Western Australia (WA) covers some 2,525,500 km², or the entire western third of Australia, making it the country's largest state. WA measures 1621 km from east to west and extends some 2391 km north-south. Desert areas isolate it from the population and power centers in the east of the country. As a result, the feeling that WA is somehow different from the rest of Australia has been enhanced. Western Australia is a state of huge contrasts. There are modern cities, filled with people and wide, barren landscapes, where nobody ever set foot.
WA is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west, South Australia and the Northern Territory to the east, the Timor Sea to the north and the Southern Ocean to the south. It is home to almost 2 million people, although some 75% of them live in the state-capital of Perth.
In the southwest of the state is a small, fertile coastal strip, but it quickly gets drier and more barren the farther north and east you go. The jarrah forests in the southwest boast more than 3000 species of wildflowers, many of which are unique to the region. There are also numerous animals in WA, including dunnarts, echidnas, kangaroos, numbats, possums and quokkas. WA's most famous bird is the black swan, which is also a state symbol. Most of WA's interior is composed of the Great Sandy Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Great Victoria Desert, while the very inhospitable region of the Nullarbor Plain runs from the Great Australian Bight to the Timor Sea. In the extreme north of the state is the wild and rugged Kimberley.
Most people come to WA for its wildflowers. The wildflower season is at its best from August to November and you can find the flowers almost anywhere in the state, although the jarrah forests in the southwest are famed for their huge variety of wildflowers.
Western Australia has several different climates. The north of the state is tropical and has hot, sticky, wet summers and warm dry winters. From May to November, the nights are usually cool and crisp and the days are sunny with blue skies. The desert areas in the center of the state have hot, dry summers and mild, dry winters and the Mediterranean climate of the south has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
One of the most important events in WA is the huge Festival of Perth, which takes place in February. It features local and international performers from all artistic disciplines. In August, the Asiatic Shinju Matsuri (Festival of the Pearl) is held in the old pearling port of Broome. The festivals lasts a week. In September the Royal Perth Show takes place, while the West Australian Folk Festival later that month, provides a weekend of music and dancing in Toodyay in the Avon Valley.
Perth is the state-capital of Western Australia. Other interesting towns and cities include Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Hyden and Kalgoorlie. Some areas that should not be missed when visiting WA are the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Karijini National Park (Hamersley Range National Park), Monkey Mia, Northwest Cape, Pinnacles Desert (Nambung National Park), Shark Bay World Heritage and Marine Park, The Kimberley and The Southwest.
The Stirling Ranges and Porongurup national parks, north of Albany, are excellent for bush walking. In the south and southwest of the state are nice coastal walks. They include Cape Le Grand, Fitzgerald River, Walpole-Nornalup and Cape Arid. Rougher hiking country can be found in the Kalbarri and Karijini national parks, farther north.
The best areas for surfing are Denmark, near Albany, the region around Bunbury and Geraldton and the stretch between Cape Naturaliste and Margaret River in the southwest. Esperance, Albany, Rottnest Island, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Carnarvon and Exmouth offer good diving possibilities and the entire coast of Western Australia is good for swimming.
In the southwest of the state you can enjoy whale watching. Between July and September there's a good chance on seeing the animals. In Albany, you can book trips to the bays and coves of King George Sound, to see southern right whales. May and manta rays can be seen at several locations between July and mid-November. Boat and air charters can be arranged in Exmouth.
If you want to explore WA's outback, should rent a 4WD vehicle and set out on the Canning Stock Route, the Warburton Road, or the Gun barrel Highway.
Most visitors to Western Australia arrive by air at Perth, which sits at the center of the state's comprehensive air network. Buses connect Perth with Darwin and have stops in all major towns along the coast. There are also bus connections across the Nullarbor to Adelaide. WA's internal state has only two lines. They connect Perth with Kalgoorlie and Bunbury. The best way to explore Western Australia is by car. Highway 1, which hugs the coast and the Northern Highway, which runs inland between Perth and Port Hedland, are the region's two main thoroughfares.
Most towns in Western Australia have restaurants and hotels.
Travel Guides for Western Australia
Find a flight to Western Australia