Western
Australia, covering almost a third of Australia’s landmass, is the largest
state in Australia. Here are some of the lesser known highlights.
There are some
obvious reasons to visit this impressively varied state. The whalesharks that
visit Exmouth each year are a huge draw as are the whale-watching opportunities
in Albany, read more about both places here, but this post is about secret WA.
Having lived here
for two years now I hate to admit it but before coming to WA I had never heard
of these places. Now I know them fondly as unique attractions in the local area
(which, I should probably point out, is a rather large area!)
Desert sculptures
Have you been to
any art galleries in the middle of a desert before? At Lake Ballard in WA there
is a salt plain where 51 cast black chromium steel sculptures stand. The
sculptures are by Anthony Gormley and are said to each represent a resident of
nearby town Menzies. They stand 500 metres apart and cast dramatic shadows in
the early morning and late afternoon.
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| Anthony Gormley sculpture at Lake Ballard, near Menzies, WA, Australia. |
Wave Rock
‘Out of this
world’ landscapes are something of a feature in Australia and WA does not
disappoint. The north side of Hyden rock, near the town of the same name, has
formed a wave-like shape and is known as Wave Rock. It stands 14 metres high,
is about 110 metres long and makes for a great fake surfing pose! Other
interesting rock features in the area are Hippo’s Yawn and Mulka’s Cave. The
Rabbit-Proof Fence runs nearby too. Read more about Wave Rock here.
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| Wave Rock, Hyden, WA, Australia. |
Big Ram
A trip to Wagin
provides an insight into the heart of WA’s agricultural history. The Big Ram
stands 7 metres tall and 15 metres long and is a monument to the local Merino
Stud Industry. Wagin also has a historical village depicting the pioneering
lifestyle lived in the Wheatbelt in the 1890s. Woolorama is one of WA’s largest
agricultural shows and takes place in Wagin in March each year.
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| Big Ram, Wagin, WA, Australia |
Wildflowers
Between June and
November, but especially around September, the south-east corner of WA comes
alive with wildflowers. Ravensthorpe, Hopetoun, Stokes Inlet National Park, Fitzgerald
River National Park and Monjingup Lake Reserve bloom with over 12,000 species
of native wildflowers, 60 per cent of which are not seen anywhere else.
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| Banksia wildflower, WA, Australia |
Treetop walk
Parts of the
south coast of WA are heavily forested with unique and gigantic trees. Just
north of Walpole in the Walpole and Nornalup National Park is a forest of
Tingle trees, some of which are 400 years old and up to 40 metres tall. The
species is native to Australia and Walpole is the only place the trees are
found. A treetop walk has been constructed enabling visitors to meander through
the treetops and take in spectacular forest views.
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| Treetop walk, Walpole, WA, Australia. |
Have you any tips
on where to visit in WA? Please share them in the comments below.
