Feature by Julie Hosking
Road trips are as much about the journey as the destination, even when the destinations are spectacular. They are a chance to connect with each other as well as the wonders of the country. What better way to transport your travels than with the addition of a few road trip traditions. Australian driving holidays are rich in time-honoured rituals that magnify the memories of a road well-travelled, of a trip worth taking. Make yours go the distance with a truly local flavour.
Make a playlist
A road trip playlist is as individual as you, but a few Aussie classics are guaranteed to raise the volume. Think Cold Chisel (Driving Wheels) as you explore the Goldfields Wildflower Trail, or Icehouse (Great Southern Land) as your soul soaks up the splendour of the Great Southern Drive. And what could be more fitting than The Triffids’ Wide Open Road as your 4WD navigates the unspoiled majesty of the Great Kimberley Inland Track?
Wreath Leschenaultia (Lechenaultia macrantha), Perenjori
Snare a souvenir
Nothing says I've Been Everywhere Man (another good driving song, by the way) like the t-shirt or cap with the place name emblazoned across the front – and preferably a selfie of you wearing said souvenir in said place. How about some whale shark oven mitts or a tea towel with Australian recipes to bring home (like our favourite Damper John’s recipe from Bullara Station) And can you ever have enough key rings or stubby holders? It’s mandatory in Australia to buy at least one. (We're kidding ... just.)
Start a new tradition
Forget the endless games of I Spy. With phone cameras always at hand, it’s time to get social with a new road trip tradition. Western Australia’s Road Trip Adventures B-I-N-G-O revs up the driving game with nine mini challenges that everyone will be happy to take. Capture and share a sunrise (or sunset), show your snack stash, and the quirky souvenir you picked up at a roadhouse. Snap a pic with your fellow travellers, tag a local business or roadhouse ... just don’t forget to tag @WesternAustralia whenever you post!
Fill the photo album
You’d be crazy not to capture yourself (and your crew) in such sublime surrounds. Whether it’s with the world's happiest creature on Rottnest Island (Wadjemup), among dazzling floral carpets along the Carnamah-Eneabba Wildflower Drive – Western Australia boasts thousands of species found nowhere else on Earth - or against the striking contrast of vivid blue sky and ochre landscape on the Kimberley Wilderness Loop, these are snaps to evoke envy far and wide. (And your third tick on our Road Trip B-I-N-G-O!)
Stop along the way
Plan pitstops, not just to refuel the car but the humans within. Pull into a sheltered turquoise cove along the glorious Great Ocean Drive from Esperance (Kepa Kurl) for a picnic. Cruise into a roadhouse on the kaleidoscopic Coral Coast Highway on route to Ningaloo (Nyinggulu) for a jaw-dropping encounter with the world's gentlest giants. Top up the tank at a roadhouse as you head for the heart of the Pilbara and try a meat pie (with sauce, of course).
Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks, Ningaloo
Stash some treats
Have the same hankering for Allen's Strawberries and Cream lollies as West Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo did on his recent Coral Coast Highway adventure? Or perhaps you prefer Snakes or a box, bag or tube or your favourite chips? Whatever your guilty pleasure, pack snacks for all your passengers to ensure a trip as sweet as can be.
Choose your own path
With so many attractions, the road is your oyster. Take a day trip from Perth (Boorloo) to the Pinnacles and watch the setting sun cast an ethereal glow over ancient sandstone sentinels. Want to explore the real outback? Discover Aboriginal dreamtime legends in the Pilbara as you follow the mystical sea serpent along Warlu Way, from sparkling ocean to rich, red gorges millions of years in the making. On a gastronomic hunt? Take the South West Nature and Wine Drive, where world-class wineries abound from shining seas to towering forests. Can’t decide which road to follow? Take the road trips quiz to reveal the right Western Australian route for you.
The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park
Send a postcard
Sure, we're all sharing on social media but there’s something special about sending a postcard to a loved one from divine destinations - or collecting them for yourself. Why not write how you are feeling at each special place and time on a postcard and send it home? You’ll come back to a pile of beautiful memories. That’s what road trips are made of.
Take a detour
Some of the most memorable experiences happen when you venture off the beaten path. There’s no rush. Turn left and discover a peaceful bay (there might even be a kangaroo or two). Turn right and linger over lunch in a country pub with friendly locals. Stop and smell the wildflowers. Keep watch for migrating whales. Camp at an outback station under a brilliant canopy of stars. It’s your journey – follow your heart.
Mellenbye Station Stay
Published September 2023.