Although the drive from Denmark to Albany takes less than one hour, we spent three full days exploring this area. Along the coast, it is a succession of charming national parks or nature reserves.
What are the best national parks for a break when driving from Denmark to Albany? Picking one favourite is hard. I cannot even choose the best beach. They all had something special.
Here are my personal top 3 for stops on the road from Denmark to Albany:
- With its rocks inside the bay, Greens Pool colours were stunning
- Torndirrup National Park had surprising and fun features
- Little Beach was a perfect postcard
This article covers the national parks that we explored during our drive from Denmark to Albany, and during our two nights in Albany as part of our Western Australia road trip from Perth to Esperance. We chose not to spend time in town, but you can find more information about things to do in Albany here.
The beautiful colours and boulders of William Bay National Park
We visited the popular William Bay National Park first thing in the morning. It’s a good idea to avoid the crowd. Short walks from the car park lead to the beautiful Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool. The colour contrasts between the rocks and the turquoise waters were stunning, even on an overcast day.
We pushed all the way to Waterfall Beach, where a freshwater cascade comes out of the dunes to flow into the ocean. It’s original, but if you lack time, skip it. There are better things to see on your drive from Denmark to Albany.
The remote Shelley Beach at West Cape Howe National Park
We headed towards Shelley Beach for lunch, following the only 2WD road of the national park. The paragliding platform offers fantastic views of the beach. I would have loved to have the chance to spend one night at the secluded campsite almost on the beach; consider it if you have time! Having beautiful places like these just for yourself is amazing. It’s my personal definition of luxury: remoteness, calm and in front of the ocean.
The waves were huge on this windy day. We could have watched them all day long. But we had to continue driving. Although we allowed three days to do the one-hour drive from Denmark to Albany, I wished we had more time. Isn’t it incredible?
A bit of 4WD in Gull Rock National Park
We reached Albany at the end of the afternoon and quickly installed our tent. There were a couple of hours left of daylight. I always keep a bonus list of places to check out if we have time. That’s how we finished our day in Gull Rock National Park trying to catch a great view as the magic hour was approaching.
We tried to reach Mount Martin but could not find the right way. The GPS took us on fun 4WD tracks and, at that time of the day, we felt we had the entire park just for ourselves.
However – and maybe it’s because we only did a quick visit -, we did not find anything special in Gull Rock National Park that would justify a detour if your planning to drive from Denmark to Albany is tight.
Great hiking and ocean craziness at Torndirrup National Park
We spent a full day exploring Torndirrup National Park. And it was worth it.
We hiked the Flinders Peninsula all the way to Bald Head. It’s a 16km trail return where you go up and down a lot. We loved the walk. There are a great variety of landscapes, flowers and colours to enjoy. If you don’t feel like walking all day, it’s worth doing the first part of the trail. After one-hour of walking, you already have fantastic views of King George Sound and the Southern Ocean.
The most famous attractions in Torndirrup National Park are not to be missed.
The blowholes were surprising and fun. I had seen blowholes before, but it was the first time that I could stand on top of one and experience the strength. It was so powerful that it disfigured my face. It felt like I was on the fastest roller coaster ever!
The big platforms at Natural Bridge and the Gap ruin a bit of the charm of the area when you arrive there after spending the full day in pure nature. I wasn’t seduced at all when we arrived at the carpark. But I changed my mind as we got closer to the edge. The platforms allow getting incredible views of the cliffs and the smashing waves in a safe environment. With the strong wind, we wouldn’t have been able to go near the edge to watch the great show.
The perfect postcards beach of Two People Bay Reserve
We went to the Two People Bay Reserve to picnic at Little Beach, one of the best beaches in Western Australia. It’s a white beach with turquoise waters and boulders, surrounded by granite hills covered by green trees. With all these contrasts, it looks perfect like a postcard.
Walk along Little Beach and follow the small path to the next secluded beach. It’s a great surprise. Waterfall Beach is as lovely and quieter.
We only spent a couple of hours in Two People Bay Reserve. Our time in Western Australia was limited. Again, it would have been nice to have more time in this beautiful place, but other National Parks were calling!
Have you visited the region from Denmark to Albany? Which park is your favourite? Share your experience in the comments below!
Where are these things to do between Denmark and Albany?
Albany is approximately 400 kilometres away from Perth, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Founded in 1826, Albany is the oldest permanently settled town in Western Australia.
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These colors are outrageous! I would love to visit Australia one day. These beaches are giving me all the wanderlust. xx Morgan
Hello, Morgan! The colours in Western Australia were stunning indeed. I’ve often heard people say they have the most beautiful beaches of all Australia. And I think I agree! I hope you’ll make it Down Under sometimes soon 🙂