Western Australia

[Prawn_86]

Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants (10% of the national total), 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state. The people of Western Australia are often colloquially referred to as sandgropers, the common name of an insect found on sand dunes around Perth.

[Prawn_86]

I believe Bronte resides in Perth, which i hear is a beautiful city.

What are some of your recommendations for visitors to Perth Bronte (or others)?

[Bronte]

Hiya Prawny,
I do live in beautiful Perth, W.A.
So many wonderful places to visit.
Kings Park,Fremantle,Rottnest Island,City beaches....
Our Southwest...Dunsborough,Margaret River,Augusta,Pemberton,Denmark,
Albany,Bridgetown,Mount Barker...Porongurups etc :)

[Prawn_86]

Are you from Perth originally?

If not why did you decide to settle there?

[Bronte]

After two years on the road..
motorcycle through USA
old Pontiac through Canada
bus/train/ferry through Asia/NZ/Oz
backpack/YHA/tent elsewhere..
over 50 cities later, found Perth
That was twenty years ago now.
We are both from northern England.
Found Perth and loved it...no regrets :)

[Prawn_86]

Wow, you must have some stories. Thats a hell of a lot of travel you have done

Feel free to tell us about your travels in the appropriate threads :)

What was it that attracted you to staying in Perth?

[Bronte]

Thanks Prawn, (very nice forum, well done :))
It was the unlimited sunshine, space and friends.
We also had no money, so we had to stop and work.

[Prawn_86]

We also had no money, so we had to stop and work.


ahh yes, that will do it :)

I have a good friend in Karatha, which i know is nowhere near Perth, but thats the closest person i know there...

[chrissylewis03]

i lived in fremantle for a year, i'll never forget that haunting old jail i did a tour of and the scary stories they told us about it. i think fremantle is good for that sort of thing.

another thing i remember distinctly about WA was the wild flowers (i know, a bit sappy) but they were amazing.

i haven't been back since for some reason, i have always wanted to tho!

[INDOVAGANZA]

I have been to Perth, twice..
The city is quite compare to Sydney & Melbourne..
But it's beautiful city.. I love the lake (I don't remember the lake's name) but the views was so awsome :)
I also went to Albany, very quite, very cold.. but have beautiful beach :)
I also went for sea tour in Fremantle. Would love to go there again.

[Smurf]

I've never been to WA and know nothing about the place apart from the basics (eg they have a big mining industry, only one substantial city, lots of natural things to see - but not sure exactly where).

So if I turn up in Perth, then what do I do apart from seeing the city sights etc?

I'm interested primarily in things other than bush / wilderness etc since I live in Tasmania and we've got plenty of that here. :)

Any man-made things worth doing? Tours to go on? Nightlife? Anything else?

Also, when is the best time of year to go? Not just in terms of weather, but with events on, things happening etc? :confused:

[Prawn_86]

TENSIONS over a proposal to develop the untouched barrier reef of Ningaloo in Western Australia have reached boiling point amid efforts to fast-track its World Heritage listing.


http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,24882823-5014090,00.html

My old man said he went to Nigaloo about 20 yrs ago before it was a known tourist destination, he says it was amazing

[2BAD4U]

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,24882823-5014090,00.html

My old man said he went to Nigaloo about 20 yrs ago before it was a known tourist destination, he says it was amazing

I lived up there for a while and it is absolutely god's country. Think I will retire back up there.

Smurf -

Plenty of tours just depends on what you like. Best time to visit October to March (December and Jan can be hot). Summer time brings out the outdoor festivals, cinema's, horse racing, etc.

If you like wine or surfing - head south (Margaret River way)
If you like fishing - head north to god's country
Nightlife - I would suggest Fremantle

[Dredgy]

Western Australia is an underrated state. I have a shop in Fremantle, which is a lovely town. Perth is a fantastic, beautiful city. If you are there, go up the Bell Tower (fantastic view of Swan River) and the Perth Zoo is worth a visit. The shopping in Perth is nothing like the other capital cities though, even Darwin has it licked.

There are some worthwile towns to visit down south - the wineries around Margaret River are interesting and if you get anywhere near Pemberton, you have to climb the Gloucester tree - some greart views.

Snorkelling off the Busselton Jetty is well worth it - you get all sorts of things, such as Cuttlefish, trout. Of course if you can't snorkel, go to the underwater observatory.

Wave rock is too far out of the way to be worth it, but it is neat when you get there.

Esperance was nothing memorable, the museum didn't tickle my interests but there was an awesome seal at the jetty. Albany was underwater when I was there in 2005, but Whale World is definitely worth a trip and if you are heading to SA, you have to cross the Nullarbor plane.

Moving up North...anything inland is a hole. Meekatharra, Newman, Kunnanurra etc.
Geraldton is a nice city, and when I was living in South Hedland had the closest KFC (1400km away). Exmouth is nice to look at, but lacks any real substance - better to stay in Coral Bay. The Ningaloo (IMO) is more exciting than the Great Barrier Reef, nowhere else in the world can you snorkel with Whale Sharks and Manta-Rays. Or just go off on the beach and swim with massive schools of snapper, turtles and rays. Steer clear of Onslow though.

Carnarvon is lovely - small and rusty, but lots of bananas and a rather large jetty.

Karratha is a bit dogy, but Dampier (around 10k out) is lovely. Nice field right on the beach with some palm trees that are great fun to climb, and Chiton's stuck to every rock.

Port Hedland - lived here for 3 years. It's a hole. Really it is. The Lodge does good food, and the airport is quite interesting (regular visits from an Antonov An-124) and there is a petrol station between South Hedland and Port Hedland which has a collection of locomotives, tractors and other old machinery (which you are able to climb all over). Doing a tour of the BHP plant is well worth it and there is a fantastic picnic spot called 'the old well'.

Broome is lovely. Stay at the Cable Beach Resort and eat at the Cable Beach Sandbar and Grill (right on the beach). If you have a wife or girlfriend, take her for a sunset camel ride - there is nothing more romantic than plodding along a beach at sunset watching the camel in front of you take a dump every four seconds.

South of Broome is 80-Mile Beach, which is great for fishing, off-roading and shell collecting. There is also a general store, and the only accomodation is at a caravan park.

Marble Bar is also worth a visit (though only if you actually visit the "Marble Bar").

Derby - go there. Especially to tunnel creek. When my girlfriend and I were there we waded through it ourselves with just two torches and you see some fantastic stuff. We got to see a 3 metre olive python digesting a bat, got covered in Guano and my girlfriend nearly stood on a freshwater crocodile. While you're at Derby, do a seaplane tour out to the horizontal waterfalls and take a boat over them, it's a great experience and you can see massive crocodiles everywhere. The gorges around Derby are awe-inspiring, and again there are freshwater crocs everywhere.

[white_crane]

I was thinking of going to Perth (and some other areas around WA) around October. I'm just wondering if this is a good time to visit - eg weather, wildflowers, wineries, tourist numbers etc.

[buddinghealth]

Bit of a random question - but has anyone heard of a bike ride that you can do from Perth all the way down to Albany and across further. There are places to stay along the way and the route winds through a forest - I heard about it a while ago but can't find details of it now!

[chithanh119]

My wife and I would like to visit Western Australia and we will land in Perth. Does anyone know how we can see more along the coast? We would like to stay at the Backpacker Lodges to experience the real Aussie warmth. Thanks for your help!

[kennas]

Lots of great things to see along the coast, it's the long distances which are the trouble. The Margret River area is amazing, Broome incredible, and Nigaloo Reef some of the best diving in the world and one of the few places to swim with the Whale Shark.

[ck10_9]

We went to WA for a couple of months during our road trip loved it
Swimming with whale sharks the highlight

[Prawn_86]

We went to WA for a couple of months during our road trip loved it
Swimming with whale sharks the highlight

Hi CK,

Welcome to ATF :) Feel free to introduce yourself here... (http://www.aussietravellersforum.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=41)

Was it at Ningaloo you swam with the Whale sharks?

[ck10_9]

Yeah it was at Exmouth - a 30th Birthday pressie!
Awesome experience and wel l worth the money

[inenigma]

I was surprised by the number of micro breweries in WA, especially down Margaret River. Though I must say my favourite was "Raging Bull" at the Bootleg Brewery. The Colonial Brewery was nice as well. Some nice caves in Margaret River as well.

[Prawn_86]

I was surprised by the number of micro breweries in WA, especially down Margaret River. Though I must say my favourite was "Raging Bull" at the Bootleg Brewery. The Colonial Brewery was nice as well. Some nice caves in Margaret River as well.
Yeh i have heard there are a heap of micro breweries down in the south of WA. Feel free to comment in the beer thread if you want also :)

Do you know what the names of the caves were?

[inenigma]

Do you know what the names of the caves were?

Lake, Mammoth & Jewel, (he says after looking it up...) we strolled around the Mammoth cave for a while,but, I'd prefer to tell you the names of all the craft breweries in south-west WA...... (off he goes in search of the brewery thread...)

[vulan1289]

Australia is very attractive to me...

[bazza]

I went out with a sandgroper once... haha
But i've never been to Perth or crossed the Nullabor but it's on my list of things to do - and soon!

[buddinghealth]

This is probably changing the subject a bit but sometime told me about a bike path that goes from Perth, slightly inland all the way down to Albany - there is huts to stay in and it winds through the forest. I would love to have a go some day.

[thebadmilk]

Dont miss Broome guys its stunning..anyone else stayed at Matsos brewery? Good times

[jayarr]

hi guys can you suggest beautiful place at western Australia? i wanted to take vacation together with my family.

[corina]

Hi there,
I had been wanting to go to Western Australia my whole life and finally went in September. It was amazing! I spent a week in Coral Bay and saw such a diversity of sea life, then spent a few days in Fremantle enjoying the food, then about a week in Perth (again enjoying the food!). I highly recommend going to WA for a peaceful, relaxing, laid-back experience.
Corina

[brclarke]

I went to Perth last year, I really like the Cottesloe beach. Nice to swim and has a good selection of cafes / coffee shops and places to eat. There is a pub there also which I believe is the happening place especially during this weather.

____________________
Te Aroha (http://www.tearohanz.co.nz/)

[Prawn_86]

Welcome Elembe :)

As a local what would you suggest a tourist should check out in Perth (aside from the Little Creatures brewery? ;) )

[Aaron Schubert]

G'day guys,

I have grown up in Perth, and spend a lot of time travelling and camping. There are plenty of tourist attractions in Perth, depending on what you are interested in.

Most people will visit:

- Kings Park
- Fremantle
- Rockingham
- Cottesloe Beach
- Serpentine
- Swan River in various places
- Mandurah
- Araluen
- Perth Zoo

There is a lot more to see, depending on your time frame

Feel free to shoot me any questions!

Aaron

[Prawn_86]

Welcome Aaron,

Always good to have a local in the area for members to ask questions.

[surf17]

3 week Abrolhos - Coral Coast - Karijini - Kimberley trek in September - October 2011

I visit Australia for half a year

If you are interested in this trek, sharing 4WD car rent and accommodation, hit me up

[stevenson]

If want a long and winding roadtrip with a view, the coast of Western Australia could be just what you’re looking for. Lonely Planet author Virginia Jealous is your expert in the passenger seat...