Western Australia General Information Area: 2,529,880 sq km (976,787 sq miles). Population: 1,897,400 (official estimate 2000). Population Density: 0.75 per sq km. Capital: Perth. Population: 1,364,200 (official estimate 1999). GEOGRAPHY: Western Australia covers one third of Australia; it is larger than Western Europe, but has a population only one sixth that of London. It is bordered in the east by South Australia and the Northern Territory and in the west by the Indian Ocean, with the Timor Sea to the north. On the west coast one is nearer to Bali and Indonesia than to Sydney, making Perth a viable stopover destination en route to the rest of Australia. To the south, the nearest land mass is Antarctica, 2600km (1600 miles) away. It has mineral wealth in iron, bauxite, nickel, natural gas, oil, diamonds and gold. There are vast wheatlands, forests and deserts, and several national parks. A popular resort is Rottnest Island; there are also many excellent mainland beaches, particularly around Perth. Kimberley, in the far north, is one of the oldest geological areas on earth, a region where time and weather have formed deep gorges and impressive mountains, arid red plains and coastal sandstone rich in fossils. In the northwest there are two notable features: Wolf Creek Crater, an immense hole left in the desert by a giant meteorite 50,000 years ago, and the Bungle Bungles, an ancient sandstone massif covering 3000 sq km (1160 sq miles). Southeast of Perth, near Hyden, there is the 2700 million year-old Wave Rock. Time: GMT + 8. Public Holidays Western Australia observes all the public holidays observed nationwide (see the main Australia section) and, in addition, the following are also observed: Mar 3 2003 Labour Day. Jun 2 Foundation Day. Sep 29 Queen’s Birthday Celebrations. Mar 1 2004 Labour Day. Jun 7 Foundation Day. Sep 27 Queen’s Birthday Celebrations. Travel - International AIR: There are international flights to Perth from Europe and Asia. International airlines serving Perth include Air Mauritius, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Royal Brunei, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, South Africa Airlines and Thai Airways International. Flying time from London is 18 hours. There are internal flights from all state capitals. International airports: Perth International Airport (PER) (website: www.perthairport.net.au) is 12km (7 miles) from the city (travel time – 25 minutes). SEA: Port of Fremantle serves Perth. The port is 19km (11 miles) from Perth. RAIL: Perth is served by Transperth trains and the main tourist attractions are all accessible by metropolitan rail service. An electric tram runs between Perth and Fremantle. The Indian Pacific service runs from Perth to Sydney twice a week. The journey takes three days and three nights. ROAD: The highway network of Western Australia is almost entirely concentrated in the coastal areas. The main exception is the Great Northern Highway which runs from Perth to Port Headland on the northwest coast. Along the south coast is the Eyre Highway, which runs into South Australia. The Brand/Northwest Coastal Highway runs from Perth around the west coast to Kimberley. The journey between Perth and Sydney takes at least four days. Driving maps can be purchased via the Western Australian Tourism Commission (see Contact Addresses section). There is only one express coach route from Perth and it goes to Adelaide (travel time – 35 hours). South West Coachlines and Westrail run coach services throughout the southern part of Western Australia. URBAN: Local trains run from Perth to Armadale, Midland, Fremantle and Joondalup. There are bus and ferry services in Perth itself. A zonal fare structure covers all transport modes; tickets issued on one mode are valid for transfer to any of the others (bus, rail and ferry). A free CAT Clipper Bus service circles the city centres of Perth and Fremantle Monday-Saturday. Accommodation The Western Australian Tourism Commission provides information to consumers and travel agents, which can be obtained from their offices (see Contact Addresses section). HOTELS: There is a wide range of hotels and motels in Western Australia, including 5-star (luxury), 4-star (deluxe), 3-star (standard) and 2-star (economy). HOLIDAY FLATS: An extensive range of holiday flats is available, both in Perth and the rest of the State. CAMPING/CARAVANNING: There are many caravan parks and campsites in the State, most of which are located off the main highways. A number of companies also arrange motor camper rentals, with a range of vehicles. Full details can be obtained from the Western Australian Tourism Commission (see Contact Addresses section). Perth Perth is sunny all year but pleasant owing to temperate breezes. Modern skyscrapers overshadow colonial buildings such as the Town Hall and Perth Mint. The Swan River winds through the city, and a cruise upriver to the vineyards is very popular with tourists. A futuristic tower resembling a giant swan, the Swan Bells houses the old bells from St Martin-in-the-Fields, London and is open daily for viewing. Kings Park, a beautiful park overlooking the town, the Art Gallery of Western Australia in James Street and the historic His Majesty’s Theatre are also worth seeing. The most popular beach destinations are Sorrento, Cottesloe, City, Scarborough and the nude bathing beach at Swanbourne. Seventeen kilometres (11 miles) north of the city centre, AQWA – The Aquarium of Western Australia at Hillary’s Boat Harbour showcases over 4000 sea creatures in their natural environments. South of Perth is Cable’s Water Ski Park with thrilling water rides and Adventure World, a favourite family entertainment complex on Bibra Lake with thrill rides, native animals, parkland and waterways in beautiful surroundings. Fremantle, 19km (12 miles) from the city, is a port full of historic houses and buildings such as the Court House, all of which have been superbly restored. Freo, as it is known, can be reached either by a one-hour boat trip or a 20-minute drive from Perth. The excellent Western Australian Maritime Museum and Fishing Boat Harbour, with its many outdoor seafood restaurants, are its other attractions. Beyond Perth Rottnest Island lies 20km (12.5 miles) offshore. This haven for watersports enthusiasts is connected to Fremantle by ferry services. The marsupial quokka is unique to the car-free island. Well to the east of Perth is the thriving gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie with its Museum of the Goldfields, and towns which were once the centre of Western Australia’s gold rush, such as Coolgardie. Also interesting is Wave Rock, a 2700-million-year-old formation resembling a tidal wave, close to Hyden. The Darling Ranges, behind Perth, are popular with visitors and contain several national parks. The Avon Valley, a 90-minute drive from Perth, is an agricultural area. In this region can be found the town of York where the York Motor Museum and the Residency Museum are worth seeing. Nanbung National Park, 240km (150 miles) north of Perth, is well known for its amazing limestone pillars, The Pinnacles. At Monkey Mia, on the mid-western coast, there are wild bottlenose dolphins that come into the shallows to greet visitors. Also in the north of the State, The Kimberley, a wild semi-desert region rich in Aboriginal legends, has in recent years become a thriving diamond-mining centre. The city of Broome, on the north coast, is the pearl capital of the world. At the opposite end of the State is Albany, founded in 1827 and the first European settlement in Western Australia; it is noted for its blowholes and winter whale-watching. Augusta, to the west, is also visited by several species of whale. 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. Social Profile Food & Drink: Excellent seafood comes from the coast around Perth, including king prawns, rock lobster (locals call this crayfish, dhufish, jewfish or barramundi), and special freshwater lobster called marron. There are excellent local wines in Western Australia and vineyards at Swan Valley, Mount Barker and Margaret River. A vibrant pavement coffee culture exists in Perth, and Fremantle’s South Terrace is home to the aptly named Cappuccino Strip (and to the infamous Redback lager). There is also an abundance of international cuisine and interesting dining experiences; for example, eating fish and chips from a converted tram in Fremantle, sampling the excellent Asian food in Subiaco (Perth), enjoying a seafood barbecue in the bush or partaking of a culinary feast in a riverside restaurant along the Swan River. Nightlife: There are many nightclubs in the Northbridge area of Perth, which is located within easy walking distance from the bus and train stations. Here you can find club venues to cater for all music tastes, including mainstream, hardcore, gay and alternative beats. The large Burswood Resort and Casino complex is also only minutes from Perth city centre. In addition there are many cinemas in Leederville, Fremantle and Perth, as well as several theatres (see the Independent Theatre Association for information, website : www.theatre.asn.au). Shopping: Best buys are Argyle diamonds, opals and Aboriginal art. Shops are open all day Saturday and some shops in the suburbs are also open late night Thursday. Shops in Perth and Fremantle are open Friday and Sunday nights. Special Events: For a full list, contact the Western Australian Tourism Commission (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of festivals and special events taking place in Western Australia in 2003: Dec 28 2002-Jan 4 2003 Hyundai Hopman Cup (international tennis competition. Jan 16-Feb 16 50th Perth International Arts Festival. Jan 26 Australia Day Carnival of the Swan (cultural and sporting events held on the Swan River). Feb 13-16 Johnnie Walker Classic (golf tournament). Feb/Mar Leeuwin Estate Concert Margaret River. Apr 19-21 Fremantle Buskers Festival. Aug 2-3 Avon Descent (boat race down Avon River from Northam). Sep 5-14 Broome Shinju-Matsuri (Festival of the Pearl). Sept/Oct Perth Wildflower Festival. Oct 11-19 Rugby World Cup 2003. Oct/Nov Telstra Rally Australia. Nov Margaret River Surf Classic. Nov 7-16 Margaret River Wine Region Festival. Business Profile Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA), PO Box 6209, East Perth, WA 6892 (tel: (8) 9365 7555; fax: (8) 9365 7550; e-mail: info@cciwa.com; website: www.cciwa.com). Conferences/Conventions: The major convention centres are the Hilton Hotel, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Observation City Resort Hotel, Perth International Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, the Superdrome and also Burswood Resort and Convention and Exhibition Centre, only 3km (2 miles) from the city centre with seating available for 2000 for conventions or 21,000 for exhibitions. For more information on conferences and conventions contact the Australian Tourist Commission or the Perth Convention Bureau, Level Seven, 172 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000 (tel: (8) 9324 3355; fax: (8) 9324 3311; e-mail: info@pcb.com.au; website: www.pcb.com.au). Climate Hot summers (December-February), mild winters (June-August). North is tropical. South is subtropical to temperate. Rainfall varies from area to area. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.