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Sun, adventure, an awesome natural environment and friendly people - it's what you'll find on a holiday to Western Australia whatever time of year you visit. Nowhere else in the world can you experience and interact with such unique natural attractions. Idyllic island getaways Western Australia is blessed with idyllic island getaways. Rottnest Island is just a 30 minute cruise from Fremantle Harbour. This picture-perfect paradise just about has it all - sheltered turquoise lagoons, spectacular surf and multiple reefs flush with colourful schools of fish.It is truly an aquatic playground, where you can swim, snorkel, scuba dive, surf and fish. Rottnest Island is a car-free zone for visitors - instead, travel from A to B with a bit of peddle-power! Historic old stone buildings and little marsupials called quokkas, which hop around at dawn and dusk, add to the unique charm of this tranquil spot. Near the coastal town of Rockingham you'll find Penguin Island, home to the largest colony of little penguins on the west coast. You can watch these super-cute creatures being fed at the Penguin Experience Island Discovery Centre. Visitors can learn more about these magnificent birds through commentaries and displays - or look out for wild penguins nestled in the sand burrows and limestone caverns on the island. The Archipelago of the Recherche in Esperance - otherwise known as the Bay of Isles - is home to hundreds of islands. At the most popular of these, Woody Island, you can snorkel among sea-dragons, explore famous dive wrecks, say G'day to the local sea lions and camp overnight in safari tents. For a desert island escape, visit the eerie Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Geraldton. With over 19 shipwrecks in its waters, including the famous Batavia shipwreck of 1629, you'll find some of the finest diving in Australia. Coral and fish also abound in a rainbow of colours. Up north, the picturesque and unpopulated Dampier Archipelago and Montebello Islands are another great destination for fishing, diving and swimming in sheltered bays. The Dampier Archipelago comprises 42 pristine islands, many with coastal cliffs, valleys, sand plains and turquoise lagoons, while the Montebello Islands is home to nearly 100 limestone islands surrounded by white sandy beaches and aquamarine waters. Top diving and snorkelling With thousands of kilometres of coastline, hundreds of nearby islands, abundant and varied marine life, a mix of tropical and temperate climates and numerous shipwrecks just offshore, the diving and snorkelling in Western Australia is unbeatable. Well-travelled divers will tell you that few experiences rival Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef for aquatic life and high water visibility. Wade into the refreshing water at Turquoise Bay and you're floating within a few metres of the reef. Or join a dive boat and dip deeper into this soul-searing underwater kingdom. The reef is home to abundant marine life including the world's largest fish, the whaleshark, dolphins, dugong, manta rays and turtles. Respect for the environment is the key to keeping the coral in pristine condition - more than 500 species of fish reflect every colour of the rainbow. Within easy reach of Perth, Jurien Bay, just a three-hour drive north of Perth, is the hub for a marine park stretching from Wedge Island to Greenhead. It's famous for its sea lions, and divers are fascinated by the limestone caves and overhang formations. Mettams Pool is a calm snorkelling spot within 30 minutes of Perth city, and is ideal for families and beginners. And just off the coast, at Rottnest Island, there's a range of undersea adventures - calm bays attract snorkellers, while boats provide access to the deeper seas. The Rottnest shipwreck trail tells stories of the 14 shipwrecks found along its coast - information plaques can be seen on the ocean bed. Cavernous reefs, seagrass meadows and even more shipwrecks surround the islands of Shoalwater Marine Park, just an hour south of Perth. You'll find more sea lions here, and penguins too. Further south at Dunsborough, about three hours away, there's the Destroyer Escort HMAS Swan - Western Australia's most famous prepared wreck, providing divers with a real adrenalin rush. The nearby Busselton Jetty has been described as Australia's greatest artificial reef and is host to an awe inspiring forest of vividly coloured tropical and sub tropical corals, sponges, fish and invertebrates. The Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory sits eight metres below sea level and gives a superb view of the marine life and coral. Further Afield Western Australia's largest prepared wreck is the HMAS Perth, sunk to 36 metres at Albany on the State's south coast. Or travel further east to Esperance - a great place to snorkel among sea-dragons. Here you can also explore the Sanko Harvest, which is rated one of the best dives along the Western Australian coast for advanced divers. The Abrolhos Islands near Geraldton are home to a thriving cray fishing industry, and also some of the most breathtaking diving sites in the State. Diving enthusiasts staying in Broome will want to visit the beautiful, untouched coral atolls of Rowley Shoals for heart-racing adventure. Access to this natural wonder is by boat only, with charter operators the best option due to the Shoals' remote location. Rafting and Canoeing Explore Western Australia's spectacular waterways on a raft, kayak or canoe. Float lazily down tranquil rivers, paddle into secluded coves or hurtle down wild whitewater rapids. In the South West region of the State, you'll find countless rivers winding their way through magnificent tall timbers. In Bridgetown, paddle through the calm, clear waters of the Blackwood River while surrounded by lush green forest. Or head to Walpole, where you can canoe along the Frankland River through national reserves and dense woodlands. Look out for an abundance of native flora and fauna along the banks as you silently glide along. Inland from Kalbarri, the Murchison River is an aviary of bird life - home to eagles, songbirds and wetland waders. In Northam, the Avon River offers a torrent of whitewater for those seeking a rafting adventure. If you'd rather leave this one to the experts, cheer on power and paddle craft from the sleepy green plains as competitors tackle the 133 kilometre course each August in annual the Multiplex Avon Descent. The Murray River also offers an exhilarating white water rafting experience for amateurs and seasoned rafters alike. To get up close and personal with the pristine Ningaloo Reef, be sure to indulge in a spot of sea kayaking. Pack a snorkel and flippers, so you can slip into the emerald lagoons and enjoy a mesmerising display of brilliant corals and rainbow-coloured fish. Sea kayak wilderness tours draw you into the heart of nature as you quietly traverse the coastline in search of dolphins, turtles and eagles. Camp in secluded spots under a myriad of stars to complete the experience. Trips to Monkey Mia take you into the Shark Bay heritage area, while at Seal Island and Penguin Island near Rockingham you can get within a whisker of sea lions, little penguins and dolphins. Sleep under starry skies Camping in Western Australia under the vast star filled sky is an adventure not-to-be-missed. Forget the famous creepy-crawlies (they tend to mind their own business out bush!) and revel in the fresh air, towering trees, friendly fauna and clear nights. There are three ways to camp - go back-to-basics under the stars, pitch a tent or enjoy the mod cons of a caravan park. If roughing it is your style pick up a map from CALM and find a free secluded camping spot in one of Western Australia's many forest areas. Here, you'll bunk down in a swag, bathe in freshwater pools, toast marshmallows around the campfire and enjoy a star-gazing session before drifting off into the best sleep you've had in years.And it doesn't cost a dime. Alternatively, you can pitch a tent at one of hundreds of camping grounds in Western Australia's private and national parks. You'll still be up-close-and-personal with nature but also enjoy basic amenities.Most parks feature individual tent sites, flushing toilets and barbecues. Expect to pay from AUD$5 per person to pitch a tent in a private or national park. At Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, which stretches from Bunker Bay to Augusta, spot migrating humpback and southern whales from craggy sea cliffs and windswept granite headlands. Explore a towering karri forest, two self-guided caves and endless walk trails. Then, at night, bunk down at Contoes, Point Road or Boranup campgrounds. At Cape Le Grand National Park, near Esperance, the wild coastal landscape is teeming with wide sandy bays, rugged granite cliffs, sweeping heathlands and untamed inland swamps. Explore by day and at night, pitch a tent at Lucky Bay or Le Grand Lucky Bay campsite in the Cape Le Grand National Park Beach camping grounds. Karijini National Park is the place for soaring red gorges and colossal waterfalls. This spectacular ancient landscape is home to bats, rock wallabies, red kangaroos, echidnas, dragons, huge termite moulds - and just one camping ground. It's called Savannah Campground and it's ten kilometres south of Weano. If you're after a little more luxury, check into an established caravan park. Western Australia sure has aged well. Blessed with one of the oldest landscapes on the planet, there are spectacular ancient sights - but not a wrinkle to speak of! Gorges, caves and rocks Giant craggy gorges, eerie caves and imposing rocks rise majestically from the unspoiled wilderness. The Kimberley region - which was once an underwater island - is still peppered with prehistoric fish fossils. Over at the Purnululu National Park - home of the mighty Bungle Bungle range - marvel over mammoth, heritage-listed black and orange domes, which were formed over 20 million years ago. See a 350 million year old fossilised reef at Windjana Gorge National Park, a thunderous white waterfall at Bell Gorge or an ancient coral reef at Geikie Gorge. At Karijini National Park, powerful rivers have carved towering gorges and secret canyons in the red earth - the area is teeming with waterfalls, rock pools and freshwater crocs. At Mount Augustus, you can view the world's largest rock. At 750 metres tall, it is visible for more than 160 kilometres and is twice the size of Uluru.Wave Rock is a Western Australian icon. At 14 metres high and 110 metres long, this imposing "wave-shaped" rock is over 2,700 million years old and is a chameleon of changing colours. Meanwhile, at another iconic landmark - the Pinnacles Desert - thousands of limestone pillars, believed to be at least 6,000 years old, rise up to three and a half metres tall from the shifting yellow sands. When it comes to caving, the Margaret River region is as revered for its caves as it is wine and surf. Mammoth Cave is home to ancient fossil remains of extinct animals, Lake Cave has a tranquil lake beneath the earth and Jewel Cave houses a mammoth 580 centimetre straw stalactite - the longest in any tourist cave in Western Australia. If you prefer being on top of the world, try abseiling down the sea cliffs at Margaret River or get the adrenalin pumping at Bluff Knoll, which is over a thousand metres above sea level. |
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