Heading away to the South West of Australia is one of my favourite things to do in the summer. But to be honest, it’s an amazing place to visit all year round as it gets lush, green, misty, and cozy in winter as well.
The best way to get down south is obviously by car as it will give you the freedom to explore all of the beautiful places and towns once there. I often get asked if you need a four-wheel-drive to access a lot of the places I have been and the answer is no. There are some four-wheel-drive only tracks, however I’ve never been on them!
Narrowing down my favorite places has been extremely difficult because there are too many to count but I’m going to try my best! These places are ordered from the closest to furthest from Perth.
Ferguson valley
2 hours from Perth
One of my favorite places to visit in the winter is Ferguson Valley. I discovered Ferguson valley when I found a random Airbnb and it ended up being one of the most incredible places I’ve stayed. It had 360 views of the rolling hills around the property which I quickly discovered is what Ferguson Valley is known for. If you get up early in the winter, you will see fog covering the hills with kangaroos hopping in every direction you look.
Ferguson Valley is great for wineries and getting cozy in an airbnb. I will make a list of the best airbnbs in the South West in another blog post!
Dunsborough
3 hours from Perth
Dunsborough is another one of my favourites mainly because of the small-town beachy vibe it gives off. The cafés, the boutiques, and the beaches around here make this such a great weekend destination.
Some of the best beaches to visit:
- Meelup beach
- Castle rock
- Smiths beach
- To eat - Meelup Farm House, Art & Zen, Merchant & Maker
If you are looking for a bit of adventure, you can hire jet skis from Dunsborough Jet Ski Tours for 1-2 hours and ride along the coast in the most perfect water you will see.
Yallingup
3 hours 10 min from Perth
Yallingup is the home to some incredible rock pools and amazing swimming spots.
My favourite spots:
- The Aquarium (click to watch my tiktok on it!) - to get here you’ll pull up into a car park and make your way down the little path that’s attached to the car park and eventually you'll come to a rock pool. My biggest tip is to go around 8 AM in the morning when it’s quiet, however don’t just stop there. Make your way over to the left and there is so many more little rock pools for exploring.
- Indijup natural spa - you have probably seen photos of this place all over social media. Waves hit the rocks which then trickle into the rockpool to make it a 'spa'.When visiting these rock pools you should always be careful because sometimes there may be an unexpected big wave and there have been people that have been washed away from this.
- Sugarloaf rock - An an amazing spot to watch the sunset! There’s some stairs that take you up to the view point here so you will have a full view of Sugarloaf rock in all its glory. However, when you’re in the car park, if you make your way down the cliff a little bit there is so many spots you can watch the sunset on your own away from the people. I like to call Sugarloaf Rock WA's version of Es Vedra (in Ibiza).
Margaret River
3 hours 30 mins from Perth
This place has quickly become my favourite place to visit in the region. From the cute town with beautiful boutiques, the beaches that have white cliffs and local stingrays at your ankles, the rock pools full of marine life, the wineries… I could definitely see myself living here one day.
Where to visit:
- Hamelin bay (click to watch my tiktok on it!) - If you can picture an Australian version of Greece then this is Hamelin Bay. White cliffs, soft sand, the clearest crystal blue water, and the best part is the local stingrays who come up to the shore and practically ram into your ankles. The best time to visit is around 10am!
- The rock pools - until recently, I had no idea that Margaret River had so many hidden rock pools. Out of respect to the locals, I'm not going to tell you exactly where they are, in fact, the only reason I found them was by using google earth because nobody else had said where they were! There are so many to find. My favourites are this one, and this one.
- The wineries - I'm not a drinker so I can't say my advice is much to go off of, but Margaret River is known for its wine region! Just driving through the area, it looks like a scene out of 'The Sound of Music'.
- To eat - White Elephant Cafe (I am also not a big foodie so my recommendations for food will be limited!)
Pemberton
4 hours from Perth
Pemberton is known for its huge trees that line the roads. It really does give me Twilight vibes here in the winter. There are so many incredible Airbnb‘s here which is what made it so special for me. One place in Pemberton that I haven’t been able to visit yet (but really want to!) is Pemberton Pool.
Denmark
5 hours from Perth
Denmark is absolutely beautiful in both winter and summer. Again, beautiful airbnbs, a cute town and absolutely incredible beaches.
Must visit:
- Greens Pool (click to watch my tiktok on it!)
- Elephant Rocks
Albany
5 hours from Perth
Albany is another really underrated place in the southwest of the state. Although the town isn’t anything special, the beaches here are absolutely incredible and really remind me of Esperance. I’ll talk about Esperance in another blog post as it deserves an entire one on its own. Some of my favourite beaches in Albany are:
- Salmon Holes
- Frenchman Bay
- Two Peoples Bay
- Stirling Ranges National Park - this national park is incredible! This is where you can find Bluff Knoll to hike (this hike is no joke, I realised how unfit I was veryyyy quickly). Spend some time driving through the area, I couldn't believe it was part of WA!
Esperance
8 hours from Perth
Last but not least is Esperance. I am going to do a whole blog post on Esperance alone as there is just way too much to write here! Stay tuned <3