South western WA is famous for its kauri and jarrah trees, but there are also some excellent beaches, national parks and historical towns. Some of the greatest places to visit are the Valley of the Giants, Western Australia’s most famous wine region - Margaret River, and Wave Rock in the outback Western Australia. Here is some information on the region's attractions, and in the end of the page there is a map of the area.
South Western WA - Bunbury Australia As you drive south from Perth, you come to Bunbury, where there is a Dolphin Discovery Centre; King Cottage Museum and Bunbury Regional Art Gallery. Good surf beaches are Lighthouse Beach and Surf Club Beach; and at Marlston Hill Lookout there are some good views over the ocean. Dolphin Eco Cruises will take you to watch dolphins, Bunbury Dive Charters and Coastal Water Dive offer diving, and Dekked Out offers sea kayaking. You can stay at Wander Inn, Dolphin Retreat YHA, Glade Caravan Park, Koombana Bay Holiday Resort or Waterloo Village Caravan Park.
Busselton, Dunsborough and Yallingup South from here is Busselton, with the famous 2km wooden Busselton Jetty – the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. In the end of it, there is an interesting Underwater Observatory. Water activities are offered by Dive Shed, Southern Skydivers, Busselton Jet Ski and Boats’n’bikes. Places to stay are Busselton Backpackers, Paradise Motor Inn, Kookaburra Caravan Park and Amblin Caravan and Camping Park. East from here, on the Cape Naturaliste, are Yallingup and Dunsborough. Dunsborough is mostly about water sports, provided by Cape Dive, Bay Dive and Adventures, Cape Kayaks, SeaEco Yacht Cruises, and there are whale watching tours available by Naturaliste Charters. There is also the Quindalup Fauna Park, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, and the beaches in Meelup, Eagle Bay and Bunker Bay. You can stay at Dunsborough Inn, Dunsborough Beach Lodge or Dunsborough Beach House YHA. Yallingup is a good spot to surf (try Yallingup Surf School if you want to learn); and there is also the Wadan Aboriginal Centre and two breweries: Wicked Ale Brewery and Bootleg Brewery.
Margaret River Surf and Vineyards South from here is Margaret River – Western Australia's most famous wine region and one of the most popular destinations in the south western WA. Alexandra Bridge, Cullen, Evans and Tate, Leeuwin Estate, Vasse Felix and Voyager Estate offer free sampling; and Wine for Dudes, Margaret River Tours, Cheers, South West Adventure Tours and Bushtucker Tours will take you around so you don’t need to risk drink-driving. In between the wines you can visit Eagles Heritage Raptor Wildlife Centre and Margaret River Chocolate Company. Margaret River is also known for good surf and a great place to surf is Surfers Point. If you want to learn to surf, check out the Surf Academy. Seafari Charters takes you to scuba diving, and Adventure In to abseiling. You can stay at Surfpoint Resort, Margaret River Backpackers Lodge, Inne Town Backpackers and Riverview Cabins & Camping.
Augusta and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse South from Margaret River is Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park, and Augusta - a sleepy little town with a few cafes and motels, the Augusta Historical Museum, and an 8km track to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse on the southernmost cape of the south western WA. Naturaliste Charters offers whale watching tours, Sea Dragon and Miss Flinders cruise Blackwood River, and Southwest Fishing Adventures will take you on a fishing tour. You can stay at Leeuwin House, Augusta Clovelly Units, Baywatch Manor Resort or Flinders Bay Park.
Pemberton, Gloucester Tree and Great Forest Trees Drive East of Cape Leeuwin is Pemberton with a pioneer museum, Pemberton Tramway Co, Karri Forest Discovery Centre, and a man-made beach at Big Brook Dam. Pemberton Discovery Tours, Strungout Adventures and Pemberton Hiking & Canoeing take you to the neighbouring Warren National Park and Gloucester National Park to discover the big trees; and 3km out of town there is the 60m Gloucester Tree that you can climb. Places to stay are Pemberton Forest Stay, Pemberton Caravan Park and Pemberton Backpackers. East from here is Shannon National Park with some beautiful old growth karri forests and the Great Forest Trees Drive - one of the most popular things to do in the south western WA. Outside Northcliffe is the Northcliffe Forest Park with some great short walking tracks amongst the giant trees; and you can stay at Northcliffe Hotel, Northcliffe Caravan Park and Round Tu-It Holiday Park.
Walpole, Valley of the Giants and Denmark Western Australia East from here is Walpole, famous for its Valley of the Giants - one of the most beautiful drives in the south western WA through a forest with huge trees; and the Tree Top Walk where you can discover the life in the high tree canopies. There are also some lovely beaches here; and WOW Wilderness Eco Cruises offers tours to the Walpole-Nornalup National Park. You can stay at Walpole Lodge, Coalmine Beach Caravan Park and Tingle All Over Budget Accommodation YHA. West of here is Denmark, with some good walking tracks and beaches and activities offered by South Coast Surfing, Denmark River Cruises, Little River Discovery Tours and Wild About Wilderness Tours. Places to stay are Denmark Budget Accommodation, Rivermouth Caravan Park and Riverbend Caravan Park.
Albany and Esperance Australia West from Denmark is Albany – one of the largest towns in the south western WA with a population of 30,000; a few museums, the lovely Middleton Beach, and Albany Wind Farm. Albany's most popular attraction is the Whale World, and whale watching tours are offered by Silver Star Cruises and Southern Ocean Charters. You can also watch whales from the cliffs of the nearby Torndirrup National Park; or go scuba diving with Dive Locker or Albany Scuba Diving Academy. Places to stay are Albany Backpackers, London Backpackers, Discovery Inn, Premier Hotel, Albany Holiday Park and Middleton Beach Holiday Park. East from Albany is Esperance and lovely white-sand beaches with bright blue waters and kangaroos, and you can drive on these beaches with a 4WD.
Wave Rock and Outback Western Australia A long way inland from here, next to the small settlement of Hyden in the outback Wave Rock – an amazing granite wave formed by chemical erosion. I managed to get lost on one of my early trips while trying to approach it along small dirt roads south of Southern Cross and haven’t yet had time to give it a second go, but if you are in the south western WA and have time, I’d say it’s worth a trip.
Here's a map of the south western WA, where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
