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western australia


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hough it might lack one of the country’s ‘tick list icons’, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Barrier Reef or Ayers


Rock, Western Australia can actually point to much of what makes Australia so appealing. For starters, there’s the vineyard and


foodie region, Margaret River; a vast swathe of the Outback; the gold mining town Kalgoorlie; the gorges of the Karajini National Park and the epic beehive-shaped rock formations called the Bungle Bungles. It also lays claim to remarkable underwater


life at the largest fringing reef in Australia, Ningaloo, and Exmouth – one of the most accessible places in the world from which to swim with gentle whale sharks, which migrate here mid-March till late July. Beach highlights include, in the northwest


of the region, the resort of Broome, famous for its gorgeous sunsets and camel rides and, in the southwest, laid-back white-sand stretches around Esperance and Albany. Perth boasts Australia’s highest concentration


of British ex-pats, which meansplenty of VFR traffi c. And being four hours closer to the UK than Sydney, it’s also a good sell as a gateway for cross-state itineraries. Perth’s own attractions include the trendy but timeless suburb of Freemantle. “Western Australia is a popular standalone destination in its own right and is also popular for clients who may have already visited other parts of Australia,” says Tui Davenport, Sales and Marketing Manager for ANZCRO, whose best- selling WA itinerary is a six day Margaret River & Wave Rock self-drive. UK visitors to the state in the fi rst nine months of 2014 rose by 9.4% year on year, ahead of international growth of 7.5% with a strong rise in ‘true tourists’ as opposed to VFR travellers. And Western Australia sales were ‘signifi cantly


The state has just hit the big screen following the release of Son of A Gun with headline star, Ewan McGregor, claiming that some of the fi lming locations are “spectacularly beautiful” and that Western Australia is ‘home to the most amazing sunset of his life”. Locations that were specifi cally chosen


because of their mythic quality were Rottnest Island, Fremantle, and Kalgoorlie.


“Divers are spoilt for choice on the west coast. Head north to Broom to experience the healthiest coral reefs. Head to Rowley Shoals on a liveaboard; an undiscovered paradise. The diving season is short (Oct - Dec)


but well worth the effort!” PHIL NORTH, PRODUCT MANAGER, DIVE WORLDWIDE


Two-state combinations Western Australia presents possibilities for open-jaw itineraries that end in Darwin and take in some of the Northern Territory’s Top End, perhaps tackling WA’s famous 4x4 route, the Gibb River Road, along the way. Intrepid Travel suggests heading southeast from Perth towards Adelaide on its Nullarbor Unleashed tour. This combines Wave Rock, Fitzgerald River National Park, the beaches of Esperance and Cape Le Grande National


up’ for Premier Holidays throughout last year, says Head of Faraway Product, David Carlaw. He adds: “With a selection of popular Western Australia events on the agenda for 2015, such as the Hopman Cup Grand Slam tennis tournament at Perth Arena in January, the iconic wildfl owers coming into bloom from June to November, and the Taste Great Southern food festival during February and March, we’re confi dent bookings will continue to rise.” Premier’s classic client request are self-drives that take clients north or south from Perth, added Carlaw.


sellingtravel.co.uk


Park with South Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. Western Australia continues to surprise even the locals! Filmmakers recently found a new marine hotspot, Bremer Bay Canyon, 60kms off the south-west coast where large numbers of orca, sharks, giant squid, sperm whales and sea birds converge every February and March. The fi rst tourists will be able to visit the site this month (February) on day trips (whales-australia.com.au).


Tourism talk “Our good arrival fi gures have been fuelled by a combination of the improving exchange rate and the


slowdown of the mining boom. This [mining] was in the set-up phase before, when they needed so


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