5 Beautiful Reasons to Hit the Road and Go to Western Australia in Autumn

Photo Credit: NingalooWhaleSharkFestival.com

When the weather starts to change and Australia’s hot summer starts to fade away, the amazing colours of the fall begin to emerge and Western Australia is the best place to be to take full advantage of the beautiful fall colours and spectacular weather. Our 5 must see places in Western Australia in autumn are Kununurra, the Blackwood Valley, Rottnest Island, Margaret River, and Ningaloo Reef. This is a lot of ground to cover, so be sure to hire a vehicle from Budget Australia to help you get around the state while touring the best spots in the fall.

1) Kununurra for the Ord Valley Muster


Photo Credits: OrdValleyMuster.com.au

Kununurra is located in the remote Kimberley in northern Western Australia. For 17 years now, it has been home to The Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster. This festival celebrating the business, culture, Aboriginal history, and beautiful scenery takes place each May.  You can experience one of the most remote places in the world when you visit Kununurra and the Kimberley. It is one of the stops on the legendary road trip known as the Gibb River Road. In this region, you can see some of the most spectacular and dramatic scenery including gorges, waterfalls, hot springs, and national parks. In the fall, the Kimberley is just heading into the dry season which is the best time to visit because the weather is still warm but less humid than in the summertime. 

2) The Blackwood Valley


Photo Credit: AustraliasSouthwest.com

The Blackwood Valley is located west of the Margaret River Region and about a 3 hour drive south of Perth. The valley is carved from the Blackwood River, the longest river in Western Australia. It is a wonderfully picturesque region filled with quaint bed and breakfasts, small businesses that show off the amazing local craftsmanship, local galleries, delicious food and wineries. In the fall, the leaves start to turn colours and the weather begins to cool down making for a lovely getaway.

3) Rottnest Island

Photo Credits: ExperiencePerth.com

Rottnest Island is a vacationer’s dream island located off of the coast of Perth near Fremantle. It is great any time of the year, but in the fall it is even more special because the summer crowds have diminished but the warm and sunny days have not. There are beautiful white sand beaches, snorkelling, boating to be had all along the perimeter of the island. The interior is filled with local wildlife. One of the most popular animals are the Quokka. These are adorable and friendly marsupials that are native to Western Australia. If you look up #QuokkaSelfie on social media, you will see just how friendly and how cute these little guys are!

4) Ningaloo Reef


Photo Credit: VisitNingaloo.com.au

Ningaloo Reef is located near Exmouth and is the largest fringing reef in Australia. A fringing reef means that the reef begins right off of the beach. It has some of the best snorkeling in Australia, but is most well-known for being one of the few places in the world where you can actually swim with the largest fish in the ocean, the whale sharks. They migrate to Ningaloo Reef between April and July. In May is the annual Whale Shark Festival in Ningaloo, and is a prime opportunity to go snorkeling before the waters get too cold. Swimming with these gentle giants is a chance of a lifetime. There are plenty of other things to do in this vacation town with resorts, restaurants nearby. Plus, the desert and some fascinating scenery is just a short drive away.

5) Margaret River, Western Australia



Photo Credit: MargaretRiver.com
 
Margaret River is a region south of Perth located on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is one of the top spots in Australia for wine, so there is delicious foods and excellent wines to sample at the vineyards of the region. However, there are also beaches, national parks, forests, and caves, so there is something for everyone in Margaret River! During the fall season, the weather is beautiful and the panoramic scenery all around is lit up in beautiful colour.

Continue Reading...

Guest Post: My Five Favourite Things to Do in Perth, Western Australia

I’ve been in Perth for around three months and have managed to tick off several of the “must see” things to do based on Trip Advisor and other travel guides and blogs. Everyone enjoys doing different types of activities; I’m more of an activities type of person rather than a museum fan. If that’s you I’d recommend these five popular things to do in Perth.

Cottesloe Beach Cottesloe is only a 15 minute train ride from Perth’s central business district. It’s the perfect place to see the sun set over the Indian Ocean, I’ve never seen such a beautiful sunset.


It also offers great waves so is popular for swimming and amongst surfers.

Enjoy some delicious fish and chips at the nearby cafes and make sure you go here for a Sunday Session. The locals love going to the pubs along the beachfront to enjoy a drink and watch the sun go down, I was very impressed with Cottesloe Beach Hotel, bit more expensive but a beautiful pub and great atmosphere.

Fremantle Markets Further down the same train line as Cottesloe is Fremantle. A seaside port, the main one in Western Australia, there are many things to see here. One of my favourites is going to the Fremantle Markets at the weekends.


Great for picking up the freshest fruit and veg, quirky little stalls and a great selection of dishes such as paella and gozleme and treats including chocolate doughnuts, strawberries covered in chocolate and homemade macaroons. Yum Yum! I had an awesome chorizo gozleme. Markets are open Fridays to Sunday and on bank holiday Mondays.

Little Creatures Brewery - Fremantle Head to the Brewhouse Bar first for a free sample of any of the beer and ciders or like me try all six Little Creatures drinks on offer to find your favourite/s. I’ve never been a fan of dark ale but I thought their White Rabbit Dark Ale was phenomenal and the Pipsqueak Apple Cider was very light and sweet without being too sweet. I can’t recommend them highly enough.


I found the atmosphere to be very warm and welcoming at Little Creatures. Head to the main bar to enjoy a full pint, have a meal or try Creatures Next Door and sit back and relax in one of their big comfy lounge chairs while taking in the waterfront views.

Swan River A better way to Fremantle is to take a relaxing river cruise down the Swan River. Look back and soak up the fantastic city skyline, get envious at the expensive homes and wave as you pass the many sailing boats. Fairly inexpensive trip at $27 per person one way, or $37 for a return.

Perth Mint I’m not a fan of traditional museums, just doesn’t do it for me. However I went to the Perth Mint for the gold pouring demonstration. It was fascinating to watch the process and see how quickly the liquid gold turned into a gold bar.

I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the Perth Mint; the tour was very informative, interesting history and I had the chance to pick up a $200,000 gold bar.


Guide showing off replicas of the biggest ever pieces found in Western Australia.
They are upgrading part of the facilities so it costs just $10 at the moment, bargain.

Kings Park If you wake up feeling like exploring the great outdoors, get your walking boots on and head to Kings Park, the world’s largest inner city park at 1,003 acres. To get to Kings Park you can drive, take the bus up, jump on the free blue CAT bus to take you nearby or my preferred option, a short walk from the city and up the very steep Jacobs Ladder, which is popular with joggers.

There is lots to explore, my highlights were relaxing and enjoying the magnificent views over the Swan River and the city’s business district from the grassy area off of Frasers Avenue, a great spot for enjoying a picnic. Come back or stay to see the fantastic views of the city by night.


Explore The Park’s Botanic Gardens to discover many species of plants which represent plants found all over Western Australia. Then there is the impressive 750 year old Boab tree which has been transported over 3,000km from the Kimberly Region.


Also worth doing is the Tree Top Walk along the Federation Walkway, great views of the trees around you and the Swan River. Try to fit in the Indigenous walking tour to learn more about the fascinating history of the aboriginal people and how Kings Park is viewed as a sacred place.

This guest post was written by Chris M and all the photographs in this post belong to him. Follow Chris’s adventure via his blog - My 30s Travel Blog, on Facebook or his Twitter.

Continue Reading...