Western Australia
The Kimberley, Gibb River Road, Pilbara and Coral Coast.
3 caravan parks · 4 tracks & drives · 1 touring route
Western Australia is a third of the continent and most of it is a very long way from a servo. That's the whole appeal for touring caravanners and off-roaders — the Kimberley's Gibb River Road, the Pilbara's gorge country, the Goldfields' old stock routes and a coastline that runs from Ningaloo's reef to the Southern Ocean's swell. It's also the state where "can my van do this?" stops being a rhetorical question: fuel gaps regularly exceed 300km, corrugations will shake a poorly packed van apart, and the difference between a wet-season closure and a dry-season cruise is a phone call to the shire, not a guess.
Split your WA trip by region rather than trying to do it all in one lap. The Kimberley (May–September only — the Gibb River Road is impassable in the wet) wants a genuine off-road van or camper and a spare week for gorge stops. The Pilbara's Karijini is graded-road accessible for most caravans but the gorge walks themselves are foot-only. Ningaloo and the Coral Coast are sealed-road easy and family-friendly. The Goldfields corridor (Holland Track and beyond) suits a well-set-up off-road van with a genuine spare and extra water.
Book ahead for anything near Broome, Exmouth or Karijini in the June–August peak — grey-nomad season fills parks fast. Outside the Kimberley's wet-season closure, WA's caravan parks and free camps run year-round, but the further north and east you go the more the "book two nights, stay a week" rule applies once you're actually there.
Regions of Western Australia
- Ningaloo & the Coral CoastReef-side touring without the Kimberley's remoteness — sealed roads, station stays, and whale sharks offshore.
- The Golden OutbackOld stock routes and gold-rush history through the WA Wheatbelt and Goldfields.
- The KimberleyGibb River Road, Cape Leveque and the toughest, most rewarding touring country in WA.
- The PilbaraKarijini's gorge country and the iron-red heart of WA's northwest.
Caravan parks in Western Australia
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Tracks & drives in Western Australia
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Touring routes through Western Australia
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Guides & articles about Western Australia
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Common questions about Western Australia
- Is the Gibb River Road open all year?
- No — it's a dry-season-only road, typically open May to September/October depending on the wet season. It closes completely once the rains hit, sometimes with no notice. Check Main Roads WA road-condition reports before you commit.
- Do I need a 4WD to tour WA in a caravan?
- Not for the sealed coastal run (Perth–Broome via the North West Coastal Highway, Ningaloo, Karijini via the graded access road). You do need a genuine off-road-rated van or camper, and ideally a 4WD tow vehicle, for the Gibb River Road, Cape Leveque Road corrugations, and anything in the Goldfields backcountry.
- What's the biggest fuel gap to plan for in WA?
- On the Gibb River Road and Goldfields tracks, budget for 300km+ between reliable fuel stops and always carry more than the gauge says you need — remote WA servos do occasionally run dry or close without warning.
Bec travels solo in a Troopcarrier with a camper on the back, chasing empty free camps and dark skies across the top end and the Kimberley. She writes about self-sufficiency: water, solar, staying legal and staying safe a long way from the nearest town.
Solo traveller; Troopy + off-road camper; 5 years remote WA/NT