10 Dreamlike Experiences Unique To WA You Have To Do At Least Once
Tourism Western Australia is looking for your dreamlike Western Australian adventures – share your photos on Instagram with the hashtag #WAtheDreamState and @WesternAustralia to go in the running to win one of three $3,000 holiday vouchers!
From our majestic forests to our gorgeously alien gorges and mind-boggling variation of epic beaches, WA has some pretty magical landscapes across our spectacular, wild terrain. We could spend an eternity exploring them all, but we’ve narrowed down 10 of the most unique, dreamlike experiences you can encounter across Western Australia.
Undersea Helmet Walk, Busselton Jetty
At over 1.8 kilometres long, this record-breaking jetty is enough of an attraction on its own – but wait until you catch a glimpse of the underwater wonderland below! The jetty’s timber piles form a forest-like artificial reef, teeming with diverse marine life. You can scuba or snorkel to see the amazing tropical corals and fish, or don the high-tech helmets to experience the ocean floor like an underwater astronaut – one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!
Vineyard Buggy Tour, Fraser Gallop Estate
The picturesque vineyard of Fraser Gallop Estate in the Margaret River Region is breathtakingly beautiful – and we say, best explored via buggy tour. Their bespoke tours venture throughout the estate and its magnificent gardens – as well as the neatly mesmerising rows of vines, you’ll be able to take in the estate’s iconic and grand lakeside home, which is right out of a fairytale.
Stargazing, Lake Clifton Thrombolites
A truly alien natural attraction, Lake Clifton’s thrombolites are something to behold. These rock-like wonders are actually clusters of the world’s first living organisms – the thrombolites are 2,000 years old, but the organisms have remained unchanged for 570 million years! While they’re captivating during the day, at night you can head out onto the walkway that extends out over the thrombolites, where you’ll be suspended between the ancient formations below and the magical night sky above. If you’re a bit of a stargazing novice, hit up Salt and Bush Eco Tours – they’ll show you the secrets of Mandurah’s night sky.
Cathedral Gorge, Purnululu National Park
Standing in the Kimberley’s breathtaking gorges, it’s hard not to feel incredibly connected to country and the aeons that have passed. Cathedral Gorge is particularly stunning: located within the Bungle Bungle Range of World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park, the natural amphitheatre has been carved out over thousands and thousands of years, creating some spine-tingling acoustics. To truly experience this unique place, Kingfisher Tours can help you explore the gorge, as you become entranced by the sound of local Gija songs that are thousands of years old echoing through the cavernous space.
Jet Boat Ride, Horizontal Falls
The world-famous Horizontal Falls occur when mammoth tidal movements of up to 13 metres in height rush between two narrow gorges. As the tide comes in, seawater can’t pass through the gorges quickly enough, leading to a waterfall-like torrent of water and sometimes a huge 4 metre difference in height between the two sides. Only one of two such phenomena in the world – and not even accessible via car – adrenaline junkies can experience the full force of the falls on a jet boat tour with Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, departing Broome or Derby.
Wild Dolphin Swim, Perth Wildlife Encounter
Our beautiful city sits side-by-side with nature, do it’s no surprise that you can have a magical wildlife experience right here in Perth. Shoalwater Marine Park’s clear, calm waters off Rockingham are home to over 200 bottlenose dolphins, and Perth Wildlife Encounters counts them as friends, giving you the chance for an unforgettable wild animal encounter dancing underwater with these fun-filled creatures of the sea.
Swim With Gentle Giants, Ningaloo Reef
Or, you can supersize your marine encounter from Exmouth or Coral Bay! World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park is the longest fringing reef in the world, with a rich and diverse ecosystem – which means plenty of opportunities to encounter some spectacular gentle giants. As well as the reef’s iconic whale sharks, during their migration the area also has one of the highest densities of humpback whales in the world! Of course, we can’t forget the other third of the Big Three: the magical, elegant, absolutely otherworldly manta ray.
Sample Prized Bushfood, Goldfields
Whether you’re a gourmand or not, there’s no better way to connect with culture and people than through food. Join Goldfields Honey Ant Tours from Kalgoorlie in foraging for prized honey ants, witchetty grubs, quandong, bush pear and sandalwood nuts – all while learning about the Tjupan people, whose culture has been sustained by this food for millennia.
Dine Under The Stars, Kalbarri Skywalk
How about dinner and a show? You can give us all the city skylines in the world, but we can’t imagine anything more glorious than looking out over the magnificent Murchison River Gorge as the sun sets. Suspended 100 metres over the river that weaves its way through Kalbarri National Park, the dual-skywalk’s magical views are unparalleled – you can experience it for yourself with Best 4 Travel.
Spot The Wildlife, Woody Island Eco Tours
One of 105 islands in the Recherche Archipelago, Woody Island is certainly one of the most intriguing. It’s a 30-minute boat ride from Esperance, and the best way to get there is with the team at Woody Island Eco Tours – spotting wildlife around the island on the journey through the rising granite peaks, from sea eagles to dolphins, seals, sea lions and more. Island glamping, hiking and snorkelling awaits.
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All Images: Supplied / Shutterstock