Western Australia may be enormous, but there are several jewels to entice and entertain visitors.
There are several things to do in Western Australia and you will be spoilt for choice in this ‘Outback’ land. Western Australia has it all – great wine regions, some of Australia’s best snorkelling and diving, historic towns, magnificent if scattered natural scenery, untouched wilderness, and a chance to really go “Outback”. Every spring (Aug-Oct), wildflowers carpet the land. Western Australia attractions abound and a visit to this state will leave you amazed.
The capital, Perth, one of the world’s most liveable cities, has a fabulous outdoor lifestyle with parks, rivers and beaches, great walking and biking trails, excellent food, and a beautiful historic port, Fremantle.
Outside Perth, there are several other places to visit in Western Australia. The Southwest corner of the state, below Perth, is the prettiest part. Vineyards and pastures sit between stands of hardwood forest, the surf is world-class, and there are sparkling limestone caverns. The Margaret River region has some of Australia’s most acclaimed wines, and many top-notch eateries. The nearby South Coast has some of the tallest trees on earth, superb coastal scenery, more vineyards, and WA’s oldest town, Albany, sitting beside a wonderful natural harbour.
Head east 596km (372 miles) inland from Perth and you strike what, in the 1890s, was the richest square mile of gold-bearing earth the world has seen. The mining town of Kalgoorlie is a repository of ornate 19th century architecture, and still Australia’s largest gold producer. If Australia has an answer to the Wild West, Kalgoorlie is it.
Going north from Perth you reach the Outback. Red sand, scrubby trees, and Spinifex grass are all you’ll see for hundreds of miles. About 855km (534 miles) north of Perth, wild dolphins make daily visits to the shores of Monkey Mia. Even further north is Exmouth, entry point to one of Australia’s best-kept secrets, the 300km (187 miles) fringing Ningaloo coral reef, where you can swim with enormous whale sharks.
The rugged northern portion of Western Australia is known as The Kimberley. It’s Australia’s last frontier, a vast area of cattle ranches, Aboriginal settlements, and the exotic coastal town of Broome. This is a rugged rocky region of red cliffs, strange bulbous boab trees, waterfalls, and billabongs. You can experience real remoteness, visit a cattle station (ranch), see ancient Aboriginal rock art, ride a camel on the beach, and shop for the biggest South Sea pearls.
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