Perth and Western Australia

[behyx]

Has anyone rented from Bayswater Car Rental before? http://bayswatercarrental.com.au

Their rates are very competitive compared to others (I thought Thrifty was good...)

For a New Corolla Hatch, daily rate for 4 days car rental is $43, and just need to pay $5 more a day which reduces damage responsibility to $50.

Moreover, there's unlimited mileage, and can travel within 500km of Perth, which includes Albany

 

[ernest_ted]

Hi guys,

I am going to Perth and WA on 7th - 16th Sept. Because of the lousy flight time, effectively I only have full day from 8th (Tuesday) to 15th (Tuesday) Sept.

Because it's a self-drive trip, will this works?

8th - 11th Travel from Perth to Albany and back to Perth in normal car
12th - 13th (Sat & Sun) walkabout Perth + Fremantle
14th - 15th (Mon & Tue) Rent a caravan and go North of Perth (Pinnacles Desert) and maybe East which has York town and Wave Rocks.

We will be covering the major attractions along Perth - Albany.. Mainly busselton jetty, Margaret River for wine tasting, Chocolate factory, Yallingup shearing shed, and whale watching at Albany (or anywhere better to recommend? ) Possible to squeeze in a few more places for the 4 days road trip?

So Perth and Fremantle will be spent over the weekend, will shops be opened? The reason why I want to shift it in the middle of the trip is because Fremantle Markets open on weekend only..

Lastly, the caravan is just for our experience because we haven't rode in one before. (we can cancel this if 4 days for Perth - Albany is really not enough)..

8th - 11th Travel from Perth to Albany and back to Perth in normal car

From Perth to Albany, if u travel straight from Perth (va Mt Baker) its about 4 - 5 hrs, 1 way.
If u travel via the coastal route (via freemantle, bunbury, busselteon) than inland route (via margaret river, denmark, walpole), its much longer. Hence 3/4 days may not be enough.

Perth / Freemantle on weekends is ok as the markets are open during the weekends. In Perth, would be the subiciao. Shops will be opened till 6pm (iirc), expect thurs till 9pm.

14th - 15th (Mon & Tue) Rent a caravan and go North of Perth (Pinnacles Desert) and maybe East which has York town and Wave Rocks.
Not sure if u can get caravan for a few days.
Anyway Pinnacles, Yancep, Wanneroo, Sorento Quay, and York, Northam, Swan Valley, Wave Rocks u do it as 2 single day trips.

Happy planning

 

[ernest_ted]

Has anyone rented from Bayswater Car Rental before? http://bayswatercarrental.com.au

Their rates are very competitive compared to others (I thought Thrifty was good...)

For a New Corolla Hatch, daily rate for 4 days car rental is $43, and just need to pay $5 more a day which reduces damage responsibility to $50.

Moreover, there's unlimited mileage, and can travel within 500km of Perth, which includes Albany

check their rates coz there are certain exclusion...like insurance, excess, etc etc.

I normally booked under Avis.

In addition, I can pick up the car from town and return at the airport without extra charge.

Bayswater u have to return to their rental outlets. There is one in the city.

 

[yewkwang]

Has anyone rented from Bayswater Car Rental before? http://bayswatercarrental.com.au

Their rates are very competitive compared to others (I thought Thrifty was good...)

For a New Corolla Hatch, daily rate for 4 days car rental is $43, and just need to pay $5 more a day which reduces damage responsibility to $50.

Moreover, there's unlimited mileage, and can travel within 500km of Perth, which includes Albany

I rented the car from Bayswater Car Rental, Perth City when I was in Perth last week. Absolutely no problem with their service, I opt for the extra $5 insurance and the Sat Nav at $5 per day. For petrol, you just need to top up to full tank before return and we had little difficultly looking for petrol kiosk in the city

As someone mentioned, you have to return to the same location where you rent. I choose the one at Perth City because they are the only one that opens on Sunday until 12 noon

 

[yewkwang]

We will be covering the major attractions along Perth - Albany.. Mainly busselton jetty, Margaret River for wine tasting, Chocolate factory, Yallingup shearing shed, and whale watching at Albany (or anywhere better to recommend? ) Possible to squeeze in a few more places for the 4 days road trip?

I did the whale watching at Augusta, (before the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse), just walk in to the tourist information center and book directly.. the tour starts at 10am and last about 2 hrs.. its a good one as we managed to catch alot of whales and dolphins

 

[nuts]

Yeah, one of the cheaper ones around and had no problems with them!
No birds!

Has anyone rented from Bayswater Car Rental before? http://bayswatercarrental.com.au

Their rates are very competitive compared to others (I thought Thrifty was good...)

For a New Corolla Hatch, daily rate for 4 days car rental is $43, and just need to pay $5 more a day which reduces damage responsibility to $50.

Moreover, there's unlimited mileage, and can travel within 500km of Perth, which includes Albany

 

[rnb65p]

I rented the car from Bayswater Car Rental, Perth City when I was in Perth last week. Absolutely no problem with their service, I opt for the extra $5 insurance and the Sat Nav at $5 per day. For petrol, you just need to top up to full tank before return and we had little difficultly looking for petrol kiosk in the city

As someone mentioned, you have to return to the same location where you rent. I choose the one at Perth City because they are the only one that opens on Sunday until 12 noon

There is actually a Caltex just a few blocks away (Wellington and Hill Streets) that I used to fill up.

I also had no problem with them last week.

 

[WuffRuff]

Ooohh... this thread brings back memories of my time in Perth and all the road trips we had all over Western Australia... :lovegrin:

Perth and Western Australia

Places of Interest and photography opportunity

Kings Park

Speaking of Kings Park, there is a lookout point at the top of the hill overlooking the whole of Perth city. That would be a good place to take a bird's eye panaroma city scape shot.
It looks very nice at night too and many lovers like to go there to "hang out" at night so if u're with your special someone......

There is also a beach that is formed from billions of tiny shells and is one of only two in the world. It stretches for approximately one-hundred and ten kilometres and is between seven and ten metres deep. This shell beach is located about 45km from Denham, just before Monkey MIA.

Yup, it is called Shell Beach and is formed by a unique geographic process. Please don't think that the shells were transported there... it is a 100% natural beach consisting of 100% shells! You should make a trip there if you're in the area to take a look at this unique work of nature. The water there is very clear too.

Francis:

I will be staying over weekend, do you think its better to stay in Perth City or Fremantle? I read that Perth city itself is a dead town after 5:30pm on weekdays and practically very quiet on weekend.... is that true?

I think Fremantle has more activities and more place of interest, Fremantle market, prison.. etc

And I am looking forward to the fish and chips at Kailis

Actually they are about the same in terms of night life.
Generally the whole place is pretty dead at night.
In Perth city, the place that is still alive at night is Northbridge - the chinatown of Perth. You can still find some eateries and shops and some entertainment places like pubs and arcades open at ngiht.
Fremantle is the same... only some eateries (along the harbour usually) and entertainment places are opened at night.
If u're game for it, you can take the night tour of the prison... heard it's very spooky.

Yes, Kailis fish and chips rock!!! It's the thing I miss most about Perth!
Just thinking of this fish and chips makes me wanna fly back! lol

You really did your homework.

The best time to fly over to Perth is Wednesday or Thursday so that you can enjoy the late night shopping on Friday night where shops will extend their business hours till 7pm or later. Most shops will open on Saturday but end at around 5pm. Some shops will open on Sunday but it closes early like 3pm.

From my old memory (I don't guarantee 100% accuracy), the late night shopping for non-Perth city shops is on Thursday and the late night shopping for Perth city is on Friday. I can't remember if Fremantle follows Thursday or Friday...
Hmmm... can someone pls verify this as I'm not sure if my memory is right or if things have changed.

Those going in spring, and like hiking or wildflowers, check out Stirling Range National Park :

http://blog.roving-light.com/2008/10/stirling-range-national-park.html

If you're just gonna be around Perth, check out the Botanic Gardens in spring... very beautiful flowers.

 

[adamadam]

I always like going to Kings Park to hang out

 

[WuffRuff]

We will be covering the major attractions along Perth - Albany.. Mainly busselton jetty, Margaret River for wine tasting, Chocolate factory, Yallingup shearing shed, and whale watching at Albany (or anywhere better to recommend? ) Possible to squeeze in a few more places for the 4 days road trip?

You've basically covered the main and typical tourist places for this route.
If you're a wine lover in particular, you may want to give one full day for Margaret River wine tasting because there are really many wineries there and you could easily spend a long time at each one. Of course, if you only have 4 days, you may have to forgo certain other things. All a matter of priority and interest.

Another place where you can do whale watching is from Fremantle. During the season only, they have whale watching cruises departing from Fremantle jetty. To book, just go to the jetty in the morning. I think the best time is in November. I saw quite many whales on one of these tours.

Other advice is, don't pack your itinery so tight if you can. Keep your eyes opened as you drive as you will often come across some signs along the road to turn into some small road leading to some small, interesting places like jam or honey farms, etc. Keep your eyes open to the side of the road too as you may sometimes comes across a field of really beautiful flowers or some other particularly scenic views. I've come across a field of sunflowers along the way, for example and other scenes where we just had to stop to take photos. Lots of these so keep your eyes opened and enjoy the journey. Don't just focus on the destination and rush around.

So Perth and Fremantle will be spent over the weekend, will shops be opened? The reason why I want to shift it in the middle of the trip is because Fremantle Markets open on weekend only..

Yes, shops at these two main places will be opened on weekends. Those commercial places like banks and post office will be closed.
If you wanna go to Fremantle markets, best to go early as many of the shops close quite early... in the early afternoon.

Lastly, the caravan is just for our experience because we haven't rode in one before. (we can cancel this if 4 days for Perth - Albany is really not enough)..

Caravan?
Where are you renting this from and may I ask the cost?
Never knew that one could rent a caravan. Sounds interesting.
I would like to tour around in a caravan someday too....
Have fun!

 

[adamadam]

Caravans are annoying.
so slow.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Especially when it's coming to a long weekend, they slow the road down... arararar

 

[Retro]

Am heading back to my "hometown" again in 2 weeks. Been about 2 years since I was last there. Definitely going to be a shutterbug this time round.

I'd recommend Swimming with the Dolphins for those who love the water. This is an eco tour which brings you to Rockingham. It's not cheap, but the experience was unforgettable. I swam next to an adult dolphin. Actually, it swam next to me (to be more correct).

The usual tours like many of the others have added would be a drive down south to Albany. Do consider Esperance if you have the time. The beaches there are quite lovely too. For those who are doing self-drive, there are many spots along the way that will lead you out to clear beaches (as in no one at all). Just follow the trail and the sound of the waves.

The coastal loop drive will bring you to Pemberton, Denmark, Walpole etc ... then to Cape Leeuwin, then up to Margaret River. Heading back to Perth, stop at the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere at Busselton.

Freo (or Fremantle) has got the prison, roundhouse, marintine museum and various markets to check out. The main seafood, fruits, vege and handicraft market is NOT the E-shed market. So don't be mistaken! Loads of cafes near Freo Market.

I usually rent from Bayswater. No frills, no hidden cost ... but watch their excess charge if you get into an accident. There are many smaller renters in Northbridge and around the City. Problem is for visitors, you don't really know how to get there. Taxis are not cheap, so for those who love to bitch about expensive cab fares ... wait till you've been to Australia, London or US. You will so not bitch about Sg cab fares again!

A cab fare from Airport to City takes about 30 mins and the estimated damage would be about A$40.

Note to those who are staying in hotels and renting cars. Not all hotels have complimentary parking. Their charges are quite high at times. I even found that it is cheaper to valet park at times. Go figure?!

That's about what I can remember off hand. I'll try to drop in this thread and add more info like where to eat and shop etc.

I was living and studying in WA many years back, but I've been back to Perth very frequently ... hence my opening statement about my "hometown"

 

[Retro]

Has anyone rented from Bayswater Car Rental before? http://bayswatercarrental.com.au

Their rates are very competitive compared to others (I thought Thrifty was good...)

For a New Corolla Hatch, daily rate for 4 days car rental is $43, and just need to pay $5 more a day which reduces damage responsibility to $50.

Moreover, there's unlimited mileage, and can travel within 500km of Perth, which includes Albany

If you are driving out of the city limits, it is important to state this upfront and pay for the additional cost. Of course there are people who don't declare to save $.

I know first hand of people who have regretted saving that $ as in the end, they paid a whole lot more and their entire holiday was ruined.

If you don't declare, you pay for your tow truck for starters. Sometimes there are penalties (check the contract before you sign). Any damages are not covered by insurance cos that only covers City limits. You can run the risk of going into the thousands if you damage the car.

For peace of mind, just pay ...

As for Bayswater, you can reserve online and pick up at their City outlet. Good draw is that can return on Sunday as someone else has pointed out in this thread. They are decent. Good pricing and new cars. I've twice gotten a brand new car from them. Brand new as in mileage is less than 100km and I was the first renter.

 

[behyx]

Thanks for all the wonderful inputs!

I've yet to plan my itinerary and make my bookings (!!!) Too busy with another trip last week, and rushing to clear my backlogs.. hee..

Anyways, is there any place to recommend for cheap fresh raw oyster in Perth or Fremantle? I love it :lovegrin:

 

[Retro]

Thanks for all the wonderful inputs!

I've yet to plan my itinerary and make my bookings (!!!) Too busy with another trip last week, and rushing to clear my backlogs.. hee..

Anyways, is there any place to recommend for cheap fresh raw oyster in Perth or Fremantle? I love it :lovegrin:

1-for-1 oyster specials at Oyster Bar (South Perth). Try to make reservations. Every Tuesdays, not sure if the promo is still on now. I have to go find the number and URL, you can PM me for details.

In Freo, probably at Kallis near the boat harbour/jetty.

 

[stevle]

1-for-1 oyster specials at Oyster Bar (South Perth). Try to make reservations. Every Tuesdays, not sure if the promo is still on now. I have to go find the number and URL, you can PM me for details.

In Freo, probably at Kallis near the boat harbour/jetty.

Ya, I remember this restaurant.... but think it is now closed as of 11-Jun-09. Add is 85 South Perth Esp...

 

[rnb65p]

I scanned a few things which may be useful to others:

1. Kalbarri, Western Australia map
2. Perth Pad Map

3. Yanchep National Park Brochure
4. Pinnacles Desert Discovery Brochure

 

[behyx]

Thanks guys regarding the oysters

Im leaving next monday, and I am still planning my itinerary! stress :sweat:

1. Where is the best location for whale cruise ride? (augusta or albany or ?)

2. Being a casual wine drinker (not very knowledgeable in terms of wine, just like to drink wine in general), is it worth if I join margaretrivertours.com? Their halfday tour is $70.

As I am driving, will I get the same treatment as those who arrive in tours? eg: allow to visit and walk in the vineyards, sample wine with cheese and chocolates as stated in the margaret river tours website, etc...

Also, if I were to drive on my own, is it prone to stop by police on the street to test my alcohol level? The last thing I want to get is a summon (or worse, court summon) for drink driving...

Finally, is buying wine at the specific wineries cheaper or should I go to normal wine shop / supermarkets in Margaret River town?

Thanks!!

 

[behyx]

Guys, If I want to go for whale watching cruise in September, is Augusta or Albany or Dunsborough better? Or is there no difference?

 

[gazkw]

bayswater if you kenna accident good luck to you.

the insurance you pay for so little doesn't cover anything... they will come after you for the full sum of repairs if anything goes wrong.

heard too many bad things about them. when things are good and no accident, sunshine and happiness. when accident, things get ugly kenna sue left right centre with or without their so-called 'insurance coverage'.