Broome to Perth on a budget -The perfect three weeks itinerary
Are you planning to do an epic west coast road trip and are looking for the perfect Broome to Perth on a budget itinerary? Then you are in the right place! In this post we have covered all of our favorites places in the beautiful West Coast of Australia. We have also covered some budget tips to help you on the way. If you think that the East Coast might be more your thing, check out our guide.
VIEW POST: The Ultimate Australian East Coast Road Trip Guide
Don’t we all dream about that perfect road trip? The road trip where the music is playing loud from the speaker in the car. Where the warm wind is catching our hair as we pull down the car window. Where the ocean is spreading blue on the side of the road and every evening, we’re driving into the sunset. Where we camp by the ocean and wake up to the sound of the waves, just as the sun rises on the horizon.
That’s what it’s like driving the West Coast of Australia. You’ll get it all, clear blue ocean, sunsets, warm wind, and sun that makes your skin all golden, the chance to go snorkeling with colorful fish and sea turtles. You’ll get red rocks and more national parks than you can count. And we have your ultimate guide for you to get the most out of your Western Australia road trip.
Time and budget tips
For this trip, we recommend at least three weeks (we spent three and a half weeks) to get the most out of it. Then you don’t have to stress because that is the last thing you want to do then you going on the adventure of your lifetime.
Our road trip starts in Broome and goes all the way down to Perth. This drive is around 2700 kilometers of beauty, so again, take your time and enjoy it.
We’ll mention a few national parks in this text, and note that none of them have drinking water so remember to bring a lot of water into the parks. The temperatures can get very high and it’s important to stay hydrated, especially while walking. Another thing to remember is that all the National Parks have an entrance fee, which is 15 AUD per vehicle. We recommend to buy a park pass that lasts for a month and costs 60 AUD. You can find more information HERE.
Budget tips: It might actually be easier than you think to travel from Broome to Perth in a budget. First of all, use the app wiki camp to find free camps and the cheapest places to stay overnight. Always try to bulk buy a lot of can food in the big stores like Coles and Woolworth, that can manage the heat and is CHEAP. Fill up with tap water every time you get chance so you don’t have to buy water all the time (and you also save the nature). Download the app Fuel Map to see where you can find the cheapest patrol. If you plan to visit several National Parks on the way, it’s cheaper for you to buy the park pass.
Broome to Perth Budget itinerary – The Beginning
Since the trip starts in Broome, why don’t you spend a couple of days here? Broome is famous for its pristine beaches and clear blue water. The most famous beach is Cable Beach, where you can see the stairway to the moon and camels walking in the sunset. Broome also has the oldest operating outdoor picture garden, cozy courthouse markets, and beautiful surroundings. It’s easy to see why people like Broome so much. Broome is also the place to pick up a rental car for the trip if you need one.
Broome to Eighty Mile Beach
376 kilometers from Broome you’ll find Eighty Mile Beach, a beautiful beach where you can see sea turtles nesting every year from October and to February. You can also test your driving skills if you have a 4WD by cruising down the beach.
Eighty Mile Beach to Karijini National Park
561 kilometers southwest from Eighty Mile Beach you’ll find Karijini National Park, one of our favorite national parks in all of Australia. Be prepared for the horrendous number of flies you will find here though. We recommend to bring a fly net to cover your face (we didn’t have one, a big regret). In Karijini you’ll find waterfalls, gorges, and lookouts. Spend at least three days here to be able to explore this beautiful place. If you want more information about it you can find it HERE.
Karijini National Park to Exmouth
This drive is 658 kilometers so we recommend an early start to make it before it gets dark since there is a lot of wallabies on the road in Exmouth. Exmouth is a beautiful place with loads and loads of beaches. The water is the most turquoise and clear that you’ll see on this road trip.
If you’re staying in one of the camping areas in the national park you will be close to the colorful corals and beautiful fish. You will be close to the wildlife and you might even get a kangaroo as your closest neighbor. You might see dingos running around in the evenings to hunt for some food and you will most definitely see a lot of wallabies. If you’re going to Exmouth in December you will also see a lot of sea turtles since it’s their mating season. We recommend staying about five days in Exmouth to be able to see everything and enjoy the beautiful beaches, snorkeling, wildlife, and breathtaking sunsets.
Exmouth to Coral Bay
153 kilometers south from Exmouth you’ll find another beautiful place for snorkeling, sunbathing and enjoying the view of the clear blue water, Coral Bay. We recommend you to do the groceries before arriving to this small town since the prices are very high. The snorkeling here is wonderful though and you can understand why people want to visit this place. The corals are so colorful and you can see rays swimming around in the ocean. They also have a shark nursery. You can go there and visit it for FREE and you will for sure see some baby sharks. Even though Coral Bay is a beautiful place, a couple of nights is enough time to spend here.
Coral Bay to Denham
The next stop of the trip is Denham, which is 556 kilometers south of Coral Bay. Denham is a small place close to Shark Bay. Shark Bay is the home of Shell Beach, a beach without sand but instead filled with white shells. Close to Denham, you can also find a beautiful lookout called Eagle Bluff, two national parks called Dirk Hartog Island and Francois Peron and also the World Heritage Drive. As you can see, there is a lot of things to do around this small area so take your time.
It is also home to the Monkey Mia dolphins. The dolphins in Monkey Mia are wild dolphins that return to the bay on their free will, every day and have been doing for three generations to get fed. Every day at some point between 7 and 9 you can watch them get fed and it costs 15 AUD. They get a small amount of fish, just 10% of their daily intake so they still have to hunt for food themselves and that way remains wild. Denham is worth spending a few days in to be able to explore the surroundings.
Denham to Kalbarri
374 kilometers south from Denham you’ll find this little seaside town called Kalbarri which is home to Kalbarri National park. In the National Park you can find the famous ”Natures window” and a natural bridge which is a beautiful rock formation next to the sea. You can go canoeing and rafting, you can have a picnic and just enjoy the beauty of nature.
Kalbarri to Hutt Lagoon a.k.a the Pink Lake
Only 55 kilometers from Kalbarri, you can find one of Australia’s few pink lakes, Hutt Lagoon. The water is bright pink and looks like something you can just dream about. It’s not much to see besides from the pink lake. We recommend you to take a quick stop here anyways just to see this fascination phenomenon.
Hutt Lagoon to the Pinnacles Desert
383 kilometers south from Hutt Lagoon and only 205 kilometers north of Perth you find the Pinnacles desert. A place that looks like it would only exist in movies with the yellow sand and rock formations. The formations are assumed to have been created 30.000 to 40.000 years ago. If you’re going here we would recommend spending some time on the 1.2-kilometer-long walk through the desert to get of the car road and also get away from the people a bit. If you have time, stay for the sunset.
The Pinnacles Desert to Perth
It’s time for the last 205 kilometers before we reach Perth, the end destination on the Budget travels from Broome to Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Perth is a city that has it all, beautiful beaches, cozy city areas and also the big city feeling. Our favorite part of Perth is defiantly Fremantle, a bit of a hipster area that offers markets, cozy restaurants, and delicious vegan ice cream. Perth is also where this road trip ends so why not just return the car and spend a few days exploring the city pulse. Treat yourself with some delicious food after you’ve been hanging out in the outback the past few weeks?
We highly recommend you to keep on with your road trip all the way down to Adelaide. Check out our guide HERE.
