10 day campervan holiday in South West WA

Tina-Louise Jackson heads to Western Australia to explore Australia’s South West on a multigenerational family campervan adventure.

Ten days and 1,500 kilometres spent in a campervan with my in-laws. What could possibly go wrong? I’d rather talk about all the things that went right.

Think majestic orcas, breathtaking coastline, the squeakiest white sand, crystalline water, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tighter family bonds as we tour this beautiful edge of Australia.

We enjoy our first West Coast sunset over the ocean at Cottesloe, before crossing the threshold of our home for the next 10 days – a six-berth Britz campervan we’ve hired from Driveaway.

Finding orca

Tackling the longest drive of the adventure first, set off with the olds and the young strapped safely into the back with a pack of cards. Whizzing past fields of wheat, sheep and the odd emu, we emerge 500 kilometres south at Bremer Bay. It’s the only place you’ll see orca in Australia.

Morning dawns beautiful and blue, and we drive our home on wheels to the port to meet our Whale Watch Western Australia hosts and head out to spot orca, who migrate here between January and early April each year. It’s only the second day of the season, yet hours pass like minutes as the magnificent beasts breach and surge as they hunt giant squid. A cheeky dolphin racing us back to port to adds even more magic to the day.

Read: Up close with the orcas of Bremer Bay

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• South West road trip itinerary
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Albany and Denmark’s beaches and bonding

We hit the road to Albany, taking a detour into Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve to soak up the beauty of Little Beach. With squeaky white sand and crystal-clear water with a safe patch for water play. After being surrounded by ocean on our whale tour, it’s great to finally take a dip in it.

The quaint riverside village of Denmark is next. The region rocks more than its fair share of chocolate shops and wineries, together with honey and cheese, something which pleases young and old. A coffee and a browse through Tea House Books leaves every member of our roadcrew happy.

Our best snorkel spot

It’s only around 18 kilometres to Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool, an adventure paradise with rocks rising from peppermint-tinged waters. My daughter Luka and her grandparents grab their snorkels and head off to explore what lies beneath. Leaving me to kick back on the pristine white sand. I must say, one of the great things about a multigenerational holiday is that many hands make light work of entertaining the kids.

Augusta

A three-hour drive from Walpole has us arriving in Augusta, and another spontaneous side trip to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. Here the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. We pass through Karridale, stopping to pick up plump local olives from Karridale Farm.

Our next destination is Hamelin Bay, another stunning stretch of white sand where we start the morning. Hamelin’s own ‘Pied Pipers’ are the huge wild manta rays that patrol the shore near the boat ramp. They have us trailing them to observe their elegance up close. Just remember these are wild creatures and it’s best to stay hands-off so as not to stress them and stay safe.

Family-friendly caravan park in the Margaret River

Back in the van, we head north and are soon passing the wineries of Margaret River before settling into our home for the next couple of days. Gracetown Caravan Park is close to the vineyards and centre of Margaret River. Family fun abounds here with mini-golf, free ball sports and movies under the stars in summer.

Read: The ultimate Margaret River Region road trip itinerary

Margaret River’s best beaches

Along with all that yummy wine, you’ll be spoilt for choice of beaches in this region. We recommend Smiths Beach at Yallingup for littlies or Gracetown Beach if you’re a surfing family. We rise super early (not hard when there are five of you sleeping in a camper) and head to Indijup Nature Spa, where the ocean froths in to create a natural and invigoratingly chilly whirlpool.

While the beaches up and down the coastline haven’t disappointed, a trip to this part of the world wouldn’t be complete without a little wine time. At Stella Bella, the lovely Caroline takes us through an extensive tasting list (the Skuttlebutt Rosé proving perfect for balmy summer evenings).

Busselton

A 40-minute drive takes us to Busselton, home of the longest wooden-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Grandad and Luka ride the electric-solar powered train exactly 1.841 kilometres to the end of the jetty while we walk, before nabbing coffee and cake and watching the world go by.

Dolphin friends

As our adventure comes to its end, we drive back to Perth via Bunbury, where our trip is bookended with more marine encounters on a wild dolphin tour at the Dolphin Discovery Centre. As the in-laws eye up property in Mandurah, contemplating a permanent move from the UK, we swiftly usher them back into the van and the road home.

Our multigenerational holiday has taught us the fine art of balance. Finding something for everyone has been key and it wasn’t always smooth sailing. However, if you happen to find yourself spending 10 days in very close proximity with your in-laws, Australia’s South West is the place to do it.

Campervan tips

1. It’s not a sports car… expect your journeys to take a while longer than Google Maps suggests.

2. Face it, unless asleep, you’re not all going to fit in the van at once, so get yourself a system and allocate resources to avoid conflict.

3. Make sure everything is secured before setting off, or you may find your passengers knocked out by a couple of low flying saucepans.

4. If you think the parking spot you’re trying to squeeze into is too small, it probably is. Plan your shopping trips to drop and shop, rather than negotiate tight car parking spaces

This article originally appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here.

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