Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula, WA
Western Australia
Swim with the ocean’s gentle giants, savour some of Australia’s best wines and marvel at larger-than-life landscapes in Western Australia.
Western Australia is incredibly vast and diverse; as the largest state, it covers nearly one-third of the country. The capital city of Perth is home to a vibrant beach, food and drink scene. But once you step outside the city, you might just find yourself on a white-sand beach with only kangaroos or quokkas for company, or face-to-face with the colourful (and sometimes giant, when it comes to the gentle whale shark) residents of the underwater world. From baffling rock formations and ancient Aboriginal sites to sweeping green vineyards of world-class wineries and unbelievably clear ocean waters, Western Australia is the land of endless exploration.
Top things to do
- Swim with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef
- Visit Rottnest Island and snap a selfie with a quokka
- Relax with a glass of wine in Margaret River
Western Australia’s wildlife is incredible, and equally impressive are the state's beautiful natural habitats. Rottnest Island, off the shore of Perth, is home to cute quokkas, aquamarine waters and pretty rolling dunes. Heading south, Margaret River is famed for its wineries, but the region also offers surfing, biking and rock climbing aplenty along the coast. Considered one of the world’s most precious wilderness frontiers, the sparsely populated Kimberley region in northern Western Australia boasts thundering waterfalls, epic landscapes and calm waterholes, and is home to Aboriginal cultures deeply connected to the land. Impossibly starry skies make camping in Western Australia some of the country’s best, and anglers won’t soon forget being dropped in idyllic fishing spots by a helicopter.
There are flights from most capital cities to Perth. From Perth, you can fly to regional airports including Broome (the main hub for the Kimberley) and Learmonth (for Ningaloo Reef). After you arrive, hire a car to venture further afield. Western Australia is what road trip dreams are made of; explore the state on the Gibb River Road or South West Edge road trip.
Road trips and itineraries
Things to do
