Although relatively few east Australians have crossed the Nullarbor Plain into the more populous areas of Western Australia, this westernmost Australian state is by no means insignificant nor one described simply as beyond the black stump or in the back of beyond.
Western Australia is in fact Australia's largest state and is more than 37 times the size of the smallest — Tasmania. It is three and a half times the size of the American state of Texas, and 70 times the size of the Netherlands.
Popular Western Australia destinations include:
- Perth the capital
- Margaret River wine country
- Monkey Mia and its friendly dolphins
- Ningaloo Reef and its whale sharks
- Broome and Cable Beach
- Purnululu and its hills striped orange and black
Three Western Australia sites — Ningaloo Coast, the aforesaid Purnululu site and Shark Bay — are by themselves inscribed individual United Nations World Heritage sites, with Fremantle Prison being part of the composite Australian Convict Sites.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation inscribes selected sites all around the globe as World Heritage sites by virtue of their uniqueness and historical, archeological, sociological or cultural values.
Getting to Western Australia
Planes and trains are the usual, and more popular, modes of transport from the east to the west coast of Australia.
Across the continental desert heartland, through the Nullarbor Plain, the Indian Pacific roars between Sydney and Perth twice a week each way.
By plane, it's a transcontinental flight of about five hours from Sydney to Perth, and so distant by road hardly any take the isolated highways to, say, Kalgoorlie, just past the Nullarbor Plain, much less to Perth.
A measure of Western Australia's isolation is that Perth, the capital, is at least two and a half hours by air from the nearest other Australian state capital, Adelaide in South Australia — 2779 kilometres by road, equivalent to nearly 30 hours of non-stop driving at 100km/h.
But those who surmount the distance discover a state of great natural beauty and much excitement as to make travel to Western Australia a trip to remember.
Tropical north, temperate south
Occupying a third of the Australian continent, Western Australia's northern half lies north of the Tropic of Capricorn with mostly summery days.
South of the tropic the weather is more temperate but can be quite warm on the popular surfing beaches.
International yachting spotlight
On September 26, 1983, Perth captured the international yachting spotlight when the Fremantle Yacht Club, in the port city just 19 kilometres southwest of Perth, wrested the America's Cup from America, the first time it had ever been won by a non-American.
Of course, Western Australia lost the Cup the next time around. But yachting continues to be both pastime and sport in Western Australia and indeed in all Australia, with eyes focusing on the 34th America's Cup to be held in San Francisco in 2012.
Ah yes, the dolphins
Some 10 hours by road from Perth, the dolphins at Monkey Mia are famous for cavorting with people who wade out to sea to be friends with these ocean creatures.
These are bottlenose dolphins who apparently enjoy the company of humans as much as the humans enjoy the company of, and are entranced by, the dolphins.
The Kimberleys
In northern Western Australia, home to the state's large population of Aborigines and their unique native art, the Kimberley region is imposing rugged mountain country where pristine forests cover the wild.
The Kimberley looks very much an area untouched by human civilisation — except that the region has also been one of the world's largest producers of diamonds.
West of the Kimberley is the fishing town of Broome. This is the home of pearl fishers, whose stories are in themselves a romance of the sea. The world's finest South Sea pearls are found off the coast of Broome.
And there's more to discover
The Western Australia capital, Perth, is a bustling metropolis with a mix of heritage buildings and more modern structures. Go on a walking tour and discover the city attractions.
Perth's Kings Park and Botanic Garden has its Kings Park Festival in the early spring and lays out its flowers for you.
Not too far away and practically a Perth suburb is Perth's seaport, Fremantle.
You may wish to take the ferry to Rottnest Island and discover the beaches, the snorkeling and diving spots, and the quokkas, mistaken for large rats by the early Dutch explorers.
South of the state capital lies the wine and surfing region of Margaret River.
And there are kilometres yet to go to the state's southern coastland areas, to Albany at the southern tip, and then east to the South Australian border.
