Perth & Western Australia Holidays

Where is Perth & Western Australia?
The state of Western Australia occupies the western third of the continent, with a long coastline bounded by the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean; its land borders are with the Northern Territory and South Australia. Australia’s largest state is colossal; if it was a country, it would be the world’s 10th biggest. Around 80 per cent of the population lives in and around Perth, the vibrant state capital in the south-west corner, whose airport provides links to the other main cities and to international destinations including the UK. The city can also be reached by rail from Sydney and Adelaide on the luxurious Indian Pacific.

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City lights
Most of the population of Western Australia lives in the south-west corner in and around the state capital, Perth. There’s plenty of urban fizz here in the form of galleries, restaurants and live music, among much else, but the city never feels frantic and there’s always a park, beach or even nature-reserve island with adorable furry inhabitants that you can escape to when you want a change of scene. A city in its own right, Fremantle is 25 minutes from central Perth on the coast and has UNESCO-listed heritage architecture, a hip creative offering and a relaxed food scene that covers the ground from laidback fish-and-chips joints to funky craft-beer bars.

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Isle of Quokkas
Lying 12 miles offshore from Perth, Rottnest Island provides the city with a slice of nature an easy ferry trip away. In this protected car-free environment, there are walking trails and bike tracks leading to secluded coves, shimmering white-sand beaches and stellar surf breaks. The most famous inhabitants of this Class A reserve are its quokkas: friendly cat-sized marsupials that look as if they’re permanently smiling – which is why they’re the stars of countless photographs. At certain times of the year, you might also be lucky enough to spot humpback whales, seals or dolphins, while below the waves the warm Leeuwin Current helps sustain corals, tropical fish and seagrass meadows.

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Coral Coast
Stretching for 680 miles from Cervantes in the south to Exmouth in the north, the Coral Coast region is bursting with pinch-me-I’m-dreaming sights, from bubblegum-pink lakes to otherworldly limestone pinnacles. It owes its name to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, an underwater wonderland that extends just a few feet offshore along the coast’s northernmost quarter. Divers and snorkellers will be in seventh heaven, not just for the vivid corals swarming with even more dazzling tropical fish but because of the whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales that glide through these waters at various times of the year. Back on land, there’s a string of talcum-soft beaches backed by dunes and rust-red desert where all you can hear is the waves.

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The untouched North West
The Kimberley region takes off-the-beaten-track to a whole new level. Almost twice the size of the United Kingdom, this northernmost part of Western Australia offers rugged ancient landscapes, memorable adventures and moments of sublime tranquillity. Its gateway is Broome, a multicultural town based around the pearl trade, where you can take a sunset camel ride along the beach, spot a rare snubfin dolphin and walk in the fossilised footprints of dinosaurs. Head into the wilderness in Kimberley’s sublime national parks; at UNESCO-listed Purnululu, the headline act is the striped rocky domes of the Bungle Bungle Range. The unpaved Gibb River Road runs from Broome to Kununurra through spectacular landscapes and is a classic 4WD road trip.

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Getting around
If you thrill to the thought of the open road, you’ll love driving in Western Australia. Hire a car to hop between secluded beaches, world-class wineries and remote nature reserves, pausing for the night in anything from Outback lodges to elegant hotels overlooking the sea – and all at your own pace. Another option is a luxurious campervan or motorhome, sleeping from 2 to 6 people; the state is blessed with gloriously scenic campsites and you can even book a pitch in a vineyard. Whichever you choose, you can follow one of the classic routes or let us tailor-make an itinerary suited to your interests.

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