Where should second time visitors to Australia go?
If you’ve already done the classic Australian triangle, Western Australia is the perfect destination for second time visitors to Australia.
Detailed answer: Already done Sydney, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef on your first Australian holiday? Then go west, second time visitors to Australia. Perth is rapidly changing from sunny suburbia to hip urbanity – and direct Qantas flights from Heathrow help. Enjoy the views from Kings Park, or try a surfing lesson at Scarborough Beach. Alternatively, check out Two Feet And A Heartbeat’s small bar and cultural venue walking tours (from $35), then take the ferry over to Rottnest Island. Clifftop walks, World War II heritage and cute quokkas combine with pretty beaches. Hire a bike – you can’t drive on Rottnest Island. You can skydive there, though.
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If you’re interested in food and wine, then the Swan Valley just to the east of Perth, makes for a very easy day out from the city. Top spots include the Mash Brewery and Swan Valley Cuddly Animal Farm in Henley Brook. Meanwhile, the port city of Fremantle has fabulous restaurants, heritage buildings, tunnel tours under a World Heritage-listed prison and high quality museums.
Things to do in south-west WA
The prime detour is to the south west. Visit the penguins of Penguin Island from Rockingham, then stop at Serpentine Falls in the Serpentine National Park, Lane Pool Reserve near Dwellingup or Lake Navarino near Waroona on the way to Bunbury. Here, you can go on a Koombana Bay dolphin cruise from the Dolphin Discovery Centre.
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Then stop for an undersea helmet walk at Busselton before heading to the Margaret River premium wine region, three hours south of Perth. The wine-tasting at the likes of Cullen Wines can be combined with chilling out at Eagle Bay, stand-up paddle-boarding at Meelup Beach, whale-watching from Dunsborough or Augusta, plus a series of unusual wildlife tours. The Margaret River Adventure Company (from $80) has daytime experiences with stingrays and South West Eco Discoveries (from $45) goes in search of nocturnal marsupials.
Albany and the south coast
Loop round via Greens Pool to take in Albany. Western Australia’s oldest city is home to the National Anzac Centre, the Discovery Bay whaling museum and whale-watching tours.
From there, circle back to Perth via the huge granite outcrops of the Porongurups National Park. Get a view of the city from Kings Park and arrange to meet in Yagan Square for a night out.
From there, it’s either a road trip up the west coast or a flight to Broome. Take on the drive, and you can experience the moon-like Pinnacles desert near Cervantes and scenic flights to the Houtman-Abrolhos Islands from Geraldton. Further north are the stromatolites of Shark Bay and dolphin-feeding at Monkey Mia. After an overnight stay at Quobba Station come kayaking tours, microlight flights and swimming with whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef.
From there, go swimming in craggy gorges such as Hamersley Gorge in Karijini National Park. Camping in national parks is an option to save money on accommodation. Go the quicker coastal route, and it’s just underwhelming mining towns such as Karratha and Port Hedland.
This Indian Ocean resort town of Broome is famed for camel rides down the humungous Cable Beach, but it’s also on the cusp of the rugged Kimberley. Day trips to the red rock remoteness and pearl farms of the Dampier Peninsula provide a taster, while quirky options in Broome itself include visiting ancient dinosaur footprints by hovercraft (from $136).