Top places to visit in each of Australia’s states

Chapter 8 of 8

WA is Australia’s largest state (and, spoiler alert, my favourite). If you wanted to drive from Esperance in the south to Broome in the north, it would literally take you over a day—25 hours without stops!

WA is rather isolated from the rest of the country and, as such, many backpackers miss out, spending their time on the roads-more-travelled along the east coast. I’m a firm believer that “west is best” because it’s still so unspoilt. The sheer size of the state means there is always something new to explore.

Rottnest Island

This one tiny island was the entire driving force behind my need to visit the state of WA. I knew I needed to meet a quokka, after falling in love with pictures of the happy-go-lucky creatures on social media.

Quokkas can only be found in the wild in a few places in Australia, and Rottnest Island is the easiest place to see them. They are everywhere around the entrance to the island (trying to steal food from the cafes and shops), so you won’t find it hard to meet one.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can sign up for a free guided tour where island volunteers will tell you all about the quokka. They will also take you to some quieter spots to meet them, away from the crowds. If you visit during the breeding season, there’s a good chance of seeing mothers with babies in their pouches.

There is a lot more to do on the island than quokka spotting. You can hire bicycles or jump on a hop-on, hop-off bus that will stop at several of the best snorkelling, sightseeing, and swimming spots around the island. There are also Segway or glass bottom boat tours. You can stay overnight on the island if a day trip from Perth isn’t enough for you.

Ningaloo Reef

You may have noticed when discussing QLD that I didn’t mention the Great Barrier Reef as a must-do… and this is precisely why. Thanks to its more remote location, Exmouth (the jumping off point for exploring Ningaloo) remains a secret to many working holiday makers. This means lower crowds and, therefore, a much healthier and better preserved reef. Unlike the GBR, which has become bleached over the years, Ningaloo Reef is thriving and full of colour. Don’t miss out on the best snorkelling and diving in the country!

You can take self-guided snorkel tours or, if you aren’t confident in open waters, sign up for a guided tour. The guided tours are the best option for getting up close and personal with the larger sea creatures that Ningaloo is famous for. Ningaloo is mostly known for whale sharks (the largest shark in the world). If you visit outside of whale shark season, you can still swim with manta rays and turtles year-round; you might also find a pod of dolphins or humpback whales.

Cape Le Grand National Park

You might not have heard of Cape Le Grand but perhaps you’ve heard of Lucky Bay, voted the number one beach in the world last year. Lucky Bay is located within Cape Le Grand National Park, an hour away from Esperance (eight hours away from Perth—remember, WA is big!). It’s more than worthy of its winning title, especially as you have a good chance of seeing kangaroos on the beach at Lucky Bay.

The best news is there’s more: Cape Le Grand National Park is made up of multiple white-sand beaches, including Rossiter Bay, Thistle Cove and Hellfire Bay. Esperance is also worth spending time in, if you haven’t already had your fill of beaches. The Esperance Great Ocean Drive loops around the best beaches in the area before finishing at the entrance to downtown.

There you have it, my must-visit locations in each state. Let us know in the comments below how many you’ve been to or plan to visit during your WHV.