Best options in WA

G'day capt. Katanning is about 2-3 hrs from Perth, we hired a car on a trip last yr .[$31 day] unlimited ks. that was our cheapest option. We have driven over there twice in the last 6 mths. A $hit of a trip, your right.Doin it again next wk. for a sea change, but I think it's too cold in Katanning, must be gettin soft eh. Cya.. Phil

Katanning is more like 4 hours from Perth A/port. The nearest commercial airport would be Albany, then about 1 -1/2 hours drive to Katanning. Although the cost of airfares from Perth to albany would be far more expensive that car hire from Perth.

As mentioned earlier car hire can be quite cheap with fairly new cars available at $30-40per day (Bayswater Hire Cars).

I did travel accros from Melb years ago with my car on the train my recollections were that it wasnt that cheap. If your a senior though you can get significant discounts on the train.

Alan

Hi Capt,

1. Katanning is 294 km SE of Perth , the airport is not far from the city centre.
2. Car cost would come down to what sort of car you would want to drive, you will be able to check prices online.
3. No Perth airport is the only main airport there are lots of light aircraft airports sorry don't know much about them.
4. Again check online for pricing from what I have heard the train is expensive but a great experience.
Regards
Col

sea change? katanning? somebody better tell the sheep cheers ha

That is interesting, I dont know if my choice of sea change would be good old K-A, but still worse parts of the world. Employment in the last couple of years there has been good, I know for a while they were finding it hard to get employees

The drive to K-A is a pretty good one, straight down the Albany hwy turning off at any number of towns. If you do drive, be very careful to make sure you slow down 10km before Williams and 10km after- the highway patrol are always out and about.

Work on a 3.5-4 hour trip taking into account towns and rest stops.

QANTAS and skywest would ave flights from perth domestic to albany. If you were looking at flying perth to albany, you would need to really way up the benefits as generally speaking, we can fly oyut of our state cheaper than we can fly around it.

i live an hour east of katanning, yeah don't know about sea change no where near it!!it would take you 3 hours from perth down albany hwy..cold in winter and not much there really..yeah albany closest airport bloody dear though about $330 return.no train. i think taking car on train to perth is pretty expensive also..

Hi Capt,

I grew up 50km north in Wagin and still go down there regularly to visit my Mum who lives in town. Katanning will be ~ 3 hr drive SE from Perth in the Upper Great Southern (wheat & sheep - no sea but local lakes are full post recent cyclone).

Katanning has an airport, well actually a gravel airstrip so you won't be flying there. Perth is certainly the get off point from the East and if travelling with the family, then best option in my view would be to hire a car from Perth (off airport hire cheaper - try Bayswater Car Hire). You could take Westrail bus service, which my Mum does from time to time, but then you'd be stuck in town with no transport. Getting a hire car gives you options for looking around the Southwest (all close buy) which you'll want to do if coming over all this way for a holiday. Mate, you could even check out the Giant Ram in Wagin! The "to do" tourist traps aren't in Katanning but if your mates been there a while he know a few of the local places - every town has them!

Post about the police in Williams is spot on - and do sit on 50kph through town.

Regards,
Hugh

Hi Captain,
Depending on where you live and the numbers and ages of your family the best option may be to drive over.

We (2 of us, 1 a senior) came back from Sydney by train 3 years ago with car onboard. Took 3 days and cost about $1700 ea (1st Class). Was part of the experience and not just a way to get back to the West.

We have also done in the sit up's -never again- and also by coach.

Have driven to Adelaide & return 4 times and to Sydney once over the past 5 years as well.
As long as you don't try to rush it it's not too bad (3 days Perth-Adelaide and 5 days Perth-Sydney were relatively easy with no night driving at all.
Hope this helps.

Cheers

Disco

G'Day all,
Thanks for all the advice from everyone. It seems that here are no "cheap" options and I am amazed at the costs to get there via plane or train. I could take to family to any one of the close Island resorts for a week, for neally the same costs. I'm wondering how mush interstate tourism WA gets. Anyway, I've "bitten the bullet" and decidered to fly to Perth and hire a motorhome for a number of weeks. At least this way I'll have transport and accomodation in one. It will save some costs and we'll get to see more of the place.
Regards,
Capt.