12 amazing things to do on WA's iconic South West Edge road trip

From swimming with dolphins in Bunbury to hunting for truffles around Manjimup, these are the best experiences on a road trip along The South West Edge.

Covering more than 1200 kilometres from Perth to Albany and onto Esperance and then back again, The South West Edge is one truly epic route. These are our top 12 things to see and do along the way.

1. Pose with the quokkas on Rottnest Island

The South West Edge begins and or ends in Perth so grab a camera, get down to quokka height and say “cheese". It’s not hard to find a furry friend to snap a selfie with, as there are more than 10,000 of the smiley little marsupials covering Rottnest Island. To be safe, head to the bakery’s alfresco area or the beachside Hotel Rottnest . While you’re there, grab a pint and soak up the sunshine while overlooking the calm water of Thomson Bay.

Quokka, Rottnest Island, West Australia, Australia — There are more than 10,000 of the smiley little marsupials covering Rottnest Island.

2. Swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Discovery Centre

Those with a soft spot for dolphins should make a beeline for Bunbury , where you can come within metres of the creatures on a fully guided dolphin swim. The team at the Dolphin Discovery Centre will kit you up with a drysuit and snorkelling gear before boating into Koombana Bay to find a pod. Slip into the water and watch them playfully swim around, clicking and whistling as they go.

Swimming with dolphins, Dolphin Discovery Centre, Bunbury, West Australia, Australia — Slip into the water and watch the dolphins swim around. (Image: Jake Wiltor)

3. Walk the length of the Busselton Jetty

At 1.8 kilometres, the Busselton Jetty is the southern hemisphere’s longest timber-piled jetty. Get a true feel for the magnitude of the pier with a casual stroll down to the ocean end; alternatively, tired legs can hop aboard the solar-powered jetty train. At the end you’ll find an underwater observatory, where you can watch fish and octopuses darting about the coral-covered pylons eight metres below the surface.

Landscape view of the Busselton Jetty, Perth, West Australia, Australia — The Busselton Jetty is the southern hemisphere’s longest timber-piled jetty.

4. Wine and dine in the Margaret River wine region

There are hundreds of cellar doors along The South West Edge, so it would be remiss to not stop by at least one (maybe five?) of them. Start where wine making began for the Margaret River region with a stop at Vasse Felix . Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are their main claims to fame, along with their restaurant winning the 2021 WA Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year title. Other options worth considering include Leeuwin Estate (check out the art gallery as well), Voyager Estate (the gardens are a thing of beauty) or Swings and Roundabouts .

Gourmet Food, Margaret River, West Australia, Australia — The dining experience at Margaret River is superb.

5. Hunt for truffles in Manjimup

Manjimup sits at the heart of WA’s most prosperous farming region, its fertile soils bearing everything from creamy avocados to succulent cherries. The town is also truffle central. All gourmands should prioritise a visit to Manjimup , if for nothing else than hunting for your own chunk of black gold. Head out onto the farm with Truffle Hill or Australian Truffle Traders , then follow the truffle dogs between the oaks to unearth the world’s most expensive fungi.

Truffle dogs looking for truffles, Manjimup, West Australia, Australia — Follow the truffle dogs between the oaks to unearth the world’s most expensive fungi.

6. Walk the canopies of the giant tingle trees

It doesn’t get more peaceful than a wander through the canopies of Walpole ’s giant tingle trees. Suspended 40 metres above the ground, the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk meanders its way through the ancient tingle forest, giving you exclusive access to a rarely seen angle of the towering plants. Complete the walk above before tackling the short forest-floor track to see them from below.

Valley of the Giants, Walpole Tree Top Walk, West Australia, Australia — Wander through the canopies of Walpole’s giant tingle trees.

7. Feel the adrenaline rush at The Gap and Natural Bridge

Get a birds-eye view of the churning Southern Ocean at The Gap in Albany . A cantilevered lookout platform juts 10 metres out into the natural granite channel, giving you the perfect view of the 40-metre high chasm. Feel the spray as the water surges in and smashes against the coastal granite. There’s a much drier and calmer experience at nearby Natural Bridge, a rock formation suspended over rushing whitewash.

The Gap, Albany, West Australia, Australia — Marvel at views of the Southern Ocean at The Gap in Albany.

8. Climb the Granite Skywalk

It’s hard to beat the view from the top of the 670-metre high Granite Skywalk . Hugging the upper edge of Castle Rock – a giant granite boulder atop a peak in Porongorup National Park – the skywalk looks out to the Albany coast in the south and Stirling Range to the north. You’ll face a rock scramble and ladder climb on the way up, but the challenge is worth it for the vista at the summit.

Granite Skywalk, South West Edge, WA, Australia — It’s hard to beat the view from the top of the 670-metre high Granite Skywalk. (Image: Scott Slawinski)

9. See wild orcas in Bremer Bay

Bremer Bay, a small town halfway between Albany and Esperance, is the only place in Australia you can see orcas in their natural habitat. A pod of more than 150 of the apex predators feeds on the rich marine life 37 kilometres offshore every January to April. Unlike the migrating humpback whales the orcas aren’t visible from shore, so the best way to see them is on an orca expedition with Naturaliste Charters .

Killer Whale Orca, Bremer Bay, WA, Australia — See wild orcas in Bremer Bay.

10. Meet Lucky Bay’s resident ’roos

Lucky Bay has sand so white and fine it squeaks underfoot, as well as water so clear it appears a brilliant shade of blue. It’s the stuff of a Maldivian dream. But the Esperance beach is world renowned for more than just its beauty, as it’s garnered a reputation for its friendly resident kangaroos too. Find them sunbathing on the beach from around mid-morning, and don’t be surprised if they come over for a closer look.

Kangaroos, Cape Le Grand National Park, Lucky Bay, West Australia, Australia — The kangaroos on Lucky Bay are ‘insta’ famous.

11. Fly over a bubblegum-pink lake off Esperance

Nature photographers – both green and established – will be tickled pink at a flyover of Lake Hillier, to the south-east of Esperance. The beta carotene-rich bubblegum-hued lake is on Middle Island, the largest of the 105 islands in the Recherche Archipelago. It’s quite the spectacle, flanked by lush green scrub, a white sandy bay and the deep blue Southern Ocean.

Pink lake, Lake Hillier, Esperance, West Australia, Australia — Be tickled pink at the sight of Lake Hillier.

12. Check out Hyden’s Wave Rock

Known as Katter Kich to the Noongar people of the south-west, Hyden ’s Wave Rock is a feat of nature. The 15-metre high rock has been shaped by eroding winds and rain to appear like a breaking wave; its striped face is a product of mineral-rich water trickling down post-rain. It makes a striking landscape photo, but most can’t resist standing at the base, bracing themselves, and getting a snap ‘surfing’ the phenomenon.

Hyden Wave Rock, West Australia, Australia — Hyden’s Wave Rock is a feat of nature.

To plan your spectacular road trip visit The South West Edge or check out our Perth to Albany and beyond itinerary and Esperance to Perth.

Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

Aerial view of Mandurah. — Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

The best things to do in Mandurah

Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

Dolphins swimming in Mandurah. — Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah. — Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

Where to eat in Mandurah

Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops. — Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

Where to stay in Mandurah

With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river — Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.

12 amazing things to do on WA’s iconic South West Edge road trip