Perth to Albany
Travelling from Perth in Western Australia, to Albany on the southern coast, can be made via a few different routes.
South Western Highway and South Coast Highway is the longest route, and can be checked by looking at the two articles about that route.
The two inland routes are more direct routes.
The first and oldest is the Great Southern Highway, which starts east of Perth, and runs an inland route adjoining the Great Southern Railway line to Cranbrook, just north of Albany. It is a less direct route between the two locations, compared with the Albany Highway, and has a lot more country towns and stopping places on its route.
Albany Highway is a more direct route to Albany; however it has fewer stopping places.
Locations on either highway can be reached easily, as they run parallel, and are only 40km apart for almost 200 km, and at Cranbrook, the highways converge.
UnderstandRoads that go through the Western Australian wheatbelt have a lot of subtle changes, not spectacular geographic changes, and a lot of what can be observed is not easily guessed from a speeding car, or bus.
PrepareIf you are driving by car from Perth to travel to Albany, most towns and smaller localities have most things you might need while travelling, but if prepared well, there is no need to get them.
Get inStarting in the York area, the Great Southern Highway can also be accessed by side connections from the Albany Highway, from the west, and a range of roads from the east, if you are travelling from the Eastern States.
DriveThe two inland highways for most of their distance are a mere 30 to 40 km apart. They eventually join just near Cranbrook, where the Albany highway proceeds through Mount Barker, with the Stirling Range to the east.
Stay safeSome parts of the highway are in the wheatbelt, with unimproved roads that you need to share with wheat trucks during the harvesting season, better to pull off the road when in doubt, and wait for them to pass.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Perth to Albany" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0