I first visited Australia in 2019 and, while I did make it to the west coast, on that trip I visited Perth and then headed northward all the way to Exmouth. I knew that when I planned to return down under with my partner in 2025 to drive "the lap" in our campervan around the entire country, that exploring the southern part of Western Australia was absolutely a must-do.
We visited Perth again in 2025, primarily to watch James Blunt in concert, one of the best we've ever been to!
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Perth!
On our way south from Perth, heading towards the Margaret River region, we stopped in at Mandurah, the second largest city in Western Australia, home to about 103,000 people. The Bindjareb people of the Noongar nation lived on this land for thousands of years before any Europeans arrived, calling it Mandjoogoordap, translating to "meeting place of the heart".
Throughout its post-European settlement history from 1828, Mandurah has been a centre of fishing, fruit growing, canning and timber. Thanks to the development of road and rail access from Perth, Mandurah grew and became a town in 1987 before becoming a city not much later in 1990.
We primarily visited Mandurah to have lunch on the waterfront and try to spot the resident dolphins; I have included some extra information in this blog post such as how to get to Mandurah, where to stay and a visit to nearby Lake Clifton.
Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia can be found in my Australia | Ultimate Map!
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Mandurah. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Mandurah, the traditional language of the Bindjareb people of the Noongar nation is the Pinjarup dialect.
→ Learn more about the language of the Bindjareb people of the Noongar nation.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Mandurah offers free WiFi throughout the city including in the city centre, at the marina and plenty of public buildings. Check for the "Mandurah Wi-Fi" network on your phone.
→ Check the full list of places you can get free WiFi in Mandurah.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Mandurah, situated on the southwest coast of the country, south of Perth in Western Australia, can get very hot in the summer and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: We spent a day in the Mandurah area which was perfect to have lunch and explore some of the highlights of the city. It would be a great day trip to do from Perth.
By flight: The closest major airport is in Perth, a one-hour drive north. Most visitors to Mandurah will arrive in Perth if coming by air.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Perth!
By car: If you're driving around the country as we are in our campervan, then the easiest way to get to Mandurah is with your own wheels.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Perth.
You might want to start in Perth as your base for renting a campervan to explore Australia.
→ Rent a campervan in Perth with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
By train: The best way to get from Perth to Mandurah on public transport is on the Mandurah Line, a ride of less than an hour. The train stops at Mandurah Station from where you can catch local buses (cash only, exact fare) around the city.
Mandurah is Western Australia's second largest city and has a great transport system for getting around easily.
By bus: If arriving by train at Mandurah Station, local Transperth buses can get you around the city.
By car: If you have your own wheels, of course you can drive yourself around. Parking in Mandurah is free, but there are a few rules and time limits to be aware of.
→ Find out about parking in Mandurah.
By Uber: Uber is readily available in Mandurah and is a popular and convenient way of getting around the city.
By bike: Getting around by bike is very common in Mandurah. There are loads of cycling trails all around the city, including the popular 26km Mandurah Sea Explorer Cycle Trail.
→ Check out Mandurah's bike trails.
By boat: One of the most popular ways to explore Mandurah, given how many waterways there are, is by boat. You can choose from a whole host of different boat tours including sightseeing cruises, lunch cruises, dinner/sunset cruises, wildlife watching or even hire-your-own!
Camping: We are driving "the lap" around Australia, exploring the country in our campervan. As with the rest of Australia, Western Australia permits freedom camping on designated sites. These sites can vary greatly; some offer a variety of facilities such as toilets, trash bins, picnic tables, outdoor cooking stations and others have none of this and might simply be a pull-out on the side of the road.
The best way to find legal freedom camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
We used Wikicamps to find our free camping spot at Pinjarra which is about a 20-minute drive outside Mandurah.
Hotel: Not traveling by campervan? Visiting from nearby Perth? Driving in a car? Whatever your reason for needing a place to stay, there are loads of fabulous accommodation options in Mandurah, Western Australia's second largest city.
Free camping at Pinjarra
You might be surprised, but we had one of the best Indian meals of our lives in Mandurah (and we have tried a lot of Indian restaurants in Australia and around the world!).
If you visit Mandurah, make sure to stop in for lunch at Alfresco in Ocean Marina. Overlooking the ocean and with outdoor seating right on the docks, Alfresco serves up mouthwatering curries, perfectly cooked rice, yummy naan and creamy mango lassis.
We did not visit downtown Mandurah so I cannot make any personal recommendations for that part of the city. Instead, we spent our day exploring Ocean Marina, the delightful waterfront neighbourhood of the city, before making a trip down to Lake Clifton.
Explore Ocean Marina
Ocean Marina is Mandurah's waterfront neighbourhood, home to shops, boutique apartments, restaurants and - best of all - dolphins. We had lunch here and then went for a long walk along the waterways.
Going for a boat tour is a popular way to explore Ocean Marina, especially dolphin watching.
Spot dolphins in Chardonnay Bay
While you can book a boat tour to go dolphin watching in the waterways of Mandurah, you might get lucky and see them right in Ocean Marina. They love to hang out in Chardonnay Bay and play in the shallow waves.
Of course, you cannot control wildlife and so there is no guarantee of seeing them, but they do tend to hang out here often!
See thrombolites in Lake Clifton
At first glance, Lake Clifton looks like a completely normal lake. However, it is home to the world's oldest life forms, thrombolites. These formations look like rocks sunk underneath the shallows of the lake and date back approximately 570 million years. These organisms helped produce oxygen, paving the way for all life.
They are very fragile so can be viewed only from a boardwalk and swimming is not permitted in this lake.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
