on Rottnest Island, Bald Island, and parts of the mainland, where they are listed as endangered.

Quokkas are not the only reason to visit Rottnest Island. It’s also home to gorgeous white-sand beaches, crystal clear waters and stunning inland lakes. During my visit, we circumnavigated the island on an adventure speedboat, seeing seals, osprey, and dolphins along the way. In the afternoon, we spent some time at The Basin Beach. With clear waters and amazing snorkelling, this quickly became my favourite spot.

How to explore Rottnest Island 

I recommend hiring a bike to explore the island at your own pace. Rottnest is totally car free, except for the local hop-on, hop-off bus. You don’t need to venture too far to visit The Basin or the local settlement, which has a shop and café. However, if you have more time, you can head south towards Porpoise Bay or the secluded beaches further from the dock. 

If you have more time available, I recommend staying overnight on the island. Once the day-trippers have left, you’ll have the beaches and curious quokkas of Rottnest practically to yourself. If you choose to stay, I try glamping at the Eco Discovery Resorts which has its own private beach – Pinky’s Beach. It’s a truly one-off experience.

Dinner at Gage Road Brewery 

At 4:30pm, our ferry departed back to the mainland. Instead of going back to Perth, we disembarked at Freemantle for dinner at Gage Road Brewery, right by the ferry dock. Gage Road Brewery is Australian- owned and it’s been brewing a range of craft beer and cider for more than 15 years. You can even book a tasting tour, sipping a range of award-winning and limited-edition beers before enjoying your dinner during an incredible sunset. 

Stopping off in Rockingham 

Margaret River is a three-hour drive south of Perth. However, I recommend breaking up the journey with a stop in Rockingham, where you can visit Penguin or Seal Island (or both!) with Perth Wildlife Encounters. This award-winning company offers a range of activities, including glass-bottomed boat tours, swimming with wild dolphins, and the Penguin and Sea Lion Cruise. Penguin Island is home to the largest colony of Western Australia’s little penguins (the smallest species in the world), making it a must-do for any wildlife enthusiast.

Staying at Yallingup Beach 

I stayed at Smiths Beach Resort in Yallingup, which is a great base for exploring the Margaret River. There are all kinds of activities and attractions within a 30-minute drive from Yallingup. Smith’s Beach Resort offers everything from standard rooms to four-bedroom apartments. The four-bedroom apartments can be split into two separate two-bedroom apartments, which is great if you are travelling with family or friends. The three- and four-bedroom apartments look out over the ocean and offer amazing sunset views. 

I stayed in Yallingup for three nights, which gave me plenty of time to explore the area and visit lots of local attractions, including Gabriel’s Chocolate shop, Mammoth Cave, and Boranup Forest. I also tried some delicious local wine at two beautiful wineries, took a nocturnal wildlife tour at Yelverton, and wandered along Busselton Jetty.

Wine-tasting at Swings and Roundabouts and Vasse Felix 

Margaret River is world renowned for its wine and during my stay I visited two different wineries. The first was Swings and Roundabouts, which has a relaxed family friendly vibe. Not only is it known for great value, award winning wines, but it is also famed for its authentic Italian wood-fired pizza. It was brilliant! 

I also enjoyed a wine-tasting experience at Vasse Felix which is Margaret River’s founding wine estate and holds many accolades in the world of wine. Here, you can visit the tasting room, wine lounge, art gallery, and wine museum before enjoying some fantastic food in the restaurant.

Yelverton Brook Conservation Sanctuary 

My nocturnal wildlife tour in Yelverton Brook Conservation Sanctuary with Southwest Eco Discoveries was one of the highlights of the trip. The guide took us out to a pocket of bushland, where we sat and enjoyed a Bush Billy Tea or cup of Milo whilst learning about the staggering variety of local animals and plants. During the two-hour tour, we walked through the moonlit bush and saw kangaroos, possums, bandicoots, and woylies. It was pretty magical!

Exploring Busselton 

Busselton is best known for its iconic jetty, but there are also plenty of other things to see and do. The heritage-listed 2-kilometre jetty is the longest timber jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, and very proud of its claim to fame! 

You can either take the electric train or walk to the end of the pier. At the end, you can visit the underwater observatory, where you’ll descend under the water to view one of Australia’s greatest artificial reefs.

 Busselton is the perfect place to enjoy a fish and chip dinner at The Goose whilst watching the sunset on the beach. This is one was of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen, and I highly recommend it to everyone visiting the Margaret River region.

Taking a dinner cruise in Mandurah 

On your way back up to Perth, it’s worth stopping in Mandurah, a city known for its magnificent waterways and holiday atmosphere. Here, we took a seafood dinner cruise with Sea West Mandurah Cruises, where we enjoyed a seven-course dinner which included scallops, prawns, oysters, octopus and lobster. Not only was the food amazing, but we saw wild dolphins swimming alongside the boat and the scenery was stunning.

My final thoughts about Western Australia

Although I only had a short time in Western Australia, I experienced a huge amount without feeling at all rushed. I had plenty of time to relax on the beach and in my apartment as well as visiting all the attractions in the area. Even if you only have a week or so, I highly recommend a visit to this area. You won’t be disappointed, and it will leave you excited to return!

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