Australia Road Trip Wrap-Up

adriana hamelin
Aug 8
3 min read

I now understand why so many Australians come to Whistler. A New Zealand guide told us the skiing in Australia or New Zealand is “rubbish” — apparently, a powder day means 1 cm of snow on your skis. Not only is the skiing amazing in BC, but Australians and Canadians share that same chill vibe. I can totally see why some Canadian friends have moved down here. Honestly... we’re even putting it on our list of possible places to live.

Total Days in Australia

43 days (from mid-June to mid-July)

Destinations Visited

Perth, Fremantle, Rottnest Island, Exmouth, Cape Range National Park, Kalbarri, Blue Mountains, Sydney, Melbourne

Kilometers Driven

2,631 km across Western Australia (That’s like driving from Montreal to Toronto nearly five times!)

Quick Budget Breakdown

Flights: We booked 3 flights last minute with 2 different airlines during school holidays. Each person had just a carry-on and personal item. Approx. AUD $700 per person (Perth to Sydney alone is a 4h20min flight)

Accommodation:

Hotels in Melbourne & Sydney: AUD $145/night (with discount)
Airbnb in WA: AUD $350/night

Fuel: Hybrid car = major savings

Top Experiences

Snorkeling and scuba diving with reef sharks in Ningaloo
Cape Range National Park: Mandu Mandu Gorge hike, Oyster Stack, and Turquoise Bay
Kalbarri’s Nature’s Window, Skywalk, red cliffs & the Loop Trail
Feeding kangaroos at Caversham Wildlife Park and taking a photo with a koala
Blue Mountains hikes
Big city contrasts — the energy of Sydney, the vibe of Melbourne, and the chill of Perth
Quokkas and biking on Rottnest Island (just 30 min from Perth to Fremantle + 30 min ferry)

Funniest Moment of the Trip

While snorkeling, Simon urgently got my attention. I turned my Insta360 camera around and — SHARK. I jumped, clutched his arm like a panicked sea otter, then calmly turned the camera toward the shark like a pro. Classic.

Things We’d Definitely Do Again

Biking around Rottnest — but adding snorkeling next time
Snorkeling at Turquoise Bay and Oyster Stack
Staying longer in fewer places
Visiting wildlife parks (the ethical ones)
Downloading Google Maps offline before heading somewhere remote

Things We’d Do Differently

No more back-to-back scuba days — too exhausting for newbies
Avoid long drives in remote areas without roo bars or stronger headlights

Would I Recommend Visiting in Winter?

Yes — hiking and sightseeing were perfect without the heat. But…

15°C sounds warm, but I didn’t wear shorts as much as I expected
Most houses aren’t insulated and have concrete or tile floors, even upstairs
Sometimes it felt colder indoors than outdoors
I wore my jacket and boots inside more than once
Perth gave us 4 straight days of rain — apparently above average!

Note to future self: If we ever move here, we're installing heated flooring. Happy wife, happy life.

Most Surprising Fact

People, in Perth, genuinely asked, “Why are you going all the way to Costco?” It was only 25 minutes away, with zero traffic. We thought that was close. Clearly, they’ve never lived in Montreal...

Curious About Summer in Australia?

We’ll have to find out someday… but I’m guessing hot, and full of A/C.

Rottnest's Quokkas & Caversham Wildlife Park

Would We Come Back?

Absolutely. We have friends in Perth and Sydney, but next time we’ll try to head East as well — Great Barrier Reef, Whitsundays, Daintree Rainforest… we’re coming for you.

Final Thought

Australia left red dust on our boots, salt in our hair, and a dream of coming back to explore the other half of this massive, wild country. It challenged us, surprised us, and made us feel right at home.