Perth to Margaret River road trip: Distance, time & best stops
Perth to Margaret River road trip: Best road trip attractions
At first, this journey heads through Perth‘s southern suburbs on the Kwinana Freeway.
There are a few short diversions to the coast that may be of interest. You can get the boat to Penguin Island near Rockingham Beach in Rockingham, play high quality links golf in Port Kennedy and enjoy a dolphin-spotting cruise from Mandurah.
4 experiences to book in Mandurah
- A wildlife-centric dolphin-watching tour.
- A shameless fun in the sun pirate boat cruise.
- Hiring a BBQ boat to explore the waterways.
- An atmospheric sunset cruise.
Shortly before crossing the Murray River, the Kwinana Freeway becomes the Forrest Highway. The next town along is Pinjarra, home of Ranger Red’s Zoo.
The highway then skims the edge of Yalgorup National Park near Preston Beach. The top attraction here is Lake Clifton, with its ancient thrombolites. You can also divert inland toward Lake Navarino near Waroona, or plump for Binningup Beach and the Leschenault Peninsula near Australind on the coast.
The most likely stop, however, is Western Australia’s second largest city – Bunbury. Here, you can swim with dolphins in Koombana Bay from the Dolphin Discovery Centre.
What to book in Bunbury – 5 fabulous experiences.
- Koombana Bay dolphin-watching cruise – the dolphins live in the bay, so you’ll definitely see them.
- Geographe region wine tours – explore boutique wineries in the up-and-coming region.
- Swimming with dolphins. They’re wild – this is not a dodgy aquarium experience.
- Forest, wine and brewery day tours.
- Dolphin Discovery Centre entrance tickets.
Other things to do in Bunbury include Geographe Region wine tours, and broader-scope tours that also take in the local forests and breweries. Bunbury accommodation usually costs from around $103 a night.
Top Bunbury accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Bunbury are:
- For Koombana Bay location, near the Dolphin Discovery Centre: Discovery Parks Bunbury Foreshore.
- For good quality apartments on the coast: Bunbury Seaview Apartments.
- For affordable rates in a city centre location: Rose Hotel and Motel.
Click through to the next section: Bunbury to Busselton.