Tom Price to Perth road trip: Best stops, distance & time
The best stops on a Tom Price to Perth road trip along sealed roads are Karijini National Park, Meekatharra and New Norcia. By car, the Tom Price to Perth drive covers a 1,452km distance in a driving time of around 15h29m.
The drive from Tom Price to Perth to is one that travellers are most likely to undertake on the way back from a trip up the west coast of Australia. The inland route is quicker, and Tom Price makes a good base for exploring Karijini National Park.
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Tom Price is primarily an iron ore mining town, but it does offer places to stay – which can be in short supply in the Pilbara. To search for Tom Price accommodation, look here.
Perth offers gold pouring experiences at the Perth Mint, Rottnest Island day trips, and scenic Swan River cruises. To book Perth tours and experiences, head here. For Perth accommodation deals, book here.
The inland drive from Tom Price to Perth isn’t exactly crammed with highlights, but add the right stops to your itinerary and it still makes for a good road trip. This guide should help you plan the quickest trip along sealed road.
Tom Price to Perth distance and driving time
By car along sealed roads, the distance from Tom Price to Perth is 1,452km. That makes for a driving time of around 15 hours and 29 minutes.
The best stops to add to a Tom Price to Perth road trip itinerary include Karijini National Park, Meekatharra and New Norcia.
Tom Price to Perth road trip: Tom Price to Karijini National Park
Tom Price is the highest town in Western Australia, and sits in the shadow of Jundunmunnah, which is also called Mount Nameless.
The quickest route from Tom Price to Perth leaves to the south-west along the Tom Price-Paraburdoo Road. This passes Turtle Pool and Dingo Pool, which make for decent swimming holes when they have water in them.
Tom Price to Perth drive: Tom Price to Karijini
Soon, however, you turn left up Karijini Drive, and head through the Hamersley Range. There are good views from the R.I.P. Lookout along the way.
Keep going and you’ll reach the vast Karijini National Park, with the first attraction being Mount Bruce – the second highest mountain in WA. It’s climbable, but will take the best part of a day.
At the park’s west entrance station, you can also branch off towards Hancock Gorge (home of Kermits Pool), Weano Gorge and Joffre Gorge, home of Joffre Falls. These attractions all cluster together.
Further east along Karijini Drive is the Dales Campground and Picnic Area by Dales Gorge.
Dales Gorge is home to Fortescue Falls, Karijini’s only permanent waterfall. Perhaps even more temptingly, it’s another couple of hundred metres to Fern Pool, one of the most glorious swimming holes in Western Australia.
There are several walking trails in the Dales Recreation Area, with the 2.4km Gorge Rim Walk from the Fortescue Falls Lookout to the Circular Pool Lookout arguably the highlight.
It’s 48km from the Dales Campground to the Great Northern Highway. From the junction, head south towards Newman.
Click through for the next section: Karijini to Newman.