Japan and China may be some of the hippest places to travel to these days, but Down Under is not one to be forgotten. Other than Perth City and Cottesloe Beach, there’s so much more to do outside, in the larger region of Western Australia.
The 5h flight to Perth, Western Australia, is the gateway to a whole adventure. Here’s the lowdown on things to do in Western Australia for a walk on the wild side.
Table of Contents
Start your trip to Western Australia with a desert adventure in The Pinnacles – 200km north of Perth along the Indian Ocean Drive. Formed tens of thousands of years ago, the famed limestone formations were created by the receding of the sea, and are one of Western Australia’s most iconic sights.
Opt for a 4WD, or 4-wheel-drive, trip through The Pinnacles Desert, or for something off the beaten path, sign yourself up for a sunset & stargazing tour (from AUD225/~S$189.15). You’ll want to have your cameras and tripods ready for all the stargazing pics you’ll get.
Pro tip: Visit between August to October for endless vistas of wildflowers in Nambung National Park, where The Pinnacles can be found.
Address: Nambung, WA 6521
Opening hours: Daily
Contact: +61 (08) 9688 6000 | Website
After the sandy dunes of The Pinnacles, stop by Cervantes, a crayfishing town that is just 15 minutes away. Fun fact: the town got its name from an American whaling ship of the same name, which was shipwrecked off the coast back in 1844.
You’ll find white-sand beaches and beautiful blue waters here, where you can swim alongside sea lions and dolphins on a Sea Lion Tour (from AUD75/~S$63.05) – do note that these are only available during the months of September to April.
You can’t miss the local speciality – rock lobster, fresh off the boat at Lobster Shack, a lobster processing factory that was started by lobster fisherman David Thompson Senior. Go on a Factory Tour (AUD15/~S$12.61), or take the adventure one step further by joining a Lobster Catching Tour (from AUD80/~S$67.25), where you’ll join the fishermen in reeling in their pots of Western Rock Lobster.
After all that activity, reward yourself with fresh-off-the-boat catch including abalone, rock lobster, fish, and prawns at the Lobster Shack Restaurant, overlooking the Coral Coast.
Address: 37 Catalonia Street, Cervantes WA 6511
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, daily
Contact: +61 (08) 9652 7010 | Website
Image credit: Western Australia
Did you know that 81% of Australia is covered in what’s known as The Outback? The term originally meant the backyard of a house, but in the 1800s was used to refer to the vast, sparsely populated areas of Australia out back of the cities and towns.
The Australian Outback is unique to the continent, and there’s no better way to experience it than to go on a road trip through the Outback, in the footsteps of the Australian gold rush pioneers.
Image credit: Western Australia
This 7-day, 340km trip will take you to Wave Rock, which is known as one of Australia’s biggest surf breaks – except this 15m-tall wave is made of rock. If you’re there in Spring, which runs through the months of July to October, you might be just in time for wildflower season in the desert too.
Kangaroos on the beach at Lucky Bay.
Image adapted from: @australiasgoldenoutback via Instagram
The magnificent landscapes that you’ll encounter on this drive aren’t only limited to the arid inland of the continent; you’ll also get to pass through Lucky Bay, Esperance, known to house the whitest beaches in all of Australia. Frolick with the resident beach-loving roos, and catch the migratory whales each July to October.
Image credit: @golf_hacksss via Instagram
Finally, play a hole in the glorious Outback at Nullarbor Links Golf Course, an 18-hole par 72 golf course that, at 1,365km long, is the longest golf course in the world. It stretches to South Australia, but playing the whole course is an adventure for another day.
Unbelievable as it seems, pink lakes are real, and they exist in Australia. Specifically, Western Australia has the most pink lakes in the country, and they’re all in shades of magical, absolutely fantastical pink that seem unreal, but are entirely natural.
Image credit: Tourism Western Australia
The most well-known of these is Hutt Lagoon, whose colour varies between bubblegum pink and a paler, lilac tone depending on the season and time of the day. Take a scenic flight for the best views, as well as a bird’s eye view of the stunning contrast between the pink lake and Indian Ocean.
Image credit: @rottnestislandwa via Instagram
And if you visit Rottnest Island, you’ll want to keep an eye out for their very own pink salt lakes, which get their hue from the high salt concentrations and an algae known as Dunaliella salina.
Image adapted from: @australiascoralcoast via Instagram
UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef is one for the oceanic wildlife lovers and divers, with its swathes of unspoiled coral gardens and crystal-clear waters. This is where you should definitely visit to swim with whale sharks each March to July, and humpback whales come July to October.
Image credit: Western Australia
For the less adventurous, there are glass-bottom boat tours (from AUD45/~S$37.83) that you can go on, that’ll bring you up close and personal with the wonders of the ocean, without having to get wet. Should you prefer, there are still options for you to jump off for a short snorkel too.
Whichever tour you join, be sure to participate in activities conducted by licensed operators to ensure eco-sustainable practices that will not harm or interfere with the wildlife.
Image credit: Sal Salis
Since you’ve made it all the way here, why not book a glamping experience in Cape Range National Park too? Think: luxury safari tent with the Indian Ocean on your doorstep, the Aussie bush behind you, and a sky brimming with stars by night. Prices start from AUD1,860/night (~S$1,564.75), but it’ll be worth it.
Francois Peron National Park, Shark Bay.
Image credit: Tourism Western Australia
English explorer William Dampier may have named it Shark Bay in 1699, but the area is home to the world’s second largest population of dugongs – approximately 10,000 of them, or 10% of all the sea cows on earth.
Image credit: @aristocat2cruises via Instagram
Visit the gentle sea giants, dolphins, and a whole host of other wildlife on a catamaran cruise (from AUD70/~S$58.85), but do note that dugong season runs from August to May, AKA the warmer months. During the colder winter months, you’re less likely to see them, as they’ll have moved to graze in deeper, warmer waters.
Image credit: Western Australia
Snorkelling with the dugongs may not be possible, but you can go snorkelling and diving with other creatures of the deep at Shark Bay Eco Tours, the only licensed dive charter in the area.
Camping at Francois Perron National Park looks like this.
Image credit: @discoversharkbay via Instagram
They even do 4×4 tours of Francois Perron National Park if staying landbound is your preferred choice.
Image credit: @tuks_on_tour via Instagram
Shark Bay is also home to Shell Beach, where, as you may have guessed, the entire beach is made of billions of shells instead of sand. It sounds incredible, but what’s even more so is that you’re walking on up to 10m of shells, stretching over a distance of more than 100km.
The Old Pearler Restaurant in Denham is made entirely out of shell bricks.
Image credit: Bob’s Big Idea
There’s so much of it, the locals even hard-packed the shells and cut them into blocks, which were used in the construction of some buildings in the nearby town of Denham.
Image credit: @saltytreads via Instagram
The northernmost tip of Western Australia is an area known as Kimberley, of which the beach resort town of Broome is most recognised. Broome is home to Cable Beach, a 22km-long expanse of sugar-white beaches, ochre-red cliffs, and turquoise waters – in short, extra stunning, ultra Instagrammable.
A must-do is to catch the sunset on Cable Beach, and the best way to do this is via camel back, on a sunset camel ride.
Image credit: @adventures.offgrid via Instagram
Your little adventurers will also love walking in the literal footprints of prehistoric dinosaurs at Gantheume Point, where they are all revealed at low tide. These footprints date back at least 120 million years; there are more than 20 different kinds of dino tracks that you could spot.
Image adapted from: @dan_and_zora, @kimberley_australia via Instagram
Another must-do in this part of Western Australia is to join a seaplane or helicopter tour to see what Sir David Attenborough termed “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world” – Horizontal Falls. The magnificent sideways falls, formed by the tides being forced through a small gap in the coastline, are best viewed from an aerial perspective.
Image credit: Western Australia
After all that ocean-ing, the Bungle Bungle Range takes you inland, to the distinctive beehive-shaped, black-and-orange rock cones that stretch up to 75 storeys high. The best time to visit the Bungle Bungles is during the dry season of April to November; during the wet months, entrance to the World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park is limited.
Image credit: @wingz_for_flight via Instagram
The park is more than 2,300sqkm big, so if it’s your first time here, you might want to join a fly-and-walk tour (from AUD1,949/~S$1,639.50) with experienced guides who will take you to the best viewing points and sights, including Cathedral Gorge, with its natural rock pools. This tour includes an overnight stay, meals, and a scenic flight into the National Park.
Image credit: @helispirit via Instagram
If you would rather not trek through the National Park, there’s always the aerial option in an open-sided helicopter tour (from AUD349/~S$293.46).
Image credit: @valleyofthegiantstreetopwalk via Instagram
Hiking and diving and all of that might be a bit too much thrill for some of us, so for something a little tamer, but no less majestic, there’s the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk (from AUD21/~S$17.65) in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park. It’s just 600m long, and is both wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, so you can be sure you won’t be clambering up rocks and cliffs here.
Here’s the catch: if you thought our Macritchie TreeTop Walk was high, at 25m, the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk takes you 40m above ground. You’ll be walking amongst Australia’s native tingle trees, which can live up to 400 years, and which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Image credit: @valleyofthegiantstreetopwalk via Instagram
Then, head down to the Ancient Empire Walk Trail – also wheelchair- and stroller-accessible – to wander the forest floor, and see the Giant Tingle Tree, said to be the oldest living eucalypt in the world.
Address: Valley of the Giants Road, Tingledale WA 6333
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, daily
Contact: +61 (08) 9840 8263 | Website
Don’t write Western Australia off as being entirely too outdoorsy just yet. The Margaret River region, often referred to as the culinary capital of WA, is where you’ll find the perfect balance between being well-dined, and well-travelled.
First up – hunting for black truffles (from AUD100/~S$84.07) at The Margaret River Truffle Farm, where you’ll meet a team of extra-friendly truffle hunting dogs who will help you find the elusive lumps of black gold.
Apart from stocking up on truffle treats at the farm shop, you’ll want to take note of the countless farmers markets that pop up in the region, including the Margaret River Farmers Market, which is open each Saturday. Our suggestion: rent yourself an Airbnb so you’ll be able to whip up proper feasts with the area’s best produce.
ICYMI, Western Australia is home to Australia’s best wine, and Margaret River is where the money’s at. One of the first vineyards to be established here is Voyager Estate, known for their 100% organic Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. For AUD65 (~S$54.64), you’ll get a bespoke tasting of their tipples, with specially curated snacks from their award-winning restaurant.
Alternatively, go for something less pedestrian in the form of wine tours with a twist, or book a stay (from AUD618/~S$519.53) at The Grove Distillery – the Margaret River Wine Region’s first distillery.
Image credit: Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines flies not once, but 4 times daily to Perth Airport, from which you can embark on your Western Australian adventure.
The flight is just a little over 5 hours, making Western Australia and all of its treasures easily accessible from our Little Red Dot. To make this even sweeter, Singapore Airlines is running a promotional fare deal from now till 10th August, with Economy Class tickets from $578.
With unlimited complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi for KrisFlyer members, tasty in-flight meal selections, and more than 1,900 on-demand entertainment options on KrisWorld, you might just be wishing the flight were a longer one.
It’s time to bid Western Australia and your next adventure, “G’day mate.” To be honest, we’ve only just scraped the surface on all there is to offer in this state. Other than everything we’ve listed here, there’s a wealth of activities and sights for everyone, from families to friends looking for a getaway.
Curate your very own Western Australian adventure with Tourism Western Australia’s trip planning tool, or simply go with one of their suggested itineraries for an unforgettable holiday.
This post was brought to you by Singapore Airlines.
Cover image adapted from: @australiascoralcoast via Instagram, Tourism Western Australia
Photography by Cassia Leong.
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