South West

The Peel Coast (one hour south of Perth) is the place to go for soft adventure (bushwalking, boating, skydiving and white water rafting). There are more than 75 kilometres of accessible coastline, as well as the Peel Inlet, Harvey Estuary and Murray River Valley waterways for swimming and fishing.

Mandurah offers a range of activities including fishing, water-skiing, crabbing, canoeing and cruising, as well as restaurants, cinemas and the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Hiring a houseboat here is a terrific thing to do. As that famous little quokka in Wind in the Willows said, ‘There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half as much worth doing as simply messing about in boats’. Apart from the secluded drifting through natural bush and farmlands, you can pull into a number of riverside restaurants and hotels.

Inland around Serpentine and Dwellingup there are excellent bushwalking trails (including the famous Bibbulmun Track), white water rafting, horseback adventures and hands-on farm stays. The region is dotted with art and craft galleries, many of which have the artists working in the studios. Nearby Pinjarra, on the Murray River, is famous for its heritage sites. Here you can board the Hotham Valley steam train, a unique way to see the surrounding area.

Bunbury is the main centre of the south-west. It is a port city on the Indian Ocean and home to pods of wild dolphins. Go to Koombana Bay where the dolphins shelter and often mingle with visitors. This is a lot easier and cheaper to get to than the better-known Monkey Mia!

South through Busselton to Augusta, there’s whale watching, underground caves, bush-tucker tours, canoeing, surfing and scuba diving. I’m told that wreck divers will love the HMAS Swan shipwreck. I enjoy diving but the only wreck dive I tried resulted in cuts, claustrophobia and cramps, which made me wonder if that’s why they’re called wreck dives – I certainly felt like one.

Margaret River is a pretty town (280 kilometres south of Perth) and is world-famous for its wineries and gourmet vineyard restaurants.

There are heaps of art and craft galleries set among tall timber forests, and the region plays host to world-class concerts. November is the month for fine wine and celebration at the Margaret River Wine Region Festival.

Some wineries to look out for are around Capel (the locals pronounce it Car-pel), include Vasse (Vasse Felix is one of Australia’s most sought after whites) and Leeuwin Estate.

Head to Pemberton and Walpole to feel insignificant in the old-growth karri and jarrah forests of the region where scenic drives and tram rides take you deep into these 80-metre high forests.

There are also a number of wineries here and marron (freshwater crayfish) are grown in hatcheries.

The Blackwood River Valley offers some of the most picturesque countryside in Australia. For a quiet bit of back-to-nature, there are secluded spots for fishing, swimming and camping between Nannup and Alexandra Bridge.

More Information

For more information about Western Australia:

• Events And Festivals
• Accommodation
• To See And Do
• Perth
• Southern Region
• Goldfields
• Outback Coast
• The Pilbara and Kimberley

Western Australia Tours With Tours To Go