The best short break stays in WA

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From sustainable station and wilderness stays to the ultimate beach and glamping escapes, our WA picks.

Farmers’ Home Hotel, Northam

A destination in itself, in a town that’s fast becoming Perth’s weekend destination of choice, the boutique Farmers’ Home Hotel has spades of country charm brought to life in the atmospheric surrounds of a public house whose history stretches back to 1866. Some of its 16 rooms feature a balcony, stained-glass windows or fireplaces, and all have Aesop amenities and king-size beds.

Farmers’ Home Hotel, Northam
Farmers’ Home Hotel, Northam.

General Manager Rod Black, who hails from properties like Tassie’s Henry Jones and Pumphouse Point, knows a thing or two about making you feel at home and the good old-fashioned inn-keeping hospitality extends to its Dôme Café and The Temperance Bar.

Inside the rooms at Farmers’ Home Hotel, Northam.
Inside the rooms at Farmers’ Home Hotel, Northam.

Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula

A few days spent at this off-grid Indigenous-owned wilderness camp three hours by 4WD from Broome will see you slip away from the everyday and into an extraordinary world of Bardi Jawi Country.

wilderness camp, Kooljaman
Spend a few days off-grid at the Indigenous-owned wilderness camp, Kooljaman.
Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula
Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula. (Image: Tourism WA)

Check into a safari tent, log cabin or Bardi-style beach camping shelter and plug into your surrounds: all red pindan cliffs, coastal dunes and turquoise ocean with bountiful wildlife for company. Take part in unique Aboriginal tours and dine at Raugi’s Restaurant.

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Smiths Beach Resort, Yallingup

Part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World portfolio and a stone’s throw from the wineries and restaurants of the Margaret River region, this beach retreat overlooking the Indian Ocean near Yallingup is the stuff weekends are made of.

Smiths Beach Resort, Yallingup
Smiths Beach Resort, Yallingup. (Image: Bobby Bense)

The architecturally award-winning resort sits lightly on the landscape between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin and there is luxury here in the flexibility of offering, too: with everything from apartments to villas to beach houses to stylish and pocket-friendly beach shacks, all decked out in a palette of beachy tones.

Inside the Ocean View Villa at Smiths Beach Resort.
Inside the Ocean View Villa at Smiths Beach Resort.

Unalloyed access to the white sands of Smiths Beach, plus an infinity pool, kids’ pool, yoga, tennis court, restaurant, gourmet deli and wine shop – Lamont’s Smiths Beach – complete the picture.

Wooleen Station, Murchison

A station stay with a difference four hours’ drive north-east of Geraldton, Wooleen Station covers more than 150,000 hectares of mulga shrub-shrouded rangelands and plays a leading role in preserving and sustaining the unique ecology of the Murchison region.

Wooleen Station, Murchison
Wooleen Station, Murchison. (image: Nic Duncan)

Owners David and Frances Pollock are dedicated to regenerating Wooleen after years of overstocking and to connecting guests to the country via a nature-based stay. Bed down in the National Trust-listed homestead, rammed earth guesthouses or one of three campsites at the property and don’t miss a sunset tour with David and Frances.

Sunset at Wooleen Station, Murchison.
Sunset at Wooleen Station, Murchison. (Image: Nic Duncan)

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Mile End Glamping, Margaret River region

A 15-minute drive from Margaret River, Dunsborough and Busselton and providing ready access to wineries and nature, this unique Margaret River getaway dishes up the essential ingredients for a perfect weekend. Set on an idyllic 58-hectare private estate and with valley views, each Mile End Glamping geodesic dome boasts an en suite, king bed and spacious deck with outdoor bath and barbecue.

Mile End Glamping, Margaret River region
Mile End Glamping, Margaret River region.

Aiyana Retreat, Denmark

These four luxuriously earthy villas in a serene bushland setting are furnished with handcrafted ceramics and local timbers. And between its offering of yoga, massage and an all-permeating air of tranquillity, Aiyana Retreat is so geared around relaxation that it might be hard to tear yourself away to the stunning local sights of Denmark and the Rainbow Coast.

The Local Hotel, South Fremantle

Feel like a Freo local for the weekend at The Local Hotel, one of WA’s oldest trading hotels reimagined as a friendly neighbourhood watering hole with boutique lodgings upstairs. Rooms have been creatively and individually styled by a handful of the establishment’s local friends and the various bars and dining spaces downstairs, from the loungey Whiskey Bar to the industrial-chic Garage, have different moods and sensibilities covered, too.

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Theatre, art and music: Our top picks from this year’s Perth Festival lineup

Credit: Jessia Wyld Photograpghy

    Lynn Gail Lynn Gail
    Blend the addictive energy of dance, creative cinematic movies, captivating theatre, and energising music during Perth Festival.

    Perth Festival has extraordinary roots. Born as a summer community experiment back in 1953, the brainchild of Professor Fred Alexander, it’s now Australia’s longest-running international art-based festival. From its first event at University of Western Australia, it now spans across Noongar Boodjar country (Perth City) bringing worldclass performances into the hearts of ardent festivalgoers. Hundreds of curtain calls, including numerous free events, are set to linger and leave a lasting impression on those who seek thrills that fill life’s in-between spaces. Featuring unmissable highlights from 6th February to 1st March, we’ve done the legwork for you – here’s what’s on, and where:

    1. East Perth Power Station

    East Perth Power Station during Perth Festival
    See East Perth Power Station come alive. (Image: Jessica Wyld Photography)

    Abandoned, run-down and shutdown in 1981, East Perth Power Station, located on the banks of the stunning Swan River, was reinvented in 2025 as an entertainment venue for the Perth Festival. Pack a picnic, bring the family and kick back under paperbark trees at Casa Musica – a free event featuring a melting pot of world-class musicians from Australian shores and around the globe. The diversity will have you bopping until the final encore.

    A decade after David Bowie’s passing, his powerful music lives on in the electrifying show, Rebel Rebel. Powerhouse vocalists join Perth Symphony Orchestra for one incredible night showcasing the singer-songwriter’s iconic hits. Illuminate your world through the eyes of First Nation Noongar artist, Lance Chadd Tjyllyungoo in a free event. His distinctive paintings and Dreamtime stories decorate the Power Station’s walls depicting spiritual beliefs. Or settle in to watch British indie pop singer-songwriter, Nilüfer Yanya.

    2. St Mary’s Cathedral

    Award-winning vocal group, Roomful of Teeth
    Take in Award-winning vocal group, Roomful of Teeth. (Image: Anja Schutz)

    Step into the lofty ceilings of Perth’s grandest cathedral, St Mary’s, and soak up choral harmonies. Dating back to 1865, the stained-glass reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper are a talking point, add talented maestros, and the stage is set to enthral.

    The international line-up is impressive. Master Irish fiddler, Martin Hayes takes to the stage with exquisite lyrical compositions from his native land. Åkervinda, an award winning Swedish quartet, weave stories of love, loss, and resilience into harmonious Nordic folk songs. The USA Grammy Award-winning vocal group, Roomful of Teeth, break all the rules. Hear their voices echo through the arched vaulted ceilings.

    3. Lotterywest Films

    guests at Lotterywest Films as part of Perth Festival
    Discover the Lotterywest Films program. (Credit: Jessia Wyld Photograpghy)

    One of the festivals longest-running favourites, Lotterywest Films run a rich tapestry of cinematic features showing until 29th of March. Pack a picnic, cushions, popcorn and pop a cork under a Somerville Pine Tree as the sun sets and screenings begin. Cinema lovers, choose your poison from thrillers, deep-dive documentaries, tearjerkers, raunchy rom-coms and side-splitting comedies. The program is fantastically full, the filmmakers the best in the business, and the outdoor setting, unequalled.

    4. The Embassy

    guests at The EMbassy as part of Perth Festival
    Step into the old world glitz of The Embassy. (Image: Franz Bato)

    Modelled on Perth’s historic Embassy Ballroom, a devilish dance venue that operated in the 1900s, The Embassy in Perth Town Hall, serves sophistication in its A-list shows. Set your sequins a’sparkle at the, What’s TINA Got to Do With It extravaganza where guest artists play tribute as they belt out the glitzy star’s hits. The returning act, Ali Bodycoat & The Embassy Big Band, will have you jiving as you take to the dance floor reimagining a bygone era. Who doesn’t like chocolate? Black-bearded drag sensation, La Gateau Chocolat puts the raw in cacao. World-renowned for his feisty range of storied songs, he reveals the inner-man come artist through his deliciously sweet and intimate act.

    5. Unusual locations

    still from The Trial theatre
    Watch a star-studded cast in The Trial. (Image: Cole Baxter)

    We’ve all heard of the hit show, The Office, but a spinetingling operatic thriller acted out in disused office space? Philip Glass’ nail-biter, The Trial, has a star-studded line-up. Together they deliver a dramatic ordeal showcasing Oscar-winner Christopher Hampton’s libretto; the suspense lingers after the final bow.

    Sit back under starry skies and soak up dynamic dance at Ballet at the Quarry: Incandescence.  Four exclusive classical and contemporary acts illuminate the amphitheatre’s stage as Perth City twinkles at nightfall. Mystery excites the mind. West Australian Opera returns again with another ‘secret opera’. Be led from an undisclosed meeting point and let the music lead to the secret.

    6. A View From A Bridge

    A View From A Bridge special event at Perth Festival
    Share your innermost thoughts at A View From A Bridge.

    Free, connecting strangers, and inclusive to everyone, artist, Joe Bloom’s collaborative project, A View From A Bridge has one prop – an old red telephone. Talk into the receiver, share thoughts, innermost feelings, memories, hopes and dreams as Bloom captures you from afar. The freedom to speak through the telephone movement has a worldwide following. A range of clips will be shown online.

    What else to do in Perth

    Shadow Wine Bar in perth
    Taste the best of Perth at eateries like Shadow Wine Bar.

    Endless blue skies crown Perth during February, making it the perfect time to explore Australia’s most western capital city. The city might be compact, but it packs a punch when it comes to what’s on. Perth Cultural Centre houses the city’s art-scene venues: Western Australian Art Gallery, WA Museum Boola Bardip and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).

    After exploring the city’s alleyways, hidden corners, and main hub, savour worldclass food in Perth’s vibrant eateries. Award-winning restaurants, rooftop bars, and cafes can be found throughout; the leisurely eat-and-drink scene is literally mouthwatering, so book extra nights.

    Start planing your 2026 trip to Perth Festival at perthfestival.com.au.