What are the top tourist 'Must sees' in Western Australia?

Question

I will be based in Perth in December and would like to do some more travelling in WA.

Answer 1

Going north...The Pinnacles are pretty cool, lots of weird rocks that were originally mistaken for an ancient city by sailors.

Monkey Mia - imho its a tourist trap, watching rangers feed dolphins whilst surrounded by tourists and children wasn't my idea of fun.

If you have travel time, Exmouth in the far NW is nice (2day drive or so), fantastic diving (better than Barrier reef according to some), lovely places to visit on the way like Shark Bay (watch sharks and manta rays from the cliffs), Coral Beach (awesome snorkeling among giant corals and turtles) Pink Lake I think is also on the way, its a...pink lake.

The Hutt River Province, this is a country within Australia run by Prince Leonard its not too far north of Perth.


Or south... go to Margaret River, great surfing, lovely country side can be a party town when the surf festivals are on.

Denmark, a small absolutely gorgeous little country town and further south Busselden and Banbury which are like 1950s English seaside resorts.

Also the forest in the south are great, HUGE Jurassic park Man ferns (ferns that are the size of trees) and Swamp gum trees that go up into the sky forever.

Cape Neuwin is good too, blowholes and rocky stuff, windswept crashing beaches.

Rotts Nest off the coast of Perth.


Note: Some of the more desolate places will be FILLED with flies in their millions, take a sarong, when there are too many flies wrap it around your head and upper board like an Arab Sheikh, then put your sunglasses on so your face is almost covered. Its that or buy a fly net hat. The pinnacles and Cape Neuwin have so many flies the person walking in front of you will have a big black patch on their back where all the flies are drinking the sweat off them and you are constantly swishing your hands about your face.

Answer 2

You've had some good answers so I'll just give you my absolute favourites as a local:

1) Rottnest - our holiday island off Perth. If times slow in Perth then it's sloooooow on Rottnest. Perfect to unwind and get in the holiday mood.
2) Margaret River region. Paradise. Also see the forests further south.
3) Kalbarri. Perfect little holiday bay north of Perth. See the pinnacles and stop at Dongara on your way.

Further north will be getting pretty hot in December but Shark Bay and Coral Bay are worth seeing if you're up for a road trip. Also if you can get inland from Coral Bay to Karinjini National Park if you haven't seen much of the 'outback'.

Answer 3

I do not know where you are coming from. But I am formally from Sydney. I have been here for 10 years. The first thing you see is how slow things are over here. Perth is like a large country town. I love going down south to Margaret River, Augusta and Bussellton. If you go up north in December it is going to be very hot. There are so many different things to see, it just depends what you like.
I must say if you are coming from Sydney and you call the meat devon,,,,,well it is polony over here.
Good Luck

Answer 4

You could go to Cable Beach for a few days, one of the best in the world. Although it's about a 2 hour flight from Perth, not much to do there but if you go take factor 100! Ayers Rock is worth a visit but probably a bit too far for you, as more in the Northern Territory.

Answer 5

Karlgoorlie is worth a visit for a couple of days. Monkey Mia is pleasant and relaxing and you get to swim and feed dolphins. On the way there, stopover at the Pinnacls - not worth staying there the night but ok an hour or two if you're driving between Perth and Monkey Mia.

Answer 6

Feeding dolphins is quiet exciting, I think.