20 Aug 3 things you need camping and road tripping around WA

Can you really boil it down to 3 things that you need on your next camping or road trip in WA? It’s a huge YES from me.  There are 3 things that I’m always reaching for when we are road tripping or go camping in WA. 

WA is a massive state and that means plenty of remote adventure. Plenty of amazing places to visit but also plenty of wide open space where you might not have phone reception. 

Western Australia is known for its long coastal road trips. Up the coral coast or down in the south west and the rainbow coast. Doing these trips requires a lot of car travel and km’s. Not to mention the planning and the sight seeing.

3 things we recommend camping and road tripping around WA

Annual Parks Pass

This is a must if you want to explore any of the National Parks in WA.

Most of the destinations we visit camping and road tripping always include a stop into one of the parks. In WA we do charge an entrance fee for a lot of the Parks. Entrance Fees are usually $12 per vehicle and some of the entrance fees get up to $25 (ie: Kalbarri National Park). Personally I don’t mind spending the money on entrance fees because it goes towards looking after the facilities that are provided, the conservation and preservation and also the staff that work there.

If you are doing a long road trip and plan to stop into a few National Parks along the way, those entrance fees can add up. OR you can pick up an Parks Pass. The WA Parks and Wildlife “Annual Parks Pass” will allow you entrance to any of the national parks in WA.

Yes please!! Not to mention a lot of the entrance fee/collection points are cash only!! Who even carries cash these days?

Think Stirling ranges and climbing Bluff Knoll… $12, Climbing Frenchman’s Peak in Cape Le Grand National Park $12. Or maybe you want to stop into Kalbarri to check out the $25 Sky Walk. Or you can just pay $125 for the year.

Alternatively if you are an RAC member you can buy a discounted Parks Pass on their Website (which is what we bought for $70). 

Buy the Annual Parks Pass HERE or RAC Parks Pass HERE.

Wiki Camps App

I’ve heard mixed reviews about this camping app but in my opinion… I love it and im talking from my own experience with this app. There are few reasons this is something we recommend when you are camping or road tripping around WA.

1) It gives you access to info about campsites when you are out of phone reception. So if you need to find a camp for the night this may come in handy if you don’t have reception.

2) You can plan your journeys in advance. This includes campsites, routs, kilometers travelled. You can also plan where you can access drinking water, showers and attractions.

Wiki Camps does cost $15 but its a one time payment, not a subscription so its yours once you purchase it the first time. One of my favourite features are the reviews. The reviews are usually quite up to date and a game changer if you are looking for specific campsite details.

Here is an example of how you can plan you trips. This stays accessible when out of reception and the GPS always locks onto your location so if your google maps drops out Wiki Camps has you covered. While on your road trip its ok to deviate from the plan and this app shows you local attractions and sights to see so you can add to your journey or be inspired along the way. 

Buy Wiki Camps App HERE

Insurance + Roadside Assist. 

Before you hit the road ensure you know your car’s insurance policy. make sure you know what it cover and doesn’t cover. If you do not have roadside assistance i suggest you add it. It can be very expensive towing in the country if you are a long way from a major town or city. All cars will experience a mechanical fault at some stage in their lives, no matter the age new cars come with more and more electronics. New cars are not an exception. Do your research to find the best fit for you and your travel needs. RAC’s insurance (not sponsored) is pretty hard to beat for their road side assistance coverage in WA.

While most people are just interested in a short weekend Down South Road trip, that’s fine. However, if you are heading up north to Kalbarri or Shark Bay or even Exmouth you are covering some serious km’s make sure you are covered. Especially if you are towing a caravan, boat or trailer, this puts extra load on a vehicle.

Being quite active on instagram I follow a lot of people doing a lap of Australia or People traveling within Australia. I’ve seen time and time again people being recovered or towed from remote locations. It could happen to you.

Get organised before you hit the road camping or road tripping

So hopefully you can see how valuable these items are. You need a map and the trip planner is super helpful in your organizing or while trying to plan a detour on the road. You are 100% going to stop into one of WA’s amazing national parks and you have reassurance you are covered in a breakdown. If you plan on doing weekend camping trips or plan on doing any long road trips these things are a must. 

We use these things to assist us on our camping adventures and road trip all-the-time!!

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