Western Australia attractions

From rocky canyons to unspoiled beaches to limestone cliffs, Cape Range National Park on the northwest tip of Western Australia boasts a rugged and diverse environment right next to the Indian Ocean. The park is one of the natural highlights of this region, known as the Coral Coast.

Located just outside of Broome, Gantheaume Point is one of the region’s most impressive natural landmarks and serves as an important paleontological site. The red-rock cliffs contrast with the waters of the Indian Ocean below and offer spectacular photo opportunities.

For those road-tripping up the coast of Western Australia, perhaps from Perth to Exmouth, a stop in Lancelin is easy and convenient. Visiting Lancelin from Perth on an organized day trip often includes additional attractions such as Caversham Wildlife Park, the Pinnacles Desert, or the Swan Valley wine region. Once there, sandboards can be rented in town for your own sandboarding enjoyment.

A coastal town on a remote southern stretch of Western Australia, Esperance is surrounded by beaches known for their shockingly white sand and bright turquoise waters. If you’ve seen the photos of a kangaroo lounging on the beach, this is the Esperance area, which draws visitors for its nearby national parks and other scenic attractions.

Monkey Mia Reserve—on the western coast of Australia in Shark Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site—is one of the world’s most reliable places to see dolphins in the wild. For decades, bottlenose dolphins have been paying regular visits to the clear, shallow waters right off the beach, much to the delight of visitors who make the trip from Perth.

One of the most popular visitor attractions of Geographe Bay and part of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, Ngilgi Cave is an expansive natural wonder. The series of underground caves and tunnels are filled with dramatic stalactites, helictites, shawls, and shimmering deposits of calcite crystal.

Near the Western Australian city of Perth, Hillarys Boat Harbour is a seaside destination popular with locals and travelers alike. Not only a boat transport hub for trips off the coast, it’s also home to Hillarys Yacht Club, the Aquarium of Western Australia, the Sorrento Quay Boardwalk, and a calm, safe cove for ocean swimmers.

The oldest inland town in Western Australia, York was settled in 1831 and is known for its heritage architecture. With a location on the Avon River in Avon Valley, York is an easy day trip destination from Perth, one that offers history, culture, countryside scenery, and adventure activities.

A large granite rock formation shaped like an ocean wave, Wave Rock is located in Western Australia’s Golden Outback region and situated in a bushland environment. Standing nearly 50 feet (15 meters) tall and 360 feet (110 meters) long, the formation is part of a geological area dating back more than 2.5 billion years.

The Central Park of Perth, Kings Park & Botanic Garden boasts a hilltop perch with views of the Swan River and city skyline. Locals and visitors flock here for picnics and walks amid wildflowers, bushland, landscaped gardens, and historic memorials.

With 122 almost entirely uninhabited islands and a vast expanse of coral reef stretching along the Coral Coast, the Abrolhos Islands are Western Australia’s answer to the Great Barrier Reef. Visit for world-class snorkeling, wreck dives, marine life, and bird sightings.

Telling the story of Australia’s whaling industry and the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company—the last of the country’s whaling stations to close its doors, back in 1978— Albany's Historic Whaling Station offers insight into whale hunting, as well as the chance to explore onboard a real whale-chaser ship.

Western Australia’s Pink Lake, or the “Hutt Lagoon,” makes for some spectacular photo opportunities—a bright bubble gum-pink pool that stands in stark contrast to the azure ocean just to the west. The inland sea is a natural phenomenon, caused by its resident algae, and it’s one of just a handful of its kind in the world.

Western Australia’s Kalbarri National Park is an impressive area of cliffs and gorges, not far inland. It’s based around the lower reaches of the Murchison River, which has cut a 50-mile (80-kilometer) gorge through red and white sandstone. Visitors come to hike or to enjoy the views from the Kalbarri Skywalk, which stretches over the gorge.

One of the most distinctive sights in the Perth city skyline, the Bell Tower houses the historic St. Martin in the Fields bells—12 bells that rung for centuries in London until they were gifted to Western Australia in 1988. They now ring from the 271-foot (83-meter glass-and-copper tower that sits on the Swan River waterfront.

Set on the Swan River’s north shore, Elizabeth Quay is a waterfront entertainment hub filled with green spaces and esplanades, eateries, and public artwork. The quay is located in Perth’s central business district, and is a great starting point for exploring the rest of the city.

When it opened in 1899, the Perth Mint was the third branch of Britain’s Royal Mint in Australia. Today it produces gold, silver, and platinum bullion coins and bars. Visit to see exhibitions about Western Australia’s gold rush history and collections of rare gold nuggets and coins.

One of Australia's most stunning stretches of coastline, Cape Leveque, located on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, has been home to Aboriginal communities for some 7,000 years. Visit to see the area’s brick-red cliffs, pearl-white sand, and clear blue water, explore the remote landscape, and learn about the local Aboriginal communities.

A pocket of wilderness in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, next to the coast, the Boranup Karri Forest is part of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. It’s known for its karri trees and draws visitors for its bushwalks and photo ops of the densely packed trees and other foliage.

While Town Beach isn’t Broome’s largest beach, it’s just a stone’s throw from the center of town. Popular with picnickers who lay out their spreads on grassy areas and public tables, the landscaped beach also draws visitors looking for the Staircase to the Moon, a local phenomenon whereby moonlight creates what looks like a staircase climbing the sky.

With its lush wetlands, limestone caves, and wildflower-filled plains, Yanchep National Park makes an attractive retreat from nearby Perth, and at less than an hour’s drive from the city, it’s a popular choice for a day trip. Established in 1957, Yanchep is also one of Australia’s oldest national parks.

Founded in 1896, the Broome Japanese Cemetery is the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia and a testament to the close ties between Western Australia and Japan. The cemetery is the final resting place for more than 900 Japanese people who came to Broome to work in the pearling industry, many of whom died while diving or from decompression sickness.

Just 45 minutes from Perth, Penguin Island is an engaging ecotourism destination. Home to over 1,000 of the world’s smallest penguins, the island is teeming with animal activity. Attend a penguin feeding presentation, look to the skies for signs of seabirds, or search the seas for a glimpse of dolphins or a rare Australian sea lion.

Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park in Western Australia stretches more than 100 miles (160 kilometers). It's a haven for nature enthusiasts, as it's home to rugged landscapes with hiking trails and viewpoints overlooking the Indian Ocean, where you can see whales and dolphins. The park also boasts beautiful beaches, surfing spots, forests, and limestone cliffs.

Located in the lush surrounds of Whiteman Park, Perth’s Caversham Wildlife Park is home to Western Australia’s largest private collection of native wildlife. The park has more than 200 species of fauna, with a focus on native Australian animals such as koalas, wallabies, possums, Tasmanian devils, and wombats.

From the moment you walk through the giant fiberglass replica of a crocodile's head, you know that Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park is wild about crocs. Located on the outskirts of Broome, this adventurous park is home to native saltwater crocodiles deemed too aggressive to remain in their Outback communities.

Thousands of yellow limestone rocks emerge from the desert, and dune viewpoints look out over the Indian Ocean in the Pinnacles Desert of Namburg National Park. One of Western Australia’s most popular attractions, this national park on the Coral Coast is a must for photographers, stargazers, and fans of unusual, otherworldly landscapes. Wildlife seekers should also keep their eyes peeled for more kangaroos.

The world’s oldest, still-operating open-air movie theater, Sun Pictures is a major tourist attraction in Broome, Australia. Both locals and travelers visit the picture gardens, where you can relax in a deck chair under the stars and enjoy the latest movies in a historic ambiance.

Go underground at Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek) National Park in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. Compared to other national parks in the area, Dimalurru is small, covering just 225 acres (91 hectares) of the Napier Mountain Range. But it has a popular main attraction: Western Australia’s oldest cave system.

One of Western Australia’s largest and most luxurious resorts, Crown Perth entertainment complex boasts three hotels, a 24-hour casino, a theater, and a concert arena. Opportunities for fun abound, with a choice of 30 restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, all set in a stunning location on the banks of the Swan River.