Experiencing WA: What to See & Do in Australia’s Most Rugged State

Did you know that Western Australia is four times the size of Texas and can fit all of Western Europe within its borders? Australia’s biggest state boasts the variety of half a continent too. Red dirt, white beaches, and green valleys can all be found in the southwest alone. 

Then there are the sights and experiences. The monolithic Pinnacles, the exotic Dampier Archipelago, and the rich wines of the Swan Valley. Simply put, Western Australia is a state to visit and revisit, so to make that first trip a little easier, here are some of the biggest attractions in the great Aussie west.

Explore Perth’s vibrant City Centre

For those visiting from interstate, chances are you’ll land at Perth Airport, meaning the city skyline will be your first close-up look of WA. That makes Perth explorations a natural starting point for your WA getaway!

Thankfully, there’s plenty to see and do in Perth year-round, thanks to the city’s rich events calendar, filled with cultural events like music festivals and theatre shows as well as local Fringe and other city festivals. The Perth Festival is also coming up in February 2025, so we highly recommend planning your WA trip closer to autumn – both to avoid hotter Dec-Jan weather and to make sure your itinerary is filled with festival events.

Just be sure to book your flights, accommodation, and finalise your domestic travel insurance well ahead of time! With these logistical considerations out of the way, you’re free to focus on traipsing around the Perth CBD, whether it be catching a theatre show, visiting the city’s waterside botanic gardens or the Perth Zoo, or even sailing up the Swan River to experience the city skyline from its serene waters.

Relax Over At Rottnest Island

Before you leave Perth to explore WA’s other secluded regions, you absolutely have to book a night or two in some Rottnest Island accommodation! A picturesque island destination, Rottnest is famous for two things: great scuba spots and of course, the island’s resident quokkas! 

Despite the wild echidnas, dingoes, and saltwater crocodiles, the chubby little quokka is the state’s most popular animal. They’re cute and charming, they’ve inspired many local photographers and even documentarians. And it’s also common knowledge that people visit from all over the world just to take a selfie with them. A selfie with a smiling quokka is just a must for most tourists visiting the state.

How do you explore Rottnest? Rent a cabin or a boat and stay at the island or take the ferry over and back for a day trip. However you do it, you’ll be sure to love the island vibes. And don’t be afraid to hire a bike and ride around the whole island – you’ll find more than a couple perfect picnic spots and secret beaches to hide away on.

Sunbathe at Cottesloe or Scarborough Beach

Tied for Perth’s most popular beach, both Cottlesloe and Scarborough promise white sands, lively cafes, and various attractions. Cottesloe Beach includes the Indian Teahouse, an icon of Perth perfect for photos, along with cafes, restaurants, rock pools, cliffs, and even a golf course. 

Scarborough, on the other hand, has a nightlife too. Bouncing clubs, beach dancing, and waterside bars and eateries. And if you’re travelling with family, both of these iconic local beaches also have plenty of space to relax, eat ice cream, or swim about, making for an unmissable time in the heart of Perth.

Visit Ningaloo Reef & the Coral Coast

If you’re going to swim anywhere in WA, you’ll want to go along the Coral Coast, where whale sharks, humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins can be spotted across the expansive western horizon. It’s a gem of a location with aquamarine waters and opalescent coral – not to mention it’s got tons of great spots to go fishing. In fact, many tourists come to WA just for the Coral Coast alone, whether that’s for fishing, scuba diving, or just to relax at one of the region’s many resorts.

Flex your Sommelier Skills in the Swan Valley

Unlike Australia’s other wine regions, the Swan Valley is incredibly easy to get to from the Perth Airport. Only ten minutes away, you can practically land in the vineyards and start sipping sherry. It’s wild to think that Australia’s most isolated capital also happens to be home to one of Australia’s most accessible and centrally located wine countries! 

What’s there to sample in Swan Valley? Well believe it or not but the valley actually has over 150 different vineyards, distilleries, and gourmet factories to visit, along with some popular local pubs and restaurants to relax in on your evenings. To get to the Swan Valley, you can drive, take a bus, or even a cruise along the Swan River up there – which is an adventure in itself!

Ride Camels in Broome

In the far north of WA is another tourist hotspot. Famous for its pearling industry, it has since become a place for international travellers from up north to pop in for a taste of the Aussie lifestyle. In fact, it’s so popular for this that it’s home to one of the state’s few international airports.

In Broome, almost everything is done by the beach. The harbour is home to many of its most popular restaurants, and it’s at the beach that you can have another iconic Western Australian experience– riding the camels along the beach. It’s literally the first image of Broome. 

The Dampier Archipelago & the Horizontal Falls

Home to red cliffs, green vegetation, and deep blue waters, the Dampier Archipelago is without a doubt one of Australia’s most beautiful locations. The jewel of these islands is the Horizontal Falls, a series of cliffs and islands that come together to form rushing waterfalls when viewed from above. 

To view these you can either take a seaplane or a boat cruise for the ultimate tourist experience that really lets you take in all that this stunning landscape has to offer. But don’t forget about Dampier’s other attractions. Fishing and seaside restaurants are abundant here, and the Murujuga National Park has gorgeous hiking trails to explore too.

Experience all that WA has to Offer

A list of all the Great Red West’s many attractions would be endless, so now that you know a couple of the highlights we’ve shared above you’ll be able to drill down on what you want from your trip. Fishing? Relaxing? Culture? Cuisine? Adventure? Whichever style holiday you’re looking for, there are whole towns and trips ready for you.

For example, the wine and cheese lover would fly into Perth, visit the Swan Valley then take a trip to the great southwest. Take a wine tour through Margaret River, cosy up by the fireplace in Denmark, and take a flight over Esperance’s Lake Hillier to see its bright bubblegum pink waters. So don’t let the thought of red dirt and the hot desert fool you, there’s plenty more to see in Western Australia for those who are willing to veer off the beaten track.