Australie | WA | Kimberley | Gibb River Road
The sheer size of Western Australian means that choices have to be made. Why not combine Perth with the Margaret River wine region and enjoy fine dining with exceptional wines? Take the opportunity to see a whale shark and swim among brightly coloured fish and around two hundred different types of coral in the more northern Ningaloo Marine Park. Visit the relatively closer gorges in Karinji National Park, which reach depths of up to 100 metres and travel from Broome along the Gibb River Road, exploring the rugged Kimberley region further northwards and then dropping anchor to relax and unwind in Faraway Bay.
People who think Australia is far away often find comfort in the fact that Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is only around four hours' flight from Singapore. This is all the more reason to choose Perth as a starting or ending point for your travels. Perth is located alongside Swan River, where the river suddenly becomes much wider. This makes it seem as though Perth is at the edge of a lake. The city has many parks, some of which date from the nineteenth century. King's Park, which is situated on a hill, offers phenomenal views overlooking Perth and Swan River. The different colonial-style buildings and the museum are a reminder of the city's early years. The Art City Walk takes you past sculptures, mosaics and landscape artworks.
There's also plenty to do and see in the area surrounding Perth. The historical harbour town of Fremantle is twenty kilometres towards the coast, at the point where the Swan River flows out into the sea. With more than 150 buildings that have been restored and classified by the National Trust, Fremantle is the best preserved 19-th century seaport in the world. Located just off the coast, Rottnest Island is another great destination for a day trip and is popular amongst the local inhabitants. ‘Rottnest' is derived from the rather unattractive name 'rat's nest', which Dutchman William Vlaming gave the island in 1696 when he mistook the Quokkas (small endemic marsupials) he encountered there for large rats.
The Margaret River region is not yet particularly well known, but it is experiencing an upsurge in popularity. The wine houses here specialise in blending different types of wine in order to give the wines extra character. According to wine experts, this is one of Australia's best wine regions. The best chefs in the world come here to demonstrate their skills and more and more artists are settling here, impelled by the beauty of the surrounding area, the towering Karri Forest, the views from Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse on the unspoilt coast, and the endless panorama at Geographe Bay.
The Kimberley is one of Australia's most rugged areas, which you can explore in a 4x4 by taking Gibb River Road from Broome to Kununura. In years gone by, farmers drove their cattle along this road to port cities such as Wyndham and Derby. It's a real adventure. Your journey will take you through gorges and along rivers and waterfalls, and after a few hours you can rinse the dust off by taking a dip under a waterfall that is known to be crocodile-safe. Why not take a trip to Purnululu National Park to visit the Bungle Bungles, which are sandstone formations that have been symmetrically eroded by the rain that has fallen over millions of years, creating beehive-shaped structures. No sculptor can top formations like these!
Broome initially earned its fame through the pearling industry. There are many Asian influences here, in addition to long unspoilt sandy beaches, such as the 22-kilometre-long Cable Beach. Between May and October you can also witness the extremely unique ‘Stairway to the Moon' at Roebuck Bay. This occurs when the play of moonlight and shadow on the mudflats create the illusion of stairs leading up to the moon at low tide. Another great idea during your stay in Broome is to take an airplane trip to Cape Levenque.
The Ningaloo Marine Park stretches over 260 metres along the west coast and is Western Australia's equivalent of the Great Barrier Reef. It's not as well known however, even though it's easier to get to because of its proximity to the coast, which means you can wade out to it. You can swim among brightly coloured fish and more than two hundred different types of coral in the park and between March and June you will also have the chance of spotting a soft-natured whale shark, measuring a whopping 18 metres.
You can go trekking along beautifully coloured, very deep gorges and admire the prehistoric Aboriginal rock paintings. Karijini is one of Australia's largest national parks and one of the most spectacular in the Pibarra region. There are breathtaking gorges that are up to 100 metres deep, crystal clear rock pools, waterfalls and amazing views - making this a must for anyone who wants to visit Western Australia. The superbly well marked out walking trails at every level take you deep into the gorges. You can also take a dip in one of the pools you will encounter along the way. Karijini is hard to reach and accommodation is simple, but the 'sacrifice' more than makes up for this.
