Rough Guides - Western Australia

Western Australia (WA) covers a third of the Australian continent, yet it has just 2.6 million residents. Conscious of its isolation from the more populous eastern states or indeed anywhere else WA has a strong sense of its own identity and a community that is very proud to call it their home. And well they should be. Western Australia offers an enticing mix of Outback grandeur, glorious coastal scenery and laidback living, and is attracting increasing numbers of tourists keen to break away from the East, as the rest of the country is known in these parts, in search of the real Australia.

Perth , the states capital and where most of Western Australias population is based, retains the leisure-oriented vitality of a young city, while the atmospheric port of Fremantle , really just a suburb, resonates with a youthful and somewhat boisterous charm. Both have seen extensive redevelopment in recent years and have never been more enticing. South of Perth, the wooded hills and trickling streams of the Southwest support the states most celebrated wine-growing region Margaret River , while the giant eucalyptus forests around Pemberton provide numerous opportunities for hiking and generally getting to grips with nature. East of the forests is the states intensively farmed wheat belt , an interminable man-made prairie struggling against the saline soils it has created. Along the Southern Oceans stunning storm-washed coastline, Albany is the primary settlement; the dramatic granite peaks of the Stirling Ranges just visible from its hilltops are among the most botanically diverse habitats on the planet. Further east, past the beautifully sited coastal town of Esperance on the edge of the Great Australian Bight, is the Nullarbor Plain , while inland are the Eastern Goldfields around Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the largest central urban area in this region and a hardy survivor of the century-old mineral boom on which WAs prosperity is still firmly based.

While the temperate southwest of WA has been tamed by increasing urbanization, the north of the state is where youll discover the raw appeal of the Outback . The virtually unpopulated inland deserts are blanketed with spinifex and support remote Aboriginal and mining communities, while the west coasts winds abate once you venture into the tropics north of Shark Bay , home of the friendly dolphins at Monkey Mia . From here, the mineral-rich Pilbara region fills the states northwest shoulder, with the dramatic gorges of the Karijini National Park at its core. An unmissable attraction on the states central coast aka the Coral Coast is the unspoiled and easily accessible Ningaloo Reef , the worlds largest fringing reef; those in the know rate it more highly than Queenslands attention-grabbing Great Barrier Reef.

Northeast of the Pilbara, the Kimberley is regarded as Australias last frontier. Broome , once the worlds pearling capital, is a beacon of civilization in this hard-won cattle country, while adventurous travellers fall in love with the stirring, dusty scenery around Cape Leveque and the Gibb River Road . The regions convoluted, barely accessible coasts are washed by huge tides and occupied only by secluded pearling operations, a handful of Aboriginal communities, a couple of luxury retreats, and crocodiles. On the way to the Northern Territory border is Purnululu National Park , home to the surreal Bungle Bungle massif one of Australias greatest natural wonders.

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WHALE SHARK, NINGALOO MARINE PARK

Highlights

Eclectic, energetic and full of charm make Freo your first port of call and slip into the sun-drenched WA lifestyle.

One of Australias leading regions for food and wine, Margaret River is the best place in the state to indulge.

Hike or cycle forest tracks, paddle the Blackwood River or drive among magnificent karri forests.

The friendly Monkey Mia dolphins are still top of everyones list, but theres much more to this incredibly biodiverse region.

Enjoy superlative snorkelling and diving plus new humpback whale swimming tours at the barrier reef without the barriers.

Experience exhilarating camping and canyoning in gorgeously gorge-ridden Karijini.

The stunning, untamed Kimberley is the countrys last frontier and a backdrop to real adventure.

Accessible only by 4WD or air, the striped beehive domes and narrow gorges of the Bungle Bungle massif make the trek worthwhile.