Perth to Exmouth Road Trip

From Perth to Exmouth a road trip we will never forget, the Coral Coast stretching across 1,200 Kilometres, it is one of Australia’s most scenic drives. It is teeming with natural beauty, wildlife and adventure, not to mention the WA sunsets every afternoon. 

I have compiled an Itinerary of all the stops we visited and the free camps spots for the self-contained campers.  This road trip has been on our bucket list for four years and was well worth the wait.

Perth, Lancelin and Cervantes

To start the trip, you will need to stock up on fuel, food, water and other things you might need for the journey. If you haven’t been to Perth before, you can check out my Locals guide to Perth. There are so many things to do, and WA beaches are the best beaches, so have a dip while your here.

We drove from Perth to Lancelin, which is 121.9km. Dunes surround the town, and there are places to hire sand boards or quad bikes if you are into a bit of an adventure. We stopped off for a quick sandwich, and a peek at the crystal clear beach before jumping back in the van to head up to the Pinnacles at Cervantes

From Lancelin to Cervantes is only 81.9km. We decided we would stay around this area for the night. We visited the Pinnacles of Numbung National Park. Impressive limestone structures formed around 30,000 years ago. It is $15 per person, and no pets allowed in the park.  As you drive into the park, you can get out and walk around. It’s like your on another planet.

After the Pinnacles, we decided to visit the town of Cervantes and cook up some dinner and watch the sunset before heading to our camp. We stayed at the Tuart Reserve Rest Area; it was a free camp found on wiki camps with no toilets or water, so best for those self-contained. There are caravan parks in every town so dont fret if you are a camper without a toilet or shower handy.

Jurien Bay to Geraldton

We visited the beautiful Jurien Bay beach, only 20 minutes from Cervantes. We parked in the beach car park, made our morning coffee and took a walk down the jetty. It’s the perfect little spot to refresh before getting on the road. There is a cafe on the beach that seemed very popular. The water is crystal blue which is very standard for the coral coast a very popular swimming spot. The drive to Geraldton from Julian bay is 196.2km which is 2hour drive so after breakfast we heading up.

Geraldton is a larger town which means it’s time to stock up on food and water. There are two free camps in town we found on Wiki camps one right in town that is for self contained vans, it has a dump point and portable water tap to fill up your water. The second is for non self contained campers vans, it has toilets and cold showers available 24hours and its found at the Point Moore lighthouse. While your in Geraldton have a coffee on the foreshore we grabbed a blanket and sat outside to Jaffle Shack, their coffee is really good. If you are looking for a good fish and chips the locals love Barnacles on the fisheries wharf and you will get your money’s worth.  

Hutt Lagoon and Kalbarri

The Hutt Lagoon is located just before Port Gregory and on your way to Kalbarri. It has become highly popular instagram spot. Best times to visit is mid morning or sunset to see its beautiful hues of bubblegum pink and lilac. We visited in the middle of the day, and smack me dead it was hot, so we didn’t stay long. If you have a drone send it up for a birds eye view of this magical wonder. 

As you drive into the surfy town of Kalbarri you will see the amazing Red Bluff  this huge mound overlooking the ocean and is a great spot for a sunset. We stayed at the Red Bluff Caravan Park, its probably my favourite so far, $50 a night and each campsite has its own ensuite, fluffy Buffalo grass and if you love kangaroos you are in for a treat they love munching on  the grass in the afternoons and in to the night. 

If you are looking for a dog sitter ask the caravan parks and information centres as their are a few in town 

We ventured out to the Kalbarri National Park, there is plenty to do including swimming, canoeing and  fishing in the gorge. The gorge spans out 80km and there are so many spots to see, The skywalk is newly opened and such a spectacular view. Sit in Natures Window and take it all in if you love an adventures walk take the 7km trail called the Loop or have a swim at the Z-Bend. If you travel though spring and early summer you will see the wild flowers.