Best Things to Do in Western Australia

Western Australia is Australia's largest state — a vast territory of 2.6 million sq km covering the entire western third of the continent. Known for the extraordinary marine ecosystems of the Ningaloo Reef (where whale shark and manta ray encounters are virtually guaranteed in season), the other-worldly Pinnacles Desert north of Perth, the remote Kimberley region (with ancient gorges, Indigenous rock art, and the Bungle Bungle Range), the Indian Ocean island paradise of Rottnest Island (quokkas), and Perth's rapidly developed food and wine culture (the Margaret River wine region). This guide covers the best things to do in Western Australia.

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The unmissable in Western Australia

These are the staple sights — don't leave Western Australia without seeing them.

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Abrolhos Islands
#1 must-see

Abrolhos Islands

📍 Western Australia, 6530
🕐 Mon–Sun Open 24h
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Adventure World
#2 must-see

Adventure World

📍 351 Progress Drive, Bibra Lake, Perth, Western Australia, 6163
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3
Albany Visitor Centre
#3 must-see

Albany Visitor Centre

📍 221 York St., Albany, Western Australia, 6330
🕐 Mon–Fri 9:00-16:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00-14:00
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Destinations in Western Australia

Perth

Perth

Perth is the capital of Western Australia, the world's most isolated major city (the nearest equivalent city, Adelaide,…

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More attractions in Western Australia

Abrolhos Islands 1
#1 must-see

Abrolhos Islands

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📍 Western Australia, 6530

Abrolhos Islands, formally the Houtman Abrolhos, constitute an archipelago of 122 coral islands and reefs scattered across 100 kilometres of Indian Ocean about 60 kilometres west of Geraldton in Western Australia. They represent the southernmost coral reef ecosystem in the Indian Ocean and one of the most biologically productive and historically significant marine environments on the Australian coast.

The islands gained notoriety in 1629 when the Dutch East India Company vessel Batavia ran aground on the Abrolhos reef, triggering one of maritime history's most gruesome mutiny and mass murder episodes. Archaeological excavations have recovered artefacts from the wreck site, and a remarkable replica of the Batavia is on display in the Western Australian Museum in Fremantle.

The Abrolhos are home to extraordinary wildlife: Australian sea lions haul out on sandy beaches, colonies of tammar wallabies — found on islands but not the adjacent mainland — hop along coral-strewn shores, and the waters host dolphins, whale sharks, manta rays, and 184 species of fish. The coral gardens are among the most diverse in temperate Australian waters.

Access is primarily by light aircraft or private boat from Geraldton, with licensed charter operators offering snorkelling, diving, and fishing expeditions. The islands are an important commercial rock lobster fishery, and many fishing shacks on the islands are privately leased. The Abrolhos remain one of Western Australia's most rewarding remote destinations for divers, naturalists, and history enthusiasts.

Adventure World 2
#2 must-see

Adventure World

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📍 351 Progress Drive, Bibra Lake, Perth, Western Australia, 6163

Adventure World in Bibra Lake is Western Australia's only major theme park, a 13-hectare family entertainment complex that has been thrilling Perth visitors since 1982. The park combines high-speed thrill rides with family-friendly attractions, a water park, and a dedicated children's zone, making it one of the most comprehensive day-out options in the Perth metropolitan area. Signature attractions include the Rampage wooden rollercoaster — one of the oldest and most beloved in Australia — and the Abyss, a near-vertical drop tower that sends riders plummeting 23 metres in under two seconds. Wild Waters, the park's water park section, features a wave pool, multiple waterslides, and a lazy river, providing welcome relief during Perth's hot summers. Live shows, character appearances, and carnival games add to the festive atmosphere throughout the operating season, which runs from late September through April. Adventure World frequently introduces new rides and upgrades to keep the experience fresh, and the park has won multiple state tourism awards for its commitment to family entertainment. With something for every age group from toddlers to teenagers, a day at Adventure World reliably delivers the kind of uncomplicated, exhilarating fun that is increasingly rare to find.

Albany Visitor Centre 3
#3 must-see

Albany Visitor Centre

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📍 221 York St., Albany, Western Australia, 6330

Albany Visitor Centre on York Street is the gateway to one of Western Australia's most richly rewarding regional destinations — a town of deep historical significance, dramatic coastal scenery, and growing cultural sophistication at the southern tip of the state's Great Southern region. The visitor centre provides the ideal starting point for exploring Albany's remarkable range of attractions.

Staff provide comprehensive information on Albany's colonial heritage, natural environment, wine region, and growing events calendar. The centre stocks maps, brochures, and tour booking services covering everything from coastal wilderness walks to wine tasting itineraries and visits to the historic whaling station at Frenchman Bay.

Albany was established in 1826 as Western Australia's first European settlement, predating Perth by three years, and its heritage streetscapes reflect layers of colonial history from the convict era through to the early twentieth century. The town's historic precinct includes the Residency Museum, Old Gaol, Princess Royal Fortress, and the beautifully restored Georgian architecture of Stirling Terrace.

The surrounding coastline — including the extraordinary Gap and Natural Bridge rock formations at Torndirrup National Park, the sheltered beaches of Middleton Bay, and the whale-watching grounds of King George Sound — offers some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in southern Australia. Albany is also the anchor of the Great Southern wine region, with a growing number of cellar doors and restaurants. The visitor centre team are knowledgeable advocates for the region and an invaluable resource for making the most of any Albany stay.

Albany's Historic Whaling Station 4

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

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📍 81 Whaling Station Road, Torndirrup, Western Australia, 6330

Albany's Historic Whaling Station stands as the most comprehensively preserved former whaling station in the world, offering visitors a deeply confronting and historically illuminating encounter with Australia's whaling past. Located at Frenchman Bay on Albany's Torndirrup Peninsula, the station operated from 1952 until 1978 — the last operating whaling station in Australia.

The station has been preserved largely intact and now operates as Cheynes Beach Whaling Station, part of Discovery Bay — a major heritage tourism precinct. At its centrepiece sits the Cheynes IV, an actual whale chaser vessel that has been restored and is open for self-guided tours, allowing visitors to stand on the very deck from which whales were hunted across the Southern Ocean.

The station's processing facilities — the flensing deck, pressure cookers, oil storage tanks, and bone meal plant — are preserved in remarkable condition, conveying the industrial scale and brutal efficiency of modern whaling operations. Interpretive displays provide sobering context about the global whale population decline that drove the eventual closure of the world's whaling industries.

A giant Omura whale skeleton on display offers a visceral sense of scale, while multimedia exhibits explore both the human stories of Albany's whalers and the marine biology of the whales they hunted. Albany is today a hub for whale watching, with southern right whales and humpbacks returning to the Southern Ocean in significant numbers following decades of protection. The station is a profoundly thought-provoking heritage experience.

Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) 5

Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA)

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📍 91 Southside Drive, Hillarys, Perth, Western Australia, 6025

Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) at Hillarys Boat Harbour is the largest aquarium in the Southern Hemisphere, housing over 4,000 animals representing more than 200 species within an immersive series of exhibits that recreate the full range of Western Australia's extraordinary marine environments. The centrepiece is a 98-metre underwater tunnel through a 2.5-million-litre oceanarium, where visitors walk beneath circling sharks, gliding rays, giant grouper, and schools of pelagic fish — an experience that consistently ranks among the most memorable wildlife encounters in Australia. Themed galleries explore the temperate waters of the south coast, the tropical coral gardens of the north, and the rocky reefs of Rottnest Island, each habitat faithfully reproduced in spectacular detail. Touch pools allow hands-on encounters with sea stars, hermit crabs, and small rays, while daily dive shows and keeper feeding sessions provide entertaining educational content for all ages. AQWA also plays an active conservation role, participating in research programs for threatened species including sea turtles, seahorses, and white sharks. Dive with sharks experiences are available for certified divers and even those without qualifications through supervised programs. For families, marine enthusiasts, and anyone captivated by the ocean, AQWA is unmissable.

Art Gallery of Western Australia 6

Art Gallery of Western Australia

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📍 Perth Cultural Center, Perth, Western Australia, 6000

Art Gallery of Western Australia is the state's premier public art institution, housed in a striking complex within the Perth Cultural Centre that brings together historic and contemporary buildings spanning more than a century of architecture. The collection comprises over 17,000 works spanning Australian, Indigenous, Asian, and European art, with particular strength in Western Australian artists and one of the country's most significant holdings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works. Free general admission makes the gallery one of Perth's most accessible cultural experiences, with rotating temporary exhibitions drawing major international and national shows throughout the year. The Yalangoo Gallery on the ground floor is a dedicated space for First Nations art, showcasing everything from traditional ochre paintings to contemporary urban works that challenge and expand the definition of Australian identity. The gallery's sculpture court is a peaceful oasis in the heart of the cultural precinct, while the shop offers a well-curated selection of art books, prints, and designer gifts. Regular public programs include artist talks, children's workshops, and guided tours that deepen engagement with the collection. For anyone seeking to understand Western Australia's rich and layered artistic culture, this gallery is an essential starting point.

Beagle Bay 7

Beagle Bay

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📍 Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia, 6725

Beagle Bay is a remote Aboriginal community on the Dampier Peninsula, approximately 130 kilometres north of Broome, home to the Bardi and other Kimberley peoples and notable for one of the most extraordinary small churches in Australia. The Sacred Heart Church, completed in 1918 by Pallottine missionaries, features a remarkable altar constructed entirely from local materials — mother-of-pearl shell, cone shells, and coloured glass arranged in intricate floral patterns of breathtaking craftsmanship.

The church interior is a testament to both missionary ingenuity and the remarkable abundance of pearl shell along the Kimberley coast, which was used to create a decorative scheme of considerable beauty using materials that were literally washed up on the surrounding beaches. The result is unlike any other church interior in Australia — intimate, luminous, and deeply moving.

Beagle Bay Community is one of the oldest Catholic missions in Western Australia, established in 1890, and retains a strong community identity rooted in both Aboriginal cultural tradition and Catholic faith. Visitors are welcome to visit the church, but must obtain a permit to enter the community, which can be arranged through the Beagle Bay community store.

The drive to Beagle Bay along the partly sealed Dampier Peninsula road is itself a rewarding journey through red pindan country and coastal scrubland. The community sits close to beautiful, largely undeveloped coastline. Beagle Bay is typically included on guided Dampier Peninsula day tours departing from Broome, which provide cultural context and handle permit arrangements on behalf of visitors.

Bell Gorge 8

Bell Gorge

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📍 Silent Grove Road, Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia, 6728

Bell Gorge is one of the most spectacular and rewarding natural attractions in Western Australia's Kimberley region — a dramatic series of waterfalls and tiered rock pools carved into ancient Devonian limestone on the King Leopold Ranges, about 160 kilometres from Derby along the Gibb River Road.

The gorge is typically approached via a four-kilometre return walk from the Silent Grove camping area, traversing seasonally dry creek beds and spinifex grassland before the landscape opens dramatically at the gorge rim. Below, Bell Creek tumbles over basalt steps into a deep, clear swimming hole of extraordinary beauty — a natural amphitheatre of rock and water that feels like a genuine wilderness discovery.

Swimming in the natural pool at the base of the falls is the highlight of any Bell Gorge visit — the water is refreshingly cool, the setting magnificent, and on quieter days a profound sense of isolation and remoteness pervades the scene. Rock climbing around the gorge edges is popular with more adventurous visitors.

Bell Gorge is best visited between May and October during the dry season, when the Gibb River Road is accessible and the falls are flowing from water stored in the wet season rains. During the wet season (November–April), the entire region is typically inaccessible due to flooding. Sunset over the King Leopold Ranges from the gorge rim is particularly dramatic. A national park entry fee applies, and camping is available at the adjacent Silent Grove site.

Bluff Knoll 9

Bluff Knoll

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📍 Stirling Range National Park, Amelup, Western Australia, 6338

Bluff Knoll is the highest peak in the Stirling Range, at 1,095 metres above sea level the tallest mountain in southern Western Australia, and one of the most popular and rewarding hiking destinations in the state. Rising abruptly from the surrounding plains of the Great Southern, its distinctive quartzite summit is frequently shrouded in cloud and can receive snow in winter — a genuinely rare experience in coastal Australia.

The summit trail ascends 3.2 kilometres from the car park to the peak, gaining approximately 600 metres of elevation through diverse vegetation communities including spectacular wildflower heathland that makes the Stirling Range internationally significant for botanists. The range contains more plant species per square kilometre than most of Africa, with over 1,500 species recorded and many found nowhere else on Earth.

The climb itself is genuinely challenging — steep in sections with some scrambling near the summit — but the views from the top are exceptional on clear days, encompassing the rolling plains of the Great Southern, distant glimpses of the Southern Ocean, and the entire length of the Stirling Range spreading in both directions. A sheltered summit platform allows for a well-earned rest.

Conditions change rapidly on Bluff Knoll; walkers should carry warm clothing and water regardless of conditions at the base. The Stirling Range National Park, of which Bluff Knoll is the centrepiece, is a significant conservation area and one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots. Morning departures are recommended to maximise the chance of clear summit views.

Boab Prison Tree 10

Boab Prison Tree

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📍 Derby, Western Australia, 6728

Boab Prison Tree is an ancient, enormous boab tree (Adansonia gregorii) standing on the outskirts of Derby in the West Kimberley, estimated to be over 1,500 years old. With a vast hollow trunk measuring approximately 14 metres in circumference, the tree has become one of the Kimberley's most distinctive natural landmarks and carries a sobering piece of colonial history.

Local tradition holds that the hollow interior of the tree was used as an overnight lock-up for Aboriginal prisoners being transported to Derby for sentencing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries — a practice consistent with the brutal realities of colonial law enforcement in remote Australia during that era. While historical records confirming specific incidents are limited, the tree has become a powerful symbol of Aboriginal dispossession and the violence of the colonial frontier.

Boab trees are found only in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and adjacent parts of the Northern Territory, having arrived in Australia from Madagascar millions of years ago via seed drift. Their swollen, moisture-storing trunks and skeletal dry-season branches give them an otherworldly appearance that has made them icons of the Kimberley landscape.

The Prison Tree stands in a small reserve alongside an information shelter, accessible via a short unsealed road from Derby. It is a free and easily visited site on any Kimberley itinerary. The tree continues to be a site of cultural significance for Aboriginal communities of the region, and visitors are asked to approach it with respect and sensitivity.

Boranup Karri Forest 11

Boranup Karri Forest

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📍 Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, Boranup, Western Australia, 6286

Boranup Karri Forest stands within the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park in Western Australia's South West, forming one of the most majestic woodland landscapes in the country. Karri trees (Eucalyptus diversicolor) are among the tallest flowering plants on Earth, commonly reaching 60 metres in height, and the Boranup forest contains a particularly impressive concentration of these giants.

The forest floor beneath the soaring white-barked trunks is open and cathedral-like — dappled light filtering through the canopy creates a serene atmosphere that draws photographers, hikers, and those simply seeking tranquillity in a remarkable natural setting. A 26-kilometre scenic drive winds through the forest, ideal for cycling or driving at a leisurely pace.

Several walking trails traverse the forest, ranging from short interpretive loops to longer routes connecting to the Margaret River Caves Road and the nearby Hamelin Bay coastline. The combination of ancient forest and accessible beaches within a short distance makes Boranup a particularly rewarding stop on any Margaret River touring itinerary.

The forest is at its most atmospheric on misty mornings, when low cloud drifts between the karri columns and the stillness is broken only by birdsong — black cockatoos, honeyeaters, and the occasional raucous kookaburra. Wildflowers carpet the understorey in spring. Boranup Karri Forest is free to visit, with basic picnic facilities available at designated rest areas along the forest drive. It offers a genuinely humbling experience of Western Australia's temperate wilderness.

Broome Chinatown 12

Broome Chinatown

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📍 Chinatown, Broome, Western Australia, 6725

Broome Chinatown is the historic commercial heart of Broome — a compact, character-filled precinct of streets and laneways where the town's multicultural pearling heritage is most tangible and where much of the community's daily life continues to play out. Despite the name, Chinatown in Broome was historically home to traders, shopkeepers, and workers from Chinese, Japanese, Malay, and other Asian communities, reflecting the extraordinary cultural mix that the pearling industry brought to this remote corner of Western Australia.

Carnarvon Street is the precinct's spine, lined with restored corrugated iron buildings housing an eclectic mix of galleries, boutiques, cafés, restaurants, and the famous Sun Pictures open-air cinema — established in 1916 and believed to be the oldest operating open-air picture garden in the world. Sunday markets fill the nearby park with produce, crafts, and street food.

The precinct retains genuine architectural heritage, with buildings reflecting the vernacular tropical style developed in Broome to cope with the region's punishing wet-season humidity and heat — wide verandahs, louvred walls, and corrugated metal roofing are characteristic features. Pearl jewellery shops are a major draw, with Broome cultured pearls remaining among the world's finest.

Chinatown is best explored in the morning or evening when temperatures are manageable. The area comes alive during the Broome Festival and Shinju Matsuri — the Festival of the Pearl — when the community celebrates its multicultural identity with music, food, and cultural performances. It is the authentic, beating heart of this remarkable frontier town.

Broome Courthouse Markets 13

Broome Courthouse Markets

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📍 8 Hamersley St., Broome, Western Australia, 6725

Broome Courthouse Markets operate every Saturday morning on the grounds of the Old Broome Courthouse on Hamersley Street, offering one of the Kimberley's most atmospheric and authentic market experiences. The markets are a beloved community institution in Broome — a gathering place where locals, tourists, Aboriginal artisans, and international visitors mingle in the shade of tropical palms and corrugated iron verandahs.

Stalls feature a rich variety of locally produced goods including Indigenous art and craft, handmade jewellery incorporating Broome's famous South Sea pearls, tropical fruit and produce, homemade preserves, handcrafted clothing, and an enticing array of street food drawing on Broome's multicultural culinary heritage. Japanese, Malay, and Aboriginal influences are all represented in the food offerings.

The market setting — the heritage Old Broome Courthouse building — adds considerable character to the browsing experience. The courthouse precinct is one of the most intact colonial civic precincts in the north of Western Australia, with its distinctive tropical architecture providing a photogenic backdrop to the market stalls.

Markets run from approximately 8am to 1pm, operating from May to October during the dry season, with reduced frequency in the wet season. Early arrival is recommended as both parking and the most popular stalls fill quickly. The Courthouse Markets are an essential Broome experience for any visitor to the region, providing direct support to local artists and producers while offering a genuine taste of Broome's eclectic and multicultural community life.

Broome Historical Museum 14

Broome Historical Museum

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📍 67 Robinson St., Broome, Western Australia, 6725

Broome Historical Museum occupies a modest but richly rewarding space on Robinson Street in the heart of Broome, preserving and presenting the remarkable multicultural history of one of Australia's most extraordinary frontier towns. Run by volunteers and community historians, the museum offers an intimate and authentic encounter with Broome's layered past.

The museum's collection centres on the pearling era that defined Broome from the 1880s through to the mid-twentieth century, when the town attracted Japanese, Malay, Filipino, Chinese, and Aboriginal workers to the dangerous trade of harvesting pearl shell from the Kimberley seabed. Exhibits include original diving suits, pearl shell specimens, maritime equipment, historic photographs, and personal artefacts donated by pearling families.

Additional displays cover Broome's role in World War II — including the devastating Japanese air raid of March 1942 that destroyed a fleet of flying boats in Roebuck Bay, killing at least 88 people — as well as the town's Aboriginal heritage, early European settlement, and the development of the pearling industry from shell harvesting through to the cultured pearl revolution of the mid-twentieth century.

The museum also documents Broome's unique social history as one of the most cosmopolitan communities in colonial Australia, where racial mixing produced a distinctive Broome Creole culture found nowhere else in the country. A small entry fee supports the museum's volunteer-run operations. Its personal scale and genuinely local character make it one of Broome's most rewarding cultural experiences.

Broome Japanese Cemetery 15

Broome Japanese Cemetery

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📍 1 Port Drive, Broome, Western Australia, 6725

Broome Japanese Cemetery is one of the most evocative and historically significant sites in Western Australia's remote north, bearing quiet witness to the lives of Japanese pearl divers who came to Broome in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and died in pursuit of the lustrous pearls that built the town's fortune.

At its peak in the early 1900s, Broome was the pearling capital of the world, supplying over 80% of global mother-of-pearl shell. The Japanese community was central to this industry, with hundreds of skilled divers working the treacherous Kimberley seas using primitive diving equipment that made cyclone deaths and decompression sickness tragically common.

The cemetery contains over 900 graves, the majority belonging to Japanese divers who perished at sea or from disease, along with headstones inscribed in Japanese characters that recall names, home villages, and diving companies. The cemetery is maintained by the Japanese government, a reflection of the deep historical connection between Japan and Broome that persists to the present day.

Simple, moving, and beautifully kept, the cemetery sits on a low ridge overlooking Roebuck Bay, its weathered headstones shaded by casuarina trees. It is an important reminder that Broome's multicultural heritage — Japanese, Malay, Aboriginal, Chinese, and European — was forged through shared hardship and enterprise in one of the world's most unforgiving environments. Entry is free and open to visitors at any time.

Busselton Jetty 16

Busselton Jetty

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📍 Foreshore Parade, Busselton, Western Australia, 6280

Busselton Jetty stretches 1.8 kilometres into Geographe Bay on Western Australia's South West coast, making it the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the state's most iconic heritage attractions. Originally constructed in 1865 to facilitate the timber trade, the jetty was progressively extended over the following century as Busselton grew into a significant port.

Today the jetty is a beloved recreational and tourism landmark. Visitors can walk its considerable length on timber planking worn smooth by generations of feet, or ride the electric Jetty Train that trundles passengers to the far end above the turquoise waters of the bay. At the jetty's terminus sits the remarkable Underwater Observatory, one of only a handful of such structures in the world, where visitors descend eight metres below the surface to observe the marine ecosystem that has colonised the jetty's timber piles over 150 years.

The artificial reef created by the jetty's submerged structure supports an extraordinary diversity of marine life, including nudibranchs, seahorses, samson fish, and brilliantly coloured sponge gardens. Snorkelling and diving alongside the jetty piles is permitted and highly popular.

Busselton Jetty is also the finish line for the annual Ironman Western Australia triathlon. The foreshore surrounding the jetty offers grassed parkland, a swimming beach, cafés, and facilities making it an ideal destination for families and day-trippers exploring the Margaret River wine region.

Cable Beach 17

Cable Beach

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📍 Broome, Western Australia, 6726

Cable Beach is one of Australia's most spectacular stretches of coastline — 22 kilometres of pristine white sand meeting the vivid turquoise of the Indian Ocean at Broome, in Western Australia's remote Kimberley region. Consistently ranked among the world's most beautiful beaches, Cable Beach owes its name to the telegraph cable that came ashore here in 1889, connecting Australia to Asia and Europe.

The beach is famous above all for its sunsets, which transform the sky and sea into burning shades of amber, crimson, and violet — a spectacle best enjoyed from camelback, with camel trains departing along the shoreline each evening. This iconic Broome experience has become one of Western Australia's most recognisable tourism images.

The beach is divided into zones for vehicles, swimmers, and surfers, with the northern section traditionally used by naturists. The protected swimming area near the beach entry point is patrolled during peak season. Swimming outside patrolled areas carries significant risk due to marine stingers and estuarine crocodiles in adjacent waterways.

Cable Beach Club Resort, positioned directly on the dunes, is the area's flagship accommodation. The broader Cable Beach precinct offers restaurants, bars, boutique shops, and hire facilities for kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Broome's extraordinary isolation — it sits roughly 2,200 kilometres north of Perth — only enhances the sense of discovery for those who make the journey.

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse 18

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

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📍 Leeuwin Road, Augusta, Western Australia, 6290

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse stands at the most south-westerly point of the Australian mainland, where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean in a dramatic convergence of two great water bodies. Built from local limestone in 1895, the lighthouse rises 39 metres above the rugged coastline at Augusta and remains fully operational, guiding vessels through what mariners have long regarded as some of the most treacherous waters in the Southern Hemisphere.

Named after the Dutch vessel Leeuwin — meaning "lioness" — that charted this coastline in 1622, the cape holds profound navigational significance as the cornerstone of Western Australia's south-west tip. Guided tours of the lighthouse operate daily, offering visitors the opportunity to climb to the lantern room and survey an unbroken ocean horizon stretching to Antarctica in the south and Indonesia in the north.

The surrounding cape is a windswept landscape of heath and granite, dotted with the remnants of the waterwheel that once powered the lighthouse keeper's complex during its early operational years. Southern right whales and humpbacks pass close to the cape during their annual migrations, making it a rewarding whale-watching vantage point between May and September.

Cape Leeuwin marks the start — or end — of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, which extends 120 kilometres northward along the coastline of the Margaret River wine region. The combination of maritime history, dramatic scenery, and wildlife makes it an essential destination in Australia's South West.

Cape Leveque 19

Cape Leveque

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📍 Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia, 6725

Cape Leveque crowns the northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula, a finger of red pindan country extending 200 kilometres into the Kimberley coast from Broome. The cape is a place of dramatic natural beauty — its towering red cliffs, bleached white beaches, and the extraordinary contrast of vivid colours against the aquamarine Indian Ocean have made it one of Western Australia's most photographed landscapes.

The cape is accessible via an unsealed road that has been progressively upgraded, though a four-wheel drive vehicle remains advisable for comfort. The journey through the Dampier Peninsula traverses Aboriginal communities and traditional country, with Indigenous-owned tourism operations along the route offering guided cultural experiences, fishing trips, and accommodation.

Kooljaman at Cape Leveque is a wilderness camp owned and managed by the Bardi Jawi people, offering everything from beachfront campsites to safari tents and wilderness chalets. The resort's restaurant serves fresh seafood overlooking the Indian Ocean, and guided cultural tours provide insight into the Bardi Jawi people's deep connection to this coast and its waters.

Snorkelling, fishing, and whale watching are popular activities at the cape, with humpback whales frequently observed close to shore between June and October during their northern migration. Sea turtles nest on the beaches and dolphin sightings are common year-round. Cape Leveque's remote grandeur and Indigenous cultural depth make it a destination of rare and lasting significance.

Cape Range National Park 20

Cape Range National Park

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📍 Exmouth, Western Australia, 6707

Cape Range National Park occupies a dramatic limestone ridge rising from the Exmouth Peninsula in northwestern Western Australia, forming the terrestrial counterpart to the world-renowned Ningaloo Reef that fringes its coastline. The park encompasses rugged gorges, arid scrubland, pristine beaches, and the remarkable marine ecosystem of Ningaloo Marine Park.

The Ningaloo Reef — one of the longest fringing reefs in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — runs almost continuously along the park's western coastline, offering snorkelling directly from the beach with no boat required. The reef shelters over 500 species of fish, 600 types of coral, manta rays, sea turtles, and whale sharks — the largest fish in the ocean — which gather seasonally in Ningaloo's warm waters between March and July.

Within the park itself, Yardie Creek Gorge is the most visited attraction — a dramatic canyon where red cliffs reflect in a permanent freshwater pool, and colonies of black-footed rock wallabies pick their way along the cliff faces. Several gorge trails penetrate the limestone range offering rewarding hikes through dry creek beds and spinifex scrubland.

Turquoise Bay is consistently ranked among Australia's most beautiful beaches — a crescent of powder-white sand with a drift-snorkel trail carrying visitors along a coral-studded channel teeming with marine life. The park is best visited between April and October, avoiding the intense summer heat that descends on the Exmouth region in the wet season.

Caversham Wildlife Park 21

Caversham Wildlife Park

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📍 Whiteman Park, Perth, Western Australia, 6068

Caversham Wildlife Park, nestled within Whiteman Park just 30 minutes from Perth's city centre, is one of Australia's most beloved wildlife encounters. Home to over 200 native species, it gives visitors rare hands-on time with koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and an impressive array of reptiles. Unlike many wildlife parks, Caversham encourages direct interaction — guests can hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies in open paddocks, making it a favourite for families with young children. Twice-daily sheep-shearing demonstrations and farmyard shows add a distinctly Australian rural flavour to the experience, while keeper talks throughout the day provide fascinating insights into animal behaviour and conservation. The park also houses rare albino animals and a dedicated bird walk where colourful parrots, kookaburras, and cockatoos roam freely overhead. Well-shaded paths and spacious enclosures make for a comfortable visit even on warm Perth days. Caversham is widely regarded as one of the best wildlife parks in the country for genuine, ethically managed animal encounters, and a visit here is an ideal introduction to Australia's extraordinary fauna for first-time visitors and seasoned travellers alike.

City Beach 22

City Beach

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📍 Perth, Western Australia, 6015

City Beach is one of Perth's most accessible and beloved coastal escapes, a generous sweep of white sand facing the open Indian Ocean just 12 kilometres from the CBD. The beach is known for its consistent surf breaks, making it a year-round favourite with the city's substantial surfing community, while its patrolled swimming zones offer safe conditions for families and casual swimmers. Dramatic limestone headlands frame the beach at both ends, providing natural windbreaks and scenic vantage points. The foreshore reserve behind the beach is beautifully landscaped with native plantings, barbecue facilities, and grassed picnic areas shaded by large trees — rare luxuries on what would otherwise be an exposed coastal strip. The City Beach café and restaurant precinct elevated the area significantly in recent years, bringing quality dining options with uninterrupted ocean views to a previously underserviced stretch of coastline. Sunsets here are spectacular, particularly in the cooler months when the sky turns violet and gold above the flat horizon. City Beach sits on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, and interpretive signage throughout the reserve acknowledges this deep connection to Country. It is an essential stop on any exploration of Perth's magnificent coastal corridor.

Cottesloe Beach 23

Cottesloe Beach

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📍 Cottesloe, Perth, Western Australia, 6011

Cottesloe Beach is Perth's most iconic stretch of sand, a kilometre-long crescent of powder-white beach framed by turquoise Indian Ocean water and backed by Norfolk Island pine trees that have shaded picnickers for over a century. Located just 11 kilometres from the city centre, Cottesloe attracts everyone from dawn swimmers and professional surfers to families building sandcastles and couples watching one of the world's great sunsets. The beach is patrolled year-round and offers calm, crystal-clear water ideal for snorkelling along the rocky reef at its northern end, where colourful fish and small rays are frequently spotted. The Indiana Tea House, a heritage-listed Edwardian building perched on the sand, remains one of Perth's most beloved dining institutions. Every March, Cottesloe transforms into an open-air gallery during Sculpture by the Sea, when dozens of large-scale artworks are installed along the foreshore for three weeks, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors. The grassy promenade above the beach is dotted with barbecue areas, and the surf lifesaving club has been a community institution since 1895. Cottesloe is more than a beach — it is a deeply woven part of Perth's identity and daily life.

Crown Perth 24

Crown Perth

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📍 Great Eastern Highway, Burswood, Perth, Western Australia, 6100

Crown Perth is the entertainment capital of Western Australia, a sprawling integrated resort complex set beside the Swan River in Burswood that encompasses a world-class casino, luxury hotels, award-winning restaurants, and a packed calendar of live events. The resort's three hotels — Crown Towers, Crown Metropol, and Crown Promenade — together offer over 1,500 rooms, from sleek business suites to opulent penthouses overlooking the river and city skyline. The casino floor is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring hundreds of gaming tables and thousands of electronic machines operating around the clock. Beyond gambling, Crown Perth is home to more than 30 restaurants and bars, ranging from casual food courts to fine-dining flagships helmed by celebrated chefs. Crown Theatre hosts Broadway musicals, major concerts, and international touring productions, cementing the complex's role as Perth's premier entertainment hub. Adjacent Optus Stadium — one of the world's most beautiful sporting venues — is a short walk across the Matagarup Bridge, and the surrounding riverside precinct has become a destination in its own right. Whether you are visiting for a high-stakes evening or a leisurely Sunday brunch, Crown Perth offers an undeniable sense of occasion.

See all things to do in Western Australia

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Western Australia’s size is its defining characteristic: driving the 3,000km from Perth to Broome along the coast road is a serious undertaking, yet the journey passes through some of the continent’s most extraordinary landscapes. The things to do in Western Australia are concentrated in three geographic zones: the Southwest (Perth, Fremantle, Rottnest Island, Margaret River wine country, the tall karri forests of the Pemberton area, the Stirling Ranges), the Mid-West and Coral Coast (the Pinnacles Desert of Nambung National Park, the Batavia wreck site at Abrolhos Islands, the Monkey Mia dolphins, the Ningaloo Reef), and the Kimberley (Broome’s Chinese pearling history and Cable Beach, the Bungle Bungle Range of Purnululu National Park, the gorges of the Gibb River Road, and the Montgomery Reef).

Best time to visit

Perth and the Southwest: October through May (spring and summer). The Margaret River region is best for food and wine in autumn (March-May). Rottnest Island is best in spring and autumn to avoid the peak-summer heat. The Ningaloo Reef: whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) aggregate at Ningaloo March through July; manta rays are present year-round; humpback whales migrate north May-November. Coral Bay and Exmouth are pleasant April-September; the wet season (November-March) brings heat and cyclone risk. The Kimberley: dry season (May-September) is the only practical time; the wet season (November-April) closes many roads and attractions due to flooding. Broome’s Staircase to the Moon (a full moon tide reflection phenomenon visible March-October, select nights) is a calendar event worth timing around.

Getting around

Perth Airport (PER) is the main gateway, with direct flights from Singapore, Dubai, London, and all Australian capitals. Virgin Australia and Qantas regional services connect Perth to Broome (2.5 hours), Karratha (1.5 hours), and Exmouth (Learmonth Airport, 2.5 hours). A rental car is essential for virtually all Western Australian travel beyond Perth. The distances are extreme: Perth to Exmouth is 1,270km (14 hours driving), Perth to Broome is 2,200km (25+ hours). For the Kimberley Gibb River Road, a 4WD is required (most vehicles are restricted on parts of this corrugated dirt road). The Indian Pacific train (Perth to Sydney, 4 days) is an iconic rail experience.

What to eat and drink

Western Australia has Australia’s most rapidly improving food culture. Perth’s dining scene has changed dramatically in the last decade: the Fremantle food market, the Northbridge restaurant strip, and the Swan Valley food trail all reflect a city that has developed genuine culinary identity. Margaret River is one of Australia’s top three wine regions: the varietals best suited to the Mediterranean climate (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and the Margaret River blends) produce wines of genuine international quality. The seafood is outstanding: Rottnest Island crayfish (spiny lobster), Shark Bay blue swimmer crabs, Exmouth tiger prawns, and Fremantle’s fresh daily catch at the Fishing Boat Harbour fish-and-chip restaurants.

Top things to do

Ningaloo Reef whale shark snorkeling – The most accessible reliable whale shark encounter in the world. The Ningaloo Reef aggregates whale sharks (the world’s largest fish, up to 12m) March through July as they feed on the annual coral spawn. Licensed operators from Coral Bay and Exmouth run spotter-plane-guided snorkel encounters: snorkelers enter the water near the shark and swim alongside it. Success rates are near-100%. A full day tour costs $350-450; book weeks in advance for the March-June peak.

Rottnest Island – A car-free island 19km offshore from Fremantle, accessible by 30-minute ferry. Famous for the quokka (a small marsupial that appears perpetually cheerful, making it the world’s most selfied animal), excellent snorkeling in crystal-clear bays, and uncrowded beaches. Bikes are the transport on the island. The main settlement (Thompson Bay) has accommodation from glamping to heritage lodges.

Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungle Range) – The Kimberley’s most extraordinary landscape: the Bungle Bungle beehive-dome sandstone massif, with orange and black striped sandstone formations, cathedral-like gorges (Echidna Chasm, Cathedral Gorge), and ancient Aboriginal rock art. Accessible only by 4WD from the Turkey Creek/Warmun junction (53km corrugated track) or by scenic flight from Broome or Kununurra. UNESCO World Heritage.

Margaret River wine and food – The Margaret River wine region (270km south of Perth, 3 hours drive) produces around 3% of Australia’s wine but 20% of its premium wine. The top producers (Leeuwin Estate, Moss Wood, Cullen, Cape Mentelle) make wines of international standing. The township of Margaret River and the surrounding farms also have excellent surfing (Surfers Point and Margaret River Pro), artisan cheese and chocolate, and the Karri forests of the south (Pemberton’s 60m-tall karri trees are among the world’s tallest hardwoods).

Frequently asked questions

Is Western Australia worth visiting if I have limited time in Australia?

If you're doing one trip to Australia, the east coast (Sydney, Melbourne, Great Barrier Reef) is more accessible and conventionally rewarding. If you've done the east coast, Western Australia offers everything the east cannot: the whale sharks and Ningaloo, the Kimberley remoteness, and a Perth food scene that rivals Melbourne. The state is the size of Western Europe — plan carefully, as trying to see too much leads to a lot of driving and too little time anywhere.

What's the best time to see whale sharks at Ningaloo?

March through June is the peak season, corresponding to the coral spawn on the Ningaloo Reef. April is statistically the most reliable month for large numbers of whale sharks. The season extends to late July in some years. Outside this window, whale sharks are occasionally seen but encounters are less reliable and operators may not run dedicated tours.