EmmaWestern Australia is a state I know all too well. I lived there for over a year and spent over a month of my time travelling around the place.
Baring this in mind, I thought I’d uncover some of the most interesting and beautiful places that Western Australia has to offer.
Contents
- Dunsborough
- Albany
- Fremantle
- Gwalia Ghost Town
- Margaret River
- Broome
- Karijini National Park
- Francois Peron National Park
- Rottnest Island
- Augusta
1 – Dunsborough
During my time in Western Australia, I visited Dunsborough once, then returned to spend a week here with my partner’s family – my stay was kindly gifted from them. During this time we stayed at Whalers Cove, which was a beautiful modern cabin!
Our residence for the week was conveniently located on the beach front, and it wasn’t far from Dunsborough itself, which had lots of shops to browse around, and a selection of lovely eateries. On our way home, we went south first have a stroll around Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.
2 – Albany
On the south coast of Western Australia is the port city of Albany. It is most notable for being the oldest city in WA, when it was first established on Christmas of 1826. It was first discovered by the British who docked from the Brig Amity – you can visit the replica of this ship in Albany today!
Aside from this, Albany boasts lots of beautiful eateries and walking spots. My favourite spot was Mount Clarence Park – offering lovely views and wildlife (I was lucky enough to spot a bandit and some blue tongued skinks)!
3 – Fremantle
Fremantle is without a doubt my favourite place in Western Australia. During my time down under I was based in Rockingham, so Fremantle was in a good distance. Before I left, I had one wish – to go to Fremantle. Believe it or not, I cried on the drive out. I recall actually going on one of my last days, because I wanted it to be a fresh memory.
If you haven’t been before, Fremantle is like a wild-west bohemian town in a modern world. It has a bit of history, you can go see the prison or the roundhouse, or simply choose it as a place to stop to eat or drink. I chose all of them, on separate occasions. It’s now on my bucket list to go back!
4 – Gwalia Ghost Town
A unique little place to visit is the Gwalia (barely) living ghost town in the central south of Western Australia. This was one day I truly cherished on my trip around Australia. To cut a long story short, it was originally a mining town, and in 1963 following the announcement of the mine closure, the towns population dropped from 1,200 to just 40.
Today, you can visit and enter the houses of those who once called this place home. Most are left almost just as they were. It’s really interesting to see! Around 20 of the houses are currently lived in, but the ones you can visit all have signs outside, so there’s no need to be concerned about entering illegally (as I was).
5 – Margaret River
Once you enter the Margaret River region, you won’t even realise you’re in Australia. It reminded me a little bit of a mix between the Lake District, and some quaint little town in Austria.
The region is known for the famous wineries – I challenge you to go to your local favourite supermarket and see if you can find a Margaret River bottle! Apart from the famous supermarket beginning with M… we don’t like them around here.
6 – Broome
Going from green to the near opposite colour on the wheel; orange, and you have Broome! Broome is very well known for its orange scenery! More specifically, its beaches. My partner ended up working in Broome after our trip, and I was very jealous.
The town is very hot – it’s up on the North-Coast of Western Australia, and its also very flat. We attended a Market on our visit, and they had lots of opal jewellery shops.
Simpson Beach was our favourite – you’ll feel like you’re on Mars!
7 – Karijini National Park
Karijini also has some red spaces. It is a treasure trove of hidden gems, cliff faces, fairy pools, and the famous Natures Window!
8 – Francois Peron National Park
Francois Peron National Park has some fantastic camping opportunities. Upon entering, make your way to Denham – you’ll probably see a few Emu’s on your way. Enter the library to obtain your camping pass, and this will allow you to park in one of the available sites, or you can book directly online here.
One memory in particular I recall was the second night in our trip. It was the second time using our new rooftop tent, and little did we know that we were in for a big storm. As I’d just set up (minus the bed), the storm came and we didn’t know if our tent would survive! We were shaking, the car was shaking, it was very scary. So, we googled the manufacturer and called the help centre. Unfortunately there were a few language issues and the gentleman on the other end of the phone emailed us instructions on how to set the tent up!
Thankfully, the tent survived – all in one piece!
9 – Rottnest Island
You simply can’t visit Western Australia without taking a trip to Rottnest Island. There’s only one main area on the island, but the rest is just waiting to be discovered… by you! It’s also a fun experience to count how many Quokka’s you meet. Unfortunately, I just thought of that idea, so I’ll have to visit again to play along.
10 – Augusta
We simply stumbled across the town of Augusta and it’s only really on here because it is home to my favourite beach in the entire world… Granny Pool. We didn’t really explore the little town much, we just managed to pop to the local shop, seeing a Google Maps van on the way, and then we went to a local toilet. After that, we had a picnic when I believe I had Avo on toast!
BONUS: Esperance
I couldn’t leave this post without mentioning Esperance, and it’s not even one of my favourites! However, I know a lot of people rave about it, so I thought I’d pop it on here. To me, the town leaves much to be desired, but the beaches are all white sand and luxurious blue sea – it’s popular with surfers, but I’m not really a beach go-er, I can’t get on with sand, no matter how much I try.
Have I missed your favourite spot in Western Australia?
Let me know in the comments!
