Swim in emerald waters off the nation’s whitest beach or witness one of the longest whale-watching seasons in the world in Australia’s Golden Outback. Inland, wildflowers bloom – with 12,000 different species, Western Australia is a floral fantasy like no other – or take in one of the world’s largest outdoor galleries, on a shimmering salt lake. Come see for yourself.
1. Ground yourself in nature
Reconnect with what really matters in the achingly beautiful Cape Le Grand National Park. Nourish your soul as you hike along granite cliffs, breathing in unbelievable vistas; dip into picture-perfect bays and laze on squeaky white sands with resident kangaroos. Lose yourself in thickets of blooming banksia and watch for pygmy possums. Untamed Escapes' Esperance Wellness Retreat puts nature at its core, with yoga and meditation all part of this dreamy getaway.
2. Marvel at marine life
White-bellied sea eagles soar overhead, dolphins and sea lions cavort below. And all around the resplendent Recherche Archipelago, the sun glistens on azure waters. Join Woody Island Eco Tours on a leisurely ferry ride to a heavenly haven. Walk around the island’s nature reserve, snorkel with magnificent marine life, or fish from the jetty. It's so idyllic you’ll want to book a tent, safari hut or the luxury couple’s retreat.
Woody Island
3. Dig for desert dessert
Sweet nectar nestles under dry desert plains, if you know where to dig. Goldfields Honey Ant Tours share the secrets of the Tjupan people’s often harsh but astonishingly rich country. Forage for the sweet honey ant – one of the world’s only edible ants, they are highly prized by Aboriginal people – and witchetty grubs. Top the day off with a yarn and some traditional damper and billy tea by the campfire.
4. Catch an earthy wave
Millions of years in the making, the stripy-coloured Wave Rock / Katter Kich rises 15 metres from the earth and snakes along for more than 100 metres. Stay at Wave Rock Resort and watch the sun sink over the granite wonder wall and the aptly named Lake Magic, as the world turns pink and orange. Feel your worries float away in the Salt Pool - a gypsum pond where weightlessness and wellness go hand in hand.
Wave Rock, Hyden
5. Soak in a sea of blooms
Enveloped in fields of gold, sink into blissful bubbles far from the madding crowd. Nicknamed Louis and Edna, Heyscape Tiny Cabins are huge in nature. Nestled on 2,000ha of farmland in the Wheatbelt, their decadent baths are built into decks affording glorious, uninterrupted views. By day, soak up seasonal canola fields in bloom and vast blue skies over the working sheep farm. At night, be at one with the universe under a glittering celestial ceiling.
6. Explore an outdoor gallery
They rise mystically in the distance, slender frames drawing you ever closer to the glistening white salt plain. Meet the salt people of Lake Ballard — 51 steel sculptures spread across 10sqkm near Menzies in an inspired blend of art and nature. Entitled Inside Australia, Antony Gormley created the molds from Goldfields locals he persuaded to strip for art’s sake. Footprints entice you from one to the next in the most magical of outdoor galleries.
Antony Gormley Sculptures at Lake Ballard, credit Tim Campbell Photo
7. Stop at Grand Central Station
Embrace the exquisite serenity only 134,000 hectares can bring. Wooleen Station (temporarily closed) is out of the ordinary, an outback property devoted to sustainability, rotating cattle to protect breathtaking country rich in native flora and fauna. Stay in the National Trust-listed homestead or a rammed earth guesthouse. Take a twilight eco tour and sip a glass of wine as eagles soar over kangaroos and emus, the sun casting a golden glow on rocky outcrops and seasonal wildflowers.
8. Go wild in luxury
The land is ablaze with colour, carpets of stunning blooms spreading out as far as the eye can see. A wildflower tour with Luxury Outback Tours, from Perth to the Stirling Ranges, Mingenew or Esperance, and anywhere in between, reveals the State’s world-beating flora – 60 percent of species are only found in Western Australia — at its best. Designed for small, exclusive groups, tours can also be tailored to your heart's desire.
Wooleen Lake at Sunset, Wooleen Station
9. Circle the super pit
In the heart of the Golden Mile, a cavity ridged in shades of copper and green rips through the earth. At 1.5km wide, 3.5km long and 600m deep, the Kalgoorlie Super Pit can be seen from space. Take in the extraordinary scale with Goldfields Air Services, as the pilot circles the gold mine before flying over the mining town and south to Lake Lefroy, a gleaming white salt lake popular for land sailing.
Lake Lefroy, near Kambalda
Published September 2022.
