South West Australia – Perth Self-Drive

• Margaret River; known for amazing wineries, world class restaurants & stunning beaches
• Wave Rock at Hyden
• Kalgoorlie; Western Australia’s goldfields hub and largest outback city.
• Esperance; a nature-lover’s dream. Squeaky-clean white sand & turquoise coloured waters

Collect your rental vehicle and depart Perth towards the Margaret River Region; one of Australia’s most compact, yet diverse destinations. Responsible for producing less than 1 per cent of Australia’s wine, but over 15 per cent of Australia’s premium wine, the 60 or so wineries in the region open for cellar door sales and tastings will offer you an impressive selection. Boutique beer breweries, exquisite cheese product, jams and condiment producers, a marron (freshwater crayfish) farm, olive groves and even chocolate and fudge factories also add to the gourmet experiences.

From Margaret River, you will continue south to Pemberton, the green jewel in Australia’s South West. The town of Pemberton has grown as a result of the logging of the surrounding forests. Some of the tallest hardwood trees in the world grow in this area. The tallest tree felled here was 104 metres high. Visiting Pemberton at any time of the year is a delight. The area has lush green Karri, Jarrah and Marri trees towering over dense undergrowth. Some of the best accessible virgin Karri forest, and the biggest (89m) of the Karri trees, can be found in the nearby Warren National Park. Rainbow Trout in nearby brooks, streams and dams attract many fishermen too. There are also wineries, with a flavour of their own and some of the finest woodcraft in the State is on display and for sale.

If time permits, you may wish to visit Beedelup Falls in the Beedelup National Park situated off Vasse Highway. They are set in beautiful forest surroundings, and feature a short walk crossing Beedelup Brook on a footbridge built from a Karri log. The ‘Walk Through Karri’ is also situated in the Beedelup National Park. This giant 400-year-old Karri with a 3m x 4m hole took 10 hours to cut by chain saw. You can stand in the hole with over 151 tonnes of tree above you.
From Pemberton, you will continue to the historic seaport of Albany on the southern coast. It is one of the State’s leading holiday centres. The harbours, rivers and estuaries provide excellent fishing, while the spectacular coastal scenery, beaches and nearby National Parks provide a wide variety of activities for visitors. More than 3,500 varieties of wildflowers have been listed within a 48km (30 mile) radius of Albany.

Continue to Esperance, that is heaven for sea, sun and adventure lovers. Fishing, diving, sailing, surfing and sandboarding are just some of the activities you can immerse yourself in. There are plenty of trails to discover, both along the shore and further inland. With over 500kms of coastline available, you’re sure to discover your own little paradise – perhaps even a sunbathing kangaroo too!

From Esperance you will out to WA’s largest outback town and goldfield, Kalgoorlie. Responsible for producing a tenth of the world’s gold until recently the current world gold price flashed across a screen on the main street to emphasise the central role this town plays in the gold industry. You can feel the living history of the gold rush through the magnificent colonial architecture of Kalgoorlie. This town provides an outback contrast to your coastal experience and showcases some colonial style architectural that were built during the gold rush.
From the outback gold town of Kalgoorlie, head to the town of Hyden, famous for its ‘Wave Rock’. Wave Rock is situated 4 km east of the town, within a 160-hectare nature reserve. As the name suggests the rock has the shape of a breaking wave, frozen in time. It is 110 metres long and 15 metres high, with vertical bands of ochre, brown and grey rock – granite to be specific. The rock has a constant play of light with the sun, displaying different looks at different times of the day, making it an interesting subject for photography. Geologists heatedly debate as to how the rock took its distinctive shape but think the rock to be in the region of 500 million years old.

From Hyden you will head back to Perth and return your rental vehicle, having explored the beautiful South West corner of WA.

Dates are flexible so please make an enquiry and tell us a range of dates you are considering so we can check availability.

• Detailed self-drive itinerary with detailed day to day descriptions
• 9 nights accommodation
• 10 Day Hertz Group S Car Hire with Max Cover (zero excess)
• Breakfast; only where specified on the accommodation grid

• International and domestic flights
• All meals unless otherwise specified