Places to Visit in Western Australia – The Lesser-Known Region You Need to See

A state the size of Western Europe, it’s hard to map out the places to visit in Western Australia, but this guide shows you where to start.

Few people consider exploring Western Australia (WA), let alone including it in their plans when visiting Australia for the first time.

As the country’s largest state, covering a vast 2.5 million square km – equivalent to the size of Western Europe – it can be hard to know where to go. As the lesser-known region of Australia, that was exactly its draw for me. Visiting Western Australia was the chance to delve into the other side, home to some of Australia’s most iconic natural attractions and underrated cities.

When I was invited to travel to Western Australia to add more stories to their ‘Just Another Day in WA’ platform, it was an instant yes. Alongside the neighbouring Northern Territory (which I went to after), it was one of the last two states of Australia (and the more remote ones at that) I had yet to visit.

It takes just 18 hours from the UK to travel to Western Australia’s up-and-coming Capital of Perth, which is four hours less than the quickest flight to Sydney. That in itself is a reason to jump off here, aside from curiosity. So during September and October, I ventured on a journey during the start of the Australian ‘winter’ of the tropical north, and it became a trip I can never forget.

What attracted me most to Western Australia was the mix of burgeoning urban cool with untouched, wild, adventurous rural.

Perth, as a landing point, is a city shedding its ‘boring’ reputation to become one full of hip coffeehouses, craft breweries, and an expanding food scene. It’s a gateway to a coastal stretch of 19 white sandy beaches and to the one million square metre expanse of the north-western frontier of canyons, wild rivers, national parks and ochre orange outback roads that lead to tiny Aboriginal communities and some of the earth’s last remaining untouched wilderness areas.

Outside the capital, there are a million and one things to see in Western Australia, and exploring Broome and the Kimberley was just a small sample of what there is to uncover.

While there’s a lifetime of adventures to be had, here is a suggested destination overview on where to go in Western Australia – the main sights, city hubs and attractions, as well as off-track adventure spots, which you can easily hop between within one to two weeks.

Start in Perth – The Landing Point and Gateway

Perth is the capital, the gateway and the likely first landing spot. It is also worth a few days of your time. It may have rained for the first few days of my induction to Australia’s ‘Sunniest City’ (so-called as it has more hours of sunshine than any other in the country), but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for what has come to be listed as one of the world’s ‘most livable’ cities.

Not only do you have a ‘Sunset Coast’ of 19 beaches, including the much-loved Cottesloe and Scarborough, the island getaway of Rottnest and one of the world’s largest inner-city parks (the Kings Park and Botanic Garden), but Perth is constantly expanding its urban cool offering.

Where to Go in Perth

You’ll be surprised at the number of things to do in Perth. You can kick back in the street-art laneways and coffee shop-lined streets of its go-to neighbourhoods. These areas include Northbridge – the theatre and gallery-filled area behind the Central Business District (CBD), full of international food hubs and a miniature Chinatown lined with dumpling stores – and in the younger, design hub of Leederville. ‘Leedo’ thrives on the artistic regeneration of its self-proclaimed “immigrant nostalgia architecture,” built on layers of Italian, Chinese, Jewish, Greek, and Macedonian heritage.

There’s also the State Buildings in central Perth, the former government holdings turned ultra-swanky, fun hub of retail and dining, offering everything from chocolate and coffee to Asian cuisine. 

A wander in the very heart of Perth, where you are likely to want to visit the 2.6 billion dollars public space project of Elizabeth Quay, is not without understanding the city’s native beginnings and the stories of its true origins begin in this area.

An afternoon spent with Walter from Go Cultural Tours – a descendant of several Aboriginal tribal clans of the southwest region of Western Australia – provided a first-hand Aboriginal perspective and insight into the Nyungar people, who are the traditional owners of this land (for over 50,000 years). Old hunting grounds, lakes and sacred sites are now the high-rise CBD, major hotels and beaches; roads and highways cover former tribal trails.

Walter highlights how Perth today is trying to reconcile its dark history and modern growth with its social, spiritual, cultural and historical significance in consultation with new offerings and ceremonial activities.

Don’t believe what you hear about Perth being ‘the boring side of Australia’. It knows it doesn’t live up to arty Melbourne or big city Sydney, and it’s OK with that. It creates its own edge, and I had so much fun digging that out.

Where to Stay in Perth

The Alex Hotel – a creative space right in the very heart of the city and in walking distance to the creative highlights and foodie hangouts.

Where to Eat and Drink in Perth

The Boatshed. Where you can dine in a replica boatshed with views across the Swan River and the Perth Central Business District skyline.

For the ultimate introduction to Perth’s evolving food scene, from the up and coming culinary hangouts and local kept secrets to the best ice cream in the city, head out on a crawl of the city’s coolest venues you wouldn’t otherwise find on your own with a local foodie, Laura Moseley.

Petition Kitchen in the State Buildings. Dine within an iconic landmark while sampling some of the best local produce from seafood to seasoned fresh vegetables. Our share plates were devoured quickly. Be sure to also check out the ‘Gin and Tonic on tap’ from the adjacent bar.

Odyssea on City Beach. Watch the sunset across the Indian Ocean with a cocktail on the terrace before sampling the gourmet options of the modern-Australian menu.

Go to Fremantle – The Hip Neighbourhood Highlight

A once-fledgling neighbourhood on the Swan River, with a 19th-century shipping heritage, decided to repurpose its old spaces and transform itself into a cosmopolitan historical port city. Fremantle, on-trend with mixing the charming Gold Rush-era old with the bohemian attitude new, is the number one local highlight of downtown Perth.

Where to Go in Fremantle

For me, Fremantle felt like a stand-alone city, distinct from Perth (despite being an outer suburb 20km south). A great introduction to the history, culture and quirky corners of the city is with local, Rusty Creighton from Two Feet & a Heartbeat.

You’ll soon see that ‘Freo’ is one of the places to go in Western Australia for urbanite cool – where you can dine in reformed docks and warehouses, sleep in boutique hotels set in former sea cargo crates and brunch, market stroll and listen to live music in heritage hideouts (the largest collection of such buildings in Western Australia).

My two favourite staples of local living – craft beer and coffee – are pivotal to the social scene here. The craft beer scene in Fremantle is everywhere, with pubs like Sail and Anchor and Monk Kitchen sitting opposite one another. The star of the show is undoubtedly the Little Creatures Brewery at the Fishing Boat Harbour, whose huge converted boat shed interior is pulsing with hop-loving locals sampling their hometown brews.

No artistic hub is complete without the staple supply of coffee houses, a varying choice found neatly aligned on the aptly named ‘Cappuccino Strip’ (South Terrace – from Bannister Street to Fremantle Markets). It’s in Fremantle that I learnt of the local order – a ‘long mac topped up’ – allowing me to gain a true mark of acceptance as a Perth local.

Where to Stay in Fremantle

Hougoumont Hotel Fremantle – A quirky ‘affordable luxury’ boutique hotel in the very centre of Fremantle, named after the last convict ship that transported convicts to Australia, and situated on Bannister Street, where those new arrivals began a new journey.

Fremantle YHA Prison – A modern hostel set within the World Heritage-listed former Fremantle Prison, built in the 1850s.

Where to Eat and Drink in Fremantle

The National Hotel. First a shop and then a bank before being turned into a hotel in 1886. After being partially destroyed by fire in 1975, it underwent significant restoration in 2013 and re-opened as a modern bar and restaurant space, retaining its hold as one of the most historically important and most loved buildings in Fremantle.

Little Creatures Brewery. Because craft beer is at the heart of the city and this ‘open’ brewery with visible cellar door gives it an added touch of cool.

The Attic. For a bohemian coffee space whose hip wooden interior and Instagram’ able breakfast and brunch menu perfectly sum up the Fremantle spirit.

Day Trip to Rottnest Island – The Local Getaway

Out of all the day trip options of things to do in Western Australia, choose Rottnest Island – a local getaway that’s just 19km off the coast of Perth. Especially since it’s just a short ferry ride from Fremantle Port (the shorter distance) and Perth’s Barrack Street Jetty.

The 11km island is packed with idyllic scenery, including over 60 beaches and 20 bays concealing pristine coral reefs, but its main attraction is its chief inhabitants: the Quokkas!

What to Do on Rottnest Island

There are so many Quokkas on Rottnest Island that it becomes complete cuteness overload to be so close to a distinct animal species native only to Australia. The best thing is, Quokkas know how to work the camera and love being the centre of attention. The rite of passage for travellers here is to find the perfect Quokka selfie friend.

Car-free ‘Rotto’ (as it is affectionately known by locals) is best explored by bike, which we were able to hire easily as part of a combined ferry-bike hire ticket option, ready and waiting for you when you disembark. With clear blue skies, I also took a scenic Rottnest Air Taxi flight, which you can book once you are on the ground and have a better idea of the weather conditions.

Taking in Fremantle and Perth, it puts into perspective how close the city coastline is to this gorgeous little island.

Importantly, take time to visit the Rottnest Island Museum, located near a cluster of bakeries, coffee shops, and restaurants. The island’s past as a former Aboriginal prison is sobering, and a reminder of the dark history of Western Australia and the rightful ownership and past of the lands we enjoy today and often take for granted. Rottnest was also used as a military defence system during WWII.

How to Get to Rottnest Island

The Rottnest Express ferry service runs daily from Perth and Fremantle, and also offers guided tour packages.

Where to Eat and Drink on Rottnest Island

Hotel Rottnest – For beachside views in an iconic island location.

Rottnest Bakery – For a sweet, sugary fix to help fuel your exploration.

Broome – The Sleepy Pearling Town

There was something so fascinating about the sleepy town of Broome, mainly in that it has a multitude of stories to tell while remaining completely laid back. Like how its spectacular beaches conceal 120 million years old preserved dinosaur footprints, and why there are camels in Western Australia – riding them along the 22km long Cable Beach has become a famous picture, to a backdrop of a setting sun across the Indian Ocean.

Where to Go in Broome

Broome was once the centre of the booming pearling trade, where Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, European, and Aboriginal cultures blended in the early 1880s, with pearl luggers living in what is now the Chinatown retail hub. Now it’s one of the places to go to in Western Australia, where history is still present and remembered.

Travel to Broome and find it in Carnarvon Street’s remaining corrugated iron Pearling Master’s houses concealing pearl shops, restaurants and cafes. Or in the still operating Sun Pictures (which stands as the oldest outdoor movie theatre in the world), and when you walk along Streeter’s Jetty – the pivotal point of the Pearling industry in the early 1900’s, when the luggers dropped off their shells amongst the mangroves.

Statues and streets are named after places in Asia, marking the memory of the many people who never made it back home during this dangerous, highly labour-intensive trade.

Broome is picturesque from every point of its coastline. Gantheaume Point, in particular, features fiery orange and red rock formations and cliffs, a one-hour walk from Cable Beach. Here lie hidden some of the dinosaur footprints, which are visible to eager eyes when the reef is at a low tide of 2.16m or less. A plaster copy is on show at the top of the cliffs for those who are not so lucky to find the prehistoric markings.

Yet the most memorable scenes came from off-track exploring, which was only possible with the knowledge of Broome-born-and-bred local Brad, an Aboriginal guide from Narlijia Cultural Tours. Brad shares stories of his Aboriginal heritage rooted in this area, alongside modern-day issues of change and integration.

He jumped in our hired 4×4 and drove us to Riddle Beach, which resembled a picture of Mars, to a huge sand dune mound marking an Aboriginal burial site, through the shrubbery of unmarked roads that led to the secluded Bard Creek and to James Price Point – the far-stretching and secluded clifftop view to watch the sunset on another day in Western Australia. We had every site to ourselves, which is exactly the beauty of Broome and its surrounding outback.

Where to Stay in Broome

Cable Beach Club – The only resort overlooking the infamous and beautiful Cable Beach, with everything from elegant rooms to deluxe suites and a host of on-site restaurants and bars.

Where to Eat and Drink in Broome

The Aarli. A young and hip all-day dining hotspot in the heart of Chinatown with a cocktail menu as long as its tasty offerings.

Matso’s Brewery. An award-winning craft beer brewery that operates from one of the town’s oldest buildings, standing at over 100 years old. You must try the Ginger Beer if you have time for only one.

Introduction to Broome

A local company, Unique Kimberley, develops bespoke itineraries for Broome and Kimberly cruises. I met with the owner, Robyn Maher, who gave us an introduction to Broome’s hotspots in one afternoon that included Gantheaume Point and Matsos Brewery – areas of which you can explore in greater detail in your own time.

Booking a Camel Ride on Cable Beach

Check out Broome Camel Safaris, or quite simply remembered as ‘the camels in blue’. Be sure to grab time for a chat with Matt Morton-Deakin, a Brit who has been calling Broome home for many years and who knows some of the best hangouts and photogenic spots (which he compiles on his dedicated Broome Instagram account).

The Kimberly – The Last Wilderness of Western Australia

Broome is the gateway to the Indigenous Outback of Western Australia and home to one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth, the Kimberley. This region is the beautifully deserted image of the Australian Outback you’ve always dreamt about.

I explored a 90km stretch of the Peninsula known as ‘Dampier Land’ in a 21-person overland truck on a day trip with the adventure company Kimberly Wild.

The road passes through the Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community, whose Sacred Heart Church interior, crafted from pearl shells, is the star attraction, and the Ardyaloon (One Arm Point) Aboriginal Community, known as the saltwater people and shell-fishing traders.

The drive ends at the very north of One Arm Point, home to the world-famous operational pearling farm of Cygnet Bay, where you can also take a speed boat out around the rocky Buccaneer Archipelago.

Discussion of travel in Western Australia and the Outback naturally leads to the area’s accessibility, the history of this pristine native wilderness, and Aboriginal rights, as it is a region cultivated, protected, and owned by little more than 1,000 people in tiny clusters of Aboriginal communities.

I explore this more in my article about paving the roads to The Kimberly and tourist access.

I flew back to Broome on a one-hour scenic flight with Air Kimberly, departing from the tip of Cape Leveque’s coastline, where you see the swirls of colour and the landscape of Australia’s isolated northwest.

I talk about my time in Western Australia more than any other part of Australia, even though I only skimmed the surface of its continent-sized landmass. I want to return to Broome and make inroads eastward through the state on a multi-week road trip.

One trip to Western Australia is just the very beginning, but enough to realise that there is more to this country on the underrated ‘other side’ than you ever realised.

Things to Know About Western Australia

How to Get to Western Australia

• Internal Flights. If you are short on time and unable to embark on a long road trip between Perth and Broome (and the surrounding areas), Qantas and Virgin are the preferred airlines that connect the cities. Also, look at Airnorth for deals.

• Getting Around Perth and Fremantle: A CAT bus service (visitfremantle.com.au) connects Fremantle and Perth in 25 minutes. There are also tram tours, or you can easily explore on foot.

• We used Perth Luxury Tours for some transfers during our trip. They also specialise in small, private customised tours, including inner-city, Fremantle, Kings Park, Swan Valley, Pinnacles and Margaret River.

• For further information on planning your trip, visit the Western Australia tourism website. 

• From Perth, there are two sealed roads to the North – the North West Coastal Highway and the inland Great Northern Highway. From Broome, the unsealed Gibb River Road heads east to Kununurra (the Gibb River is the main watercourse running through the heart of the Kimberly). There is also the Kimberley Aerial Highway.

• Outback driving is not for the faint-hearted and is only for the most experienced off-roaders. Therefore, you may be better off joining overland tours, ranging from day trips to multi-week itineraries.

Best Time to Go to Western Australia

The seasons in Western Australia are much like those in the Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild, dry winters.

Summer: November to April

Winter: May to October

See More of Western Australia

A state the size of Western Europe is no mean feat, even for the most avid of adventure enthusiasts. Here’s what to do in Western Australia to factor into a longer trip or plan for a return.

• My first choice is to overland from Derby (in King Sound) to Kununurra following the Gibb River Road – a classic outback drive considered one of the last true Aussie outback adventures. It was constructed in the 1960s to transport cattle and is now a 660km road through the beautifully wild Kimberley Plateau. The unsealed road links the Kalumburu Aboriginal Community and Mission on the Northern coast. Derby was the first town settled in Kimberly (22km NE of Broome).
• The Pilbara region. Checking out Karijini National Park (which is 2 billion years old), the Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park and following the Warlu Way drive trail following Aboriginal stories.
• The Kimberley National Parks – Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek (Western Australia’s oldest cave system), Wolfe Creek Crater (made frightfully famous by the horror movie of the same name but home to a 300,000-year-old meteorite crater), Geikie Gorge, Mitchell River, and Purnululu (the Bungle Bungle Range).
• Springboard to Northern Territories. I used my time in Western Australia and the outback to prepare for further travel. Flying from Perth to Darwin, I took another major trip – an Australian Outback road trip from Darwin to Alice Springs.