Nambung National Park is best known for the spectacular Pinnacles Desert and its proximity to Perth makes it a very popular day-trip.
If you have a car you can take the scenic drive that takes you past the more impressive areas. If you don’t have access to a car, a number of companies run day-trips from Perth.
The main features of the Pinnacles Desert are the limestone columns, some of which stand up to four metres tall.
The park includes the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre, which has informative displays about the park. The Desert View Trail (1.5km, 45 mins) is an easy walk that starts at the centre and takes you through the Pinnacles.
Integrity Coach Lines stop in Cervantes en route between Perth and Broome. Coaches stop outside the post office on Cadiz Street.
Dunsborough is close to excellent surf beaches at Yallingup, about 10km outside town. Yallingup Surf School can teach you to surf from $50 for one lesson or $125 for a three-day course.
Bunbury’s proximity to Perth ensures relatively convenient transport connections.
Bunbury lies at the southern extremity of Western Australia’s rail network with a couple of daily train services to and from Perth. The train station is 3km north of town on Picton Road in East Bunbury, and local buses (route 827) meet with the train to take you into the town centre. One-way fares for the Australind train from Perth are $31.25.
Transwa coach services to Albany, Augusta, Busselton, Manjimup and Margaret River also depart from the train station.
Note: South West Coach Lines services depart from Bunbury Bus Station in the city centre.
The biggest hole in the Southern Hemisphere is well worth a look. The massive Super Pit open-cut mine is best viewed from the lookout on Outram Street in South Boulder.
Integrity Coach Lines coaches stop at the Overlander Roadhouse, on the North West Coastal Highway near the intersection with the road to Denham and Shark Bay. Overland Roadhouse is 129km from Denham and 154km from Monkey Mia.
Growing up to 12m, whale sharks are the world’s largest fish and mis-year (late March to late July) they visit the Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth. Ningaloo Dreaming run snorkelling trips where you can swim and snorkel with whale sharks.
Manta rays live in the waters off Coral Bay year round and Ningaloo Reef Dive & Snorkel run half-day boat trips where you can snorkel with manta rays. These trips also give you the opportunity to see dolphins, dugongs and turtles.
