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Advice on Perth Road Trip


Y0shimi
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  1. 1. Which part of Perth is better for sightseeing?

    • Northern Perth (Geraldton etc)
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    • Eastern Perth (Swan Valley etc)
      0
    • Southern Perth (Albany etic)
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I had booked air tickets to Perth in April for 10 days. Planning to do a road trip. I like free and easy. As this is my first time to Aus, would like to find out more. Few questions:

 

1. Visa, When should I get it done? What are the charges and procedures? Can it be done online?

2. Transport. I am looking to rent a car but on second thoughts, was considering a camper van which I can stay in. Is it safe?

3. Attractions to recommend? Skip the bustling city please. I want something peaceful and relaxing. Prefer sea view, landscapes. What are the must see locations? Trip advisor seems to recommend alot on museum (no no for me, I might fall asleep).

 

There are so many choices and I guess I might not have the time to do all the sightseeing.

 

Is Rottnest worth 1-2 days?

 

Accommodations? I know it is a bad idea to only walk in and do bookings but as we are doing road trip it becomes a hassle to do any advance bookings. (Back to question of camper van)

 

I had been given some advice by friends not sure how true it is:

Do not drive after 5-6 pm (Dangers such as kangaroo or lousy view)

Doing road trip, just randomly walk up to backpacker inns

 

Lastly, please recommend me places for cheap seafood!! Especially oysters!!

 

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This topic have been discussed till death many times over.

 

U should do a search!

 

Better search before posting these days. If not will tio gan.

 

And I am not talking about that type you get from your bf.

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perth, bustling city?? no way.

 

attractions also nothing much -

kings park - nice park to relax and look at look at perth city view

harbourtown outlet mall - some shopping but also nothing much

swan valley or margaret river - if you are into wine

margaret river chocolate company - you can go crazy buying all types of choclate

farms, zoo - to see some local wildlife etc

fremantle - fremantle market, fish n chips

subiaco - some shopping

 

but really perth is nothing much - good to just take it easy, good for family with young children.

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10 days in Perth that's like eternity hehe, just kidding its good fun. Please
1. Visa, When should I get it done? What are the charges and procedures? Can it be done online?
Yes, can be done online. Google up Australian Visa, cost 20 AUD you print the form before going.
2. Transport. I am looking to rent a car but on second thoughts, was considering a camper van which I can stay in. Is it safe?
Sounds very troublesome, then you have to find a campervan park connect water power etc to stay the night. Almost every attraction has a decent hotel / motel. Suggest you just rent the car and find a B&B to stay in, find the attractions you want and go tripadvisor to pick out the top rated ones. If you book in advance you pay alot more, whereas if they have vacancy when you arrive that will be a lot cheaper.
3. Attractions to recommend? Skip the bustling city please. I want something peaceful and relaxing. Prefer sea view, landscapes. What are the must see locations? Trip advisor seems to recommend alot on museum (no no for me, I might fall asleep).
You should start your trip by checking out the city, its a simple two main streets good for a walkaround and a coffee. There is a gold mint nearby which has a great tour, you can go to Northbridge for Vietnamese food which is decent. After this I suggest you go to Swan Lake for a pleasant walk (Park at Millpoint), you can have dinner at a place called Oyster Bar at the Foreshore.
Then you can go down to Fremantle, to be honest the market and the area is nothing fantastic but you can grab a overpriced fish and chips at cicerello or better yet a beer lunch (yes good seafood!) at little creatures Brewary (parking is pain on weekends)
Some suggestions if you are planning a road trip most people will
1. Drive to Margate river from Perth (3 hours via highway please set off early) - spend the day there drink wine eat cheese etc, then spend the night @ Margate River
2. You can drive to Agusta lighthouse - please note roads to the lighthouse are tight, single road with bush on either side but used for two way. After this you can
3. Drive to Albany, you got the blowholes, valley of the giants etc attractions (note:drive from Margate river to Albany is least 3 - 4 hours spend the night here then drive back to Perth in the afternoon on the highway, do not attempt to drive back to Margate river it will be dark by then)
Down south is where you run the danger of driving into a Kangaroo, plan your trip and always set off to one destination early in the morning and spend the day there. The roads there are not like Singapore or Malaysia hwy so I hope you have a competent driver, you can easily lost grip especially in wet weather so drive carefully. Also roads between Margate River to Albany are windy backroads alot of accidents happen to people speeding, drive in the day.
(Kangaroos are attracted to your headlights, they tend to hop parallel to your car before committing suicide by jumping in front, if you see a roo jumping parallel to your car start to slow the car down by alot)
I suggest you rent a car from the airport and cover a 2nd driver, taxis are expensive a trip from airport to town will cost you a days car rental. Also suggest you rent from the big companies and a GPS if you don't have one.
Do not speed, speed cameras are aplenty and they are not fixed and yes there are tons of them.
My memory is hazy so please double check the info above if you intend to use them,
Have a great trip

I had booked air tickets to Perth in April for 10 days. Planning to do a road trip. I like free and easy. As this is my first time to Aus, would like to find out more. Few questions:

 

1. Visa, When should I get it done? What are the charges and procedures? Can it be done online?

2. Transport. I am looking to rent a car but on second thoughts, was considering a camper van which I can stay in. Is it safe?

3. Attractions to recommend? Skip the bustling city please. I want something peaceful and relaxing. Prefer sea view, landscapes. What are the must see locations? Trip advisor seems to recommend alot on museum (no no for me, I might fall asleep).

 

There are so many choices and I guess I might not have the time to do all the sightseeing.

 

Is Rottnest worth 1-2 days?

 

Accommodations? I know it is a bad idea to only walk in and do bookings but as we are doing road trip it becomes a hassle to do any advance bookings. (Back to question of camper van)

 

I had been given some advice by friends not sure how true it is:

Do not drive after 5-6 pm (Dangers such as kangaroo or lousy view)

Doing road trip, just randomly walk up to backpacker inns

 

Lastly, please recommend me places for cheap seafood!! Especially oysters!!

 

 

Edited by Mercury1
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I tot camper van might looks interesting.. haha but seems like a bad choice.

 

I heard cicerello standard had dropped by a notch.

 

Did some research and thinking of going to Albany, not sure if I have enough time for Esperance. It seems interesting.

 

So maybe

Perth > Fremantle > wave rock > Albany > Denmark > Margaret River > Busselton/Bunbury / Perth

 

Not sure if I can squeeze in Rottnest and Nambung National Park

 

I usually leave the town for the last to buffer my timing. There seems to be so much to see and so little time

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I've just returned this morning from a 10-day family trip to Perth and Margaret River area! [:)]

 

I would say Mercury's info is very spot-on and useful. Wish I had read such a post while planning my trip! [:)]

 

Just to add a few comments of my own:

 

1. With regards to visa, we don't really need one for tourism travel but Australia has similar ETSA (?) system to the US for Singaporeans where you obtain approval for your travel to the country prior to arrival. The website can be easily googled. Do note that the approval is valid for 1 year, so it may be better to apply for this just before your departure date so as to maximise the validity. That is if you may travel to Oz again within the year... The online application is pretty painless. Just have your passport and credit card handy when applying.

 

2. Do ppl still do campervans anymore? I barely saw any on the road or in any parks.

 

3. Perth basically has 2 walking streets of shops and very little else. And most close by 5. Not many open on Sundays. Finding eateries is not difficult as they are everywhere. Not really cheap...

 

4. The Fremantle market is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus public holiday Mondays. Otherwise the entire area is dead, as we found out yesterday!

 

5. Shopping is nothing remarkable in Western Australia.

 

6. Food is generally expensive. The same goes for beer!

 

7. The Margaret River Chocolate Company is basically a very large chocolate shop, with a large window for you to watch chocolates being poured. You can cover that in one minute...

 

8. Parking is expensive in Perth and Fremantle, approx. $30/day. Tends to be free in the small towns but some restriction on duration may apply.

 

9. I stayed in Dunsborough, a small sleepy town with a truly flat beach and clear waters. But perhaps a better location may be Busselton which is much bigger

 

10. Finally, don't have too high an expectation of the scenery. We found it pretty dull mostly, save for the stretches where you can see the sea. Problem is, even the so-called Old Coastal Road is a little to inward and vegetation tends to block out any sight of the sea for most parts. I just did a 1-week road trip from New York to northern Maine just last September and compared to the scenery there, this is really nothing. But the sea and the waters are absolutely gorgeous.

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Cannot remember my full itinerary but you can take reference if you want. Below is based on my recollection. Depending on what time you reach Perth. So I reached at night and I drove to Mandurah for a night's stay before proceeding on. Driving is very easy in Australia generally.

 

Day 1:
Drive towards Mandurah from airport - About 50mins

Day 2:
Drive to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse: About: 3hrs

Afternoon, from Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, drive to Augusta Town 8.4km, 8min

Drive from Augusta Town to Sunflowers Farm (Check in) 50km, 40min
Drive to Margaret River town for dinner and shopping. Must try the fish and Chips at Squid Lips at Margaret River Town..

Day 3:
Farm activity
Mammoth Cave 14km, 14min
Explore nearby vineyards if time permits

Day 4:
Drive to Bettenay Nougat Factory 17km
Drive to margaret river chocolate factory 3.5km
And explore any other vineyards around vicinity To find some vineyards
Head towards Busselton jetty
Head to Fremantle

Day 5:
Caversham Wildlife Park
Swan Valley Visitor Centre
Drive to Northbridge (Chinatown) for dinner

Day 6
Fremantle prison. Explore Fremantle ("Freo" Market)
Cappucino strip, market street, esplanade park. Makan at Cicerellos (for the experience is fine)

Day 7
King's Park
Harbourtown

Edited by Extremme
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Cicerello unfortunately has come down quite a bit, also they charge you for everything which sucks. Lemon slices, tartar sauce, ketchup everything. Maybe because I been there a few times if I compared the two I would really recommend little creatures brewery for lunch instead but its assuming you guys drink beer of course. (Please elect a sober driver [;)] )

 

I can't say for the rest but you might wanna consider about going to wave rock, the comment from tripadvisor is quite accurate. Your time might be better spent going somewhere else. I know tour groups would organize these sand surfing to make the even more fun for the tourist but that's it really.

 

"Wave Rock is, believe it or not, a rock shaped like a wave. Fortunately we stopped there enroute to Esperance, but for anyone visiting Wave Rock as a day tripper from Perth, it must be incredibly disappointing. Takes about 10 minutes to "see" it, and 4 to 5 hours to get there (driving mainly along roads passing through fields of wheat, so boring scenery), and of course another 4 or 5 hours to get back. Don't Do It !! It really is as disappointing as it sounds."

http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g495061-d300372-r12671518-Wave_Rock-Hyden_Western_Australia.html#REVIEWS

 

If you want to do any shopping you need to go to the malls, either Garden City or Carousel, Garden City is the classier mall of the two if compared.

 

Do check out the millpoint area in the late afternoon, along the river and pleasant for walks. Besides the Oyster bar if you are lucky you might get a seat at Ciao Italia which is a great Italian restaurant.

 

I tot camper van might looks interesting.. haha but seems like a bad choice.

 

I heard cicerello standard had dropped by a notch.

 

Did some research and thinking of going to Albany, not sure if I have enough time for Esperance. It seems interesting.

 

So maybe

Perth > Fremantle > wave rock > Albany > Denmark > Margaret River > Busselton/Bunbury / Perth

 

Not sure if I can squeeze in Rottnest and Nambung National Park

 

I usually leave the town for the last to buffer my timing. There seems to be so much to see and so little time

 

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Midland Gate Shopping Centre also not bad ... near Caversham Wildlife Park ... can combine the itinerary

Edited by Wt_know
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Cannot remember my full itinerary but you can take reference if you want. Below is based on my recollection. Depending on what time you reach Perth. So I reached at night and I drove to Mandurah for a night's stay before proceeding on. Driving is very easy in Australia generally.

 

Day 1:

Drive towards Mandurah from airport - About 50mins

 

Day 2:

Drive to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse: About: 3hrs

 

Afternoon, from Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, drive to Augusta Town 8.4km, 8min

 

Drive from Augusta Town to Sunflowers Farm (Check in) 50km, 40min

Drive to Margaret River town for dinner and shopping. Must try the fish and Chips at Squid Lips at Margaret River Town..

 

Day 3:

Farm activity

Mammoth Cave 14km, 14min

Explore nearby vineyards if time permits

 

Day 4:

Drive to Bettenay Nougat Factory 17km

Drive to margaret river chocolate factory 3.5km

And explore any other vineyards around vicinity To find some vineyards

Head towards Busselton jetty

Head to Fremantle

 

Day 5:

Caversham Wildlife Park

Swan Valley Visitor Centre

Drive to Northbridge (Chinatown) for dinner

 

Day 6

Fremantle prison. Explore Fremantle ("Freo" Market)

Cappucino strip, market street, esplanade park. Makan at Cicerellos (for the experience is fine)

 

Day 7

King's Park

Harbourtown

 

 

Is Mammoth Cave worth it? I also looking to do some cave visiting. The one that seems popular is the one at Esperance. I was watch youtube on Esperance but the place it self seems damn boring or maybe it was the way they done it. Felt like some 60s movie or some 90s pirated LCD....

 

Day 3 did you do a farm stay?

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Is Mammoth Cave worth it? I also looking to do some cave visiting. The one that seems popular is the one at Esperance. I was watch youtube on Esperance but the place it self seems damn boring or maybe it was the way they done it. Felt like some 60s movie or some 90s pirated LCD....

 

Day 3 did you do a farm stay?

Persoanlly I don't think its worth it for the $$. I went just to have my kids have sight of a real cave which we cannot see locally to have that experience. If you have elderly, then not advisable cause there will be many steps which are steep.

 

I stayed in the farm for 2 nights. You need to experience the tractor rides and the BBQ-ing of mashmallows in the wild. Again its for the kids' experience.

 

Generally Perth is boring like what many said. It's really a good place to chill and take it slow. There is literally nothing much to do after 6pm (I went during winter so you could imagine the sky turned dark by like 5ish)

 

It's back to basics when you stay in the farm. No wifi, data plan sucks and you probably only have DVDs from the farm. Of course crawlers etc (its a farm afterall like the good old Lim Chu Kang. Pre-empt your family first cause some might be afraid of crawlers. But you get to see kangaroo/dogs hopping into your rooms etc if you leave the front door open :)

Edited by Extremme
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Persoanlly I don't think its worth it for the $$. I went just to have my kids have sight of a real cave which we cannot see locally to have that experience. If you have elderly, then not advisable cause there will be many steps which are steep.

 

I stayed in the farm for 2 nights. You need to experience the tractor rides and the BBQ-ing of mashmallows in the wild. Again its for the kids' experience.

 

Generally Perth is boring like what many said. It's really a good place to chill and take it slow. There is literally nothing much to do after 6pm (I went during winter so you could imagine the sky turned dark by like 5ish)

 

It's back to basics when you stay in the farm. No wifi, data plan sucks and you probably only have DVDs from the farm. Of course crawlers etc (its a farm afterall like the good old Lim Chu Kang. Pre-empt your family first cause some might be afraid of crawlers. But you get to see kangaroo/dogs hopping into your rooms etc if you leave the front door open :)

 

Not really know what to expect... Haha... No qualms of back to basic.. after all I grew up in a kampung so not much of hassle to me. The only thing that farm stay excites me is being close to animals especially koala Bears. I prefer alot of nature and alot of sea... More or less decided on my itinerary .. shall share it once I finalize.. Hope you guys can give me advice on it.

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