Western Australia

At Ningaloo Reef you can swim with the world’s largest fish – the whale shark and snorkel with manta rays. In the south west you can walk explore forests of ancient and giant trees. In the north you can sleep under a canopy of stars or explore the strange beehive-like formations of the Bungle Bungles with the help of an Aboriginal guide.

Western Australia is famous for its long days of sunshine, spotless blue skies and brilliant beaches and it is such a huge place that no matter what time of year you travel there is always plenty of sunshine. Perth, the state’s capital is an easy-going place of simple pleasures – sailing on the Swan River, strolling in Kings Park and enjoying a sunny afternoon sipping a cold beer at an open-air pub.

The south west is known for its world class wineries, luxury accommodation and forests of tall trees. These taper off to a ribbon of coastal hinterlands of sheltered bays and rivers, often lined with massive granite boulders and stunning outlooks. Twelve hundred kms north of Perth, Ningaloo is a 280 km long ‘fringing’ coral reef skirting the Cape Range peninsular. It is place of profound biodiversity including 500 fish species, 300 coral species, 600 mollusc species and many other marine invertebrates. At certain times of the year travellers can spot Humpback whales and swim along side whale sharks, dugongs, loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles and manta rays.

In the far northwest, the Kimberley is an ancient landform of rugged ranges with deep, spectacular gorges and pristine sandy beaches that fringe the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. This area has fewer people per square kilometre than almost any other place on earth but it is home to a huge variety and quantity of wildlife. The Kimberley is also home to the remarkable Bradshaw and Wandjina paintings, usually found together and near permanent water holes. The Bradshaw paintings, dated at more than seventeen thousand years old, are amongst the most ancient rock paintings on earth.

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