Kojonup to Albany road trip: Best stops, distance and time

The best stops on a Kojonup to Albany road trip include the Cranbrook Pink Lakes and Porongurup National Park. By car, the distance from Kojonup to Albany is 154km, with a driving time of 1h40m.

A road trip from Kojonup to Albany takes you to the largest city on the south coast of Western Australia. For most travellers, this is likely to be a leg on a longer drive from Perth to Albany.

Albany is the main town on WA’s south coast, and offers plenty of tourist attractions, including the historic whaling station at Frenchmans Bay and the National Anzac Centre war museum. To find the best Albany accommodation, head here.

This guide is designed to help travellers plan their perfect Kojonup to Albany road trip itinerary.

Kojonup to Albany distance and driving time

By car along sealed roads, the distance from Kojonup to Albany is 154km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 40 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Kojonup to Albany road trip itinerary include the Cranbrook Pink Lakes and Porongurup National Park.

Kojonup is arguably the best stop on the Perth to Albany drive, however. Here, Kodja Place covers regional culture and history far better than most local history museums. Deliberate attempts are made to incorporate several perspectives, including those of the Indigenous Noongar people.

Kodja Place also has a rose garden.

You can also stop at the Farrar Nature Reserve, which is carpeted by wildflowers in spring. The Myrtle Benn Flora and Fauna Sanctuary is similar, but smaller and closer to the Albany Highway.

Kojonup to Albany drive: Cranbrook Pink Lakes and Stirling Range National Park

A little later on, a short detour up the Great Southern Highway takes you to the Cranbrook Pink Lakes. These salt lakes are not always pink, but when conditions are right, micro-organisms in the lake secrete carotene, turning the salt pink.

Road trip essentials that many travellers forget

Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.

Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.

The next decent stop is at the Orchid Nature Reserve in Tenterden, which brims with wildflowers in spring. You can also branch off to Stirling Range National Park, although you should be aware that the main attraction – Bluff Knoll – requires a significant diversion to the eastern end of the park. At the much closer western end, the Western Lookout is the best bet.

The Kojonup to Albany driving route then passes a series of lakes, with Lake Matilda being both the largest and the closest to the Albany Highway.

Further along near Kendenup, you can go wine-tasting at Gilbert Wines.

Kojonup to Albany road trip: Mount Barker and Porungurup National Park

Before entering Albany, you’ll come to Mount Barker.

Here, you may wish to make a slight detour to Porongurup National Park. There are several walking trails here, but the highlight is the Granite Skywalk. Part of a 4.4km walk from the Castle Rock car park, this suspended walkway has been built around a giant granite outcrop. A six metre ladder takes you to the top of Castle Rock, from where you can see the ocean on a clear day.

Mount Barker is a small town with a petrol station, bakery, supermarket and swimming pool. Visitors are most likely to be interested in Plantagenet Wines, however. The cellar door inside an old apple-packing shed is open for tastings.

Once in Albany, attractions worth checking out include the old whaling station at Discovery Bay, plus the Gap, the Blowholes and the Natural Bridge in Torndirrup National Park. There’s also the National Anzac Centre, Dog Rock, Little Beach, Middleton Beach and the Padre White Lookout on Mount Clarence.