WA covers about a third of Australia's land area. Any plan that treats it as one destination is going to fall apart on the drive times.
Split it into three: the south-west (Margaret River, Albany, the karri forests — green, cool, close to Perth), the Coral Coast north to Exmouth (Ningaloo, Shark Bay, the Pinnacles), and the Kimberley (Broome to Kununurra — tropical, dry-season only).
The Kimberley is the one with a hard seasonal gate. The Gibb River Road is generally closed or impassable from around November to April and reopens progressively through the dry, usually from about May.
Natural wonders worth the detour
Ningaloo Reef
Exmouth and Coral Bay, 1,270 km north of Perth or a 2-hour flight
- Best time
- Whale sharks mid-March to July; humpbacks August–October
- Cost
- Whale shark swim tours run roughly $400–$500 per person
- Access
- The only major reef in Australia you can snorkel straight off the beach — Turquoise Bay drift snorkel is free
Turquoise Bay's drift snorkel does exactly what the name suggests: enter at the south end, drift north, exit before the sandbar where the current runs out to sea. Read the sign at the beach; people get caught by that current.
Purnululu (Bungle Bungle Range)
East Kimberley, 250 km south of Kununurra
- Best time
- April–November only; the park closes in the wet season
- Cost
- Park entry and camping fees
- Access
- 53 km of rough 4WD track from the highway, with creek crossings — allow 2+ hours each way. Scenic flights are the alternative.
The orange-and-black banded domes were not widely known outside the local area until the 1980s. The access track defeats most rental vehicles — check your hire agreement, as many prohibit it outright.
Shark Bay (Hamelin Pool, Monkey Mia)
830 km north of Perth
- Best time
- April–October. Dolphin feeding at Monkey Mia happens in the morning.
- Cost
- Park entry fee; Monkey Mia has a separate reserve fee
- Access
- Sealed road from the North West Coastal Highway
Hamelin Pool's stromatolites are living structures built by cyanobacteria — the same organisms that oxygenated Earth's atmosphere. The boardwalk keeps you off them; walking on them destroys decades of growth.
Margaret River & the South West
3 hours south of Perth
- Best time
- September–November for wildflowers and whales; February–April for warm, settled weather
- Cost
- Cellar doors mostly free or low-cost; cave entry fees apply
- Access
- Sealed and easy — the most 2WD-friendly region in the state
The Cape to Cape Track runs 123 km along the coast between the two lighthouses. Day sections from Prevelly are the easiest way to sample it.
Seasonal wildlife in Western Australia
| Species / event | Months | Where | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern right whales | June – September | Logans Beach VIC (Warrnambool), Head of Bight SA, Albany WA | Seasonal, weather-dependent |
| Whale sharks | Mid-March – July | Ningaloo Reef WA (Exmouth, Coral Bay) | Peak window only |
| Green and loggerhead turtles (nesting) | November – January | Mon Repos QLD (Bundaberg), Heron Island QLD, Ningaloo WA | Reliable |
| Turtle hatchlings | January – March | Mon Repos QLD, Ningaloo WA | Reliable |
| Little penguins | Year-round, largest numbers September – February | Phillip Island VIC, Penguin Island WA, Bicheno TAS | Reliable |
| Coral spawning | March (Ningaloo) and October – November (GBR) | Ningaloo WA, Great Barrier Reef QLD | Peak window only |
| Wildflowers | July – October (north to south) | Coalseam WA, Kalbarri WA, Wheatbelt WA, Grampians VIC | Seasonal, weather-dependent |
Full national breakdown on the wildlife calendar.
Big Things in Western Australia
The Big Ram — Wagin, built 1985
13 m merino in the Wheatbelt, a genuine roadside stop rather than an attached theme park.
Great Southern Highway, 2h 30m south-east of Perth
Common questions
This is a researched guide compiled from state park and road authority sources, not a firsthand trip report. How we research.