Trip to Australia: Add Adventurous Activities in Perth and Beyond

A trip to Australia may be in the cards as this could be the year of the far-cation. There may be no place is farther from the United States than Western Australia and that means adding some adventurous activities in Perth and beyond.

Perth, Western Australia’s capital, is halfway around the world from the East Coast. On a trip to Australia from Washington, D.C., for instance, you’ll spend a day on a plane and endure a mind-bending 13-hour time difference.

It’s not easily accessible, but it’s perfect for visitors like Darren Butts, who plans to fly to Australia’s largest state in May with his wife, Pamela. They’ve been to Western Australia before, but this time they’re head to Broome and Kununurra, both in the northern part of the state. 

Western Australia

“Western Australia is unique,” says Butts, a retire facilities director from Green Valley, Ariz. “And it’s deeply rewarding.”

Long-distance international travel, such as a trip to Australia, are “in” this year — and for adventurous travelers like Butts, the farther, the better. Flight searches to Perth during the region’s autumn season, which runs from March to May, is nearly 180% ahead of the same period last year, according to Expedia. 

That’s quite a rebound from just a year ago, when Western Australia reopened its borders after the worst of the pandemic ended. Tourism Western Australia estimates that international flights into Western Australia from all global markets will return to 85% of pre-COVID levels between now and July.

But what can you do in Western Australia, an obscure destination that became even more so during the pandemic because the state sealed its borders? What adventurous activities in Perth are afoot for trip-seekers to Australia? It turns out there’s more than meets the eye, including options for visitors who are interested in culture, history, and cute mouse-like marsupials.

Trip to Australia: Treasures in the West

A glance at the map suggests there’s not much happening beyond Perth in Western Australia, when it comes to tourism. It’s vast and sparsely populate. But look closer and you’ll find:

+ Cool beaches. If you’re looking for powdery white sand and turquoise water, there are plenty of beaches that check all the boxes. Popular spots in Perth include Cottesloe Beach, Scarborough Beach, and City Beach. 

+ Famous wineries. Margaret  River, considered one of  Australia’s premium wine-growing regions, has more than 150 wineries. Cullen, Leeuwin Estate and Vasse Felix call Margaret River home. Best of all, they’re just a quick three-hour drive from Perth. 

+ The great outdoors. Western Australia offers a selection of natural landscapes, from Eucalyptus forests to red-rock deserts to white sand coastline. There’s hiking, camping, and wildlife watching in places like Nambung National Park, home of the famous Pinnacles rock formations.

Western Australia

But what sets Western Australia apart from other places is that the adventurous activities in Perth and beyond seem remarkable, according to visitors. Author Margaret Ghielmetti says Western Australia’s beaches are as close to perfect as she’s seen. Her favorite, Yallingup, is a three-hour drive south of Perth.

“There’s an espresso truck overlooking the crystalline turquoise water,” she recalls. “I would fly back to Australia just for that view — and brew.”

Trip to Australia: Ready to Book

For the last three years, a trip to Australia was out of bounds for international travelers. That Western Australia has been cut off from international visitors has only made the state more intriguing to outsiders. But tourism operators are anticipating an influx of visitors soon.

“Rottnest used to be popular with locals, but we’re seeing more interest from international visitors now,” says Paul Clark, general manager of the recently opened boutique Samphire Rottnest hotel on Rottnest Island.

With good reason. Rottnest Island — or Rotto, as the locals call it — doesn’t just have a new hotel. It also has miles of biking trails, postcard-perfect beaches, and quokkas, the friendly marsupials that look like giant rats (hence the name Rottnest). Quokkas are listless during the day, but if you spend the night, you can see them at dusk, and they are quite animate and completely unafraid of humans.

Short Ferry Ride

A short ferry ride away, there’s another signature attraction and a favorite for visitors seeking adventurous activities in Perth: Fremantle. The port town escape the developers’ wrecking ball in the 20th century and now has one of the largest collections of restore colonial architecture. Plus, there are indoor markets, the famous Fremantle Prison, and Cappuccino Strip, where you can get some of the best coffee and Italian food in Western Australia. It attracts visitors by the boatload — literally.

“The cruise ships come in here, and three thousand passengers come ashore,” says Michael Deller, owner of Fremantle Tours, a local tour operator. “It increases the town’s population by 30% for one day.”

Adventurous Activities in Perth and Beyond: Aboriginal Western Australia

Human civilization dates back 45,000 years in Western Australia, and there are many opportunities to explore that aspect of the state. At the Western Australian Museum’s Boola Bardip campus in Perth, you’ll find exhibits exploring the state’s fascinating and often trouble relationship with the indigenous Nyunga people.

You can also tour Kings Park with Nyungar Tours and hear ancient stories about what Australia was like before colonization. The park, which overlooks Perth, was once a sacred site where women came to give birth. European settlement changed Western Australia permanently, but the memory of a quieter place that was in harmony with nature lives on in the stories told by the aboriginal guides.

In Nambung National Park, a two-hour drive north, there is another sacred site, also said to be used for “women’s business” by the Nyunga. But in this place, where the desert meets the sea, you can also experience the surreal rock formations known as pinnacles. It’s easily accessible as a day tour from Perth. One operator, Autopia Tours, also offers a stargazing tour in the park – a nice take-in after experiencing a legendary Perth sunset.

The limestone rocks, many of them as tall as a school bus, are thought to be the remains of an ancient forest. They stand in the reddish sand, casting long shadows on a hot summer afternoon. The Nyunga say young men wandered into this sacred palace and were turned to stone as punishment.

Trip to Australia: Is Western Australia Worth a Visit?

For those travelers planning a trip to Australia, Western Australia is recommend for the love of outdoors and the learning about ancient cultures. Visitors will like getting out of town — way out of town – for adventurous activities in Perth and beyond Perth. A trip to Australia takes time, not just to get there, but also to adjust to the time zone.

But there’s no question about it — Western Australia is worth adding to many a bucket list. 

“It’s truly a special place,” says Carolyn Turnbull, managing director of Tourism Western Australia.

— Content by Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems.