Archive for the ‘Broome’ tag
Beach Resorts of Western Australia
Have you ever visited Western Australia? So often when people are planning their dream Australian vacation, they overlook the west coast in favour of the more famous tourist attractions of eastern Australia such as Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. But Western Australia has thousands of kilometres of silver beaches and has some great beach resorts for you to visit.
Most visitors to Western Australia arrive in Perth, which is the state capital, and because of the great distances involved most tourists then fly on to their destinations. However, if you have plenty of time to travel you could drive or hire a camper van or catch the Greyhound coach. There are also plenty of tours that start in Perth that you could join, and these range from basic backpacker tours through to escorted luxury tours.
As you head north out of Perth, the first place that you will probably want to stop is Cervantes. You may have never heard of Cervantes, which is a small cray fishing town, but it is famous because of its proximity to the Pinnacles Desert. The Pinnacles Desert is an amazing place to visit as it is a large area full of natural limestone pillars that have been weathered by the wind and water into fantastical shapes that look especially stunning at sunrise and sunset. Cervantes also has a pristine silver sand beach and you can see one of the oldest forms of life on the planet, stromatolites, in Lake Thetis.
The next stop up the coast is beautiful Kalbarri. Kalbarri sits at the head of the Murchison River and is bordered by the Kalbarri National Park, which contains wonderful natural rock formations like Nature’s Window. Kalbarri has good, safe swimming beaches in the river estuary and with wilder surf and rocks further along the coast. If you love wildlife you can visit the huge parrot collection at the Rainbow Jungle or marvel at the seahorses at the Seahorse Sanctuary.
If you are a dolphin lover, you will be in heaven when you visit Monkey Mia. The only accommodation is the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, but there are various grades of accommodation on offer ranging from backpacker dorms to four star rooms. But the main attraction is the dolphins that come to the beach every morning to be fed. If you are lucky, you could be chosen to give one of the dolphins a fish and you are bound to get some great photos. Monkey Mia is located on Shark Bay and there is a lot of other wildlife to see such as dugongs and pelicans.
Exmouth is a truly remote little town, bit what draws the tourists is the famous Ningaloo Reef. Ningaloo reef is one few places on Earth where you can snorkel with whale sharks, and you can also snorkel directly off the gorgeous soft sand of the beaches. You can also explore the natural beauty of the Cape Range National Park and take a boat trip down Yardie Creek. You may also meet a lot of emus, as they wander freely around the Exmouth streets.
Broome sits at the top of North West Australia, and has a fascinating history based on the pearl farming industry. Broome is surrounded by clear, turquoise seas and is home to Cable Beach, one of the most famous beaches in Australia. Broome is also the gateway to the Kimberley, a vast, ancient wilderness. In Broome, you can learn about the history of pearling, visit the crocodile farm, eat in one of the many restaurants or just chill out on the beach.
The coast of Western Australia is a fabulous place to swim, snorkel, fish, go whale watching, hike, go kayaking or cycling. The best time to visit the northern coast is between April and October, which is the dry season, and you will find a wide range of accommodation and places to eat to choose from.