Travel in Western Australia is going to be limited to road trips until the airlines are up and running again. So, if we want to go somewhere to explore WA we need to jump in the car. Popping down to Margaret River is OK, but if you want to get to some of the warmer, and seriously spectacular places, be prepared for the drive.
Western Australia is the second biggest state in the world, coming second to Sakha Republic in Russia. I’ve never heard of it either.
As professional road trippers, here are some of our ‘go-to’ hacks to stay healthy and entertained on the road.
Plan
If you want to swim with whale sharks, it is a 1253km drive from Perth to Exmouth. That is 13 hours, so we grab a map and see what interesting stops are along the way. Remember, life is a journey, not a destination, meaning the drive is part of the experience. Make sure you plan ahead and put your curious explorer hats on.
Pick a theme
Just recently we chose ‘autumn colour and local produce’ as a road trip theme. Our state is full of delicious fresh produce so take an esky and collect your picnic along the way. Sometimes you can grab lobster or prawns from the fishers – is there anything better than fresh seafood?
Listen up
For long journeys, the one crackly radio may not keep you entertained, and streaming isn’t an option with no mobile phone reception. Pre plan your listening entertainment. Choose your energetic road trip playlist and sing along. That will release feel good hormones.
When music gets boring, podcasts and audiobooks come into their own. We like inspirational and adventurous stories. Check the voice of the speaker first because, if it is boring, you could be sent off to sleep. On a big trip around Australia, we had the full BBC audio recording of Lord of the Rings. The orcs did get noisy in the car.
Just remember they need to be downloaded onto the device as the remote places will have no reception.
Phone providers
Unfortunately, not all phone providers are equal when exploring our state. Telstra is the one that covers the biggest area. Even so, get use to no data days. You can pick up a prepaid Telstra sim if you need to be in contact or plan an enforced digital detox.
Road trip food or drink
Roadhouse food wears a bit thin. After way too many Browne’s Choc Chills, we now pack our own road trip food. By all means go for the Chico Roll and chips, but too many carbs for lunch can make you sleepy, so try avoiding that stuff. We take healthy smoothies, nuts and fruit.
Caffeine and Sugar
Although the temptation is to get a coffee or energy drink at every roadhouse, caffeine will give you some highs and lows. Plus, they really don’t make good ones. Sugar is the same. You will be chasing your tiredness tail. Keep hydrated, even if it means more loo stops.
Move
Stop and get out of the car. We like to find a walk trail to a lookout so we value add. The Trails WA app will show you what is around. Walk around do some squats, lunges, and star jumps. It will get the blood and oxygen flowing. Find some wildflowers and take pics for Instagram. If you are doing star jumps as we drive by, we will give the horn a honk.