Australia's largest state, now with daily non-stop flights, offers a mix of nature and coastal experiences, including World Heritage-listed national parks, swimming with dolphins and even the country's whitest beach.
Western Australia truly is a state full of record-breaking wonders - and we're not just talking about wide open spaces in the wide blue yonder. The astonishing statistics start right in the middle of the state's capital city of Perth.
Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, on Mount Eliza, is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world - at more than 988 acres it's larger than New York's Central Park. Showcasing some of the world’s most rare flora, here you will find towering trees, natural bushland, lakes, grand lookouts and sculpted botanical gardens.
Sandstone kasts of the Bungle Bungle Range have been 20 million years in the making
The Bungle Bungle Range in the World Heritage listed Purnululu National Park, in the Kimberley region in the far north of the state, is unique and has been many millions of years in the making. The range is by far the most outstanding example of cone karst in sandstone - this is where quartz sandstone has been eroded over a period of 20-million years into a series of beehive-shaped towers or cones. Flying over or camping in the range is an exhilarating experience.
Now heading for the state's north-west coast, Ningaloo Reef is one of the best places in the world for swimming with the largest fish in the sea, the gentle whale shark which grows up to 52 feet long. Ningaloo is one of very few regions in the world where Whale Sharks gather regularly in coastal waters and are easily accessible to visitors.
Swimming with a whale shark is an experience to remember, at Ningaloo Reef
On this coast is Monkey Mia, renowned for its amazing wildlife ritual, where dolphins come close to the shore every day to the delight of visitors. It's one of the best and most reliable places for dolphin interaction in the world – the dolphins visit almost daily, not just seasonally, and have been carrying out the ritual for 50 years.
The vibrant port city of Fremantle boasts the world's best-preserved example of a 19th century port streetscape, with its heritage buildings and a fascinating maritime and convict history. Here you can soak up the laid-back ambience, chill-out in a street café, enjoy fish and chips fresh off the boat at Fishing Boat Harbour; or enjoy a cleansing pale ale at an award-winning micro-brewery.
The wine region of Margaret River is the perfect spot to recharge your batteries
Margaret River Wine Region is the only wine area in Australia where you can experience stunning beaches, tall-timber forests, premium wineries, world-class surfing and caves all in the one place.
The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, 10 minutes north of Walpole on the state's south coast, is the first walk trail of its kind in the world. At 600-metres long and 40-metres above ground, it has been specially designed to minimise impact on the forest. Walking amongst the tall forest trees is a breathtaking experience.
Near Esperance, also on the south coast, Lucky Bay is Australia’s whitest beach and rated one of Australia’s best, with clear turquoise water and perfect swimming conditions.
The Pinnacles is regarded as one of Australia’s most spectacularly unusual landscapes. You can walk amongst these incredible limestone spires that rise eerily out of the sand, some several metres tall. It’s the only place in Australia like it.
Karijini National Park is home to some of the oldest rock formations in the world, dating back four billion years. It's one of Australia's largest and most stunning national parks, with amazing gorges and waterfalls.
Western Australia has one of the longest whale-watching seasons in the world, running from June until December and stretching the length of its coast. The largest population of Humpback Whales in the world migrate along the pristine waters of the Kimberley coast, using the area as a breeding and calving ground. In many places you can see whales from shore, or join one of the many whale-watching tours.
Unique to Rottnest Island, amongst many creatures, is the cute looking Quokka
Rottnest Island boasts some of the finest beaches and bays, as well as unique animal and plant life. A short ferry ride from Perth, Rottnest is a car-free zone and home to the world famous quokka, a marsupial found only in this extraordinary state.
First published in the Mail Online - January 2020
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