Travel Guides: All Countries / Oceania - Australia / Australia / Western Australia
 |  | Travel Reviews : Western Australia |
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| | | | The bumpy road to Oz
From the Daily Mail
Only in Australia could one of the world's most stunning natural phenomena be discovered by chance over a drink.
The unique terrain of Purnululu - or the Bungle Bungles - was unknown to the outside world until 1983 when a camera crew working for Kerry Packer's Nine Network flew to a remote corner of northern Western Australia called the Kimberley.
They were there to make a television documentary on a part of the country called Hidden Valley, which features 300 million year-old sandstone cliffs.
Delighted with their work, the crew piloted their plane back to the Kimberley gateway town of Kununurra and slipped into a dusty hotel bar for a few beers. 'That Hidden Valley is a ripper place,' they told a local.
'Yeah,' came the surprisingly unenthusiastic reply. 'Not as good as the other place though.'
'What other place?' the crew asked. The next morning they were taken there by a local guide. And the extraordinary world of Bungle Bungles was discovered.
When the film they made of it was first shown on Australian television the nation was amazed at the unspoilt beauty of the thousands of beehive mountains that make up the Purnululu national park.
It is the combination of remoteness and lack of tourist exploitation that convinces more and more people each year that the long journey by four-wheel drive to Purnululu is worthwhile.
Purnululu is close to nowhere. Darwin, at 700 miles away, is the nearest state capital - and that's not the capital of Western Australia but of the Northern Territories.
Perth, Western Australia's capital, is 1,628 niles to the south. Remote it certainly is - but that is its attraction.
Broome is the ideal starting point, a relaxing, modern holiday resort that has grown out of an old pearl diving town.
There are regular Qantas flights into Broome from either Perth or Darwin and plenty of experienced four-wheel drive centres, the most impressive being run by Trevor Tough at Wheels Over The Kimberleys.
The Great Northern Highway from Broome to Purnululu is the only sealed road in the area, but a four-wheel drive is still vital - as is instruction before you set off.
The last frontier
The wild west of Oz
From the Mail on Sunday
A strange monument glistens in the winter sun in a lay-by on the road into the small town of Dampier, Western-Australia.
It's a bronze statue of the region's most infamous resident, who captured the hearts of the locals despite being an ill-mannered, stinking vagrant, known primarily for his ability to steal food.
Its inscription reads: 'The Pilbara Wanderer. Erected by the many friends he made during his travels.'
Perhaps his saving grace is that our hero is of the canine persuasion - a ragged mongrel coated in the dust from the rust-coloured rocks.
In 1998, one of the people passing by the memorial was Captain Corelli's Mandolin author, Louis de Bernieres, visiting the area for a literary festival.
He was immediately taken with this four-legged vagabond and began to ask around for stories about his life.
Though the hound went under a variety of names - to some Tally Ho, to others Bluey - to most, he was simply Red Dog. And it was this name that de Bernieres chose for his new collection of short stories*, which celebrate the adventures, and misadventures, of this curious character.
Dampier is in the Pilbara, a vast area of the outback around 1,000 miles north of Perth, the state capital. With a population of just 1,500, it takes its name from one of England's more colourful explorers, William Dampier, a buccaneer and skilful mapmaker who navigated the coast in 1699.
With a history of shipwrecks, whaling, pearling and farming, it now trades on its reputation as something of a fishing mecca - a beauty spot that becomes a haven during the winter months.
This is unsurprising given that the sun at this time of year in north-western Australia is still enough to put British summers to shame.
It was in the early Seventies when Red Dog arrived in Dampier with his owners. A restless pooch, he was quick to sever familial ties, initially finding his food on unguarded plates among the many barbecues held along the beach.
The last frontier
You won't want to come home
Perth and the surrounding area is the most wonderful holiday destination.
The best of beach and city is within easy reach. Perth city, although not large, is blessed with much to entertain and impress the visitor - looking for sophistication and simple pleasures.
Freemantle, the coast and Rottnest Island must not be missed. Go and you won't want to come home!
The last frontier
A really enjoyable holiday
What a brilliant place to go. Cheaper than going to the Channel Islands.
The food was out of this world. The many attractions were great, and everywhere was so clean. Got a decent pint in all of the pubs, although that was a bit pricey, but at least it had taste and was not like the flat muck that you get in UK pubs.
The service everywhere was of the highest order, only one place let us down on that.
The weather was better than anything that you could find in the Med. A hire car is a must otherwise you don't get to see a lot of the country. They are quite cheap even from the big multinational companies. Petrol is about half the cost of the UK.
My advice to anyone is to forget the UK and Med and just go to Australia and have a really enjoyable holiday experience.
The last frontier
Full of western promise
From the Daily Mail
It's 6am. I'm in Perth, Western Australia, and I'm furious. I've been woken in my respectable family hotel by wild laughter outside. Not, in fact, a dawn reveller but a laughing kookaburra shrieking in King's Park above the hotel, a vast tract of bush in the city. Perth is an isolated city, fronted by the Indian Ocean, its backyard is thousands of miles of empty outback and desert. Closer to some Asian cities than it is to Sydney, you wouldn't just drop in without a very good reason. But we had reason enough.
We're talking about a city rich in colonial architecture that in the Eighties sprouted a glittering skyline of steel and glass towers, founded on fortunes from mining gold, silver, diamonds and opals. Half an hour away you can bush walk around sacred Aboriginal sites, or go tasting in the vineyards of the Swan Valley. It's the sunniest city in Oz, the friendliest and most laid back. Northbridge, Leederville and Fremantle vibrate with clubs and funky restaurants.
It was 100°F when we went in March, but you don't feel it because a cooling sea breeze called The Fremantle Doctor blows in around noon. Forget helmets, the police here wear wide brimmed sun hats. Sipping cappucino at a pavement cafe in the shopping mecca of Hay Street Mall with my friend Sam Julius, a Polish musician who has lived there for 30 years, the street was bursting with action. Clowns, buskers and mime artists surrounded us.
It was only when a punk with five spikes of magenta hair glued to his shaven head sat at the next table to us that I batted an eyelid. His friend was covered in spider tattoos. Italian and Greek voices sang out through the warm air, reminding me that Perth's 1.2 million people come from a myriad of places. 'I call Perth the free and easy city,' said Sam. 'The buses are free and the living is easy. The only time people go indoors is to fetch a beer. "Formal dress" means putting on your shirt.'
The last frontier
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| | | | Beehive-shaped mountains
Trevor hammers home the messages: plenty of fuel, plenty of water, no swimming in roadside water holes (crocodiles, yes crocodiles) and believe every road sign. 'If it says no fuel for 200km, it means no fuel for 200km. It's not a sales pitch. Remember it's not a place to break down,' said Trevor. 'This is not a busy road.'
He was right. During the 250 miles to the overnight stop at Fitzroy Crossing Inn in the old pioneer town, situated on the awesome Fitzroy River, the road was all but deserted. When we got to Mabel Downs, close to the entrance to Purnululu, it was still just as empty.
It was then that we paid for ignoring Trevor's final piece of advice. As you turn into Mabel Downs, the signpost warns that it's 53km to the entrance to Purnululu and a further 18km to the East Kimberley Tours campsite. Total 45 miles. Trevor had said: 'It will take three hours.'
'Oh really,' I thought. Three twisting, bouncing, bumping hours later through creeks and streams, past wild cattle and leaping wallabies, we arrived at the simple campsite.
Never had I been so relieved to see a bed - albeit a campbed. East Kimberley Tours also offered two luxuries - hot showers, and wonderful cooking by the German chef Zilka, assisted by our engineer/drinks-waiter/tour guide and bus driver called, yes, Bruce.
Bruce, apart from his many jobs around the campsite, was also a part-time newsreader with the Australian Broadcasting Company and a lion tamer - with scars to prove it - during the closed season. The area has only two seasons - the big wet and the big dry. Nothing else. April is the start of the big dry and was the perfect time to visit.
The greenery hasn't been scorched by the sun and provides a stunning contrast to the mountains at dawn. The scenery is breathtaking. Huge beehive-shaped, honey-coloured mountains rising dramatically from the plains against a backdrop of blue sky make interesting breakfast viewing.
But they become even more impressive when they are approached on foot. The luxuriously named Echidna, Cathedral and Piccaninny Gorges provide challenging hikes across rugged country. The reward of Zilka's packed lunch by a palm-lined and crocodile-free hot springs is worth the walk.
Morning is the best time, not only to set out on foot - afternoon temperatures-reach the mid to high 30s - but also to take to the sky to view the park. For hidden away in a corner of the park is the Bellburn airstrip.
From here, Slingair helicopters buzz over the mountains revealing the size and beauty of a range that is still almost entirely unexplored. It is a real trip of discovery and one that is often spent in splendid solitude.
This explains why Purnululu has become the thinking travellers' alternative to Uluru (Ayers Rock).
Here, the spectacle is just as stunning, and it doesn't come with the soundtrack of a thousand camera shutters.
No tourist shops, no burger bars, no resort hotels - just nature at its most beautiful.
TRAVEL FACTS:
Visit http://www.australia.com or telephone 09063 863 3235 for a free copy of the Australia Travellers Guide. Qantas flies from London to Perth via Singapore or Bangkok, and then on to Broome. Wheels Over The Kimberleys, 00 61 8 9193 5452 or hertz.brm@ bigpond.com. Flights over Purnululu with Slingair cost around £55 per person, 00 61 8 9169 1300 or slingair@bigpond.com. East Kimberley Tours, 00 61 8 9168 2215; ektours @agn.net.au.
To indulge his nomadic tendencies
'He was immediately a real character,' remembers local Jan Parks. 'He'd steal sausages and burgers from people's plates. But people would love him.
'The only trouble was that once you'd fed him, he was quite difficult to shift as a house guest. And it could get a bit unbearable.'
It appears Red Dog's legendary appetite had malodorous side effects. 'He was,' confirms Jan, 'a complete stinker.'
Luckily for the locals, Red wanted nothing more than to broaden his horizons, living the life of a canine hobo and roaming as far afield as he could.
Most of the transport in the area serves the massive Dampier Salt and Hamersley Iron operations and it was among the single men who worked at these plants that he found most of his friends.
They would feed him when he passed through and deigned to grace them with his company for a few days and club together to take him to the vet's when he returned from his latest foray a little worse for wear.
He would regularly ride the huge, half-mile-long trains that crawl along the vast, open expanses laden with iron ore. Or he would wait at the side of the road and hitch a ride with the company buses, on which he became a welcome passenger as long as he kept his anti-social digestive habits under control.
The roads around the Pilbara are long, dusty and straight, punctuated by the unsightly remains of unlucky kangaroos. Perhaps it's something about the light but the backdrop of the rocky, red landscape makes you feel as though you're driving along Martian terrain but with roadsigns.
Red Dog would always find his way back to Dampier, though, and he certainly had a breathtaking coastline around which to indulge his nomadic tendencies.
The area is home to a number of scenic hideouts, from the secluded natural bay of Hearson's Cove, through the administrative centre of Karratha (the Aboriginal for 'Good Country') to the lookouts of Cossack and Point Samson, good spots for whale watching.
All the fun of Fremantle
Perth's setting is a large part of its charm. The very blue Swan River swells to lagoon size in the city centre and yachting regattas are frequently held in the shadow of gleaming office towers. Locals boast the water is clean enough to drink and to catch fit-to-eat prawns in, though when we went to Jo Jos, a fancy fish restaurant at the end of a jetty over the Swan River, I thought the cauliflower-sized jellyfish in the water below were very scary indeed. The 'boat fresh' chargrilled red emperor fish was meltingly delicious, however.
To see the water better, and unstung, we took a Captain Cook boat tour to Fremantle, 12 miles down the Swan, where the river meets the Indian Ocean. 'Freo', as it is known to the locals, has been a backdrop to sailing history since convicts arrived to swell the labour force in 1850.
When it hosted the Americas' Cup in 1987, it was treated to a fabulous facelift. Now it's the best-preserved 19th-century seaport in the world, with over 150 listed buildings (including a prison that makes Alcatraz look homely and which you can book for a party).
It's still a working port. In January and February you can stand in Cliff Street when the great cruise ships sail through the inner harbour on their round-the-world voyages, and watch as their funnels move slowly above the rooftops. If you're a boat person, pick over the bones of history at the Maritime Museum, where the gruesome tale of the wreck of the Batavia and its murderous mutineers is graphically illustrated. Or drop in at the Historic Boats Museum at the B Shed on the Harbour.
Freo on a Saturday is where you go for fun, by ferry from Barrack Street Jetty, returning by train. Follow the crowd as it drifts down South Terrace, 'The Cappucino Strip', to the hundred-year-old markets overflowing with colourful bric-a-brac, fashion and New Age paraphernalia.
We loved the deep-verandahed old micro-brewery pubs like the Sail and Anchor, where you hear orders for beers like Redback, Dogbolter and Brass Monkey Stout. Chili, chocolate and banana beer are now all the rage. We lunched off Thai delicacies at a food court across from the market. It cost just AUS $6 for two of us.
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| | | | Crude but poignant carvings
Out along the Burrup Peninsula towards Hearson's Cove lie huge, cluttered piles of red rocks which look like they've been dumped with blatant disregard for the landscape by unruly mining companies but are, in fact, an entirely natural phenomenon.
A drive up the dirt path into the giant red formations sends the surprisingly shy kangaroos bounding in all directions. There's a small clearing and signs to indicate that you must proceed on foot as this is a protected area.
It's not obvious at first why a ramshackle pile of boulders is particularly worth protecting but, as you inspect the rocks more closely, you begin to see some crude but poignant carvings.
These Aboriginal petroglyphs were chiselled into the rocks over 30,000 years ago and tell of 'Dreamtime' and how life was for the first primitive inhabitants.
At first, you feel like you've stumbled across the warnings of some kind of indigenous Blair Witch but the carvings are not sinister and simply describe the natural world and man's relationship to it. This collection of more than 10,000 carvings is the most concentrated collection of rock art in the world.
Pulling out of the clearing, a hundred twitching marsupial noses start to peer out from the iron-encrusted boulders.
For those with Red Dog's nose for adventure the area is well positioned for human exploration, too. Treks into the vast Karijini National Park are probably the best way to appreciate the area.
They range from one-day tasters for photo-happy day-trippers to 'walkabouts' of three or four days for those really wanting to get into the pioneering spirit.
This can even involve instruction in the fine culinary art of 'bush tucker' - the invaluable knowledge of where to find the tastiest grubs and recipes involving entrails that would have Jamie Oliver crying into his pasta maker.
You can head out by yourself though in this part of the world, where there are ranches the size of England, it's probably better to book a place with someone who has a better perspective on the distances involved.
Red Dog's personal distance record was a jaunt to Perth, hitching a ride with a family from Dampier and then beating them back home the following week.
His wandering days came to an end when he fell foul of his indiscriminate eating habits and swallowed a strychnine-bait. He was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in the bush, the tag on his collar reading 'Red Dog - Bluey' on one side and 'I've been everywhere, mate' on the other.
Many locals see his demise as symbolic of the passing of times when such characters could exist - sentimental feelings for what was basically a flatulent, flea-bitten pooch but nonetheless, a one-off.
And de Bernieres' only reservation? 'I hope my cat never finds out that I have written a story to celebrate the life of a dog'.
* Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres, is published by Secker & Warburg at £10.
TRAVEL FACTS:
Qantas (08457 747 767) flies from London to Perth. Tailor Made Travel (01386 712050) arranges individual itineraries to Western Australia. For a copy of the Australia Travellers Guide, telephone 0906 863 3235 (calls cost 60p per minute) or visit http://www.australia.com.
Beach life at its best
Perth also has fabulous beaches, but to do them justice you need a rental car. It's easy to pick one up for $30 a day. Fuel is half the price it is at home and you'll love the air-conditioning. We began our stay just out of town at Scarborough Beach. By 7.30am on Saturday, the pristine beach was swarming with surfers and swimmers. Then we would move down to friendly Sullivan's Hotel on the waterfront in town.
For really spectacular sunsets, we'd drive out to get the full 'Wow Factor' at the popular City Beach. Alternatively, there is swanky Cottesloe, where you just have to go to an institution called The Cott (The Cottesloe Beach Hotel on Marine Parade) for a beer, and to get the best fish and chips in Western Australia at Meads Fish Supply in Napoleon Street.
It may be geographically out on a limb, but gastronomically Perth is right up there: every kind of Asian and Pacific Rim cuisine, and a strong current of Mediterranean with a twist.
At my favourite restaurant, CBD, they bring you a decanter of cool water with a great stem of fresh mint in it while you look at the menu. A Caesar salad had little frills of grilled Parma ham and anchovies puffed up in tempura butter. The Mediterranean plate was crispy focaccia shells holding sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, charcuterie and olives. The local chardonnay, cool and deep yellow, cost AUS$7 a bottle.
If you're looking for a romantic hideaway (but not on a weekend when everyone is doing the same), head south for three hours to the famous wine country of Margaret River and lose yourself on isolated surf-pounded white sand shores, in vast forests (oddly full of art galleries run by surfies who need an income), rolling vineyards and boutique restaurants. You won't be disappointed.
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| | Destination Guide : Western Australia |
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| | | Sunshine all the way |  | Why go on holiday to Western Australia?
The largest, most isolated and least populous state in Australia retains an identity separate from the rest of the country. Its modern, often stark and striking landscapes are largely free from tourist hordes.
How much does it cost?
If you shop around you can find return flights for as little as £400, but high season fares are more likely to be near the £700 mark. Motels in Perth cost from £20. At time of writing, you can pick up a four-day package with accommodation and car hire from £250.
When should I go?
The weather in Australia is a treat at any time of year. The summer months (December to February) can be scorching (averaging 29C/84F), but go expecting sun and you won't be disappointed - Perth is Australia's sunniest state capital city.
Perth has numerous festivals including an annual artsfest around February/March, West Week in June, the Perth Royal Show in September/October and the Artrage Festival in October.
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| | | Lush natural beauty |  | What should I do when I'm there?
Modern, clean and vibrant, Perth has a frontier spirit that has inspired even other Australians to move there in search of a new start. The city beaches are fantastic, as is Kings Park, gothic Government House and the Underwater World aquarium.
To the south, Fremantle boasts some of the country's best architecture.
What's along the coast?
The green south west coastal strip is an oasis. Lush natural beauty abounds in the Walpole Nornalup National Park and Stirling Ranges. Yallingup's surf is legendary, as are the sociable dolphins of Bunbury and Monkey Mia.
The Rainbow Coast is a strip of awesome natural beauty.
What else is a must?
Kalgoorlie is a wealthy and at times riotous frontier town founded during the gold rush of the 1890s. It has some great buildings and mine tours - unfortunately all the shiny stuff has long since gone.
The Pinnacles Desert, with its massive limestone pillars and wildflowers, will make your jaw drop and Shark Bay is a coastal wonderland. Divers and birdwatchers should head for the Houtman Abrolhos islands off the coast of Geraldton.
Up north, The Kimberley is an unspoiled area of amazing scenery including the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater.
What do the national parks offer?
The Karijini National Park is set in one of the most inhospitable parts of Australia, but the colourful gorges and cliffs are a sight to behold. Walkers, climbers and anglers will love the West Cape Howe National Park.
Undervisited Waychinicup, with its granite formations, is also worth a trip.
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| | | Swim with the dolphins | | Where's good for nightlife?
Perth has plenty of clubs where you can dance the night away as well as the obligatory glitzy casino (Aussies love a flutter) and there are lots of pubs offering live music.
Pick up a copy of Xpress, a free weekly entertainment guide, from record shops and other outlets, or the West Australian newspaper for theatre and cinema listings. Fremantle also has a fairly lively night scene.
What's the food like?
Eating well in Australia was once like mountaineering in Belgium but the influx of Mediterranean and Asian folk has given it one of the liveliest and most eclectic cuisine scenes in the world.
Perth has a host of great eateries of all kinds and the new fashion for Australian food (kangaroo tail samosas, emu pate, etc) make it a delight for foodies. Try marron, a local crustacean delicacy. The Margaret River area is known for its wines.
What should I buy?
Perth has lots of good outlets for Aboriginal arts and crafts. Check out the lively markets too - in Perth try the Subiaco Pavilion near the Subiaco train station, or the Wanneroo markets at Wangara, north of Perth. Also try historic Fremantle market.
What is there for children to do?
Adventure World at Bibra Lake, 15km south of Perth, is an award-winning theme park with 30 rides and attractions. Underwater World in Perth lets youngsters get close to marine life with a see-through tunnel.
Get even closer by swimming and playing with dolphins at Monkey Mia or Rockingham or walk 40m above the forest floor on a boardwalk through the veteran tingle trees in the Valley of the Giants in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park.
Tourist office
Australian Tourist Commission, 1st Floor, Gemini House, 10-18 Putney Hill, London, SW15 6AA. Brochure line: 0906 8633235 (60p per minute).
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| | Fact File : Western Australia |
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| | | Western Australia | | Did you know?
Shipwrecks from as far back as the 1600s are still being discovered along Western Australia's coast.
Language
English
Visas
British citizens staying less than three months should get an electronic travel authority (ETA) from any IATA registered travel agent. This is invisibly scanned into your passport.
Getting there
Perth, despite being isolated, has plenty of flights from other cities in Australia and direct from the UK. The city is also very well connected to other parts of the country by rail and bus.
Flying time from London
22 hours
Getting around
By air: Ansett Australia, Qantas and Skywest connect Perth to most regional centres. Several companies combine to provide a comprehensive network of bus links around the state. Rail links run from Perth to Kalgoorlie and Bunbury.
Currency
Australian dollar
Costs
Pint of beer £1; roll of film £1.50; moderate restaurant meal £10; litre of petrol 30p; short taxi ride £4. All prices may vary.
Weather
Western Australia is warm and temperate and even in winter the water temperature only drops to 17C (62F). Go expecting sun and you won't be disappointed. Perth is Australia's sunniest major city. The summer months (December to February) can be very hot (up to 29C, 84F) but cooling sea breezes usually blow in along the coast in the afternoons. In the south there's little or no rainfall during summer but in the north of the state heavy rains can make roads impassable.
Time difference
Eight hours ahead of GMT.
International dialling code from the UK
00 61
Voltage
220-240V AC, 50Hz. The three-pin power outlet is different from ours so you'll need an adaptor.
Opening hours
Shops generally open 9-5.30 Mon-Sat (though some shops close early Saturday). In Perth larger stores open on Sundays from 10-4. Banks usually open 9.30-4. Post offices open 9-5 Mon-Fri and Post Shops on Saturday mornings.
Health - Before you go
No jabs needed. The UK has reciprocal health arrangements with Australia via Medicare but you have to enrol for this and it doesn't cover all costs. Make sure you have sufficient travel insurance.
Health - When you are there
Beware of heat exhaustion and sunburn - cover up, slap on the lotion and drink plenty of fluids.
Warnings
Beware of the sun and take plenty of lotion. If driving across the Nullabor Plain, make sure you have plenty of petrol - the longest distance between fuel stops is about 200km. Take four litres of water per person in case you break down and have to wait for help.
Emergency
Police: 000. British High Commission, Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla, Canberra, ACT 2600. Tel. 02 6270 6666.
Customs
Enjoy the sunset sipping a glass of Aussie wine.
Pets
Australia is part of the PETS travel scheme under long-haul regulations. However, this is a long and complicated procedure requiring vaccinations, medical check-ups and route planning; it is not as simple as walking on and off a plane with your pet. Therefore the scheme is more suited to those returning from a long stay abroad, rather than the two-week holidaymaker. It takes several months to set up the relevant documentation; see your vet for further details.
Tipping
Tipping is new to Australia; give 10% to waiters and round up cab fares.
Tourist office
Australian Tourist Commission, Gemini House, 10-18 Putney Hill, London, SW15 6AA. Brochure line: 0906 8633235 (60p per minute).
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| | Available rental properties in Western Australia |
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