From iconic Aussie road trip photos to staying at a true-blue Australian cattle station, the Perth to Exmouth Gulf road trip will have you experiencing some good ol’ Aussie outback hospitality whilst taking in the wonders of the Australian landscape.

What to expect

• Snap some iconic Aussie road trip photos
• Visit an true blue, ridgy-didge Australian Cattle Station and stay a few nights
• Learn about Australia’s involvement in NASA programs

Fast facts

• Time: 6 days 
• Distance: 2,468 kilometres (1,533.5 miles)
• Transport: Van
• Price: $$

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Day 1. Kalbarri

First stop, Kalbarri! This quaint little town is an absolute gem along the coral coast of Western Australia.

We stayed at Kalbarri Red Bluff Tourist Park which is surrounded by the Kalbarri National Park and an easy 2 minute walk to the beach, which is also dog friendly! So we after hours of driving, and after we had settled in, we took Fritz and Freya to the beach to run and stretch their legs. Dogs are allowed off leash on the beach but you must put them back on leash when exiting to ensure they don’t run off into the National Park. Also keep in mind that WA does do a lot of 1080 baiting and the lady at the caravan park did mention that the National Park nearby has baits, so be extra mindful of what your dog is doing when you’re out and about.

We headed off to Finlay’s Kalbarri for an evening of live music, delicious meals and some freshly brewed beers (well hubby for the beers, I had a wine). It’s a dog friendly venue so Fritz and Freya also joined us which gave us an opportunity to socialise Freya and help build her confidence around new places and people – even if she did spend the majority of the time under the table. To be honest, this place blew me away! You wouldn’t expect such a high calibre venue in such a quaint town but the food was exceptional, the wine and beer were top notch and the staff all love dogs, making sure to keep their water bowls full.

As you leave Kalbarri and continue on your way to the Exmouth Gulf, keep an eye out for the Tropic of Capricorn sign. It’s another photo-worthy opportunity along the road trip!

Day 2 & 3. Bullara Station, Exmouth Gulf

Hands down, this was my favourite place to camp up during the trip. Bullara Station is not only dog friendly but it’s a certified sustainable agritourism venue and a legitimate working cattle station, meaning there are roaming animals – both cattle and wildlife – that you can just sit back and admire (and believe me, I did!). We even saw cows and sheep roaming, stretching their legs on our morning walk with Fritz and Freya.

You’ll definitely want to make sure you spend more than one night here as they have a variety of activities available throughout the week. Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday you can try some homemade damper with your fellow campers and even get the recipe to make it when you get home (I’m yet to try it because I am a horrible cook ha!). Friday night is burger night or there is a 2-course dinner in the meal shed, we missed out on the 2-course meal because it was sold out so word to the wise – make sure you book your spot early!

The facilities are also out of this world! There are bush showers where you can wash away the stress of the day, month or even year under a gorgeous Aussie tree in the privacy of your own outback shower cubicle. I was so lucky to have a little finch with sitting in the tree singing a song whilst I was in the shower – and it was the most amazing and relaxing experience. You’ll also want to stop by the cafe and get yourself some scones for breakfast – they are so fluffy and the cream is just *chefs kiss*.

If you’re heading to Exmouth with your dog, be mindful that beach areas are baited with 1080 poison to protect against wild dogs. We also couldn’t find many options for dog sitting, so be prepared to miss out on the more iconic activities Exmouth is known for, such as swimming with Whale Sharks. So with our dogs in tow and knowing there were baits throughout the more vegetative parts of the town, we steered clear of the sand dunes and beaches because we just didn’t want to take the risk and instead just stuck to cruising the town with the dogs on a tight leash or doing sightseeing from the car windows as we drove around. But don’t think that means you won’t be able to do much, you just need to be creative. We did the scenic drive to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse and took in the breath-taking sights of the Indian Ocean and Ningaloo Reef. There’s an interpretive display that outlines the 100 year history of the lighthouse, including during WW2 where the surrounding area was used for a radar station and anti-aircraft positions. I didn’t know how vital the Exmouth area was during WW2 so it was great to be able to learn more about my country’s history during that era.

Day 4. Carnarvon

Carnarvon is a nice sleepy place to stay overnight to break up the trip between Exmouth and Perth with enough time to get a few sights in before continuing on your trip. We stayed at Wintersun Caravan Park which is affordable, clean and not quite on the “outskirts” of town but you won’t be able to easily walk to shopping centres or local cafes and restaurants from here.

We headed to the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum to get the “must do” photo in front of the satellite. Did you know Carnarvon played a role in NASA’s space programs?! Nope, neither did we until we started to research things to do in Carnarvon. Keep in mind that if you are travelling with your dog, you won’t be able to actually go inside the museum, but there’s nothing stopping you pulling up to the venue and checking out the satellite dish whilst doing some light reading about it’s history here or watching this short video.

Now, the most infamous photo to take is the ‘King Waves Kill’ sign that is located just north of Carnarvon at Point Quobba. Whilst you’re here you should also drive up to Point Quobba Lighthouse, one of the westernmost lighthouses in Australia that has been standing since the 1950’s.

Day 5. Geraldton

I don’t know why, but for some reason I thought Geraldton was a landlocked little town in outback Australia. Oh how I was wrong. Geraldton is a quaint coastal town along the Coral Coast of Western Australia. The history of Geraldton is fascinating. It started out as a military post in the 1850’s for the nearby goldfields, was officially declared a town in 1871 and then during WW2 it was used as an air base for the Allies.

Geraldton is pretty dog friendly and we found an awesome little takeaway food stop on the foreshore called “Jaffle Shack” that not only serves up some pretty epic toasted sandwiches but allows pooches to hang out.

We stayed at Big4 Sunset Beach on a powered site which costs around $48 per night. The caravan park is located a little out from the city centre and is opposite a beach, so you can go for a midmorning or afternoon dip during the summer months.

When we are on road trips we don’t always make time to do some exploring of historically significant sites or tourist attractions, and we didn’t do much in Geraldton except go for a walk along the foreshore to give Fritz and Freya some exercise and to stretch all of our legs. We were pretty keen to get back on the road as soon as possible and get home, but next time we visit we will be sure to check out the HMAS Sydney 2 Memorial.

Day 6. Perth

We finished our 6-day road trip right back where we started – in Perth! It’s roughly a 5 hour drive from Geraldton back to Perth but along the drive back there’s plenty of opportunities to do some exploring, though you may be limited in what you can do if your four-legged best friend is with you.

If you don’t have your doggy-friend be sure to pop in to Cervantes and explore the Pinnacles or if you’re travelling during wildflower season head to Lesueur National Park and be amazed be the blanket of beautifully coloured native flowers.

If you do have your four-legged friend with you, let your pup get some sand between their paws and check out one of the dog friendly beaches in Cervantes and Jurien Bay. Not a fan of the sand? You can always go for a pup-friendly walk along the Turquoise Way Trail in Jurien Bay. It’s a 14km trail so make sure you have plenty of water and snacks for human and dogs – oh and don’t forget the poop bags!

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If you ever find yourself on the West Coast of Australia with a week up your sleeve but no idea what to do, I definitely recommend doing this short road trip, unless it’s the middle of Summer, then maybe give it a miss until the temperatures up north cool down. Perth gets up to 40 degrees in Summer, and things only heat up the farther up north you travel.

Much love,
Lara X

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