As you cast your eyes across the pristine sands of Western Australia it is easy to see why they regularly feature in those “best beaches in the world” round-ups. They don’t do average beaches in this part of the world, where the outback meets the ocean in a blaze of colour. There is plenty of choice, with a teasing necklace of sand laid out along the state’s massive 7,500-mile coastline. Diversity is the key to their appeal as you can unfurl your towel on everything from city shorelines and remote hideaways, through to wildlife hotspots and even beaches beside vineyards.
1 Prevelly Beach, Margaret River
Perth and its satellite island of Rottnest front a treasure trove of beaches to suit all tastes. Push beyond Perth and you’ll be rewarded with even more spectacular stretches. Let’s kick off our sandals to the south and dip into the Margaret River region, part of Australia’s only biodiversity hotspot, where the beaches come bolstered by world-class vineyards, rugged national parks and coastal tracks that take it all in. Prevelly Beach attracts those looking to walk a stretch of the dramatic coast before their chardonnay tasting, as well as surfers seeking world-class waves.
2 Greens Pool, Denmark
Greens Pool offers the chance to get away from it all. We are talking balmy, shallow waters and clean sands protected by rugged boulders. A coating of wildflowers often frames the scene. Part of the William Bay National Park, this is another Western Australian beach where you can often see more wildlife than people, with tropical fish and eagle rays easy to spot in the wave-less waters.
3 Lucky Bay, Golden Outback
What is said to be Australia’s whitest beach, Lucky Bay, lies in the Golden Outback down on the Southern Ocean. You can camp here, using this picture-postcard perfect beach to explore the other sands nearby, which are often blissfully quiet, that is save for the sunbathing kangaroos. Wildlife is something that appears heavily on Western Australia’s beaches, with dolphins, seals and migratory whales regularly sighted.
4 Shell Beach, Shark Bay
Push north of Perth and Shell Beach awaits in the Unesco World Heritage-listed Shark Bay. The name hails from the tiny starch-white shells that stretch for a whopping 62 miles. Crunching along here in the Indian Ocean under the endless blue skies above billions of Shark Bay cockles (only found in Western Australia) is an experience that lingers on longer than any suntan.
5 Turquoise Bay, Coral Coast
It’s hard not to fall for a beach with a name like Turquoise Bay on Australia’s Coral Coast. If you are up in this part of the world to enjoy swimming with humpback whales or whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef make sure to also drop in to this beach with its aquarium-clear waters. It is ideal for snorkelling as you can just float with the current checking out the colours, turtles and the 500 fish species of the local reef.
6 Cape Leveque, Kimberley
Then there is Cape Leveque in the breathtaking Kimberley, one of the world’s great wildernesses, where an unforgettable experience awaits. Indigenous guide Brian Lee leads Hunters Creek Tagalong Tours and teaches you how to catch and then cook the local mud crabs as his people have done for centuries, an adventure as timeless and unique as the landscape here.
7 Cable Beach, Broome
We draw towards sunset on our beach safari with one of the most iconic beaches in Australia, also tucked in the northwest. Cable Beach is a 14-mile sweep of milk-white sand set against burning red cliffs. The bath-temperature waters are famous, but not as famous as the sunsets, as the swollen sun melts into the Indian Ocean in a collage of fiery reds and burning oranges – the perfect end to another idyllic day on just one of the sensational Western Australian beaches.
Leave the everyday behind and step into a dream in Western Australia
Explore an ancient land of otherworldly landscapes and extraordinary nature and wildlife experiences that can be found nowhere else.
Audley Travel is a tour operator with more than 25 years’ experience in creating meaningful travel experiences. They understand that what motivates you to explore is deeply personal. A trip to Australia with Audley is created completely around you, from the experiences you have to the places you stay. Audley’s award-winning Australia specialists have a deep connection to Australia that can only have come from living or travelling there extensively, so you can rely on them as the dedicated experts who’ll craft your plans into the Australia trip you’re imagining. They won’t just ask you how you want to explore, they’ll ask you how you want to feel and create experiences that will stay with you long after you return home.
Start planning at audleytravel.com
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