50 amazing experiences in Western Australia
Western Australia is often touted as the best state in the country in terms of amazing sights to see, and experiences to be had. We might be a bit biased, but there are so many amazing things you can do here, and in this post we check out 50 of them:
Whale watching at Point Ann
There’s nothing quite like seeing a mother whale and her calf jump out of the water metres from the beach, and Point Ann in the Fitzgerald River National Park is one of the best places in Australia to see them from the shore.
The whales come into the bay to breed and find a slice of sanctuary, and its incredible to see how many pass through each day.
Swim in the turquoise water at Lucky Bay
Western Australia has some of the whitest beaches in the world, and Lucky Bay is probably the most well known. Despite being a bit on the cooler side for a dip, you won’t find many places that are more picturesque!
Drive up Callcup Hill
If you have a 4WD, and haven’t been to Yeagarup, put it on the list. Not only is the Warren River a spectacular place to check out, but conquering Callcup Hill is a lot of fun.
Find the sea eagle nest at Quoin Head
You’ll find a heap of amazing 4WD tracks in the Fitzgerald River National Park, but the track out to Quoin head is something else though, and just before the downhill descent is a big Sea Eagle nest that is well worth a look.
Swim with the whale sharks and manta rays.
There’s a heap of reasons why you should visit the Ningaloo Reef, in the areas of Coral Bay and Exmouth. One of the major attractions though, is the giant whale sharks that you can swim with. Part of the year you’ll be able to swim with Manta Rays, and then Whale Sharks, which can be up to around 12 metres long.
Camp meters from the water at Warroora Station
If you like remote, beach camping you are spoilt for choice up north. Warroora Station is our favourite though, with some of the best camping around.
Watch a sunset on Cable Beach
Not much compares to kicking back on a beautiful beach and watching the sun go down. In WA, we can do that every single day, but Cable Beach is one of the best beaches to do it at.
Climb to the top of El Questro Gorge
If you are into hiking, and are prepared to get wet, and suffer through a couple of hours of mind blowing scenery, you’ll find yourself at the top of El Questro Gorge; a truly magic location.
Do the Gibb River Road
There are plenty of iconic 4WD tracks in WA, and the Gibb River Road is one of the most well known adventures. At just under 700km in total length, this is just the beginning; you can do several thousand kilometres exploring all of the attractions, and they are some of the best that WA has to offer.
Make it to the top of Francois Peron National Park
One of our favourite National Parks in WA is Francois Peron, at the top of Denham, and not too far from Monkey Mia. There’s a heap of great DPAW camp sites, amazing red cliffs, brilliant fishing and some of the best lookouts around for seeing turtles, dolphins, sharks, dugongs and even whales
Explore the wildflowers at Coalseam Conservation Park
WA has some very unique wildflowers, and plenty of the amazing blooms. One of our favourite places to see the wildflowers close to Perth is Coalseam Conservation Park. Words and photos simply don’t do this place justice.
Cruise on Lake Argyle
Located literally on the WA border with the NT, Lake Argyle is the largest man made water body in the southern hemisphere. Home to more amazing creeks and wildlife than you can fathom the best way to really get a feel for the lake is to jump on a cruise, and to explore the area by boat. There’s plenty of options, and they are well worth it.
Kick back on a beach at Coral Bay
Despite its heavy tourism presence, Coral Bay is one of the most beautiful places in WA. The beaches in the area are warm, crystal clear and super inviting.
Canoe the river at Dwellingup
If you are a Perth local, you’ve probably spent some time at Lane Poole Reserve in Dwellingup. It’s the perfect location year round, with so much to do. Come winter though, and the kayaks and canoes come out, and people have a ball floating down the river and navigating the rapids. You need some skills and the right gear to do this, but set up correctly its a world class adventure.
Explore the 4WD tracks around Duke of Orleans
There’s more WA 4WD tracks to explore than you could do in months, but if it has incredible scenery like Duke of Orleans, it quickly goes to the top of the list. We’ve spent weeks camped in the Duke of Orleans area and always find something more to do.
Catch a salmon on the coast
Every year the WA Salmon run causes a heap of excitement amongst locals, and tourists. They run from around Albany up to Perth, and then turn back around and the fishing can be some of the best you’ll do in the Perth area off the coast.
Explore West Cape Howe by 4WD
There’s a heap of Albany 4WD Tracks, but West Cape Howe is a favourite of ours. The tracks start just before Shelley beach, pictured below and head to the southern most part of WA. You’ll find beautiful beaches, and some of the most insane and rugged coastline around, along with plenty of challenges in your vehicle.
Walk the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk
The giant forests in the southern region of WA are amazing to walk amongst on the floor, but there’s a special place where you can walk at the canopy level, and see these giant trees up close and personal. It’s a fascinating place, and worth a visit.
Visit Lake Jasper
We’ve got some pretty magic fresh water lakes in Western Australia, and one of the most popular is Lake Jasper, not far from Black Point. There’s lots of great 4WD tracks in the area, and the lake itself is beautiful.
Eat amazing food at Margaret River
In terms of reputation, the Margaret River region has a huge one. It’s got it all; from world class surfing, to caving, wine tours, spectacular camping and last but not least, food! If you are after some brilliant food, you can be sure to find a huge range of restaurants and wineries that will deliver in the Margaret River region.
Try the wood fired bread at Yallingup
There’s nothing quite like wood fired bread, and you can pick some up in between Dunsborough and Yallingup every day except Sunday. Get there quickly though, as it sells out fast!
Walk the Busselton Jetty
The Busselton foreshore has not long had a complete overhaul, with the amazing Jetty a huge attraction, and a great playground for the kids. The jetty is 155 years old, and just over 1.8 kilometres! You can catch the train out, and explore the underwater observatory at the end if you please.
Explore Rottnest Island
Pick a day where the weather is looking good, and get moving to Rottnest Island. There are ferries that go back and forth all day from a variety of locations around Perth, and the island itself is extremely picturesque.
Check out the Pinnacles at Cervantes
Cervantes is a quiet little town on the coast of WA, that is well known for Crayfish, Stromatolites and the Pinnacles, which are a unique rock formation and a major overseas tourist attraction.
Catch a crayfish at Horrocks
Horrocks is another beautiful coastal town in the mid north west of WA, and if you have cray pots, or know how to dive for them you can get a great feed pretty quickly.
Explore Murchison House Station
To put the size into WA into some perspective, on the other side of Kalbarri lies the Murchison House Station, which is twice the size of Singapore! With a huge amount of coastline and river frontage, along with hours and hours of 4WD tracks and plenty of history, you’ll have a great time enjoying this station.
Visit the Western most point of Australian mainland
One of the best land based fishing locations in WA is Steep Point; the western most point of WA. The trip out requires a 4WD, passing some bone jarring corrugations and plenty of sand but once you get there, its a place of beauty like no other.
Take a ride to Dirk Hartog Island
Steep Point is world class, and Dirk Hartog Island takes it to another level. You can only get there by barge, boat, or by flying in. With restricted numbers allowed on the island and some of the most remote beaches and coastlines around, you are guaranteed to find a slice of paradise here.
Bath in the artesian hot pools at Wooramel
Australia has some pretty incredible hot springs. You’ll find two at Wooramel Station, not far from Carnarvon.
Ride a helicopter over the Bungle Bungles
There’s quite a few Kimberley Helicopter Tours that you can do, and one of the more popular locations is at the Bungle Bungles. We spent 15 minutes in a little helicopter and had the time of our life. The perspective you get while driving over the bee hives is breath taking, and despite being very expensive we’d say it was worth it.
Walk the gorges at Karijini National Park
One of the most highly rated National Parks in the whole country is Karijini, and for good reason. With incredible hiking and some of the best waterfalls, gorges and swimming holes you’ll find anywhere people come from all over to enjoy it.
Visit the Dampier Peninsula
Broome is a special place, but if you head north even further, you’ll find a few locations that take it to a whole new level. Middle Lagoon, Cygnet Bay, Kooljaman and Hunter Creek are some of the best locations we’ve ever been to in terms of adventure, scenery and culture.
Cruise the horizontal falls
The horizontal falls are a highly rated natural phenomenon that occurs as the tides change in the Kimberley. There are a number of tours that take you through the horizontal falls while they are rushing, and the experience is unbelievable.
Check out the pink Lake
If you’ve never seen photos of the pink lake near Port Gregory, it is quite hard to believe. The lake is bright pink, and even the beaches in the area have pink beach sand!
Climb the Bicentennial or Gloucester Tree
The Pemberton region is a beautiful part of the world, and is home to a couple of huge trees that you can climb. The Dave Bicentennial Tree is a whopping 65 metre climb to the top, using nothing but your hands and feet on pegs that have been knocked into the tree. There’s a few places to stop on your way up, but even those who are good with heights will get a major adrenaline rush.
You aren’t strapped in, and there’s not much that would catch you if you fell!
Go caving at Margaret River
There’s a heap of stunning caves in the Margaret River Region, and different difficulty levels. For the average tourist a visit to any of the caves is stunning. If you want to push the boundaries a bit more though, you can do a variety of adventure caving tours where you climb through tiny gaps, and squeeze where few people get to go.
Tackle the downhill mountain bike trails
WA has a heap of brilliant downhill mountain bike trails. From Lane Poole Reserve through to Goat Hill, Collie, Denmark and Margaret River, you’ll find something to suit your level of skill.
See Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool
One of the most popular attractions in the Denmark region is Greens Pool, and Elephant Rocks. They are both spectacular, and with the upgrade that has recently finished it can be enjoyed by a huge number of people.
Snorkel the Ningaloo Reef
Despite the Great Barrier Reef getting much of the attention, I’ve met quite a few people who’ve said that the Ningaloo Reef is far better for snorkeling. Dive into the most amazing underwater world ever, with bright coral, sharks, a huge array of fish and some of the best coral bombies you’ll find anywhere.
Find a perfect beach all to yourself
If there’s one thing you can do in WA, its find yourself a slice of beach. You should be able to find somewhere there’s not a single soul for miles and miles, and the feeling is quite surreal.
Watch the sunset at Yardie Creek
Yardie Creek is a stunning location, and if you have the opportunity to watch the sun go down whilst on the walk trail, its absolutely worth it. You’ll see the rock wallabies come out and check out the amazing reflections; it really is incredible.
Explore Shothole Canyon and Charles Knife
The Exmouth region is fantastic, but so many people miss out on the attractions that are less well known. We absolutely loved Shothole Canyon and Charles Knife; it was scenery that we weren’t expecting and it is mind boggling.
Slip into the warm waters of Zebedee Springs
There’s nothing quite like sliding into the warm waters of Zebedee Springs at El Questro. With perfectly warm water that’s so clear you can hardly see it, you’ll be in paradise. Get in early, and head to the top pools where its warmest, and you have the most room.
Walk down shell beach
Not far from Denham lies Shell beach, made entirely of shells. You literally crunch your way down the ‘beach’ to the water, and they even mine them from here. The shells naturally wash in, and there are probably millions of them.
Do the Holland Track
The Goldfields region doesn’t get a lot of publicity, but the huge open expanses are some of the most peaceful you’ll enjoy. With a 4WD in spring, you’ll have an amazing time on the Holland track. Just avoid the big bog holes if you value your 4WD!
Take the 4WD track to Kalgans Pool
One of the most entertaining 4WD tracks we’ve done in the Pilbara is on the way to Kalgans Pool. The mines in the area pump water to this region, and you drive through what seems like endless little creeks before finally arriving at a pristine pool with spectacular views.
Explore the 60 best camp sites close to Perth
We have some amazing places you can spend a night or two near Perth, and right here on 4WDing Australia we wrote the 60 best camp sites close to Perth post; how many have you done?
Catch a painted crayfish in the Pilbara
The Western Rock Lobster might be the prized catch, but there’s something incredible about catching a huge painted crayfish for lunch or dinner. You’ll find these all over the Pilbara, and they are delicious with some garlic butter.
See the Mitchell Falls in person
The sound of thousands of litres of water rushing down the Mitchell Falls is truly something else. The drive out is pretty hard on your 4WD, and after a couple of hours hiking you’ll arrive at one of the most amazing scenes you’ll ever see. Catch a chopper on the way back if you like, and breathe in the Kimberley.
Appreciate the gorges in Kalbarri
Kalbarri has some of the best inland, and coastal gorges around. Couple them with the new skywalk, and coastal walk paths you are able to really get up and close.
