Dive Into The Wonderful West

DIVE INTO THE WONDERFUL WEST

It’s always been considered a world away – and more recently, with its borders firmly shut, Western Australia really has seemed like its very own country. If you’re ‘stuck’ there, or if you plan to go soon, here are some of the wild and wonderful places to visit.

WORDs: Darcy Watt

Stromatolites at Hamelin Pool.

FROM LEFT: Optus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge, Frenchman Peak, Lake Hillier, Cottesloe Beach and a kangaroo on Lucky Bay, (Images supplied by Tourism WA)

CRUISING THROUGH CARNARVON

If you love combing beach sand for unique shells and exploring subtropical pretty-as-a-picture pastel landscapes, then Carnarvon on Australia’s Coral Coast is one place you should add to your great Western exploration.

Carnarvon sits on the edge of an enormous slice of paradise: around 604,500 hectares of the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Site. On the harbourfront, palm trees line the esplanade where crystalline waters brush the shore. Carnarvon is home to only 4,500 people, meaning a day at the beach can be an isolated excursion in paradise.

Ancient history runs deep in Carnarvon – the surrounding region is home to five Aboriginal language groups: Yinggarda, Bayungu, Malgana, Thadgari and Thalanyji. A permanent exhibition at the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre is an award-winning interactive display and Sky Dome, which has a time-lapse video of a starry night sky and commentary about the art of stargazing and what it means for the Aboriginal community. The centre is also home to an impressive 33,000-year-old shell necklace.

NEW, OLD AND BOLD

Between the months of December and March, Quobba’s Shell Beach – which is only a 20km drive north of Carnarvon – becomes a sanctuary for turtle hatching. Adult green, loggerhead, hawksbill and flatback turtles frequent the waters off the coast of Carnarvon all year round, and you can also tick off that bucket list experience of swimming with whale sharks here.

With new life there is old life too, and Quobba is also known as an underwater museum of coral formations that are around 7,000 to 8,000 years old – although, to be fair, in terms of reef systems this is actually quite young.

There are also traces of former human activity just along the shore where you can see the remains of the Korean Star shipwreck. On May 20, 1988, the bulk carrier vessel ran aground during cyclonic weather conditions, which caused it to drag

FUN FACT

Carnarvon was the first place in Australia where an Overseas Telecommunication Commission dish was built for space missions.

operates flights to Esperance. Visit rex.com.au for prices and details.

its anchor. Unfortunately, around 600 tonnes of fuel and oil were lost in the precious waters.

The powerful blowholes and surging swells of The Bluff make this region a drawcard for visitors from Australia and across the globe, and a huge left-handed reef break is frequented by adventurous surfing aficionados, usually through the months of May to August.

BEAUTY AND THE BAY

Esperance, with it’s striking white sand, is a quintessential Australian beach lover’s dream. The pure colour is due to milky frosted quartz, especially surrounding Lucky Bay.

Approximately 45km south-east of Esperance, travellers can 4WD along the beach and camp for the night among mobs of friendly kangaroos. It’s also a paradise for snorkelling, swimming and fishing.

There are more than 100 islands in the Recherche Archipelago near Esperance that are uninhabited, having been declared nature reserves in 1954. Middle Island is home to the phenomenal Lake Hillier – where a combination of salinity and bacteria is believed to be the reason for its stunningly vivid hot-pink colour. Scenic flights over the lake are the best way to see this sweeping portrait of magenta, especially when buddied up with the turquoise oceanic waters that run parallel to the lake.

WALKABOUT

Esperance has an abundance of beautiful bays to explore, all within a day’s drive from the city centre. Hellfire Bay has been said to have much softer sand than Lucky Bay – so soft it elicits squeals of delight from visitors, as it squeaks cleanly beneath their feet.

You can walk between the two bays over the course of a day if you tackle the Cape Le Grand Coastal Trail. There is no 4WD access on the Cape Le Grand beach, meaning it is often the more peaceful choice, and the carpark on site has been adopted by lazing kangaroos.

If you have a spare three hours in your itinerary you should consider the challenging walk to the 262m summit of Frenchman Peak.

The peak’s shape was thought to resemble the hats of French troops in the 1800s, hence its name. The trail is considered a Class 5 walking track recommended for experienced bushwalkers only. It’s steep, but you don’t need to climb right to the top to appreciate the serenity.

FOR THE HISTORY BUFFS

While on the Coral Coast, make sure you check out the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, which are approximately 3.5 billion years old – making them the oldest in the world. They are a layered rock-type reef formation created by cyanobacteria, some of the earliest life on the planet. This display by Mother Nature is also the largest living stromatolite colony in existence today. The area is overlooked by a raised walkway so visitors can admire the natural wonder without disturbing it. It’s located 100km south-east of Denham or 35km from the Overlander Roadhouse.

FINDING THE BEST OF FREO

Freo – as the locals know it – is renowned as an artsy alternative to its sister city of Perth. Trams glide the streets among heritage-listed colonial buildings, passing markets, breweries, cool restaurants and eclectic cafes where many a busker performs. The harbour is always bustling, and there are plenty of historical exhibits to see at the WA Maritime Museum. Perched on the 

operates flights to Esperance. Visit rex.com.au for prices and details.

FROM LEFT THEN CLOCKWISE: Gold coin from Perth Mint; Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour; a cute Quokka; Hamelin Pool Stromatolites; Esperance's very own Stone Henge (Images courtesy of Tourism WA)

Indian Ocean’s shore, the museum encapsulates Fremantle’s past, present and future as a coastal city and port.

One of the most popular experiences in this colourful place is the Fremantle Markets. Independent producers and creators have been hustling there since 1897. Ensure you visit while still hungry and with a bag to carry your goods, as there are tempting culinary surprises in every stall, and it’s the best place to pick up locally made clothing, art, crafts and so much more.

Speaking of eating, Kailis’ Fishmarket Café is rated one of the best spots in town to be served up delicious local seafood straight from the surrounding waters. It’s located on the harbourfront, so you’ll be spoilt with top views and awesome people watching. Dine on snapper, western rock lobsters or shark bay cuttlefish as boats gently bob on the water right in front of you. If you’re after fine dining, Samson’s Paddock is an award-winning tapas restaurant that dates back to the 1830s. Many a horseman would have dabbled in a beverage or two here.

And if you’re a craft beer fan, don’t miss the rightly famous Little Creatures Brewery, where you’ll find it difficult to choose an area of the iconic building to hang out in while enjoying the award-winning beers on tap.

There’s the Great Hall (dubbed the main event), where you can sip the famous Pale Ale and snack on pizza while soaking up the brewery chaos, or take a stroll out to the backyard to enjoy your beer with a slice of sunshine by the harbour. Or check into The Brewhouse, where locals tend to gather, and chat to fellow hop heads while learning about the brewing process. There’s a dogfriendly beer garden, too, if you have your four-legged friend in tow.

Freo is a multicultural town enhanced by the mix of students attending Notre Dame University. On Friday and Saturday nights many of them head to the tropics-inspired party paradise Cali Beach Club, which holds regular music events. Cocktails can be enjoyed on the sand all night long, or you can laze about on the bean bags for a relaxed afternoon or sing your heart out at a silent disco.

Built back in the 19th century, Fremantle Prison (often referred to as Fremantle Gaol) housed some of Australia’s most notorious convicts, and was in operation until 1991. A series of prisoner riots and concerns with conditions led to a Royal Commission in 1983 that recommended the prison be shut down for good.

Beatings, hangings, and dramatic escapes are detailed vividly in the records of imperial convicts, colonial prisoners, enemy aliens, prisoners of war and maximum-security detainees. A must-do is braving up and embarking on one of the spooky, torch-lit ghost tours that scare the pants off everyone on Wednesday and Friday nights.

BEAUTIFUL, BOUNTIFUL PERTH

According to the Noongar traditional owners and custodians of the Perth region, the Swan River was created by the rainbow serpent Waugal, as the river takes the form of a giant snake winding its way through the city.

Nowadays, the river is where the community converges for a love of the water. Everything you can think of regarding water happens here: water-skiing, swimming in the Bicton Baths, fishing, boating and stand-up paddleboarding. Many of these

activities also take place offshore at iconic beaches such as Scarborough and Cottesloe. Cottesloe’s esplanade in is jam-packed with food and drink venues that welcome all sandy-footed wanderers. It’s a popular area to linger longer, especially considering that Perth has eight hours of sun per day to bask in.

Besides being one of the sunniest cities in the world, Perth is also one of the most isolated – meaning it has a lot of sky free of light pollution by night. This is why you can see some exceptional sights after dark.

Perth Observatory, for instance, is the state’s oldest observatory, and it’s located only 25km from the CBD. Here you can experience night sky and full moon tours through the lens of various telescopes. It’s also home to many interesting historical artefacts, including the first star atlas ever printed in 1729.

NATURE'S BEST

For more than 50 years the Rottnest Express has been taking visitors to see quokkas at Rotto, as the island is affectionately called by the locals.

Touching the quokkas is strictly a no-go, but nothing sums up Rotto more than a smiling selfie alongside one. Exploring the island by bike is one option – or you could say the only one, bar by foot – ensuring a degree of safety for the island’s precious fauna and flora.

Similarly, Kings Park and Botanic Garden is an attraction where you can relax, picnic and wander through native vegetation. The park overlooks Perth’s CBD and boasts grasstrees and kangaroo paws as well towering eucalypts. A War Memorial with an eternal flame and an 18 metre granite pillar honours the Western Australians who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE

Perth is a city that did well out of the Western Australian gold rushes of the 1800s, when some of the largest gold nuggets ever found were unearthed. And The Perth Mint struck gold again when it was rated Tripadvisor’s 2021 Travellers’ Choice for its tour.

The staff are famous for being both informative and funny as they guide visitors through vaults, show them a live gold pour in the melting house, and introduce them to many other valuable artefacts, such as a hefty gold nugget and a one tonne gold coin made from 99.99 per cent pure gold. TB

DID YOU KNOW?

In Esperance there is a model replica of the UK’s Stonehenge as it would have appeared in 1950BC. It consists of 137 pink granite stones acquired locally, and visitors can experience the summer and winter solstice just as they would have been at the original Stonehenge.

operates flights to Carnarvon. Visit rex.com.au for prices and details.