When it comes to Australia, we can read a lot of articles about trips on the East Coast or the Red Center. After working for almost a year on the East Coast and having the opportunity to see the Red Center I can assure you that these destinations are stunning. But today I would like to introduce you to the West Coast of Oz. With fewer tourists, it's the place you absolutely need to go to if you want to be out of the bitten trail.

Numbers of kilometers between Broome and Perth: about 2 200 but while you're there you need to add a few more to go on a roadtrip south of Perth in the wine and surf region.

What you will need:

Your own car. Since there are less people travelling this section of Oz, there's also less public transportation.

Good travelling mates because the distances to drive are usually long. But every single destination is worth all the driving! It's also a good occasion to play the car games you were playing when you were kid! Plus, free coffees are offered to drivers at the petrol stations. For sure it's instant coffee and not a fancy latte, but it's free!

They even put up signs for the free coffees!!!

Good music to listen to while driving (and drinking your free coffee!). It's the perfect opportunity to discover(or to rediscover) some aussie music: The Cat Empire, Xavier Rudd, The Beautiful Girls(Mat McHugh) , Tinpan Orange, Pete Murray, John Buttler trio and of course AC/DC!

Finally, have a camera always close by just in case a kangaroo, an emu or a wild horse might appear.

Hoping to see a real one along the way!

Broome, the pearl of the West Coast. I'm writing pearl not only because this city is born with this industry in the 1880's but also because it's magnificent. When you are going to see the red rocks meet the turquoise water you will understand. When you will see the sunset over Cable beach with people on camels backs casually walking the beach you will be sure of it.

Broome, where the red rocks met the turquoise water

I don't have enough words  to describe the Karijini national park. If you want to get closer to nature, to feel extremely small looking up at huge gorges, to have a dip in crystal blue water at the foot of waterfalls or simply walk into an untouched park it's the place you've been looking for! Be ready to go up ladders, cross small rivers by trying to choose the more stable rocks, but most of all to be taken out of your comfort zone.

I felt so small in Karijini national park

Coming back on the coast, Exmouth and Coral Bay are going to seduce you. The water is blue, the sand is white, the corals are only a few meters from the shore and the best thing about it is that there's almost nobody on the beach! Paradise! If you want to take advantage of your journey in Oz to do some diving, it's a magical place to do so. You might even meet a friendly whale shark!

If, just like me, you become a child when you see a dolphin and you dislike seeing those charming creatures in an aquarium , you are going to love Monkey Mia. You are almost 100% sure to spot some wild dolphins from quite close. Volunteers are giving food to the dolphins twice a day. This means a lot of spectators have the opportunity to see them and the most fortunate ones can also take part of the action and give to the dolphins their little snack. I'm writing snack because they are not giving too much food to the dolphins to make sure they're not going to depend on humans. It's an unforgettable experience that will also give you the chance to learn more about those stunning mammals.

Dolphin Monkey Mia

The Kalbarri national park is a nice drive with few stops along the way to see beautiful lookouts. With the scenery sculpted by the ocean, it's like the Great Ocean road of the West Coast.

Before arriving to Perth be sure to stop at Cervantes. Not far from there you will find the Pinnacles desert. It is hard to describe this place but it's really impressive to see all those rock formations.

Our car in the Pinnacles desert

Perth is the capital city of WA. It's one of the most isolated capital in the world and I suppose that's why it's so easygoing. All the museums and art galleries are free and also offer free guided tours. If you're not afraid of looking too ridiculous, you can take didgeridoo classes as well!

Not too far from Perth is the town of Fremantle. This little town near the water is also known as Freo. It's the perfect spot to stop, relax, eat a delicious fish and chip and enjoy a nice beer at the local brewery Little Creatures.

And there's the town of Hyden and the famous wave rock! It is so impressive to see this rock perfectly shaped by nature as a massive wave. Nobody can resist taking a picture while surfing it!

Surfing the wave rock!

In the south is the Margaret River region. This beautiful region has no reason to envy the rest of the island and I would dare say the rest of the world for the quality of the wine and surf. Definitely worth the detour. But be careful because aussie wine and  good surf can be addictive and are only available in small quantities in Canada.

The south west of Australia also gives you the opportunity to admire giant trees. Near the town of Walpole a long bridge of forty meters high gives visitors the chance to appreciate this forest of giants trees. The town of Pemberton also gives the opportunity to people who aren't afraid of heights to go up a sixty meters tree by using only small ladders. A bit scary if you ask me but the view at the top is incredible!

The tree to climb in Pemberton!

Happy travels!

Photos by Mantak Chui