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 Western Australia (more commonly know as WA) is the largest of the six states that make up Australia. It is also probably the least visited. Because of this and its relative isolation from the east coast, it still retains an air of Mystery and feels at times like a different country. Ask anyone if they have heard of the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera house and they will probably answer yes. The hordes of people clambering all over them will attest to this. Conversely, talk about the Pinnacles Desert and the Ningaloo Reef and they will probably stare at you blankly.
However, discover these places for yourself and you will be glad of the their comparative obscurity. Even upon Rottnest Island, only 18 kilometres from Perth (a vibrant metropolis of over 1.3million), it is possible to find a beach to yourself at the height of summer. Travel north south or east and you will be able to find unparalleled beauty, and further more enjoy it alone if you wished. Most likely you will be the only person swimming on the incredible Ningaloo Reef , you could be the only the only people on the beach on the West Coast for hundreds of km and it is easy to travel many miles through the great forests of the south without seeing another soul. These are not merely possibilities they are the norm. Western Australia also contains one of the few remaining frontiers of non desert Australia - Kimberley. Three times the size of England, it has withstood all attempts at colonisation and is still the least populated area in Northern Australia.
Western Australia also has everything for those seeking the wonders of the natural world. The Human friendly dolphins at Monkey Mia, The bizarre and ancient Stromatolites of Shark bay, the incredible 8000+ species of wildflower, The Dugongs and Whale Sharks (which you can swim with), Whales, turtles and a huge selection of birds and rare marsupials.
Travel south and the great Karri and Jarrah forests will tower above you, whilst, hidden away beneath their roots are limestone caves, with limestone formations that will take your breath away. The majestic forests of the south are set against a beautiful virtually untouched coastline, that is home to some of World's best surfing beaches. Head towards the red centre and you will find what many would consider to be the 'real Australia'. Rowdy mining towns like Kalgoorlie, eerie ghosts towns like Wittenoom, hundreds of Kilometres of unyielding bush that would steal the life an unwary traveller and mind-boggling, treeless expanses of the Nullarbor Plain.
The major city in Western Australia (in fact the only place with a significant population) is Perth. It has often described as the most isolated city in the World, while this is probably true, it is this combined with the impact of numerous closely located Asian cultures that has given it something of a unique feel. Night life, culture and more history than most other parts of Australia, combine to make it in my opinion the best of all the Australian cities.
Essentially , Western Australia has something for everybody and should be part of any itinerary. In the words of Jim Morrison, 'The west is the best'.
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