u/ShadowBird7

Hello, I will be alone in Perth from August 25 until September 11. I have done some research and Perth-Exmouth seems to be quite a popular road trip with amazing stops. I have never done such a long road trip by myself, so I would like to take it slow and do lots of stops along the road. I was thinking of having an itinerary like this:

Day 1: Perth to Jurien Bay
Stops: Lancelin Sand Dunes, Pinnacles Desert
Overnight at: Jurien Bay (1 night)
Day 2: Jurien Bay to Kalbarri
Stops: Lesueur National Park (is it possible to just stop for a quick walk or would it require a full day?), Geraldton (lunch & fuel), Hutt Lagoon (pink lake)
Overnight at: Kalbarri (3 nights)
Day 3: Visit Kalbarri (Inland Gorges)
Hiking
Overnight at: Kalbarri
Day 4: Visit Kalbarri (Coastal Side)
Hiking
Overnight at: Kalbarri
Day 5: Kalbarri to Denham (Shark Bay)
Stops: Hamelin Pool stromatolites, Shell Beach
Overnight at: Denham or Monkey Mia (2 nights)
Day 6: Visit Shark Bay / Monkey Mia
Overnight at: Denham or Monkey Mia
Day 7: Denham to Carnarvon
Overnight at: Carnarvon
Day 8: Carnarvon to Coral Bay
Stops: Quobba Blowholes
Overnight at: Coral Bay (3 nights)
Day 9: Visit Coral Bay
Overnight at: Coral Bay
Day 10: Coral Bay to Exmouth
Overnight at: Exmouth
Fly back to Perth.

Some questions:

1. Lesueur National Park - is it the kind of place where people have a quick stop to stretch their legs or would it require a full day?

2. Kalbarri - do you suggest any particular trail? A part from the nature window?

3. Is it better to stay overnight at Denham or Monkey Mia ?

4. Any unmissable spots in Denham/Monkey Mia?

5. What do you suggest to see in Exmouth? I was thinking Whale shark swim (however I might arrive there in September so it may be out of season) any other spots? Turquoise bay?

6. Does any locals or people who have done this road trip have any other suggestions? I was thinking of using a 2WD, is it okay?

7. Is accommodation in towns hard to find (e.g. Jurien Bay, Kalbarri, Denham…) last minute? I don’t exactly know if I will make it each day to the stop so I was thinking of finding a place when I get there but not sure if it’s reasonable (price-wise too). Would it be better to book everything now?

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you so much!

Hello, I will be alone in Perth from August 25 until September 11. I have done some research and Perth-Exmouth seems to be quite a popular road trip with amazing stops. Only issue is that I have never done such a long road trip by myself. In case, would it be “difficult”? What is the experience of other solo travellers?
Alternatively, I was thinking to just book day tours (or multi day where necessary) to visit different locations from Perth (e.g. Kalbarri National Park, Pinnacle desert, Hutt Lagoon) and fly to Exmouth to then visit Ningaloo Reef. But would I “miss out” a lot?
Any experience of other solo travellers would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some clarity on my visa options as a geologist wanting to work in Australia.

About me:

• Nationality: UK, Italy, Brazil. Currently based in UK.
• Age: 27.
• Qualification: PhD in Geology (thesis submitted, awaiting viva/corrections).
• Experience: few months as a contractor in Canada and Brazil during my PhD, plus some experience as a teaching assistant during uni courses.

What I would like to ask:

1. How realistic is a 189 visa in my case?
2. Can PhD years count as both study points and skilled work experience points? I've heard conflicting things.
3. Anyone applied for 189 recently as a geologist - how long did it take?
4. Would it be smarter to just go on a Working Holiday Visa first and job-hunt from inside Australia and then hope to get a sponsored visa?
5. Do mining companies actually hire WHV holders, or is it rare?

Ideally, I would like to stay long-term but I'm flexible on the pathway.

Any advice or recent experiences would be super appreciated, thank you!!