56 Best Sights in Western Australia, Australia

Biodynamic? Tick. Homegrown produce? Tick. Gorgeous vineyard setting? Tick. Stellar wines. Tick, tick, tick. Cullen isn’t the flashiest winery in Margaret River, but its rustic, cottage feel is a strong part of the allure. Family owned since it began in 1971 it has long followed an ethos to care for the planet and exist sustainably, and it seems Mother Nature is returning the favor. The Cullen Biodynamic Wine Room serves crisp, clean wines, along with fresh, flavorsome meals using seasonal ingredients from the on-site biodynamic spiral garden (visit for free independently). Seated wine tastings offer a personal service and in-depth experience from A$30 per person. General tastings at the bar start at A$15. 

Traveling in a group of six or more? Make a booking for wine tastings.

This expanding distillery got its start by making and supplying hand sanitizer to the masses! Now they are Bunbury's favorite producer of gin, vodka, and rum. This adult activity includes spirit tastings, make-your-own-gin classes, yin-and-gin yoga sessions, and, of course, shopping for your favorite spirits and Cuprum merchandise in their giant shed. Visit their website to see what's on offer during your visit and feel free to contact them with expressions of interest.  Try the raspberry gin.

Like most of Fremantle, the Gothic-looking Fremantle Arts Centre (FAC) was built by convicts in the 19th century. First used as a lunatic asylum, by 1900 it was overcrowded and nearly shut down. It became a home for elderly women until 1942, when the U.S. Navy turned it into its local submarine base in WWII.

As one of Australia's leading arts organizations, FAC has an engaging, year-round cultural program. There are also dynamic exhibitions, a gift shop, and an expansive live music and special events program, which includes free live music on Sunday afternoon from October to March; people like to bring picnics and blankets but there's also an on-site bar-café. 

An eye-catching landmark of early Fremantle atop an ocean-facing cliff, the Round House was built in 1831 by convicts to house other convicts. This curious, 12-sided building is the state's oldest surviving public structure. Its ramparts have great vistas spanning from High Street to the Indian Ocean. Underneath, a tunnel was carved through the cliffs in the mid-1800s to give ships lying at anchor easy access from town. From the tunnel you can walk to the calm and quiet Bathers Beach, where there used to be a whaling station, and listen for the firing of the cannon at 1 pm daily. Volunteer guides are on duty during opening hours.

Over the dunes is the whitest of white sand and the most azure waters of Geordie Bay. Photographed by many, this beach abuts a flat, motionless ocean that makes for safe swimming. A confetti of yachts spreads across the bay in the summer months (there are protected, boat-free swimming zones), and beachside accommodation mirrors the cove. Nearby, next to a minimart, find Geordie's Cafe and Art Gallery (0402-990--870), the only eatery in the bay. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it also serves many gluten-free dishes. Expect to see furry quokkas looking for scraps. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

Winemaker and owner Michael Kerrigan—once chief winemaker at neighboring Howard Park and Madfish Wines—is on a mission to produce "modern wines from old vines" under several different labels. His hands-on approach, using the best grapes from the thirtysomething-year-old plantings, has won show awards and five-star endorsements by wine writers. The tasting room breaks from the usual Margaret River architecture—no rammed earth, timber, and stone here, rather a lovely white-painted clapboard building, polished concrete floors, and pitched ceiling. Tastings cost A$10 per person and you'll get it back if you buy a bottle. As the name suggests, the building is the original hay shed on what was a dairy farm. Rustico Restaurant serves tapas from 11 to 5 daily.

Overlooking Blackwood Valley, Holberry House is a charming colonial B&B with exposed beams and stone fireplaces. The gardens are peppered with statues and sculptures set among a woodland of jarrah trees through which Mount Folly Creek flows, and for a small donation at the main gate, the general public is welcome to explore the extensive gardens without overnighting here.

Ask about the facts and myths surrounding the legend of the Nannup Tiger.

This national park clutches one of Western Australia's most spectacular coastlines, from Cape Naturaliste in the north, to Cape Leeuwin, near Augusta, in the south. The park is not a composite destination, rather a narrow patchwork of protected areas along the coast, intersected by beach access roads and small beachside villages, and traced by the Cape to Cape Track.

The mostly unspoiled coastal vistas are as awe-inspiring as any in the world—on a calm day the view northward from Yallingup past Sugarloaf Rock toward Cape Naturaliste is nature at its best and it's often sprinkled with surfing dolphins. Farther south, between Cowaramup Bay and Karridale, scenic lookouts allow you to access coastal cliffs and rocky shoreline that bear the brunt of giant ocean swells generated across thousands of miles of Indian Ocean.

Use extreme care when hiking or fishing cliff-side.

Gold-mining entrepreneur Claude de Bernales built this quaint outdoor shopping arcade in 1937. Today it's a magnet for anyone with a camera wanting to recapture the atmosphere and architecture of Tudor England, and for those looking for Australian souvenirs. Along its length are statues of Sir Walter Raleigh and Dick Whittington, the legendary lord mayor of London. Above the arcade entry in Hay Street Mall, costumed mechanical knights joust with one another when the clock strikes the quarter hour.

The Genuine UGG boot store is popular with tourists.

Sheltered from wind, this soft-sand haven makes for a gorgeous coastal escape. Its aquamarine-blue waters attract visitors and locals alike. You can bring food with you if you like and use the barbecue facilities and picnic tables. Meelup Beach Hire (meelupbeachhire.com) offers heaps of beach and water-play rentals, including stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, bodyboards, umbrellas, and snorkel sets. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

This is the quieter end of Cottesloe, where local residents go to walk their dogs (a section by Grant Street is a designated dog beach), dive in for an early morning dip, or share a sunset wine on the sand. The concrete walking path looks over the sandy beach and affords impressive views of the coastal mansions that look out to sea. Coastal reef fans out to the right of Grant Street and makes for good snorkeling in summer, but take caution in high waves as stronger currents form near the reef. Beware invisible jellyfish, known as stingers, which cause pain but pose little other threat. Amenities: lifeguards; showers. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.

All that glitters is gold at the Perth Mint, one of the oldest mints in the world still operating from its original premises, and a reminder of the great gold rush days at the turn of the century. Established in 1899, it first refined gold from Western Australia's newly discovered goldfields, striking gold sovereigns for the British Empire. Today it still produces Australia's legal tender in pure gold, silver, and platinum bullion and commemorative coins for investors and collectors. Visitors can tour the site and watch 200 ounces of molten gold being poured in time-honored fashion to form a gold bar. The tour also lets you marvel at the biggest coin ever made, weighing 1 ton, get close to more than A$50 million worth of gold bullion, and see Australia's best collection of natural gold nuggets, including the 369-ounce Golden Beauty, one of the largest natural nuggets in the world. You can also discover your own weight in gold. There's an on-site gift shop and café.

From kangaroos to crocodiles and venomous Aussie snakes to Asian sun bears and orangutans, this expansive, more than century-old zoo is an easy 10-minute drive from Perth's CBD. Expect lush gardens—perfect for a BYO picnic—and different native habitats of various animals from around the world. Walk among Australian animals in an environment depicting the diversity of Australia's native landscape, including a bird-filled wetland. Discover the Reptile Encounter, Rainforest Retreat, and the Australian Bushwalk. For something a little more exotic, there's the African Savannah, with rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, and baboons; and the Asian Rainforest, with elephants, tigers, otters, gibbons, and a Komodo dragon. A number of special encounters are available, such as joining a keeper as they feed the lions, which is best booked and paid for in advance. Free guided walks depart daily at 11 am and 1 pm,  and there are more than a dozen free talks and presentations each day. A one-hour guided tour around the zoo on an electric Zebra Car, seating seven passengers, is also available.

A local favorite, wide Port Beach has small, gentle waves; water the color of a Bombay Sapphire bottle; and pale white sand. It butts up against Fremantle Harbour's North Quay wharf and stretches towards Leighton. Like most of the western-facing coast, the sunsets are epic and the views of Rottnest charming. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; lifeguards; parking. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

After the West Australian premier described the Scarborough precinct as “tired and old,” the state government pledged A$30 million to pretty-up the beachfront, and things have markedly improved. The beach was always beautiful and the waves surfable, but now there are a number of busy cafés, including the Wild Fig, the Local Shack, and The Peach Pit. There's also the long-standing takeout spot, Peters by the Sea for fish-and-chips. Kids love to run wild on the beachfront playground and the Snake Pit skate park, while holidaymakers come and go from the towering Rendezvous Hotel. The more enviable locales of Cottesloe, Fremantle, and Perth CBD are all a 15- to 20-minute drive away; Scarborough is not on the train line. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset; walking.

Interactive science and technology displays educate and entertain visitors of all ages—particularly the younger ones—in this excellent facility. There are more than 100 hands-on general science exhibits, as well as in-depth feature exhibitions. Daily science and puppet shows present science in an entertaining way, and the space shows in the half dome planetarium will stretch your imagination as they take you to the far edges of the known Universe. Minimum age restrictions apply to the planetarium.

Keep an eye out for the quirky facts that dot the space, including the fact that the heart of a giraffe is two feet long.

In a state of extraordinary beaches, this one rates high on the list. Bookended by rounded granite boulders, the caramel-hue sand sinks beneath your feet and the gentle, rolling waves beckon, daring you to cool off in the clean ocean. Edged by native bush, this beach that is 12 km (7 miles) from Dunsborough is quiet and secluded. Smiths Beach Resort and Lamont's Restaurant (at resort) are nearby. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; surfing; walking.

North of the creek has strong waves and rips (undertows) and can be hazardous.

Surfers and bodyboarders favor this beach, riding the transparent blue waves from Trigg Point and Trigg Island, sometimes crashing into the sandy bottom. Swimmers don masks and paddle to the snorkeling spot of Mettams Pool that is lovely on calm days but should be avoided when the swell is up. The hip, surfer-theme coffee haunt, Yelo, and the ultracool Island Market Trigg offer healthy meals and views for days.  Across the road away from the ocean, the Trigg Bushland Reserve makes for interesting, paved bushwalking—just follow the trail and its interpretive signage. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; surfing.

There is a strong undertow off this beach, and swimmers have struck trouble.

The first vines planted in the region were here at Vasse Felix in 1967. Today, its ground-level cellar door provides free wine samples, while the upstairs restaurant offers fine dining and sweeping views of the vineyards and landscaped grounds. In the winery, Virginia Willcock, who was awarded Australian Winemaker of the Year in 2012, is at the helm, perfecting the region's strong suits of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as developing clean, flavorsome Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Shiraz. As is becoming the norm in Margaret River, a A$10 per person wine tasting fee is redeemable with the purchase of any bottle of wine. 

An on-site art gallery houses regular exhibitions from prominent Australian artists.

At the Thomson Bay settlement, don't miss the Wadjemup Museum, which includes mementos of the island's sometimes turbulent past. Staying true to local history, displays are housed in an old mill and hay store built in 1857, showing local geology, natural and social history, and maritime lore with a bunch of surprising facts. It's open daily from 10 am--3:30 pm.
Other ways to learn all about the island's history include Wadjemup Lighthouse Tour. Find out what goes on within the confines of a working lighthouse and climb to the top of this Heritage structure for fabulous 360-degree views. Volunteers also offer free walking tours that include themes like prisoners and pioneers; reefs, wrecks, and sailors; and even a meet the quokkas walk. Meet at The Salt Store. 

Sure, it’s nice to cuddle a koala in an enclosure, but it’s far more exciting to see them in the wild, just above your head. Take the 787-foot Koala Board Walk through native bush with your eyes raised skyward to see one of the state’s largest populations of koalas. Watch for western grey kangaroos on the 2-km (1.2-mile) wetland walking trail around Loch McNess lake and then escape summer’s heat by joining one of several daily underground tours of Crystal Cave, where cooling caverns open up to impressive stalactite galleries and clear water pools. The park is also a lovely picnic spot, and there's a hotel and café within the grounds.

Yanchep National Park is a 45-minute drive north of Perth and is open every day of the year; book tours and get walk trail information at McNess House Visitor Centre.

The view from the top of the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia and only a 10-minute drive south of Augusta, allows you to witness the meeting of the Southern and the Indian oceans. In some places this alliance results in giant swells that crash against the rocks; in others, you'll spot whales surfacing (in season: May–September). While the ocean can be chilly, small coves are blessed with calm waters ideal for swimming. The lighthouse precinct is open daily 9–5 (last entry 4:30 pm, includes self-guided audio tour; A$8). Guided tours to the top of the lighthouse (via a lengthy stairway) cost A$20 and run daily every 40 minutes. The last tour is at 4:20 pm.

At the northern end of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park stands Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. A 1½-km-long (1-mile-long) trail leads from Cape Naturaliste to Canal Rocks, passing rugged cliffs, quiet bays, and curving beaches. You can opt for guided tours, on request (various routes and costs); the cape to cave trail wraps in Ngilgi Cave and a stunning stretch of coastline. Migrating whales are often spotted along this stretch, and from the lighthouse. This is also the start of the coast-hugging 135-km (86-mile) Cape-to-Cape Track, for which there are also guided tours (Cape to Cape Tours are recommended for extended hikes; 0459/452–038, v26495593capetocapetours.com.au). Four major cave systems are easily accessible within Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.

Rustic timber cottages and historic buildings characterize the small town of Nannup, 100 km (62 miles) east of Margaret River. Several scenic drives wind through the area, including the Blackwood River Tourist Drive, a 10-km (6-mile) ride along a section of river surrounded by hills with karri and jarrah forests. You can also canoe on the Blackwood River and wander through the Blythe Gardens. A map of the buildings used in the 2013 surf movie, Drift, is also available from the Nannup Visitor Centre (open daily, 10–4; v26495625www.everythingnannup.com.au). At various times of the year look out for Nannup's popular festivals: music, flower and garden, and art and photography. The Festival of Country Gardens displays an artist's palette of WA's spring and autumn colors.

This surprising artisanal producer smack dab in the middle of vineyards and olive trees is an aromatherapy feast. Inside a converted machinery shed (the soap factory), you'll find a chemical-free range of soaps and body care products hand blended with natural organic ingredients, as well as yummy olives, tapenades, dukkahs, and pestos all without preservatives or artificial additives. This is a place for gastronomes and purists. Sniff, rub, scrub, pamper, and taste to your heart's content!

Picture perfect views, transparent water, clean, honey-color sand, and a gentle pool of ocean that protects you from the waves beyond: what's not to love about this wide beach, out the front of the hillside town of Yallingup? Parts of the ocean have soft seaweed growing thick on the bottom, making for interesting snorkeling. Surf breaks are near but elsewhere, at Smiths, Three Bears, Super Tubes, Injidup, and Rabbits. Ask the locals for directions as only some are signposted. There are limited food and drink options nearby, so come prepared. Amenities: lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.