The South West of Western Australia is the perfect destination for adventure, from the forest to the ocean. With the most breathtaking scenery you will ever see and places to just relax and unwind. Western Australia’s South West will have you coming back again and again to explore all it has to offer.
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South West Weather
The South West is traditionally the coolest region of Western Australia. It’s a popular place to adventure and get relief from the dry Western Australian summer and is also the perfect location for sitting in front of the wood fire and watching the fog set in over the forest during the wet winter. Daytime temperatures range from an average of 16 degrees in winter and an average of 34 degrees in summer.
Popular South West Adventure Destinations
There are literally hundreds of destinations in the South West of Western Australia, however the most popular adventure destinations include Bunbury, Busselton, Collie, Margaret River, Augusta, Dunsborough, Yallingup, Albany, Denmark, Walpole, Pemberton and Manjimup.
South West Adventures
South West Adventures On & Under The Water
Beaches
Some of the world’s best beaches are found in the South West. Find a list of the South West’s best beaches at australiassouthwest.com.
Denmark Beaches
Ocean Beach
Elephant Rocks
Greens Pool
Waterfall Beach
Prawn Rock Channel
Yallingup Beaches
Injidup Natural Spa
Diving
Popular South West dive locations include –
Lena Shipwreck Bunbury located 3km off the coast of Bunbury’s Back Beach and home to variety of marine life. The wreck is 18metres deep and features swim throughs with an open engine room and motors can be seen also.
Busselton Jetty – wander out to the end of the 18.km long jetty or book on a boat dive to explore the over 300 species on this 9m deep dive. If you want to explore what lies beneath the Busselton Jetty without getting your dive gear on, you can book a ticket to the Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory. The other option is a Busselton Jetty Undersea Walk, put on a dive helmet and descend to the marine world below, no dive qualification required.
HMAS Swan Dive Geographe Bay – this 113m long naval destroyer was sunk just off the coast of Dunsborough in 1997 and ranges from depths of 5m – 32m deep.
Albany Dive Sites – popular dive sites in Albany include the HMAS Perth, Seal Cove, The Cheynes III, The Cables and The Caves.
Jet Skiing
Dunsborough – explore the Dunsborough coastline on a one or two hour jet ski tour with Dunsborough Jet Ski Tours.
Kayaking / Canoeing
Find kayak / paddle trails throughout the South West at www.trailswa.com.au. You can also book yourself on a guided tour in –
Margaret River – explore the Margaret River, starting from Prevelly on a Margaret River Canoe Tour that includes a lunch with wild foods and native Australian meats.
Snorkelling
There are loads of beautiful beaches in Western Australia’s South West region that are perfect for snorkelling in the right conditions. Here are a few of the most popular South West snorkelling sites –
Busselton Jetty – snorkel around the Busselton Jetty, or if you want to go deeper book yourself in on a Busselton Jetty Undersea Walk, no dive qualification required.
Yallingup – The Aquarium is a granite rockpool located between Canal Rocks and Smiths Beach that is protected from crashing waves, that’s accessible with a short hike (1-2km return) from nearby carparks.
Augusta – Granny’s Pool is protected by rocks that circle the outside of the pool, is easily accessible by 2WD and is located next to a grassy reserve with toilets and picnic facilities.
Albany – Little Beach, Whalers Cove, Mistaken Island off Goode Beach, Muttonbird Beach (4WD access only), Boiler Bay and Ledge Beach are all great spots for snorkelling. Find more information on RAC’s guide to Albany Beaches.
Snorkelling in South West WA can be a little chilly throughout certain times of the year – so make sure you have a wet suit on hand so you can maximise your time in the water at that perfect snorkelling location. Check out the range and join Anaconda’s Adventure Club (free) and take advantage of their 10% price beat guarantee, to get the best prices on all your snorkelling gear.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding
The South West is packed with protected beaches, rivers and lakes to paddle board on. Top SUP spots include Yallingup, Margaret River, Meelup Beach, Bunker Bay, Dunsborough and Albany’s Middleton Beach and Emu Point. So wherever you are adventuring, be sure to pack your stand up paddle board. If you don’t have your own and you want to hire or join a tour try –
Margaret River Stand Up Paddle Tours & Hire – you can hire a SUP for a day or book in on one of the Stand Up Paddle Board tours on the Blackwood River.
Dunsborough – hire a stand up paddle board from South West Boats & Bikes on the beach in summer or picked up or dropped off during the cooler months.
Albany – Surf and Sun hire standup paddle boards at Middleton, Moana and Goolwa.
Swim with Dolphins
Western Australia is ranked as one of the best destinations for dolphin encounters. Bunbury is the best place in the South West for dolphin experiences.
Whale Watching
It’s estimated that over 35,000 whales migrate from the Antartic to our warmer waters between June and December each year. Humpback, Southern Right, Minke and Blue Whales can be seen from the shore or on a whale watching tour from Augusta, Margaret River, Dunsborough or Busselton.
Killer Whales can only be seen in the Bremer Canyon which is an easy day trip from Albany.
South West Adventures on Land
Bike Trails
The South West is home to many mountain bike (MTB) trail networks and bike friendly trails. The best place to search for mountain bike and bike trails is www.trailswa.com.au.
Popular South West Bike Trails include –
Albany Downhill Mountain Bike Trail – only 700m long but packed with jump, drops and other technical features and only a couple of minutes from Albany’s city centre.
Munda Biddi Trail Kalamunda to Albany – 1000km’s of off road cycling trail through bushland and karri forest, with several access points between Kalamunda and Albany so you can pick your starting point.
The Pines, Bramley Forest, Margaret River – 8km mountain bike trail close to the Margaret River town centre with something for all abilities.
Murray Valley Trails Dwellingup – 35kms network of purpose built mountain bike trails through the Lane Poole Reserve.
Caravanning and Camping
There are lots of beauitful places to caravan and camp (both free and paid) right across the South West from the forest to the coast. Find information on places to caravan and camp in South West WA at australiassouthwest.com.
Albany Caravan Parks
Bunbury Caravan Parks
Dunsborough Caravan Parks
Denmark Caravan Parks
Denmark Camping
Margaret River Camping
Margaret River Caravan Parks
Yalllingup Caravan Parks
Caves
Putting a visit to one of the South West’s caves is a must for your South West adventure list. The South West offers several caves that are open to the public with guided and self guided tours. Read more about Mammoth & Lake Cave Margaret River, Jewel Cave Augusta and Ngilgi Cave Yallingup here.
Glamping
The South West is the perfect place to enjoy a mix of luxury and nature all in the same experience. Book in for a glamping getaway at one of these Margaret River Glamping locations, for a million stars experience.
Hiking Trails
Popular South West hikes include Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range National Park, the Cape to Cape Margaret River, the Bibbulmum Track that runs from Kalamunda to Albany, Castle Rock Granite Skywalk Porongorup and Bald Head Walk Trail Albany. Find hiking trails in the South West region at www.trailswa.com.
Lookouts & Skywalks
The South West features several lookouts that have been designed to help you get up close to the regions natural wonders. Some of the South West’s most popular lookouts include –
The Gap & Natural Bridge Albany – The Gap Viewing Platform is located 40m above the seas that surge in and out of The Gap. Just a short walk from The Gap is a viewing platform that gives a good view of Natural Bridge. Parking nearby and National Park entry fees apply.
Granite Skywalk Castle Rock, Porongorup – hike the 4.7km round trail to Castle Rock and climb up to the elevated Granite Skywalk for on top of the world views of the Porongoroup National Park.
Mount Franklin Wilderness Lookout Walpole – located only a 600m walk from the carpark, this lookout provides unrestricted views of the Mount Franklin Wilderness. No entry fees apply.
Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk Denmark-Walpole – 40m high walkway positioned above the heights of the tingle tree forest canopy. Walkway is wheelchair and pram accessible. Open Monday – Sunday, 9am – 5pm and entry fees applicable.
Quad Bikes
Margaret River – Get yourself on the world’s first electric quad bike tour with Eco Adventures Margaret River. Your guide will take you on a 90 min quad bike tour of the Forest Grove Trail, just 17kms south of Margaret River.
Road Trips
Love making the journey just as much an adventure as the destination? Well where are some South Western Australia Road Trip Adventures for some fun and adventurous pit stops on the way to where you are going.
Perth to Albany
Perth to Margaret River
Sandboarding
Albany is the best place for sand boarding in the South West. Nannarup Beach, Cheyne Beach and Hassell Beach Dunes have the best dunes and you can find more information on sandboarding in Albany at www.sand-boarding.com. Don’t have your own sandboard? No problem, you can hire a sandboard from www.albanybicyclehire.com and it can be delivered to your accommodation if you need.
Waterfalls
Looking for waterfalls in the South West? There are a few to explore.
Quinniup Falls Yallingup – hike the return 5.3km on part of the Cape to Cape track to these magnificent waterfalls. Best experienced after rain, however a nice hike and destination all year round.
Beedelup Falls near Pemberton – park and walk the 300m across the bridge to the falls, or hike the 4.5km loop walk from the RAC Karri Valley Resort through the Karri Forest.
Waterfall Beach, William Bay Denmark – most the year round (especially in winter) the waterfalls over the rocks, onto the beach and carvesv a channel to the sea. It’s accessible by 2WD and is around a 30 minute drive from Denmark.
South West Adventures By Air
Scenic Flights
A scenic flight can get you from Perth to your South West Adventure destination and back in a day. Or perhaps you would like to get a view from the air while holidaying or exploring in the South West.
Margaret River
Leave the car behind and fly from Perth to a Margaret River winery for lunch and be back the same day with a Flight to Leeuwin Winery for Lunch. Scenice flights around Busselton, Margaret River and Augusta are available through Westward Aviation. Helicopter flight experiences are also available with KAS Helicopters and Scenic Helicopters.
Albany
Great Southern Aviation offer scenic flights over Bluff Knoll, the Porongorups, Stirling Ranges and local coloured lakes.
Adrenaline Action South West Adventures
Tree Obstacle Courses & Climbs
Trees Obstacle Courses
Climb and zip your way through the treetop obstacle courses at Treetops Adventure Dwellingup and Forest Adventures Busselton.
Pemberton’s Climbing Trees
Just a short drive from Pemberton are three karri trees you can climb. These trees used to be looked for fire lookouts are now one of the South West’s most popular adventure attractions. These trees include 53m high Gloucestor Tree, 65m tall Bicentennial Tree and 49m high Diamond Tree. National Park entry fees apply. Find more information on the Pemberton Climbing Trees at www.pembertonvisitor.com.au.
Accommodation
South West Accommodation Reviews
RAC Karri Valley Resort Pemberton
Porongorup Range Tourist Park
South West Caravan Parks
Albany Caravan Parks
Busselton Caravan Parks
Collie Caravan Parks
Dunsborough Caravan Parks
Margaret River Caravan Parks
Margaret River Glamping
Yallingup Caravan Parks
Need somewhere to stay while you adventure in and around the South West? Compare prices and read reviews: Trip.com
If you are looking for more adventure outside of the South West? Check out the Always Adventure Ready Western Australia Adventures Guide for more inspiration and share your South West adventure experiences with us in the comments below.