Western Australia has a reputation of being an expensive place to visit, and it can be. However, there are also many things you can do on a shoestring budget & still have a really good time.

Accommodation

There are several ways to get cheaper accommodation in WA. There are caravan & camper hire websites, camping location websites, caravan hire websites, open spaces & national parks.  Many caravan & camper trailer hire places will take the van or trailer to your chosen location & set it up.   Look for last-minute deals at caravan parks that can save a fortune. 

If you are looking at travelling during peak holiday times or school holidays, it’s always worth booking your accommodation before arriving, because they can book out months ahead.

Food & Drink

Food & drink can be one of the biggest expenses on a holiday. If you’re a bit of a foodie or like a nice Chardonnay, it can get quite expensive. Western Australia is well known for it’s fine food, award winning wines & breweries.

However, just because you are on a budget, it doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of some world class food.

• Visit local pubs & taverns for a lunchtime special.
• The West has some of the World’s best fish’n’chip shops and award winning bakeries.
• WA also has a great assortment of international eateries offering Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, Taiwanese, Greek, Mexican, Turkish, and many other cultural delights. Many of these have lunch time & dinner specials.
• If you want to go even more budget, major WA towns & cities have a vast variety of fast-food outlets. Fast-food outlets are always offering cheap specials on food.
• If you are into fresh food more, there are fresh-food markets everywhere. West Australians love their fresh food.

When driving around the countryside you should always pack an esky. Cartons of soft drink or alcohol cost less than buying the items individually. Throw some ice in an esky on top of your drinks, and have cold drinks whenever you want one, at a fraction of the cost of buying them retail. Make sure you also have a drink bottle to carry water with you. Tap water around most of WA tastes as good as, if not better than commercial bottled water. It’s also better for our environment if you carry your own drink bottle for water.

City Parks

WA has many free beautiful public parks with amazing locations to go for a walk or have a picnic.

• Perth’s Kings Park overlooks the beautiful city of Perth, while also home to some of the state’s amazing wildflowers & fauna.
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Beaches

With a coastline stretching almost 50,000 kilometres, linking over 10,000 beaches, Australia has become famous for its beaches. Parking is free at many beaches, or easily accessible by public transport. Making it a very popular cheap activity that locals love best.

Most beaches have BBQ or picnic facilities, so pack a basket with food, water, sunscreen & a towel for a great day out. Most beaches also have a fish & chip shop nearby, providing a good feed for little cost.  If you're interested in trying out the Australian surf and don't have a board, check out local board shops in the area.  Some local shops will hire surfboards out, others run surfing lessons, or you can pick up a surfboard relatively cheap.

If parks & beach sand aren’t your thing, then get your walking shoes on to explore the many stunning coastal walks. You can enjoy short walks, or longer treks where you might want to take some snacks, plenty of water and your camera.

However, the ocean & beach is to be respected as being unpredictable. Rip currents can occur at any beach, and sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea. ALWAYS swim between the flags on a patrolled beach.

National Parks

Western Australia has some of the world's most diverse natural environments, with spectacular landscapes inhabited by unique wildlife. Australia also has thousands of National Parks for hiking, day stays or camping holidays and visiting World Heritage Areas. Discover ancient rainforests on the fringe of modern cities, explore wide open spaces, climb snow-capped mountains, swim in pristine waters, or get up close & personal to our native plants and animals.

Some do charge a vehicle entry fee, so it may be worth getting a multi-park pass or an annual pass. Some have various areas that are free to visit.

To find some of these National Parks & Heritage Listed areas, check out the Dept of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions 

Driving Cross Country 

Driving across Western Australia can be costly, or it can be a budget adventure. Vehicles & caravans often need to be moved from the top end of State to the bottom end of State, back to home base or a predetermined location. These are one-way vehicles transfers. These vendors prefer to offer cheap rentals (often from as little as $1 per day), rather than put them on the back of a truck & have them transported to their location. This means huge savings for you, and you get to see more of the countryside and its people than you would flying.