Road trips from Perth, Western Australia

Now that you’ve read the “Useful Tips for Roadtripping Australia On a Budget”, you’re definitely itching to pack up and book the cheapest tickets to Australia and escape the labyrinth of Singapore’s skyscrapers. #roadtrippin’downsouth

Many would associate Perth as a place for retirees with clocks that tick half as slowly as Singapore’s stressful city life; and it is little wonder that Western Australia is often overshadowed by more populous areas like Sydney’s Opera House, Gold Coast’s endless stretch of beaches and Warner Bros. Movie World, or even the Outback Lifestyle that everyone wants to bask in.

Behold, with a map in one hand and wheel on the other, there are actually a few stunning locations you can do a roadtrip to in Western Australia from Perth City.

Shark Bay Region

Denham (Shark Bay & Shell Beach)

820 kilometres North of Perth City

Approximately 10 hours drive via National Route 1 and North West Coastal Highway

Shark Bay

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Shark Bay that stretches from Carnarvon to Kalbarri is a region on the edge of the Australian continent where nature will enchant you - a combination of unique wildlife and rich flora along the raw coastline and rust red sand dunes. Its vast sea-grass beds on the Indian Ocean are the world’s largest of 4,800 square kilometre, and has been listed as Australia’s first world heritage since 1991.

Shell Beach

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Shell Beach is located in Shark Bay World Heritage Area. Be smitten by the contrast of the snow-white beach against the palette of blue and green hues. Yes, like the name literally, this beach is made up of millions of tiny shells up to 10 metres deep and stretching over 120 kilometres.

Carnarvon

330 kilometres North of Sharks Bay

Approximately 2 to 3 hours drive via National Route 1

Blowholes, Carnarvon

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This natural phenomenon is an unexpected sight. Along the rugged coastline, experience the cardiac clench as powerful oceanic currents force water through sea caves and jet out of narrow holes in the rocks; up to heights of 20 metres.

Exmouth

365 kilometres North of Carnarvon.

Approximately 4 to 5 hours drive via National Route 1 and Minilya-Exmouth Road

Note the off-road driving.

Turquoise Bay, Exmouth

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Snorkelling is the most popular activity on Turquoise bay as it caters to all snorkelling capabilities with its varying snorkel zones. Two of the more popular ones are Ningaloo Reef Snorkel and Turquoise Bay Drift Snorkel (must be of certain snorkelling capability), where the current will carry you out to the world of coral reefs.

Kalbarri National Park

590 kilometres North of Perth City

Approximately 6 hours drive via National Route 1 and North West Coastal Highway

Note the off-road drives and passing animals when driving at night 

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Admire Mother Nature’s ability to carve intricate landscapes by their depths and heights; fitting in flora and wildlife in these vastness. Two most sought-after spots at Kalbarri National Park are ‘Z Bend’ and ‘Nature’s Window’.

Z Bend is a gorge that gazes 150 metres down to the river below. Nature’s Window is another picturesque view - a natural arch carved from red rock - that frames the Murchison River and the gorges.

There are many other routes - Eagle Gorge, The Loop, Hawk’s Head, and Ross Graham - and activities such as Sand boarding that you might want to explore.

The Pinnacles

245 kilometres North of Perth City

Approximately 2 to 3 hours drive via State Route 60 and Indian Ocean Drive

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Littered across the rippled sand dunes of Nambung National Park are thousands of weathered Pinnacles. These limestones came from seashells in an earlier era when marine life was flourishing; and stayed unknown until 1960s. Take a walk or drive through these ancient pillars on their true desert landscape.

Hyden Wave Rock

340 kilometres Southeast of Perth City, 4 kilometres East of Hyden.

Approximately 4.5 hours drive via Brookton Highway or State Route 40.

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This geographical grandeur is one of Australia’s most famous landforms. The surf-like wave on the multicoloured Hyden Rock was formed some 2,700 million years ago, even before ancestors Dino roamed the Earth. Standing at 15 metres high and 110 metres long, Hyden Rock and its surrounding carpets of wildflowers lack no indigenous Australians for many hundreds of years.

To learn more about this region, check out the significant historic sites located around it.

Gnomesville @ Ferguson Valley

235km South of Perth City, between Bunbury and Collie.

Approximately 2.5 hours drive via State Route 2 and Forrest Highway.

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Ferguson is known for its legendary Gnomesville - around 3000 (and growing) gnomes inhabit the roadside - where you will first be welcomed by the Gnomes before reaching the lush green scenic countryside. Be part of this gnome community and bring your own gnome to place it wherever you like.

Unspoiled by progress, this is an ideal place for family farm stay, amidst the ‘sound of music’ rolling hills and dense forests. What more to ask for when you can have daily interaction with farm animals too?

Gloucester National Park

330 kilometres South of Perth City

Approximately 4 hours drive via Kwinana Highway and Vasse Highway or State Route 2 and National Route 1

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Gloucester National Park is known for its heart-stopping thrill; something to tick off your bucket list. These exceptionally tall Karri trees were constructed in the 1930s and 1940s as fire lookouts, remain as Tree Towers and are open to public. They live to about 350 years old and three legendary tallies are Gloucester tree (61 metres), Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree (68 metres), and Diamond Tree (58 metres).

Are you game for it? 153 metals pegs without harness or supervision, and not only will you be a tree climbing expert, you get a certificate to keep forever! FREE.

Margaret River Region

Busselton

240 kilometres South of Perth City

Approximately 2.5 hours drive via State Route 2 and Forrest Highway

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Apart from the much needed ice cream after a long drive, Busselton is best known for its 2 kilometres long jetty, extended onto the pristine waters of Geographe Bay. Not hard to believe, it is the longest wooden pier in the Southern Hemisphere.

This town first started in 1834 by Bussell family, one of the earliest settlement in Western Australia; and is now a popular stopover for those headed for Margaret River or short getaway for families.

Margaret River

50 kilometres South of Busselton

Approximately 1 hour drive via Bussell Highway

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Scattered along the highway are internationally recognised wineries and world-class restaurants, Margaret River is effortlessly Western Australia’s most famous food and wine regions. Amidst the alluring naturing paradise of surf, caves, forests, and vines, you can have fresh seafood straight from the ocean or dine on the local organic produce.

Be sure to check out the famous Chocolate Company.

Jewel Cave

45 kilometres South of Margaret River

Approximately 30 minutes drive via Bussell Highway

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Among the extensive underground system of over 350 caves, Jewel Cave is the biggest show cave in Western Australia, home to one of the longest straw stalactites found in any show cave in the world.

Chandeliers? That’s the first word that came to mind.

Check out other well preserved cave-pride of Western Australia: Mammoth Cave, Lake Cave, and Moondyne Cave.

Cape Leeuwin

12 kilometres South of Jewel Cave

Approximately 15 minutes drive via Bussell Highway

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Cape Leeuwin is located at Australia’s most South-Westerly point where Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean meet romantically yet ferociously. Apart from being a navigational refuge to ships within 26 nautical miles since 1895, it has also been an automated weather station.

Walpole-Nornalup National Park

400 kilometres South of Perth City

Approximately 4 to 5 hours drive via National Route 1 and South Western Highway

240 kilometres East of Margaret River

Approximately 3 hours drive via South Western Highway

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Dive. Surf. Fish. Canoe. Trek. Yes, all of the above but the most popular attraction in the Walpole Wilderness would be the Walpole Tree Top Walk. Catch a bird’s eye view of the canopy of 400 year old giants on the 420 metre long suspension bridge while you take a breath of the fresh air photosynthesised by the Ancient Empire Forest.

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14 drop-dead gorgeous cemeteries for everyone, dead or alive

As you continue to bask in the spooky spirits of Halloween, and gradually get annoyed by articles about ‘haunted places’ for your thrill, take a moment to honour the dead in these beautiful settings.

Many would think you haven’t really seen a culture until you see how they live, and also dealt with death. Generations have put in lots of time in providing their loved ones an eternal resting place in bliss and serenity. Cemeteries tell us how people died, but also how they lived.

Cimitirul Vesel, Sapanta, Romania

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A different way to look at death that departs from the prevalent belief that deaths are solemn. This town believes in the immortality of the soul and death as an anticipation for a better life. Earning the name Merry Cemetery from its festive of colours, it is also known for tombstones with hand-painted describings in poetic manner; snippets of their past lives.

La Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Labelled as ‘City of The Dead’, its beauty can be appreciated alongside Argentina’s history. This cemetery is the final resting place of the families of the greatest prestiges and power when Yellow fever hit in 1870s. Out of the 6400 vaults, some contains the graves of notable people like Eva Peron, Presidents of Argentina, the founders of Argentine Navy, and granddaughter of Napoleon.

Okunoin Cemetery, Mt Koya, Japan

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Okunoin Cemetery, Japan’s largest, is one of the most sacred places and popular pilgrimage spot as it homes the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. Established by him in year 819, he was believed to lie in eternal meditation since. Okunoin Cemetery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.

God’s Acre in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

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Tucked amongst Poplar, Locust, Maple, and Dog-wood trees is oldest colonial cemeteries in America; containing graves of people from the Rhinebeck past. This cemetery reflects the Moravian belief that everyone is equal, hence location of the next burial is determined by the next open space.

American Cemetery, Luxembourg

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Established in 1944 when American soldiers liberated the spot from German occupation on September 10, 1944, Luxembourg government made it a permanent resting place for the fallen, many of whom from the Battle of Bulge and advancement to the Rhine River, without any charge or tax. The chapel at the entrance depicts military virtues; speaks very much of the history of the cemetery.

National Arlington Cemetery, Virginia, USA

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Both cemeteries and memorials to Americans of national importance - Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, countless military heroes - containing more than 400,000 people of America and 11 countries. It was first established in 1860s during the Civil War and recently expanded for the large numbers from World War 2, Vietnam War, and Korean War.

Saint Louis Cemetery, New Orleans, USA

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Stroll through the past and present of this city and be greeted by the rusty decorative ironwork; crosses and statues blatantly jutting out from the tombs. This cemetery is a combination of three Roman Catholic cemeteries constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The above ground tombs are due to the city’s struggle with high water table.

Green Wood Cemetery, New York, USA

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Landscaped with an array of tree species, shrubs, and marine vegetation this highest point in Brooklyn is not only a heaven for more than half a million people since 1840, but also a haven for botanists, historians, art lovers, and birders. Its imposing yet luring enchanting entrance was built between 1861 and 1865.

Zentralfriedhof Cemetery, Vienna, Austria

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First opened in 1874 to accommodate the increasing population but now, you can stand within a few yards of Beethoven, Gluck, Hugo Wolf, Mozart amongst many others. However, since this is a cemetery, their graves are not pointed out to prevent disturbance to others resting around them.

Punta Arenas Cemetery, Punta Arenas, Chile

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One of the most visited places apart from the museums, by those who wished to learn about the history of the city. Punta Arenas cemetery lies at the entrance of the city and is home to the main families that gave origin to the entire population. You might have noticed their European heritage as you stroll beside the trimmed cypress trees, but you can sense the new lives and love created for this city.

Westminster Abbey, London, England

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In the heart of London lies a 700 year old building that is living pageant of the British history. Britain’s most significant honours were buried here, including generals, admirals, politicians, doctors and scientists such as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. Of course, it is home to the resting Royal family of England.

St Andrew Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland

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St Andrews Cathedral reigns the history of medieval churches of Scotland since its construction in the 12th century, being one of the largest and most magnificent. The cathedral is encircled by the monastic enclosure walls of the graveyard.

What’s more when this is the place where Prince William met Kate Middleton during University?

Santa Maria Magdalena De Pazzis, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Wedged between the city walls and the Atlantic ocean is a colonial era cemetery that provides a peaceful respite from the hustling of the city. Be smitten by the immense span of blue hues as you come to the final resting place of many of Puerto Rico’s most prominent natives and residents.

Waverley Cemetery, Sydney, Australia

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Perched at the top of the cliffs between Bronte and Coogee, contains graves of many significant Australians such as Australia’s first Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton, and poet Henry Lawson. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean since 1877, this cemetery is home to 200 war graves from various past conflicts.

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20 Unbelievable Bookstores Around The World You Must Visit

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.’

So what if you’re already travelling, does that mean you should get another book? Undoubtedly, like many, I know of the world by flipping through books and seeing it from the eyes of others. Have you ever thought that the h(e)aven for all your books could actually be a world on its own?

Despite the indispensability of the internet and E books, every reader would love a good old fashioned print media. Those dog eared books passed down from generations ago, awkward yet addictive smelling scent, and crumbly, yellow pages that are threatening to fall off the bind. 

These 20 bookshops around the world will expose you to a whole new hideout of myths, minimalism, culture, and even extravagance at no cost.

Atlantis Books, Santorini, Greece

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The quirky designs of the quotations on the walls and doors will draw you into a magical cave of impressive selection of books in many different languages. Located in the basement of one of Santorini’s white houses is a renowned bookstore founded in 2004 by a group of international travelling buddies. It’s a whole new world of sheer delight for lovers of the written word.

Honesty Bookshop, Hay on Wye, Wales

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This county is a biblioholic paradise. A page of heaven on Earth, every winding lane lies a unique bookstore. Imagine a fire station turned into a bookstore, or cinema. How about a castle with million books everywhere? (Picture above) Be sure not to miss their annual literary festival!

Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy

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Feel yourself floating in euphoria, maybe literally as there are occasional flooding from the canal, when you enter this shop with a huge selection of new and used books in special shelvings such as boats, canoes, and gondolas. Right smack in the middle of the shop is a gondola filled with books!

Climb up the stairs made from books that will lead to the back of the bookstore that overlooks the canal.

Happy Valley, Melbourne, Australia

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Benching itself on practicality and affordability, Happy Valley is not exactly a bookstore but a gallery space of designs, books, and art. It is stocked with Australian designs that you may not find anywhere else.

Another Country, Berlin, Germany

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Messy and unpredictable, just like the book choice of every reader, Another Country is an English language second hand bookshop that propagates British culture - English film club, TV nights, and dinner nights. Works like a library too, when you return the purchased book, you’ll only get charged a loan fee of £1.50.

Sappho Book, Cafe and Wine Bar, Sydney, Australia

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Home not only to many out-of-print and impossible-to-find books, but also a wide range of art, literature, history, politics, religion, philosophy, foreign language, and modern & contemporary fiction.

At the rear of the bookshop is Sydney’s popular Sappho’s wine & tapas bar. As if the place suffers from schizophrenia, it loosens up to a perfect leisure place to hangout with cocktails of literary names and live bands at night.

Word on water, London, England

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London’s only floating secondhand bookstore that floats your boat. It travels between Camden Lock, Angel, Hackney, and Paddington; stopping two weeks at each. Don’t miss the random live music shows and poetry readings.

Librarie Avant Garde, Nanjing, China

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Right beside Nanjing University is a 3780 square-meter underground space beneath Wutaishan Stadium, previously a bomb shelter, then government carpark. This well known independent bookstore, another world hidden from the bustling of the city of Nanjing, has inevitably become a second library for the students.

Boek Handel Selexyz Dominicanen, Maastricht, Netherlands

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This 700 years old original Dominican Church is easily hailed as the world’s most beautiful bookstore, if not architectures. Thankfully it was abandoned and neglected during the 1794 invasion. Apart from the cross shaped table in the choir cafe, the 3 storey high bookshelves inserted with stairs and escalator is its centrepiece.

Livraria Lello & Irmao, Porto, Portugal

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Donned in marvelous stairway and intricately carved wooden walls, this is one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal. Sheltering more than 60,000 books, it is rumoured to be J.K Rowlings’ inspiration for her Harry Potter’s series when she lived in Porto.

Cook & Book, Brussels, Belgium

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Pick your favourite food, with an added pleasure of food and enter a room full of books; each with different theme. Cook and Book not only caters to the visual lovers but those with audio inclinations with a music corner.

Plural Bookstore, Bratislava, Slovakia

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This former knit factory morphed into a bookstore contains a flexible space that not only sell books but facilitate various events - readings, minor concerts, workshops, etc. Truly a paradise for minimalistic architecture admirers.

Candide Books and Cafe, Bangkok, Thailand

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Despite the shift from Phra Nakon to Thonburi, Candide retains its coffeeshop-bookstore concept. Upgrading their cafe menu, they now offer a classic selection of tasty coffee. This warm and homely bookstore is the brainchild of writer, editor and publisher Duangruethai Esanasatang.

El Ateneo, Buenes Aires, Argentina

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The stunning building looks the same as it was first erected in May 1919 as Teatro Gran Splendid built for the empresario Max Glucksman. It retains the original frescoed ceilings, elaborate theatre boxes designed by architects Pero and Torres Armengol.

The Bookworm, Beijing, China

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A cross between bookstore, library, bar, restaurant and event space, though not unheard of, Bookworm is a bibliophile’s’ paradise in Beijing since its opening in 2000. With a rooftop terrace to relax with a glass of your favourite wine, or occasional wine tasting sessions and movie screenings.

Kay Craddock Antiquarian Booksellers, Melbourne, Australia

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An oasis of civilisation dating back to 15th century, Kay Craddock holds a handsome collection of antiquarian and secondhand books, and its crowned as one of the best bookstores in the literary heart of Collins Street, Melbourne.

Millpoint Cafe, Perth, Australia

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This purple block has compact all of Earth’s virtues - soul food, gourmet coffee, and carefully selected adults and children’s books - a home away from home. And who doesn’t love a bookstore with lovely and knowledgeable owners?

El Pendulo, Meixico City, Mexico

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Live musical for Sunday brunch. Books-lined walls. Greeneries. Enough said.

Baldwin’s Book Barn, West Chester, USA

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1822 old, 5 storeys barn was converted into a bookstore 80 years ago. It’s every wizards-wannabe dream to be in a room with cats and well organised books on wooden tiles and shelves.

Bart’s Books, California, USA

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The range and quantity of books speaks of Owner Bart’s passion for books and sharing. He started selling books from his house, but his house is nowhere to be seen now! His house is inside the bookstore now, the largest independently owned and operated open-air bookstore in the country. Bart’s Books operates on an honourary system; when it’s closed, customers can still buy books from the shelves mounted outside.

Brattle Bookshop, Boston, USA

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The Brattle Book Shop carries an impressive stock of over 250,000 books, maps, prints, and postcards in its majestic 3 storey building in the heart of Downtown Boston. Filled with thousands of rare and exceptional works, this is one of the largest antiquarian bookstores in USA.

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