Western Australia Attractions
Perth: Situated on the Swan River, Perth is the capital of Western Australia with all the modern luxuries and only minutes from the city are beautiful beaches to spend your holiday on. Also known as "The City of Lights," Perth enjoys a Mediterranean climate and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and reserves.
The long, wide streets of central Perth follow an orderly grid pattern. Perth Railway Station is located next to the major east-west avenue, Wellington Street, south of which lies the city proper, extending for five blocks down to the lake-like expanse of the Swan River. The central shopping and business areas together with historical buildings including two cathedrals, His Majestys Theatre and Government House, are located here.
North of Wellington Street is Northbridge, home to important museums, galleries and the hub of the citys nightlife. Perths location and warm and dry climate (the best of any Australian state capital, with hot summers and mild winters) favour outdoor pursuits. Inner-city parks and gardens are a delight, most notably Kings Park, which offers excellent views of the city and the river.
To the east of the city lies a pleasant rural hinterland, while just minutes to the west is the Indian Ocean and long, white, sandy beaches extending for many kilometres along the Sunset Coast. A stop at nearby Fremantle, regarded the best-preserved 19th-century port in the world, is an essential part of any visit to Perth.
Fremantle: a bustling port town less than half an hour from Perth. It is famous for its night life, pubs and coffee strip centred around the quaint harbour complex. Fremantle today retains much of its old charm. Situated at the mouth of the Swan River, Fremantle has picturesque old buildings and a wide cultural diversity.
Fremantle is Western Australia's major commercial port and handles the majority of the State's imports and exports. Within easy walking and cycling distance, visitors can experience contemporary circus, fine crafts, original music and theatre, exciting galleries, museums, bookshops and buskers. Along with maritime history and extensive architectural conservation, the Arts have become a central part of Fremantle life where visitors can discover the past and present.
Rottnest Island: Western Australia's very own island holiday getaway, has a casual atmosphere and picturesque scenery. You will witness some of the world's finest beaches and bays, located just 19 kilometres off the coast of Fremantle. Cycling is popular on the island and is a great way to get around and see everything. Also popular are fishing, snorkeling and diving. There is some beautiful coral around the island which you can see from various points, as well as a number of shipwrecks.
Monkey Mia: No holiday to Western Australia would be complete without seeing and experiencing the feeding of the dolphins. Monkey Mia’s beautiful beach is the only readily accessible beach in Shark Bay sheltered from the prevailing breeze. The dolphins are wild, native to the area and yet visit of their own accord up to three times per day all year round.
Broome: is a small town where the bush meets the sea. The town grew out of the discovery of the world’s largest pearl shell - Pinctada Maxima - attracting hundreds of people like a gold rush. Pearling still remains a thriving industry and the world famous South Sea pearls feature in Chinatown's string of pearl galleries. Broome's climate is also something to boast about with warm sunny days, balmy nights and spectacular storms during the tropical summer season.
Broome is also renowned for the magical Cable Beach. Cable Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia and famous for its unforgettable sunsets. The coastline of Australia's North West near Broome is quite breathtaking with notable landmarks including Gantheaume Point with it's dinosaur footprints and Anastacia's Pool. The contrast between the tropical blue water and the coloured rocks lining the shore is a great sight.
The Kimberley region: of Western Australia has extraordinary grandeur, colour and contrast. Wild and wonderful, the Kimberley is one of the world's last great wilderness areas. Covering more than 420,000 square kilometres (261,000 miles), an area three times the size of England, it is home to only 25,000 people. With wide horizons, ancient gorges, picture-book rock pools and pristine beaches, it is a special place that will linger in your mind long after you have left.
It has beautiful waterfalls, pockets of tropical rainforest, cool water holes, lots of Aboriginal art thousands of years old and a surprise round every corner. The Kimberley has a tropical monsoon climate. During the "wet season", from November to April, the region receives about 90% of its rainfall. In the "dry season", from May to October, south easterly breezes bring sunny days and cool nights.
Don't miss the Bungle Bungle Range, in Purnululu National Park, south of Kununurra. It is one of the most fascinating geological landmarks in Western Australia. The orange and black stripes across the beehive-like mounds, encased in a skin of silica and algae, are clearly visible as you approach from the south. As you sweep further over the range, a hidden world of gorges and pools is revealed, with fan palms clinging precariously to walls and crevices in the rocks.
Margaret River: Deep in the South West Region, it is ideally located between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin. As the focus of the entire area, the wine region is officially known as "The Margaret River Wine Region". Margaret River is an inland town situated near the west coast of Australia's South West tourist region. The River flows west to the Indian Ocean and runs nearby the town of Margaret River and the Margaret River Wine Region from which they take their names.
Thousands of surfers visit the town year round to experience the marvellous surf breaks that litter the ocean around Margaret River. The coastline around Margaret River experiences excellent surfing conditions. World renowned for their size, surfers from around the globe trek here annually in search of Hawaiian style surf, which they often find. Most reef breaks are within easy swimming distance from the shore.
