When travelling in Western Australia, people often describe their destination by the compass – you often go either “up north” or “down south”. I had been down south more than a decade ago, on a brief weekend to the beautiful wine region of Margaret River and I still remember how we drove into the lush, forested area in awe. The south of Western Australia reminds me of home, with the wineries and so much green, and I just couldn’t wait to get back there again. Thus, on one lovely weekend in October, we decided it was time to go down south for camping.
As we were truly impressed by a camping trailer that we saw in use by a fellow camper on a recent trip up north, we decided that this time, we too would ditch the tent and upgrade to a trailer. We rented a much smaller version than Ed used at the time, a Lightweight Camping Trailer from Camping Culture for 65 AUD (35 GBP / 40 EUR) per night and made our way down south, as usual later than planned, on a Thursday just after work. Since we had decided to take the dog along, our choice of campsites was instantly a lot more limited, but we ended up finding a couple of dog friendly camping spots. Since both of those worked on a first-come-first-serve basis, we were a bit nervous, hoping that they’d actually have space for us.
Wright’s Bridge
Our first destination was Wrights Bridge campsite, 240 km from Perth and just about 2.5 hours’ drive down south. This campsite is set in a forested area, and because of our fashionably late leaving, we had to drive quite a way in the darkness. That isn’t ideal in Australia as it increases the risk of colliding with a kangaroo. Google Maps took us via an adventurous dirt track through the midst of a forest. Lots of downhill caused our breaks to smoke and stink by the time we finally got to the campsite at just after 8 pm. I have yet to find out why the sat nav sent us this way because the campsite is in fact close enough to a main road. By that time though, I was just grateful that we found a spot.
As we started unpacking our trailer, it quickly became apparent that none of us had the slightest clue how to set up the accommodation. After some tentative unpacking of the canvas that was neatly folded into the trailer and a bit of trial and error, we found some instructions that helped so that finally, at almost 10 pm, our new home was finally ready to move into: A spacious tent with an elevated mattress that rested on the trailer surface. The trailer also provided lots of storage space underneath as well as a foldaway sink at the rear. After a quick cheese and cold meat platter, we called it a night – neither of us could be bothered to cook that evening.
The early night was actually a blessing because little did we know that bang on 5 am, our deep sleep would come to an abrupt end as the kookaburras started their wake up call to the world. Kookaburras have a very distinct cry, which sounds like a monkey laughing. It was beautiful to hear so many so close by, and after a while, they stopped again and we got some more sleep (I also had earplugs handy, which is never a bad idea when camping anyway).
It was only in the morning that I began to comprehend what a little piece of paradise we had entered unknowingly the night before. Depending on where you are in Western Australia, the landscape can be quite dry – but down here, only a couple of hours away, it was so lush that it felt almost like we entered the land of the giants. We camped in and amongst high gum trees, and a little trail leads to the Hegarty Creek looping around the campsite. Down by the river, everything was in bloom. Wildflowers of all sizes and colours covered the lush green shores of the creek; the grass was high and the vegetation vast. Birds were chirping in the trees and we spotted black cockatoo bathing in the stream. I started the day with the little morning yoga down by the creek and couldn’t have been happier. We spent the day walking around the area, following the path along the creek before venturing outside of the campsite to walk across the bridge and along the road. A few houses were dotted left and right, one of them housing an entire flock of lamas. The landscape down here is quite hilly compared to being closer to Perth, and we could see emus running away from us across the meadows and into the woods.
Upon our return to the campsite, we decided to discover the neighbouring townships Ballingup, Bridgetown and Nannup. These scenic little towns are perfect for a coffee break and a dander or a pint in the pub. We opted for the latter and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and quirky deco of the Nannup Hotel. The pub owners have repurposed old shoes to plant flowers in them, and these works of art are displayed along a fence in the pub’s large garden.
Parry Beach
The next day, we moved on towards the coast. We drove further down south through the little township of Denmark: 423 km from Perth, home to wineries and in close proximity to more astounding nature. William Bay National Park is but one of the main sights in the area, featuring the scenic Green Pools, Monkey Rock, Elephant Rocks and more. I have yet to explore it in full because when we got down there, we realised that this extraordinary piece of land had been closed for several months for maintenance. We weren’t that disappointed though because there is still plenty to see around Denmark, and Walpole, which around half an hour further west.
Our campsite, Parry Beach, is actually pretty much right in between Denmark and Walpole near Parryville. We got there, initially a bit disappointed to see that many campsites around the entrance area were quite close to each other. We generally prefer nature campsites where spots are spread out more. Driving a bit further into the campground though, we soon noticed that towards the backend, the sites were more spread out. Our chosen campsite sufficiently secluded for our liking, yet quite uneven and steep. Thanks to the little stands at the back of our trailer though, we were able to balance it out.
As soon as we were set, we decided to explore the surroundings a little. Just a short drive on a sandy dirt track, we discovered the stunning Hilliers Beach. Set against dramatic, green hills and featuring incredibly white sand, this is a sight not to be missed. Fishermen were trying their luck in the sunset as we took the stairs down towards the thundering waves to take the dog for a walk.
The next morning, we went towards Walpole, home of the Valley of the Giants. This area has its name because it’s some of the largest trees on the planet grow here: The towering karri trees can reach up to 90 metres in height. 15 minutes from Walpole, the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk is an internationally recognised nature-based tourism attraction, an elevated 600 metre walkway at 40 metres above the ground. Close to the area, near Pemberton, it’s also possible to climb three so called “tree towers” – the Bicentennial Tree, the Diamond Tree and the Gloucester Tree. These karri trees have iron sticks looping around the them like a staircase, and can be climbed at one’s own risk. At 75 metres, the Bicentennial Tree is the highest tree tower in the region.
Both Liam and I had already been to the tree towers as well as the Tree Top Walk, so we didn’t enter this time around but explored more of the area instead. We just happened to pass by the John Rate lookout point, which offers faraway views towards the ocean through what seems like a window through the trees.
By complete fluke, we also discovered one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen: Mandalay Beach. Just a short walk from the parking, the path loops through hills before it unveils a paradisal white beach, stretching wide in between green hills. A long wooden walkway and stairs lead down to this scenic piece of land.
We could have easily spent a whole week or more in the area, but unfortunately, this was our last full day down south on this occasion. In the evening, we took the dog for a long walk along Parry Beach. When the tide is low, it’s possible to drive (with the appropriate 4WD vehicle of course) along the beach towards Green Pools, and to walk to the site from there. We’re already planning our trip back in January when William Bay National Park is open again, and orca whales are coming to Bremer Bay near Albany. Stay tuned!
