Perth to Sydney road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time
Perth to Sydney road trip: Perth to Kalgoorlie
The first leg of the Perth to Sydney drive is from Perth to Kalgoorlie. This is a 593km drive, almost entirely along the Great Eastern Highway. It should take around six and a half hours, and it’s arguably the most boring leg of what is a notoriously boring drive.
The best places to stay in Perth
You can check out deals on a wide range of Perth accommodation options. But these are some of the best choices.
- The swankiest address in town: COMO The Treasury.
- The cool, fun one in the centre of the action: The Alex.
- For quality apartments next to Kings Park: Quest Kings Park.
- For quality apartments by the beach: Seashells Scarborough.
- On a backpacker budget: Spinners Hostel.
5 great day trips from Perth – make your visit special
- Rottnest Island ferry transfer – with bike hire and snorkelling gear. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Pinnacles desert – with koalas 🐨 and sandboarding.
- Wave Rock day tour – with wildflowers & Aboriginal culture.
- Margaret River wineries experience 🍷 – with tastings, caves & Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
- Full day Swan Valley wine tour 🍷– with lunch.
All the best stops along the way are pretty close to Perth. But if you get up early, you can tackle some of them before attacking the punishing drive towards the goldfields. Options include learning about Western Australia’s remarkable water supply scheme at Mundaring Weir and walking to waterfalls in the John Forrest National Park. You could also see wildlife at the Karakamia Sanctuary in Chidlow or learn about Indigenous culture at the Bilya Koort Boodja centre in Northam.
If going slowly, Northam is a decent place to spend the night. Places to stay include the historic Duke’s Inn and the handsome Fairway Manor.
Driving from Perth to Sydney: The Wheatbelt
Beyond Northam, the most exciting this section of the Perth to Sydney drive gets is the Granite Way. This 60km driving route links the big granite outcrops of Kellerberrin, Quairading and Bruce Rock. A little further on comes Burracoppin. Here, the big water pipe meets the State Barrier Fence. And signs explain just how the longest fence in the world came to be.
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.
There are, mercifully, plenty of things to do in Kalgoorlie once you arrive. Learn about the city’s gold mining heritage at the Museum of the Goldfields and Hannans North Tourist Mine. Then see how the modern day operation works, with a tour of the eye-poppingly large Superpit.
Where should I stay in Kalgoorlie?
Specialist Australian accommodation website Wotif offers Kalgoorlie accommodation for from $133 a night. Check out the deals page to search for the best value stay.
However, you should consider these options first.
- For central location and a pool: Plaza Hotel.
- For best quality: Quest Yelverton apartments.
- For proximity to the railway station: Quality Inn Railway Motel.
- For pool, free parking and good value: Hospitality Inn (part of the Best Western group).
Next up: Crossing the Nullarbor.