The journey from Broome to Perth, Western Australia covers in incredible expanse of land. It goes through Northern Australia to the Southern part. It might be long, but this road trip is full of quirky stops, coral snorkelling and loads of red dust! This road trip is a quintessential journey through Western Australia’s stunning outback.
Starting in Broome, most people starting this destination would have arrived through the outback already. However, some people hire vehicles in Broome and travel through the outback. This is a popular travel option for Australians and international tourists that don’t want to drive there.
What I love most about this road trip is driving through endless roads with views that are always changing. It makes the world feel a lot more simple. There’s nothing normal about Australia’s landscape in the outback. It can go from mountains and hills, to gorges and ochre escarpments, among flat plains. The bushland is also greatly diverse. Starting in Broome, this is where the local boabs grow (my favourite trees). As they’ve been there for centuries, they are massive.
There’s also a great range of side trips that are possible on this road trip guide from Broome to Perth. Though there may be roads with what feels like nothing, these are also pathways to other road trips. However, our group stuck to main freeways because of using a 2WD. And it was the wet season, so we are keen to avoid storms and flooding.
Table of Contents
Road Trip Guide Broome, to Perth: Seasons and Weather
This road trip from Broome to Perth, travels from Northern Australia to Southern, meaning the weather varies greatly. Northern Australia is blessed with a dry season (April – October) and wet season (November to March). Some years, the seasons can vary a bit on when each season begins and ends.
What does this mean for a road trip from Broome to Perth? In terms of driving through Northern Australia, the weather can have major impacts on roads. During the wet season, in Northern Australia there could have cyclones (or warnings). Major storms may cause flooding, or intensely hot and humid conditions.
Travelling through the wet season doesn’t guarantee any of this will happen, though. I travelled through this entire road trip during the wet season with a 2WD vehicle, and still had an amazing time. I did however face storm warnings. These followed us down the coast, cut our time in Exmouth short, and left my group stuck in Carnarvon for a week due to major flooding. However, all of these things are what made the trip unique and fun, I don’t regret doing it. I do understand why people would choose to do the trip during the dry season, though.
To learn more about travelling Northern Australia during the wet season, check out Gab Travelling’s complete guide.
It is possible to do this road trip any time of year, people often choose the dry season. During the dry season, it’s still hot and dusty in the outback, but there’s cooler temperatures than in the wet. The landscape reflects these changes. Early in the dry season it should be more green from all the rain the environment just had. This means more wildlife is around as they can hide in the bush and forage.
Next, get into the full road trip guide, including driving and kilometre estimates.
Van Life: Travel and Health Insurance
Before going into the full road trip guide, I first want to share a personal recommendation of health and travel insurance, for other nomads. Safety Wing is an insurance company I heard of from other digital nomads, and believe those travelling across Australia could benefit from. When it comes to van life, anywhere in the world, it’s important to have a good insurance benefits.
Especially when travelling into a remote area such Australia’s outback, it’s important to have clear, good insurance coverage. There’s a lot of variables in the outback (snakes, bugs, and extreme weather conditions), and it’s good to be prepared.
Check out the company’s website for more information, better yet, chat with their customer service to find out clear details about coverage. If you’re in the market for a new insurance policy, or would like to double up on coverage, use the price calculator below for an easy quote.
Road Trip Guide: Broome, to Perth, WA
Total kilometres and hours driving: 33 hours (3,027.5 km)
Recommended days: 15 days+
Day 1: Broome to Sandfire Road House, WA
Drive Time: three hours and 20 minutes (322 km)
I was really excited to visit Broome, before arriving there my partner and I had been working on a cattle station in Northern Queensland and hadn’t seen regular civilization since Darwin. Only a few weeks, albeit still significant in the rugged outback. After not seeing many people in between Darwin and Broome, I was grateful to experience the amenities in Broome. Including big-name grocery stores, regular civilization, and walking around.
However, during the wet season, every time my partner and I were outside for more than five minutes, it felt like we were trapped in a steam room(!). Dripping in sweat and fatigued, it’s hard to enjoy Broome during the wet season. Avoid wearing white at all cost. There’s also less businesses open during the wet season as it has less tourism. It was time to move on and continue the road trip down to Perth.
For this first day of driving, we thought it’s too far to drive all the way to Port Hedland. Instead we stopped at Sandfire Roadhouse.
Keep an eye out for the huge and beautiful boab trees. Soon there will be no more of the trees, as they’re only found in the north west of Australia. It’s also the last few hours to enjoy the landscape near Broome, before heading into the Pilbara.
One of my favourite parts about outback road trip are the road houses. Often, they are the epicentre of the entire town, and they provide to both locals and the travelling public. They provide fuel, groceries, accommodation, prepared food, and entertainment. I love quirky roadhouses, they clearly have passionate owners, and bring a great atmosphere to a road trip. Sandfire Roadhouse was one of those roadhouses I loved, especially their holographic postcards (you’re welcome Mom!).
Just be warned, there is a huge amount of peacocks at this campground. If you haven’t heard it before, they have a special (and loud) call. There’s also loads of peacock feathers to collect. There’s also a camel around that comes to the fence.
Day 2: Sandfire Roadhouse to Auski Tourist Village, WA (Karijini National Park)
Drive time: Five hours and 43 minutes (533 km)
The next major town south of Broome is Port Hedland, which is known for its port and mines. Both international, and Australia-based mining companies surround the area. Many workers fly in and fly out from Perth, while others live in the surrounding areas.
Port Hedland It’s a good stop for grocery shopping, but driving through it’s predominately industrial, not touristy.
After stopping for groceries, we continued driving with the road trains towards Karijini National Park. This is the first major stop of this road trip from Broome to Perth. Make sure to purchase a WA National Parks Pass, on a road trip like this. It’s definitely worth it to purchase an annual pass, and there’s a good discount with RAC, if you’re a member too.
Driving an entire day from outback to outback, the scenery does change a lot. Getting close to Karijini brings a richer ochre tone to the landscape. Notably, vehicles of all sorts, but especially those working on mines are covered in red dust. Mining vehicles can be spotted from their bright yellow radio frequency and identification codes.
We decided to camp at Auski Tourist Village before heading into the national park. In the past we would mainly stay at free campgrounds. This trip, we needed to stay at paid campgrounds which had showers, as it’s so hot. The tourist village may be covered in red dust, but there’s trees for shade (and hammocks). There’s also a kitchen area complete with BBQs, and even a grassy area for camping. There’s no showers available in the national park campground, so enjoy them here!
Day 3-6: Auski Tourist Village to Karijini National Park, WA
Drive time: One hour (83.2 km)
It’s a short drive to Karijini National Park on purpose, so there’s lots of time to arrive early and enjoy the park. The drive time above is meant for Dales Campground. I recommend staying three nights minimum to enjoy all the different sites around the park. Just know, dingoes are around the campground, along with other wildlife, like snakes and many, many insects. Be aware of your surroundings and definitely don’t leave food out!
If it’s a hot and dusty day, don’t waste time on the walking trails in Karijini, head straight to the swimming holes. Fern Pool and Fortescue Falls are right next to Dales Campground. Without even entering the water, the temperature seriously drops, making an incredible difference on a hot day in the outback.
After cooling off, enjoy some of the walking trails around and above the pools. Or, just enjoy the swimming holes!
We did the walk to Circular Pool, but the area was closed off at the time of visiting. The water looked to be full of algae and not good for swimming anyways, but the walk around was nice. During the time of visiting in the wet season, there were hardly any visitors to the park, making it quiet and peaceful.
We found it easiest to travel around the park east to west, and enjoy the last day in Hamersley Gorge before leaving on the third day.
For more details and what gorges to visit, check out Gab Travelling’s Guide to the Gorges at Karijini National Park
Day 6: Karijini National Park (Hamersley Gorge) to House Creek Rest Area via Tom Price, WA
Drive time: Four hours and 10 minutes (300 km)
Depending on weather, leaving in the afternoon might be a good option to get a swim in the morning. We nearly didn’t leave! The water temperature was so nice in the morning, until the afternoon sun began hitting us.
On this route, opt to stop at Tom Price to stock up on groceries. We generally can only keep enough fresh groceries for a few days so it’s always good to stock up.
Instead of driving to another town, we decided to stop at House Creek Rest Area, found on Wikicamps. At the time of writing, this location has a 24hr stop policy, perfect to rest before another driving day.
There are road trains driving by, but they stop throughout the night, and otherwise the traffic isn’t disturbing. We slept with our van door open (and bug net on) and didn’t have any issues. Only the mosquitos and flies can be annoying while cooking.
Day 7-9: House Creek Rest Area to Exmouth, WA
Drive time: Three hours and 43 minutes (343 km)
It might be hours of travelling through dusty, brown outback roads, but this drive will take you to one of Western Australia’s ocean gems. Exmouth is the town hub of Ningaloo Reef, UNESCO World Heritage-listed, loaded with tours to see and experience the area.
It’s recommended to spend at least three days here, depending on what you would like to do. Check out my list of WA’s best snorkelling spots.
The first time visiting during the wet season in January, we heard really amazing things about Exmouth. Unfortunately weren’t able to experience most things. Due to a cyclone warning everyone from our campsite was required to leave, so we could only stay about 24 hours. However, that evening there, we did see nesting sea turtles at Jurabi Turtle Centre. This was a once in a life time experience. Watching the sunset, huddled in the dark, as these huge sea turtles climb on to the beach and nest.
We returned during the dry season a year later, and fell in love with Exmouth. I finally understood why everyone raved about this area. We participated in a swim with whale shark tour, and spent days snorkelling.
Check out Australia’s Tourism website, which encapsulates the best things to do while visiting Exmouth. A few options aside from snorkelling are diving, wildlife tours, boat tours, outback experiences and more. It’s a really diverse place to visit, with lots to do, during any season. Just note many tours and experiences are only available in certain seasons, check before visiting!
Before leaving, or on the way to the next day of driving, check out Coral Bay. Which has more 4WD roads, snorkelling, fishing, campgrounds and outback-meets-beach bliss.
Day 10: Exmouth to Carnarvon, WA
Drive time: Three hours and fifty minutes (364 km)
When it’s time to leave Exmouth, head south along the coast to Carnarvon. Remember that cyclone warning I was talking about? Well, it ended up hitting us while we were in Carnarvon. We headed to an affordable, yet reputable campground: Capricorn Holiday Park.
Torrential rains poured over Carnarvon and the surrounding expansive land for days straight. As it slowed, the pooling water began to tip towards the Gascoyne River. This is why Carnarvon bears the flooding in the area. We walked down to the river near the Banana plantations where the water levels got higher, hour by hour.
Eventually, we were completely trapped in the campground, which thankfully was high up enough to avoid flooding. Although, our friend’s tents did get pretty soaked during this time. It’s just one of the reasons to be careful while travelling through the outback. At the time, there were also road trains and other travellers on the freeways. They had to be airlifted out due to the conditions of the road and major flooding. I’m grateful we were in a safe place like this during this flooding and we had access to grocery stores. Although we did watch the grocery stores supplies dwindle as the week went on.
Carnarvon does flood every once in a while due to its proximity to the river, and with cyclone conditions. Otherwise, spend a day or so enjoying the area.
Point Quobba Blowholes Campground is a local outback camping spot, known for the blowholes in the rocks near the ocean. However, we didn’t head that way due to the weather conditions, and as the campground doesn’t have toilet facilities.
In Carnarvon, enjoy fishing and walking near the ocean to see wildlife. Or, like us, spend some time hiding from the rain in the library!
Day 11: Carnarvon to Shark Bay, WA
Drive time: Two hours and forty minutes (257 km)
The drive to Shark Bay should have cooler weather than Carnarvon. And, the landscape will change reasonably to small bush. Shark Bay has a lot to offer with non-4WD options to explore the area. When first arriving, we drove straight to the Hamelin Pool Stromatolites Boardwalk, although it appears to be temporarily closed now.
However, there are also bricks of shells at the Hamelin Pool quarry. Although these are bricks, they are still delicate. This is also where the Stromatolites can be seen as the boardwalk has maintenance.
After this, we went to Shell Beach, which is incredibly white and flaky or crunchy? It’s a bit painful on the feet—without shoes. The water in the bay is incredibly clear, but it’s a far walk out through shallow water.
After this, we went to one of the beaches on the west end of Shark Bay’s peninsula. And stayed the night as a permit-required camping ground. At night the stars were incredible here (see photos above) when it’s clear, as there’s nearly no light pollution. We all sat outside for ages just admiring the sky, which is incredible in the outback.
We found there wasn’t a lot going on in Denham. After driving through the town, stopping at the IGA, it was time to get back on the road and head south to Kalbarri.
Other activities can be done in Francois Peron National Park, however it’s mainly 4WD accessible. There’s also Dolphin feeding in Monkey Mia, under supervision of the Parks and Wildlife Officers.
After pottering around the Shark Bay area for the morning and afternoon, we drove to Kalbarri, our next stop.
Day 12: Shark Bay to Kalbarri National Park, WA
Drive time: Two hours and 40 mins (268 km)
It’s a bit of a drive to Kalbarri, and there’s lots to see here. We left Denham early in the morning and arrived in Denham, late morning, but the heat had already set in. It was 43 degrees while we were exploring Nature’s Window. The heat can be exhausting and it’s important to cover up and use SPF.
When visiting during January, the summer, it was dry and arid. The land was mainly covered in brown and red dirt with little bush. Next we visited the Kalbarri Skywalk, which can be a daunting if you’re scared of heights. It reminds me of a skywalk in the Canadian Rockies, which is paid. Surrounding the sky walk is a cafe and toilet blocks, along with shaded areas to sit down.
Next, we drove over to Red Bluff Lookout on the coast and walked over the rocks to Pot Alley. The red rock mixes with the rough ocean waves and is a cooling walk to do when it’s hot out. There were also wallabies in the area and other wildlife living in the rocks, such as birds and reptiles.
This leg of the road trip wouldn’t be complete without visiting Hutt Lagoon, for the pink lakes. Beware of the smell, it’s not the most pleasant. Otherwise the pink lakes are a fun sight to see. We have previously seen Melbourne’s seasonal pink lake a few years before so it wasn’t the first time.
After exploring these points, we settled into the free camp on Galena Bridge North.
Day 13: Kalbarri National Park to Geraldton, WA
Drive time: One hour and twenty minutes (129 km)
Leaving Kalbarri, we took the time to spend the day in Geraldton to stock up on groceries. We swam in the ocean a bit as well. Until that is, one of our friends was getting mild stings from white jellyfish, so we didn’t stay there for long.
Stings aside, Geraldton’s coast area is beautiful along the esplanade. There’s lots of seagrass and some people even spot dugongs off the coast. The day we visited was windy, but the ocean was incredibly clear and light blue.
Considering Geraldton is one of the most major towns on this road trip, it had a good amount of shops. This was good to do some life admin. There’s also great cafes around town, I love the chai latte at the Cafe Fleur.
Other places to visit around town are the Geraldton Museum, HMAS Sydney II Memorial, and multiple art galleries. We settled down for the night at John Batten Community Hall Free Camp. There’s about five spots for camping, and the night we stayed there was may two other vehicles. There’s also a nice BBQ area outside for meals.
Day 14: Geraldton to Cliff Head, WA
Drive time: One hour, ten minutes (103 km)
After spending the morning in Geraldton picking up any extra bits we needed, it was time for camping by the beach at Cliff Head. There’s a few free campgrounds in the area we found via Wikicamps. They show as 4WD only, but all of our non-4WD vehicles made the drive. Possibly the 4WD is more recommended for bad weather conditions. I wouldn’t recommend anyone go against the rules, other non-4WD vehicles were also there.
Cliff Head is a good distance away from Perth, I don’t believe people visit for the weekend. It’s still quiet and peaceful, without any crazy parties. Although there was some campers showing galaxy lights over the trees which was cute. The beach isn’t the best for swimming, it’s a long was to be knee deep. And, the fish would bite us, but it was still good to explore.
What I loved most about this location for camping was the night sky. Our group was playing around with lighting on my DSLR and took great pictures from the night. There were plenty of shooting stars as well, and all around just a peaceful night. The bathrooms were good, for drop toilets. I like how they’re located between campgrounds so multiple camping spots can access them without having to walk far.
Day 15: Cliff Head to the Pinnacles, Nambung, WA
Drive time: Two hours and 12 minutes (200km)
Leaving our cute and relaxing campground, it was time to continue down the coast. Another interesting stop along the way is the Nambung National Park and the Pinnacles Desert. Because of the distance from this stop and our next, we decided to have a relaxing morning, head to the Pinnacles and camp in the area.
When entering the national park, the idea is to drive through the Pinnacles Desert. There’s a few parking spots so visitors can walk around as well. Be careful to stay on the designated track only and don’t touch the Pinnacles. The drive ends near the beginning of the drive, where other walks take place.
Nambung National Park has more to offer than just the Pinnacles, it’s well-laid out and organized. There’s even a Desert Discovery Centre which has history of the Pinnacles. And, it’s great to get out of the heat and dust for a while.
After enjoying this portion of the park, we head over to Hangover Bay to spend some time at the stunning white beach. We cooked dinner in the parking lot and headed to a free camp in the area, near the freeway to sleep.
Day 15: Cliff Head to Lancelin and Perth, WA
Drive time: One hour and 20 minutes (99 km) to Lancelin, one hour and thirty minutes
This road trip wouldn’t be complete without Lancelin’s stark white beaches and sand dunes. The town of Lancelin doesn’t seem to have a lot going on. It’s more of a sleepy surfing town. There’s no major grocery stores, just a few pubs and cafes.
None of our group has 4WD vehicles so we didn’t drive onto the beach, but it is accessible. After we went to the sand dunes to try out sand boarding. We even saw a small snake in the dunes!
Just a warning that it’s pretty bumpy around the area of the sand dunes. It’s good to nominate one vehicle to drive the group to an area for sand boarding. We went up a few different areas, eventually landing on one area that was steep. My favourite, and the easiest way to go down is just sitting on the board.
It would be plenty easy to make it to Perth the same day. However, when entering Perth during 2021, there was one of the many lockdowns and no one was permitted to enter the Perth/Peel region. We had to wait just one more day, which is why we split this up more.
Entering Perth after only being in the outback felt so hectic at first! We definitely went through the tunnel unintentionally. After living in Perth I did this a few more times—I’ll blame Google Maps for not keeping up with the roads fast enough.
For accommodation, I trust Hostelworld for comparing prices and reviews no matter where I’m travelling. Some hostels in Perth also have private rooms. One of the most popular places to stay, and great for meeting people is Billabong in Northbridge. This is close to Perth’s city centre and is great for restaurants and most things are within walking distance. Otherwise, Fremantle is another popular hostel hub, which is more laid back and artsy, but far from the city—however it is close to the beach.
Interested in more road trips? Check out this one from Darwin, NT to Broome, WA.
