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Sport & Activities
Watersports: The long stretches of unspoilt coastline along the Timor Sea in the north and the Indian Ocean in the southwest offer a wide range of activities. Major destinations for diving include Rottnest Island (notably Tortoise Bay, Jackson Rock and Transit Reef); Exmouth (a good base for exploring the Ningaloo Reef and the Muiron Islands); the Abroholos Islands (three groups of islands rated amongst Australia’s best dive sites); Esperance (the gateway to the Recherche Archipelago, which contains hundreds of islands); Busselton (good for jetty diving); and Geographe Bay in the southwest (noted for its famous wreck dive to the HMS Swan). The best times for diving are from December to May (in the southern waters) and from March to August (in the northern waters). Encounters with friendly dolphins are particularly frequent at Monkey Mia, in the Gascoyne region, whose nearby Shark Bay – a World-Heritage listed area – is a habitat for turtles, manta rays, whales and sharks. Further north, at Ningaloo Reef, it is possible to swim with giant whale shark, the world’s largest fish, which make frequent appearances between March and early June; access is by boat from Coral Bay or directly from the beaches. Whale watching is reputed to be particularly good in the Cape to Cape region, with an exceptionally long whale-watching season (lasting some six months). Perth ranks as one of Australia’s top surfing destinations and there are many surfing beaches close to the city, such as City Beach, Cottesloe and Scarborough. Another challenging surfing destination is Margaret River, whose ominously named beaches, such as Suicide and Grunters, should attract hardcore surfers only. Canoeing trips are also widely available on Margaret River.
Self-drive tours: Popular outback destinations that can be explored in four-wheel-drive vehicles include The Pinnacles, consisting of thousands of limestone pillars (260km/163 miles north of Perth); and the Gibb River Road through the rugged landscape of the Kimberley region.
Bushwalking: Walking in Western Australia can be particularly rewarding during spring (between September and November), when wild flowers blossom throughout the state. The Bibbulmun Track (963km/598 miles, from Kalamunda to Albany) has access to circuit walks through the southwestern karri forests as well as 48 acccommodation shelters along the route. For further details about the track check online (website: www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au). Other impressive routes can be found in the Stirling Range, an area containing over 500 species of wild flowers; throughout the Pilbara region, the major attractions of which are the spectacular red-walled chasms, subterranean pools and waterfalls of Karijini National Park; and in the northern Kimberley region, Western Australia’s main outback destination, featuring a cliff-lined coast, rugged mountains and the spectacular Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park, a 350-million-year old massif with distinctive bee-hive-like natural domes.
River cruises: Cruises on the Swan River from Perth travel either downstream, to the port of Fremantle, or – the more popular option – upstream, to the vineyards of Swan Valley.
Wine tasting: The Margaret River Wine Region is Western Australia’s best-known destination for wine lovers. Although producing less than one per cent of Australia’s wine, the region is responsible for producing 15 per cent of the country’s premium wine. The 50 or so wineries in the region are open for cellar door sales and tastings. Another up-and-coming wine region in Western Australia is in the southern Mount Baker region, some 50km (31 miles) from Albany. The Swan Valley wine region, on the outskirts of Perth, also attracts many visitors.
Adventure sports: Concentrated in Kununurra (Kimberley region) organised tours include scenic flights, camping safaris and boat cruises. At the Walpole-Nornalup National Park in the south, the imposing giant tingle trees in the ‘Valley of the Giants’ offer the possibility of a tree-top-walk on specially designed floorboards.
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