Western Australia comprises one-third of the entire country’s area but has a population less than 10 per cent of the total population of Australia. A land of superlatives, Western Australia is popular for its unique fauna and flora. You will find a variety of landscapes here- from white-sand beaches to vast deserts and rock formations.

Perth

The fourth-largest city and also the capital city of Australia is proud of its huge skyscrapers, chic boutiques, world-class restaurants and interesting entertainment opportunities. A hot spot for water sports you will find people visiting the Swan River and the Indian ocean alike. You cannot miss the beaches during your visit to Perth. Here sailing, swimming and surfing are a part of everyday life.

Places to Visit in Perth

• Kings Park and Botanic Garden – Admire the native plants
• Kings’ Park War Memorial
• Rottnest Island
• Fremantle- The Port City
• Art Gallery of Western Australia and Scitech – One of the city’s most popular museums
• The Nostalgia Box – Enjoy video games from the early 80s.

The Margaret River

A popular spot for surfers, Margaret River is a lovely holiday resort with many signature restaurants to explore. Around 3-4 hours drive from Perth, this is one of the most sought after weekend getaway destinations for many families. You will also find more than 40 surfing spots making this a paradise for surfers who come to experience the regular big-wave breaks

The area is filled with sparkling white-sand beaches and huge timber forests. You will find many limestone caves filled with prehistoric fossils and sparkling stalactites. Some examples are Mammoth cave, Jewel Cave and Lake Cave. You can choose to do some mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, fishing and even some whale watching tours.

Broome

A gateway to the magnificent Kimberley region, one of the main attractions in this town is the cable beach. Leisure camel rides around sunset is a popular activity to soak in the beautiful scenery which includes turquoise waters, white-sand beaches, impressive shoreline that stretches more than 20 kilometres and stunning red cliffs.

Places to visit in Broome

• The Broome Historical Museum – Learn the fascinating history
• Sun Pictures- Watch movies at this hip outdoor movie theatre.
• Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Wildlife Park
• Local pearl farms
• Also a base for Kimberley adventures like Cape Leveque, Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park, Mitchell Falls, the Gibb River Road and Horizontal Waterfalls.

Don’t miss the Staircase to the Moon, a brilliant natural phenomenon that occurs every full moon. The rays of the moon reflecting on the waters create an optical illusion like steps leading to the moon.

Ningaloo Reef Marine Park

The world’s largest fringing reef is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Extending over 250 kilometres, the reed is home to diverse marine life including dugongs, manta rays, whale sharks, turtles, humpback whales, 300 species of coral and over 500 species of fish. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park is accessible from the shore

Places to visit at Ningaloo Reef Marine Park

• Point Cloates
• Cape Range National Park
• Coral Bay
• Turquoise Bay- Swim with Whale Sharks

Horizontal Falls

One of the most popular things to do in the sturdy Kimberley region is to view the horizontal falls from a jet boat. This natural phenomenon is formed by multiple powerful tides as long as 11 metres, squeezed through two narrow chasms. You can choose to experience this unique attraction either by a jet boat tour or a scenic seaplane ride. Either way, you get to witness the striking Buccaneer peninsula, the wild red coast bordered by cliffs with stunning turquoise waters washing the shores. You can also experience a swim with the sharks if you are adventurous enough.

Explore Esperance Bay and Cape Le Grand National Park

Nature lovers heaven, Esperance Bay offers experiences ranging from turquoise beaches, ravishing lagoons, wildlife, windflower and comfortable approach to national parks. The Lucky Bay is a spectacular stretch of land that is set against the island of the Recherche Archipelago. This offers one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia and you will be pleasantly surprised to see wild kangaroos roaming in the shores. You can keep yourself engaged with fishing, surfing, snorkelling and even beach safaris.

Other things to do:

• Great Ocean Drive
• Twilight beach
• Mini replica of Stonehenge.
• Stokes National Park
• Fitzgerald River
• Cape Arid

Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park, The Kimberley

Surely a hidden gem, this breathtaking rock formations were very recently discovered. Another World Heritage site, the Bungle Bingle hills and its neighbouring area were home to Aboriginal tribes for many centuries. You will still see many rock paintings, ceremonial sites and even burial grounds that talks about their culture. The rock domes which resemble bee-hive are made of soft sandstone. The park’s deep chasms and gorges were caused by violent summer monsoon rains.

Other places to visit:

• Piccaninny Gorge
• Echidna Chasm
• Cathedral Gorge
• Argyle diamond mine

Feed the dolphins at Monkey Mia

Yet another UNESCO world heritage site, Monkey Mia is home to some of the world’s richest and largest seagrass beds. The most popular attraction here is the dolphins of monkey mia. Few visitors get the opportunity to hand-feed these gentle creatures in their natural habitat.

You can also enjoy:

• Fishing
• Four-wheel-drive adventures
• Aboriginal Cultural tours
• Camel rides
• Kayaking
• Swimming in the beautiful bay

Wave Rock

This extraordinary rock formation is 15 metres high and in the form of a wave that is about to break. Made up of banded granite, various chemical substances react with the rainwater thus creating vertical bands in red, grey and ochre. You will find wildflowers growing around its base in the spring.

Other sites to visit

• Hippo’s Yawn
• The Humps
• King Rocks
• Gnamma Hole
• Bates Caves – filled with Aboriginal handprints and paintings.

We hope the information and the pictures have inspired you to take a vacation to Western Australia soon. Confused on how to fit these into your itinerary? Worry not, reach out to our destination experts at Pickyourtrail for some interesting insights on Australia vacation planning. You can also check out the Perth Packages page to explore the crowd favourite itineraries.

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