|
Perth: the capital city of the State of Western Australia, Perth sits beside the widest stretch of the meandering Swan River. Locals here enjoy a relaxed outdoors lifestyle. Perth is known for its wonderful white, sandy and uncrowded beaches, a sunny climate, friendly and hospitable atmosphere, great parks and gardens, National Parks and excellent dining. Within easy reach of Perth, Fremantle has lively street entertainment and a great cafe culture, as well as weekend markets.
The Kimberley: the Kimberley is a vast region, stretching from a dramatic coastline of islands, cliffs and sandy beaches facing the Indian Ocean to the west and the Timor Sea to the north, across gorges, escarpments, vast open plains, river valleys and cave systems to the arid Great Sandy Desert in the south and the Northern Territory in the east. The ancient Kimberley landscape is punctuated with astonishing gorges and waterfalls, spectacular cave systems, lush rainforest patches and abundant wildlife. It is like nowhere else on Earth. Wherever you go in the Kimberley, wildlife is visible and abundant. Bird life includes rare Gouldian finches and purple-crowned wrens, waders that have flown vast distances from places as far afield as Siberia and waterbirds that breed on the lagoons and lakes that form in the wet season. Huge turtles that spend most of their lives at sea, predatory fresh and saltwater crocodiles or startled kangaroos and wallabies hopping through the scrub can also be seen. Floral treasures include waterlilies, brightly-coloured wildflowers, pandanus trees and fan palms.
Esperance: located on the south coast almost half-way between Albany and the South Australian border in the state Western Australia, Esperance is known for its attractive beaches, offering surfing, scuba diving and swimming. Nearby Cape Le Grand National Park boasts a picturesque coast of largely granite terrain, and sheltered white sand beaches. The park is a popular spot for recreational fishing, as well as four wheel drive enthusiasts and hikers. Kangaroos are often seen lazing on the sands of Lucky Bay. Being 4 hours' drive south from the Goldfields mining town of Kalgoorlie, Esperance is a convenient get-away for weekends for its mine workers and their families. Unlike the rest of the Goldfields region, Esperance has a mediterranean type climate typically with hot dry summers and cool wet winters.
|
Margaret River: originally a quiet surfie town, Margaret River has evolved into the ultimate smorgasbord of good food, fine wine and spectacular scenery. in recent years, Margaret River has developed into WA's leading and one of Australia's top red wine producing regions. Famous for its wineries, Margaret River is also is an ideal base to discover the coastal scenery of WA's picturesque south-west corner. To its north, Yallingup offers great surfing and is also the home to the first of numerous underground caves, part of the cave system which works its way south to Augusta. Further south are the huge karri forests of Manjimup and Pemberton. There are many scenic drives through karri country, which are covered in wildflowers during the spring.
Rottnest Island: a small, unspoilt island offshore from Perth, Rottnest is the place where the locals relax and unwind. The island's coastline is picturesquely indented with many bays and inlets, which are a haven for boating and fishing and ideal and safe for bathing and snorkelling. A popular natural attraction are the island's cute, furry and friendly quokkas - small wallabies - which are unique to Rottnest. Colonial buildings have been adapted to provide shops and acommodation for visitors. Travel around the island is by bus, bicycles (they can be hired) or on foot - private cars are banned! A day trip is adequate to see the island; stay longer to take full advantage of the relaxed atmosphere.
Broome: the old pearling town of Broome has become the tourist gateway to the Kimberley region. Today the focus is on tourism, and after a decade of rapid expansion in that area, Broome has become one of Western Australia's most popular tourist destinations. It is from Broome that most travel into the Kimberley region begins. That having been said, Broome is not just a stepping off point to bigger and better things; the town, while still quite small and isolated, is a tourist destination in its own right, with some resort facilities. Broome has its own fascinating Chinatown comprised of colourful tropical timber buildings which, with the historic cable house and Japanese cemetery, are of historical interest.
|
Coral Coast: the Coral Coast and its hinterland, to the north of Perth, forms a vast area of contrasts. It is here where the desert literally meets the ocean, creating fascinating landscapes. The area is noted for its beautiful coastal stretches, fields of native wildflowers, rugged open spaces, abundance of wildlife and pleasant, small coastal towns. Covering approximately 1270kms of Western Australia's coastline, it stretches from Cervantes, north of Perth, to Exmouth on the north-west corner of Australia. Here you can swim with the world’s largest fish - the whale shark, snorkel from the beach to the stunning Ningaloo Reef, meet the dolphins of Monkey Mia and take in the unique rock formations of the Pinnacles.
Karijini National Park: one of Australia's most spectacular national parks, Karijini is haunting in its rugged, red beauty. The park is famous for its sheer gorges, waterfalls and cool swimming holes. Located in the heart of the Hamersley Range which dominates the Pilbara Region of WA, Karijini has a system of excellent walk trails of varying levels, for the beginner to the adventurous, which will lead you deep into the subterranean gorges and through waterfalls where you can dive into sparkling rock pools. Besides tourism, the main activity in the area is mining, centred at towns like Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Newman. Today the Pilbara economy is crucial to the State, providing two of the State's largest export revenue earners - iron ore and liquefied natural gas.
Albany: Western Australia's oldest town, Albany is also one of its most picturesque. The town is situated on the edge of King George Sound and the magnificent Princess Royal harbour, which offer one of the best natural anchorages in the Southern Hemisphere. Albany is renowned for its rugged coastal scenry. A much photographed feature is The Gap, a 24-metre drop to the sea, and the Natural Bridge, a monumental span of granite demonstrates the awesome power of the sea when a heavy swell is running. For many years Albany was a centre for a thriving whaling industry. Humpback whales are often seen off Middleton Beach between July and October. Albany's old Whaling Station is now and excellent whaling museum.
|
The city of Perth is the hub of the state of Western Australia, with all forms of transport radiating out from it.
Rail: Western Australia is linked to the eastern states by rail via the Indian Pacific, which departs from Perth and stops at Kalgoorlie before proceeding on to Adelaide and then Sydney. Between April and August and During the month of December, the service operates once a week in both directions. Between September and the beginning of December, and January to March, two services a week operate in both directions. The Indian Pacific's terminus is at East Perth.
TransWA operates a number of regional rail series: The AvonLink and MerredinLink provides a rail passenger service between Perth and town in the Eastern Wheatbelt.
The Australind provides two train services each way each day, including Sundays, between Bunbury and Perth
The Prospector provides daily rail services between Perth and Kalgoorlie.
- Perth - Kalgoorlie: 6 hours 35 minutes (via The Prospector)
- Perth - Bunbury: 2 hours 30 minutes (via The Australind)
- Perth - Adelaide: 1 day 19 hours (via Indian Pacific)
- Perth - Sydney: 2 days 20 hours 10 minutes (via Indian Pacific)
Air: All of Western Australia's international and interstate air traffic passes through Perth International Airport. The airport has immigration and customs processing facilities. The main routes followed are -
Intrastate
- Perth - Johannesberg: 10 hours 20 minutes
- Perth - Singapore: 5 hours 25 minutes
- Perth - London: 20 hours 45 minutes
Road (coach): Numerous operators provide coach services between Perth and Darwin via Geraldton, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Dampier, Proome and Kununurra.
TransWA provides coach services to a large number of localities with the southern section of Western Australia. Many of these services link with trains.
Road (private motor vehicle): WA's towns are linked to each other, and to towns and cities in other states by a network of well signposted, well maintained sealed highways and major roads which allow for easy travel between localities.
The major highways out of Western Australia are The Eyre Highway, which travels east from Norseman across the Nullarbor Plain to South Australia, and Great Northern Highway which links Perth to the Northern Territory via Meekatharra and the Kimberley region of WAy. It joins the Stuart Highway at Katherine.
In WA, the speed limit on the open road is generally 100 kilometres per hour and on some sections of freeway, 110 kilometres per hour. In WA, a driver’s licence from your home country or another Australian state will usually suffice for up to three months, as long as it has photo identification and it’s for the same class of vehicle you intend to drive. If you’re staying more than three months, you’ll need to get a WA drivers licence.
|
| Useful information for visitors |
Clothing
Australians in general dress casually, except for formal functions and venues. A jacket or warmer clothing is recommended for evenings and during the winter months. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended when touring regions where bushwalking activities are planned.
Banking
Banks in WA are generally open:
9.30 am - 4.00 pm Monday to Thursday
9.30 am - 5.00 pm on Fridays.
Shop trading hours
Mondays to Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursdays, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Many shops in the Perth central business district and some suburban shopping centres open on Sundays, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. In regional areas, including most of the larger towns, Sunday trading and Saturday afternoon trading beyond midday is rare.
| The Best Times to Visit WA |
Western Australia's famous wildflowers are in full bloom during the spring months (August to October). The weather is also at its mildest across the state then, particularly in the north, so spring is a popular time to visit the state.
Whale watching season is from June to October with both Humpback and the more special Southern Right whales can be seen all the way from the SA border to as far north as Exmouth. At certain places like Aibany and Augusta, they regularly come in close to shore for calving. Popular whale watching spots are Cape Naturaliste, Albany (Middleton Beach), Augusta (Flinders Bay, Cape Leeuwin), Esperance (Lucky Bay, in Cape Le Grande National Park (20 mins east of Esperance) Duke of Orleans Bay (approx. 1 hr east Esperance), Hopetoun (3hrs west of Esperance) and Cape Arid National Park (approx. 2 hrs east Esperance).
High humidity, cylones and thunderstorms are experienced every year from October until March in the tropical north, making travelling very uncomfortable, and many roads are cut due to floods and washouts. The dry season, from April to September, is the best time of the year to venture north of the Tropic of Capricorn, particularly if travelling by road.
South of the tropics temperatures can climb to uncomfortable heights during summer (December to February) but condition do get milder the further south you travel. The inland central region is semi-arid, so expect hot days and cold nights all year round, but with higher maximum and minimum temperatures in the sumer months.
The South West and Great Southern regions can experience cold at nights in winter, and rain is often never far away, but if you are prepared to take your chances, there are still plenty of fine breaks in between the showers and it is off peak, so there are some accommodation bargains to be had in places like Albany and Denmark.
Throughout the state, with high temperatures come the flies, so if you don't want to be bothered by flies while travelling, take along your insect repellent during in summer, or better still, delay you trip until March or later.
Due to its large size, Western Australia has one of the most diverse climates in the country, divided into three main climatic zones: tropical, semi-arid and Mediterranean. The north is tropical, characterized by a sunny dry season (April to September) and a wet season (October to March) with its humidity, heavy rains and thunderstorms. The dry season has ideal temperatures, with hot days and mild evenings.
Several tropical cyclones develop offshore during the northern wet season, which lasts from about December to March. They frequently move inland between Broome and Onslow, although occasionally they have traveled south of Perth before curving inland. Tropical cyclones can be highly destructive, but they are also beneficial, bringing widespread rain to otherwise parched inland areas.
The central part of the state falls within the semi-arid zone and consists mostly of deserts. A temperate, Mediterranean climate characterizes the south where the summers are warm and dry and the winters mild and wet.
Perth lies within this zone and the hot summer days are cooled by the strong afternoon sea breeze. Perth has a very low rate of humidity. Summer, from December to February, is warm to hot, sunny and dry, while winter, June to August, is mild and can be wet. In between, spring and autumn are fresh, sunny seasons which are an ideal time to visit Perth.
The hottest months are November in the Kimberley, December a little farther south, and January/February in the rest of the state. July is the coldest month.
|
|
Destinations - regional centres
Destinations - tourist
Experiences/Activities
Journeys - rail
Journeys - road
Journeys - cruises
Journeys - scenic flights
Journeys - hiking
Area
- Total: 2,645,615 km2 (1st)
- Land: 2,529,875 km2
- Water: 115,740 km2 (4.37%)
Population (2003)
- Population: 1,949,948 (4th)
- Density: 0.77/km2 (7th)
Abreviations
- Postal: WA
- ISO: 3166-2: AU-WA
Elevation
- Highest: Mt. Meharry +1,253m
Time zone: UTC+8 (AWST)
|
About Western Australia
 From its tropical north to temperate areas in its south-west corner, Western Australia encapsulates a wide variety of landscapes, flora and fauna and climatic conditions. With distance from the coast, rainfall decreases and temperature variations are more pronounced. The terrain ranges from the rugged ancient landcapes of the north and north-west to the agricultural plains of the south, and from temerate forest in the south-west corner to hot sandy deserts in the central east.
Mention wildflowers and most people think of Western Australia - and it is no wonder. With up to 12,000 species found within its borders and many unique to the State, Western Australia's wildflower season draws visitors from all over the world. The wildflower season ranks as one of Western Australia's most fascinating and precious natural treasures.
Western Australia's economy has been largely based on the extraction and export of mining and petroleum commodities, especially iron ore, alumina, natural gas, nickel and gold. Western Australia is a leading alumina extractor, producing more than 20% of the world's aluminium. It is also the world's third-largest iron ore producer, producing around 15% of the world's total iron ore output. Western Australia also extracts up to 75% of Australia's 240 tonnes of gold.
Although Western Australia has been occupied by the Aboriginal people for many thousands of years, the present state has its origins in the British settlement known as the Swan River Colony, founded at Perth in 1829. Since that time, many immigrants have continued to be of British origin, outnumbered only by arrivals from other Australian states. Western Australia was the last colony which accepted convicts, and the natives of Russia deported from England during the following years would arrive only there. Following World War II, immigration from Europe increased, especially from Italy, Yugoslavia, Russia,and Greece. In the 1970s, a new wave of Asian immigrants, mostly ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese began to arrive in Western Australia. Perth in particular paralleled the multicultural experience of other large Australian cities and has become home to people from most of the countries in the world.
|
