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Western Australia
Closer to Bali than it is to Sydney - so it gets less attention that the Eastern states, but not to be missed under any circumstances. There is the Ningaloo Reef, famous for its Whale Sharks, Exmouth Pier and the Rowley Shoals up in the north of the state to mention but a few of the excellent dive sites WA has to offer.
The Ningaloo Reef is much closer to shore than the Great Barrier Reef - in fact it is so close that some people even swim out to it. It can be accessed from the towns of Coral Bay in the south and Exmouth in the North. Although not particularly deep, the fish life is stunning and the reef is as yet unspoilt! Whale sharks cruise this coast line between March and July and for a few extra Aussie Dollars (to pay for the spotter plane) you can go and snorkel with them.
EXMOUTH, WA, NINGALOO REEF & WHALE SHARKS
It's a 2 day drive from Perth to Exmouth or alternatively you can fly to Learmouth, just outside the town. The flight up from Perth can take anything up to 3 hours depending on the size of aircraft you get. (HINT: go in May as it is mid season for the Whale sharks and not as hot as in March).
Whale sharks are BIG business in Exmouth, in fact the biggest, and there are lots of operators to choose from, all with large powerful dive boats, and all offering a package including a dive or snorkel to start with, snacks, drinks and lunch on board. Cost wise they are all about the same, and they all share the spotter plane employed to find the sharks. The companies all work well together and in the event of whale sharks being scarce, a rota system is employed so that everyone gets a snorkel. It costs about an extra A$70 to do the dive rather than the snorkel before embarking to see the whale sharks.
It's an expensive day out at A$350 pp but part of the package is a guarantee that if you don't see whale sharks on your day, you can go again free until you do. The catch: You don't get to choose necessarily which day you go back, they will slot you in on a day when they have a space on the boat, so if your holiday ends in say 2 days time, there is a distinct chance you won't get to go again. Expect to be one of about 20 people on your boat alone, it will never be a solitary experience.
Exmouth Navy Pier is one of Australia's most famous dive sites. It was closed for 5 months following 9/11 terrorist attacks but is open and boasts schooling trevally, lemon sharks, reef sharks, lion fish, jacks and more. It does live up to its name as a top Australian dive site. (HINT: check in advance that it will be open for diving before you make a booking).
CORAL BAY, WA
Located at the other end of Ningaloo Reef, about 225km closer to Perth is a very small town of Coral Bay. Whale sharks can also be seen here during the height of the season but it also offers some of the most stunning coral formations in Australia. Shark, mantas and turtles abound as well and when the whale sharks start to move north, Hump back whales pass along the reef, providing a spectacular display as they breech out of the water. Diving is relatively shallow but there is a great variety of reef fish and coral formations in the warm, pristine waters.
Exmouth or Coral Bay are also perfect places to view the mass coral spawning, a three day event that begins a week or so after the full moon during March and April. Each night, many species of coral suddenly release millions of bright pink egg and sperm bundles which float to the surface of the water, as though engaging in a spectacular underwater dance.
SHARK BAY MARINE PARK, WA
Shark Bay is located 900 km north of Perth and the bay alone stretches over 8000 square kilometres. This area is particularly famous its diverse ecology. More than 10,000 Dugongs call Shark Bay home. Large seagrass meadows with more than ten different species of seagrass provide plenty of food for these amazing mammals and a sheltered habitat for other marine life. Dugongs are regularly encountered whilst diving. Shark bay has a high diversity of marine life including lionfish, reef sharks, sea turtles, sea snakes, angelfish, rock lobsters and much more. Although the Bay is quite shallow and there are a few shore dives, most of the better diving locations within the bay are reached by boat. The Northern part of the Bay can also be accessed from Carnarvon.
Large numbers of people visit Monkey Mia each year to interact with the dolphins that come right up to the beach to be hand fed by a lucky few tourists. At a few locations, such as Hamelin Pool, the world's oldest organisms can be found: cyanobacteria, primitive life forms that inhabited the world 3.5 billion years ago. These single cell organisms form structures called stromatolites.
Rottnest boasts some of the finest beaches and bays in the world together with a unique style of architecture dating back to the 1800's. It has a fascinating history as an Aboriginal penal settlement, a World War I camp for prisoners of war, a place for salt gathering and processing and a World War II military installation. It is well known to all Western Australians as a place for recreation, being first used by the Governors of Western Australia as a holiday resort between 1848 and 1919.
The Island is an A Class Reserve enjoying a semi-arid Mediterranean style climate. It is 11km long and 4.5km at its widest point and is situated just 30 minutes by ferry from Fremantle, or 15 minutes by plane from Perth.
12 Kilometers from the port of Fremantle
Water temp 17c to 25c
Season Nov to July
Limestone reef, soft & hard corals, many swim throughs & over hangs
Average depth 5mtr to 40mtr
Abundant marine life
Crayfish season Nov 17 to June 30
ALBANY, WA
A day's driving south from Perth is the rugged and beautiful coastal scenery of Albany. Weather can play a big factor in diving this area and sea temperatures are much colder than the better known diving destinations in Western Australia. There is a variety of diving on offer for all abilities, some accessible directly from the shore at Albany. Amazing underwater seascapes are to be found in King George Sound and all around Albany's offshore islands and reefs with black coral, gorgonian fans and a huge variety of colourful sponges and marine life. If you enjoy wreck diving Albany has 2 top class wrecks to explore, firstly the HMAS Perth which was scuttled in November 2001, and sits in 34metres. The second is the wreck of the 42 metre long Cheynes III which sits guard near the entrance of King George Sound in 25 metres of water, providing a home to a huge variety of marine life. This former whaler is intact and makes an awe-inspiring sight. Breaksea Island, Michaelmas Island and Two Peoples Bay are among the area's other well-known sites. HMAS PERTH
ESPERANCE, WA
The site of one of the largest divable wreck in the world - the Sanko Harvest, Esperance is 720 km south-east of Perth, and east of Albany. However, the wreck is only divable for a few days every year and is in exceptionally deep water. The good news is that there is superb diving throughout the region.
One hundred or more granite islands form the Recherche Archipelago, which stretches along 200 metres of coastline. Some islands are only a stone's throw from the shore and between each of them are numerous submerged rocks and reefs that form a diver's paradise. Many good dives are accessible from shore. Underwater visibility is often 30 to 60 metres.
The best time to visit is November, December, March, April or May.
CAPE NATURALISTE, WA
South West of Perth is Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park which punctuates the coast line from Cape Natrualiste in the northern end and Cape Leeuwin in the south. Characterised by a rugged, rocky coast line and named after the current which brings warm tropical water southwards along the WA coastline. The Leeuwin current is responsible for the existence of coral reefs as far south as the Abrolhos Islands and the presence of tropical species at Rottnest Island and along the south coast as far as Esperance.
In the rest of the world, similar currents run from the pole to the equator, providing much colder and plankton rich waters. Instead the Leeuwin Current is a hot tropical mass of water moving south resulting in coral reefs at latitudes where they don't normally grow. The Abrolhos is one of the most southerly coral reefs in the world. It boasts more than 150 species of corals and extensive reef developments.*
*source: Western Fisheries WA's Journal of Fishing and the Aquatic Environment
For the visiting Diver one of the high lights of the area is a wreck dive on 'The Swan', a wreck purposely sunk in 1997 to create an artificial reef and offer the chance to recreational divers to dive this wreck safely. The Swan can be found at a depth of 30 meters. Although initially the wreck was bare, this quickly changed, marine life started to appear, finding food and shelter. The Swan is over 100 meters long and large holes have been cut to provide safe entry and exit points all over. Operators in Busselton or Dunsborough organise trips out from Eagle Bay to the wreck. Dunsborough is about 3 hours drive south from Perth.
For more information on this dive site, have a look at the following websites: Michael McFadyen and Cape Dive
THE ROWLEY SHOALS MARINE PARK, WA
The coral atolls of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park, some 300 kilometres offshore from Broome, offer some of the world's best diving. They consist of three atolls which break the surface of the Indian Ocean and are rarely dived. This means that the reef walls are full of life and in excellent condition. The Shoals are famed for their almost untouched coral gardens, giant clams and other shellfish, and large and plentiful reef fish. The three pear-shaped atolls have shallow lagoons inhabited by corals and abundant marine life, including many species not yet recorded by scientists. Giant potato cod and maori wrasse follow divers around, while colourful reef fish show little fear, and trevally, mackerel and tuna hover in schools. The Shoals rise with near-vertical sides from depths of 300 to 400 metres. The outside walls are alive with soft corals in every imaginable colour. At low tide the water becomes ponded within the reef walls, the water gushing over them like waterfalls.
(HINT: the dive boats are luxurious, but come at a price. Try to have spent a couple of days at least in Broome acclimatising to the weather and time zone before you take this trip as it is nearly 24 hours away from land!)
ROTTNEST ISLAND, WA
Rottnest Island, just south west of Perth offers diving of a more sub tropical nature. The waters are more temperate and so the underwater wildlife is more like our own UK west coast diving. There are daily ferries over from Fremantle and the heart of Perth City Centre. Accommodation is available on Rottnest island, and can be busy through the Christmas holidays. Peak season is Nov to July (sea temp 17°C in November and 25°C in July), you expect to find abundant marine life, soft and hard corals, many swim throughs and overhangs. Average depth 5m to 40m.
Western Australia Fact File
Getting there
The quickest route is a flight from Sydney or other major towns & cities. The train ride across the continent on the Indo pacific is a trip to remember but takes 3 and a half days from Sydney and can be rather costly if you opt for the comfort of a sleeper bed.
When to go
The Climate ranges from a cool 8°C in June/July (winter) through to 29°C in Nov-Jan (summer) in Perth, expect it to be cooler the further south you go and conversely warmer as you head north. Even at the coldest time, you can begin to escape the cold weather by the time you hit Geraldton. Evenings can still be a bit chilly though. For whale sharks you need to be there between March and May when water temperatures range from 24-27°C.
Accommodation in Western Australia
Perth
Quite a compact city centre, so where ever you stay you won't be too far from the Central Business District (CBD) which is home to most of the large hotel chains. There are a number of smaller hotels which offer great rates when booked on-line beforehand, a double room can be about A$60 but rises to near A$100 if you try to turn up and get a room. The 'Good Earth Hotel on the outskirts of CBD offers good value for money and all the amenities you could want. It is popular with school groups, so always quite busy, but clean and still fairly central.
Outside Perth
Every town seems to have a tourist information office, with plenty of maps and accommodation guides, if you don't have anything lines up, then make this your first stop, they will recommend places in your budget and do the ringing around for you. But be warned they usually close about 5pm. Expect prices to be higher than Perth, the cheapest option is to take a chalet in a caravan park, these range from little more than a portacabin style pre-fab to small brick built chalets with cooking facilities and all mod-cons. Bed and Breakfasts in the English sense are hard to find, and usually quite expensive. Camp sites abound throughout the state, and cater for everyone from a tent to a camper van with electrical connections. Washing facilities are usually spotless and it is a great value way to move around. If possible try to book ahead for hotels and camp sites, places such as Coral Bay have limited capacity and can be full during holiday seasons. It's a long way to go to find you have nowhere to stay for the night!
Perth and Western Australia
Accommodation Perth
Travel Australia Accommodation
Ozstays
Ratestogo
Oz B&B
Non Divers & other activities in Western Australia
Western Australia is the most picturesque of the Australian States (in my opinion!) There are many points of interest throughout the state, the wine regions such as Margaret River, the rugged southern coastline parks, the old-world charm of Fremantle and of course Perth itself.
Many companies operate tours from Perth, either day trips or overnight stays combining some of the more popular destinations. If you don't fancy a coach style trip, a self drive tour is a good way to see some of the highlights and combine a bit of diving too.
Perth
Home to the 'WACCA' one of Australia's great sporting arenas; Perth is another great city with strong sporting traditions. There are plenty of restaurants with a strong slant towards oriental food in evidence, sit outside in one of the many café and enjoy your meal in the sunshine. Culturally the city plays host to many touring shows, ballet, opera and concerts and has a stunning botanical garden with great views out across the river. The city centre is compact with just enough shops to keep you busy for a day. Further a field is Fremantle and Rottnest island, which can both be reached by the shuttle Ferry and make an interesting day trip.
Wine Tours
Margaret River & Swan District are the two main wine regions in WA. You can visit many of the vineyards which are clearly marked on maps & from the roadside. It is possible to do tasting tours which visit a variety of vineyards, so you can compare styles and of course varieties, it also means you don't have to drive! These can be organised through the local tourist office or through your hotel/camp site.
Touring
National Parks abound both in land and on the coast. Some of the best known are The Pinnacles, about a days drive north of Perth; Kalbarri - great for Hiking and Canoeing; Cape Range, near Exmouth for stunningly beautiful beaches and down south try Cape Natrualiste National Park where the wind combines to make this rocky shoreline, wet and wild.
Action and Adventure
Surfing is big down south, but you'd want a wetsuit, water temperatures arrange from 21-24°C. Further north visit Monkey Mia for some dolphin interaction or visit Coral Bay which is a snorkeling paradise, and at the right time of year you can take a boat trips to see the whale sharks and southern right whales as they migrate along the coast line.
Inland try canoeing, wake boarding or white water rafting on one of the many rivers and lakes, or if you prefer to keep your feet dry, there is bushwalking, mountain biking or climbing.
Fishing
Coral Bay north of Perth, near Exmouth, is a fisherman's paradise, nearly every camper van you see on the road seems to be pulling its own boat behind. It seems odd that divers and fishermen share the same waters but it seems to work, with strict quotas for fishermen on size and quantities for each species.
Further information
Australian Tourism
Western Australia
Visit Western Australia
Australia main page
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