WILD WEST: Slides, spikes and sneezes

Sliding fast down slopes on bits of board is normally a cold, wet pursuit when you live in Victoria.

But over in the west, as we quickly discover on the first leg of our road trip from Perth to Exmouth, it can be a whole different gritty experience.

The stretch of bitumen from Perth to Geraldton is often highlighted by tall white sand dunes on both sides of the highway, so about 90 minutes from Perth we pull over at Lancelin to get a closer look at some, as well as a taste of sandboarding, West Australia style.

After paying $10 per board for an hour’s rental, we drive our off-road-equipped Ford Everest and New Age Wayfinder camper all the way to the foot of the dunes, before trudging to the top for our first thrill-ride down.

An hour’s plenty, as climbing the steep dune after each exhilarating run is exhausting, and after emptying our pockets of the white powder sand, we’re back on the road.

Next stop is the must-see Pinnacles, south-west Australia’s version of the Devil’s Marbles: except unlike those giant bowling ball-like structures in the Red Centre, the Pinnacles are like an army of stone sentries; hundreds of limestone pillars dotted across an area about the size of the MCG.

After unhitching the Wayfinder and leaving it in the carpark, we drive through the designated loop, managing to find a few quiet spots away from the hundreds of tourists taking selfies, to better appreciate the captivating work of Mother Nature.

Then it’s another ‘click’ of the trusty DO-35 hitch, and we’re back out on the highway heading for an overnight stay at the small but pleasant Jurien Bay Tourist Park ($38 a night for a family, so pretty cheap as far as school holiday caravan park rates go!).

Next morning we’re back on the racetrack smooth Indian Ocean Drive, the Everest quietly humming along at 1600 revs while cruising between 100-110km/h despite the camper out back.

However, we don't get far before making a detour for a taste of West Australian wildflowers, which are in full Spring bloom. Hayfever medication in the glovebox, we head to a wildflower hot-spot, the Iain Wilson Nature Trail in the Badgingarra National Park, battling for roadside stop-offs with busloads of grey-haired flora enthusiasts.

One is so excited she sounds likes she's discovered a large gold nugget rather than a rare type of kangaroo paw!

As one of the bigger towns along the West Australian coastline, Geraldton is a popular stop-off for RV travellers needing to stock up and do some laundry.

However, this otherwise bland-looking town proves a real surprise packet as far as tourist attractions go. With a day to kill, we head first to the Old Geraldton Gaol, which largely remains as it was back in the 19th century, but also doubles as a terrific arts and crafts centre, with some of the old prison cells serving as ‘shops’.

We pick up a wood etched fridge magnet from ‘the old bloke’ as a memento, before heading to the small but fascinating Geraldton museum, which just happens to be running the latest 'virtual reality' documentary on Antarctica – which is so realistic you feel you’re right there among the scientists and penguins, bar the sub-zero temperatures.

The museum also gives a good rundown of the tragic sinking in 1941 of the HMAS Sydney II, Australia's worst maritime disaster with 645 crew lost, and there's a heart-wrenching memorial on top of the hill that would look most impressive at sunset.

At $53.50 for a powered site, the Sunset Beach Holiday Park also proves money well spent. Not only are the sites super-sized, but they're right on the beach so not far to go for a swim or to walk the dog.

Our first couple of days on West Australia's Coral Coastline have been a real eye opener, and it’s about to get better as our next stop is the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, where we’ll wind down the stabilisers for a few more relaxing and enjoyable nights…

Also read: WILD WEST: Let's go!