The South West is a fertile crescent of orchards and pastureland, state forest and national parks. Many of its towns have fine wine as their lifeblood, while local farmers' markets feature unique regional delicacies. From June to December the coast is the perfect place to observe migrating humpback and southern right whales. Shark Bay, on the state's seemingly endless West Coast, is one of the world's most important marine sanctuaries, sheltering dolphins, dugongs and loggerhead turtles.

For five months of the year colour spreads across the land as vast swathes of countryside are blanketed in a glorious mantle of vivid wildflower bloom. This unparalleled display of flower power begins mid-year in the north then spreads gradually south.

Mining has long been at the core of Western Australia's prosperity. Gold lured early prospectors into the interior, but it's minerals from the Pilbara that are powering Western Australia's current mining boom. The West Coast also has an abundance of natural wonders, such as the stunning Karijini National Park and Ningaloo Marine Park.