The world’s oldest, still-operating open-air movie theater, Sun Pictures is a major tourist attraction in Broome, Australia. Both locals and travelers visit the picture gardens, where you can relax in a deck chair under the stars and enjoy the latest movies in a historic ambiance.
Devoted to telling the story of the more than 40,000 ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) soldiers that fought in the First World War, the National Anzac Centre is one of Australia’s most important military museums. It’s housed in a purpose-built building in Albany Heritage Park.
Proving that size isn’t everything, the tree-lined lawns of the Supreme Court Gardens in Perth are a popular spot for locals to escape the crowds. Renovated in 2015, this small urban park is tucked away in the heart of the Central Business District, just a short stroll from the park-fringed Swan River and the lively Elizabeth Quay precinct.
The Perth Cultural Centre is the city’s main destination for arts and culture. The museums, theaters, outdoor spaces, and other venues that make up the Perth Cultural Centre feature exhibits and events throughout the year, including Aboriginal and European artworks, modern art installations, film screenings, live theater, and much more.
From the moment you walk through the giant fiberglass replica of a crocodile's head, you know that Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park is wild about crocs. Located on the outskirts of Broome, this adventurous park is home to native saltwater crocodiles deemed too aggressive to remain in their Outback communities.
Hidden in the arid desert plains of the Kimberley region, the cool waters and cascading waterfalls of Bell Gorge provide a welcome interlude for road-trippers tackling the famous Gibb River Road. You won’t be alone in enjoying the natural wonder, though—this popular spot is a favorite for swimming, picnicking, and hiking.
One of the most accessible parks in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, Danggu Geikie Gorge National Park is a popular day trip from Fitzroy Crossing. The gorge for which it is named was carved out by the Fitzroy River, which flows between the massive limestone walls, over 98 feet (30 meters of which have been exposed by the river.
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park in Western Australia stretches more than 100 miles (160 kilometers). It's a haven for nature enthusiasts, as it's home to rugged landscapes with hiking trails and viewpoints overlooking the Indian Ocean, where you can see whales and dolphins. The park also boasts beautiful beaches, surfing spots, forests, and limestone cliffs.
Three times larger than England, the red desert Kimberley region takes up the northwestern corner of Australia. It’s one of the longest-settled areas on the continent, yet fewer than 40,000 people call it home. The beach town of Broome serves as the gateway to the Kimberley’s numerous cultural and natural attractions.
Vast and full of a surprising assortment of exhibits, the WA Museum Boola Bardip of the Western Australian Museum thoroughly looks at every aspect of life in the Western state. Stories from Australian Aboriginals sit alongside mineral collections, sports memorabilia, and a blue whale skeleton in this immense cultural museum.
Home to more than 17,000 works from the State Art Collection, the Art Gallery of Western Australia features local and international artists from the 1800s to the present. Part of the Perth Cultural Centre, the gallery is one of the best places to see art in the city.
Hidden in plain sight in Perth’s Central Business District, London Court is a one-block replica of Elizabethan-era London, lined with small shops. Tucked between two of the city’s busiest streets, the historical arcade provides a brief respite from the surrounding hustle and bustle.
One of the largest privately owned gardens in Western Australia, Wanneroo Botanic Gardens delights visitors with its kaleidoscope of colors and peaceful trails. In addition to the many flowers displays, rockeries, and waterfalls, the gardens’ on-site miniature golf and billiard golf courses make it a popular destination for families.
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm is Australia’s oldest operating pearl farm and one of the few open to the public. Touring the farm gives visitors insights into the evolution of pearl farming in Australia, from its Indigenous beginnings through the four generations of the Brown family, who have been running the business since 1946.
Run by volunteers, this museum aims to preserve Broome’s heritage and history by giving sweeping overviews of life in the area, from the Australian Aboriginal era to World War II and beyond. Exhibits here include information on Broome’s pearling industry, a history of domestic life in the isolated town, and the impact and effects of cyclones in the region.
Perth’s principal Anglican cathedral, St. George’s Cathedral was consecrated in 1888 and sits on St. George’s Terrace in the Perth Central Business District (CBD. The red brick and limestone Gothic Revival structure is an architectural heritage landmark as well as an active church that attracts both locals and visitors.
Located directly on Perth’s Turquoise Coast, the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) is home to marine animals from all along the 7,500-mile (12,000-km) coastline of Australia’s largest state. The family-friendly attraction boasts a wide array of species from this diverse area, ranging from tiny fish to large rays.
Part of Walpole-Nornalup National Park, the Valley of the Giants is a forest of towering tingle trees that are unique to this southwestern region of Western Australia. The forest draws visitors with its Tree Top Walk, an elevated walkway that provides bird’s-eye views of the lush landscape.
Learn about Western Australia’s long and unfortunate history of nautical disasters at the WA Shipwrecks Museum in Fremantle. This destructive heritage is illustrated through exhibits with reported accounts and recovered items, including coins and cannons, as well as the remains of the VOC ship Batavia, whose reconstructed stern fills an entire museum gallery.
Located on Australia’s southwest coast, Fitzgerald River National Park is a National Heritage Site and UNESCO biosphere reserve that’s known for its diversity of native plant species that can be found nowhere else in the world. Remote and often overlooked for Australia’s bigger-name attractions, the park is a great place to get off the beaten path.
Set inside an old heritage-listed psychiatric hospital, the Fremantle Arts Centre looks quite traditional from the outside. But inside, its rooms are home to an ever-changing roster of innovative, expressive, and thought-provoking exhibitions created by resident artists using different media.
Whether you’re a die-hard gamer looking to dive into the video game archives or just fancy playing some classic games from your childhood, the Nostalgia Box in West Perth, Western Australia, is your portal to the history of gaming. Featuring game consoles like the 1972 Magnavox Odyssey and Nintendo 64, this part-museum, part-arcade guarantees a good time.
On the edge of the Swan Valley less than an hour from Perth, the Maze is a fun family attraction. Mind-boggling mazes, miniature golf, and an animal park with koalas and kangaroos tempt visitors all year round, while summer visitors can also cool off at the Outback Splash water park.
If you’re looking for the most popular hike in the Stirling Ranges National Park, look no further than Bluff Knoll. Tackling this rugged peak can be done on a day hike, earning you the bragging rights of scaling the park’s highest mountain, along with sweeping views across the mist-capped mountain range and its wildflower-coated valleys.
This East Perth park stands out from the rest with its replica Notting Hill bench (as seen in the movie), a Peter Pan statue signed by author J.M. Barrie, and lakes filled with water lilies and swans. Known for its picturesque scenery, the Queens Gardens are a popular spot for wedding ceremonies, picnics, and scenic strolls.
See hanging crystals, dramatic stalactites, and a glittering underground lake at the aptly named Lake Cave. Part of Western Australia’s Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, the natural cave lies beneath an ancient karri forest and is among the most impressive of the Margaret River region.
To say that Lake Argyle is huge is an understatement. Australia’s second-largest manmade lake covers an area larger than New York City and holds enough water to fill Sydney Harbour 18 times over. Formed by the Ord River Dam, it’s the lifeline of the Kimberley region and an important wildlife habitat, as well as being a popular recreation ground.
Perth’s cruise port is in Fremantle, a port town separated from Perth by the Swan River, which empties into the Indian Ocean at the point where cruises dock. Depending on how much time you have in port, you can stay in Fremantle to enjoy its historical attractions and lively cafe and bar scene, or head into Perth for more sightseeing.
Just one of Perth’s excellent beaches, Scarborough Beach is perhaps the most visited due to the many eateries and hotels that line this stretch of the city’s coast, providing more bustle than surrounding beaches. Locals and visitors gather here on sunny days to swim, surf, bodyboard, sunbathe, picnic, skate, play sports on the beach, and more.
Flowing down from the Albert Edward Range at the south of the Kimberley region all the way to the Cambridge Gulf, the mighty Ord River is the lifeblood of the Kimberley and one of Australia’s most significant waterways. There are plenty of ways to explore the Ord River and its tributaries, which pass through two dams and two major lakes.
