A first-timer's guide to South West WA

Sacred lands, beautiful beaches, and rugged rock formations: everything is in WA’s South West.

The Noongar Boodjar People have called the South West home for thousands of years and their ancient pathways still twist and turn around these sacred lands, which remain ribboned with their songlines. Take the time to care for Boodja (Country) while watching the landscape unfold in the five vastly different sub regions: go birdwatching in a national park, sample wines at any one of the world-class cellar doors, surf waves that curl onto beaches gouged by time, and visit rugged rock formations that have long reigned over these lands. The South West includes the Margaret River Wine Region, Great Southern, Bunbury Geographe and the Southern Forests and Valleys. Here, get a taste of what the region has to offer.

Unique stays

Hidden Valley Forest Retreat

Each self-contained chalet at this secluded luxury retreat features a log fire and a private outdoor spa bath where you can look up at the rich, dark-velvet night sky scattered with stars. Wake to the light filtering through the ghostly grey bush.

Burnside Organic Farm

This cosy farm stay is all about immersing yourself in your surroundings and getting a feel for life on a working farm. Guests staying in the luxury bungalows, which have stone baths and a fireplace, will have access to the kitchen garden, walking tracks and wine tastings.

Latitude 35°5, Goode Beach

Luxury meets location at this private sanctuary which has commanding views across Frenchman Bay and Goode Beach.Take over the luxurious holiday home for your exclusive use and enjoy the amenity of a chef ’s kitchen, freestanding bathtub, 160-bottle cellar and soaring fireplace.

Room interior, Latitude 35 5, South West, Western Australia — Luxury meets location at this private sanctuary. (Image: Marco Kraus)

Five top spots

Boranup Forest

Listen to the ghostly trees groan and sigh, and the twitters and wails of birdsong in a karri forest where some of the trees tower so high (more than 60 metres) that their canopies can be blanketed in cloud.

Elephant Rocks

Visit Elephant Rocks in the late afternoon when the sun is setting on these giant granite boulders that resemble a herd of elephants lumbering out to sea. This spectacular rock formation is in the Great Southern region near Denmark.

Point Picquet

This striking beach only has a thin margin of sand that comes and goes with the ebb and flow of the tide. Head to this secluded spot during the migratory months of June through to November and you will have a front-row seat for whale watching.

Koombana Bay

Koombana Bay is a protected strip of sand in Bunbury where basalt rock is a defining aspect of the landscape, said to be part of a lava flow that dates back some 150 million years. The sheltered bay is a draw for swimmers and paddle boarders who are likely to have the Bunbury Geographe region on their bucket list as a place to see wild bottlenose dolphins.

Sugarloaf Rock

Sugarloaf Rock is a gigantic granite rock that juts out from the Indian Ocean along the Cape to Cape Track. Time your visit to coincide with the sun dissolving over the horizon and you will see the rock change from ochre to pink, then indigo.

South West, Western Australia — See the iconic Sugarloaf Rock. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where to eat

Liberte Albany

Located in Albany’s historic London Hotel, this buzzing, convivial Parisian-inspired bar serves up interesting fusion cocktails and a menu of Vietnamese dishes made with local produce, such as crispy chicken bao, and marron and pork banh xeo, which are perfect for sharing.

Yarri

Take a seat at the bar overlooking the kitchen at Yarri and you will get dinner and a show at this warm and inviting restaurant, where locals seem to sail in like it’s an extension of their living room. Located in Dunsborough, Yarri is all about ‘people, produce and place’ and supports sustainable farmers and growers.

Top things to do

Smiths Beach

Go for a surf or swim at Smiths Beach, an under-the-radar stretch of sand that is a top spot to catch a few curlers when there’s swell and a dreamy place to swim in crystalline seas when there’s not.

The Meelup Brook Trail

Pull on your hiking boots and head off along Meelup Beach on a 1.2-kilometre trail that is largely uphill until you reach a timber deck overlooking Meelup Brook, which bubbles along in autumn and winter. Stop at Meelup Farmhouse to enjoy a farm-to-table lunch.

Meelup Farmhouse, South West, Western Australia — Meet at Meelup Farmhouse for a farm-to-table feast.(Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Go free camping

You can free camp along the Blackwood River, in the Southern Forests and Valleys, at the Alexandra Bridge Camping Ground, 26 kilometres north-east of Augusta. The river wends its way from Wagin in the Wheatbelt all the way to Augusta and is known for its native water birds.

From thundering waterfalls to ancient Indigenous art, Kimberley’s raw beauty will take your breath away.

Wild, pristine, and shaped by nature, the Kimberley Coast is one of Australia’s most spectacular landscapes. A remote and rugged frontier that remains a bucket list destination for many travellers. Its most breathtaking attractions – including Montgomery Reef, King George Falls and Horizontal Falls – are accessible only by sea or air, making a guided expedition cruise aboard Silversea’s luxury expedition ship, Silver Cloud, the ideal way to explore it.

From its intricate intertidal zones to ancient rock art, extreme tides and rare wildlife found nowhere else in Australia – or the world – this journey offers an unparalleled exploration of one of Earth’s last true wildernesses.

Why Silversea?

Silversea offers a 10-day expedition departing Broome, or an extended 16-day expedition voyage from Indonesia, including landings on the hidden gems of Palopo Sulawesi and Komodo. Accompanied by expert guides and specialists in marine biology, history and geology, guests gain a deeper understanding of the Kimberley’s dramatic landscapes, rich cultural heritage and extraordinary biodiversity.

Silversea offers one of the experiential travel industry’s leading crew-to-guest ratios. Along with all-suite accommodation (80 per cent with private verandah), 24-hour butler service, a swimming pool and four dining options. Silver Cloud also has an experienced crew of multilingual expedition guides and specialists in marine biology, history and geology to enhance your Kimberley Experience.

silversea cruise ship pool deck — Take a dip in the pool deck.

1. Koolama Bay

Before visitors see King George Falls, they hear them – a growing rumble in the distance, steady and foreboding as the Zodiac glides through the gorge, the sound echoing off sheer rock formations. At 80 meters tall, the twin cascades carve through the red cliffs, churning the waters below in a spectacular finale – but Koolama Bay holds secrets beyond its striking scenery.

Named after a ship that beached here following an aerial attack by Japanese bombers in World War II, the bay may seem desolate, yet it teems with life. With Silversea’s expert guides on their 10-day Kimberley itinerary, guests gain a sharper eye for its hidden wonders – rock wallabies darting across the cliffs, crocodiles lurking among dense green mangroves, and high above, the silhouette of a bird of prey circling the sky.

King George Falls at koolama bay excursion on Silversea Kimberley Cruise — Take a shore excursion to see King George Falls.

2. Freshwater Cove / Wijingarra Butt Butt

Connect with Country on a wet landing at Freshwater Cove, also known as Wijingarra Butt Butt. Considered one of the most special experiences on both the 16-day and 10-day Kimberley cruises, Silversea guests are welcomed by the traditional Indigenous custodians of the land, painted with traditional ochre, and invited to take part in a smoking ceremony.

Located on the mainland near Montgomery Reef, Wijingarra Butt Butt holds deep cultural significance to the local Indigenous community. Here, rock formations along the shore represent spiritual ancestors, and guests are guided to a nearby rock overhang filled with ancient art, where traditional owners share the stories and meaning behind these sacred paintings.

welcome to country on freshwater cove during silversea kimberley cruise — Take part in a smoking ceremony. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

3. Vansittart Bay (Jar Island)

Modern history, ancient culture and mystery converge in Vansittart Bay, which is also known as Jar Island. Here, the first thing to catch the eye is the dented, silver fuselage of a World War II-era C-53 plane – a striking relic of the past. Yet, the true cultural treasures lie just a short hike away where two distinct styles of Indigenous rock art – Gwion Gwion and Wandjina – can be found.

The Wandjina figures, deeply connected to Indigenous traditions, stand in stark contrast to the enigmatic Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) paintings, which date back more than 12,000 years. Significantly different in form and style, the two different styles create a striking juxtaposition, offering a rare glimpse into the region’s rich and complex past.

aerial view of Vansittart Bay, See it in you Silversea Kimberley Cruise. — Explore ancient Gwion Gwion rock art at Vansittart Bay. (Image: Janelle Lugge)

4. Horizontal Falls

Part illusion, part natural phenomenon, the Kimberley’s much-lauded Horizontal Falls aren’t a waterfall, but a tidal and geographic spectacle that visitors have to see to comprehend. Known as Garaanngaddim, the phenomenon occurs when seawater rushes through two narrow gaps- one just twenty metres wide, and the other seven metres in width, between the escarpments of Talbot Bay.

With each tidal shift, the force of the water creates whirlpools, furious currents and the illusion of a horizontal cascade as thousands of gallons of water are pushed and pulled in through the gap every six hours with relentless movement, making this one of the Kimberley ’s most mesmerising natural wonders.

Horizontal Falls are described as "One of the greatest wonders of the natural world". They are formed from a break in-between the McLarty Ranges reaching up to 25m in width. The natural phenomenon is created as seawater builds up faster on one side of the gaps than the other, creating a waterfall up to 5m high on a King tide. — Watch whirlpools and furious currents collide. (Image: Janelle Lugge)

5. Montgomery Reef

As the tide turns in Montgomery Reef, magic happens. With the Kimberley’s legendary tides varying up to ten metres, at low tide the submerged reef almost appears to rise from the depths: exposing up to four metres of the sandstone reef.

The impact is otherworldly: as the water drains, waterfalls cascade on either side of the channel, turtles left exposed scramble and dive, and fish leap in search of sanctuary in shallow pools. Meanwhile, the dinner bell rings for the migratory seabirds dugongs, reef sharks and dolphins that scavenge and feast in the area.

Using zodiacs, guests cruise through one of the world’s most significant inshore reef systems navigated by experienced guides, exploring the most intricate and fascinating parts of a 300-square-kilometre-wide biodiversity hotspot.

aerial view of boat going along Montgomery Reef — Witness seabirds, dolphins and reef sharks on the hunt.

6. Mitchell Falls by Helicopter

Experiencing the Kimberley by sea allows you to feel the power of the tides, but travelling by helicopter reveals the sandstone tapestry of the Kimberley, a landscape geologists believe is over 1.8 billion years old.

One of Silversea’s most popular optional excursions , guests who opt to fly into the interior from the onboard helipad soar up above the rust-coloured landscape of the Mitchell plateau, taking in one of Australia’s most scenic waterfalls: Mitchell Falls, a series of four emerald-coloured pools gently cascades into each other, before plunging down to the river below.

Seeing the landscape from above reveals a landscape weaved and shaped by the power of the freshwater wet season, juxtaposed to the constant lapping of the relentless and powerful tide on the coast.

aerial view of mitchell falls on silversea helicopter excursion — See emerald pools cascade into the river below. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

7. Indigenous Art Caves, Wandjina Art

The Kimberley Region of Western Australia is home to some of the most striking and significant

Indigenous rock art in Australia. Dotted throughout the landscape are caves, cliffs and rock overhangs depicting the striking, ethereal image of Wandjina, the rainmaker spirit and creation being central to many of the Dreamtime stories in this region.

Some of the paintings are regularly repainted by traditional custodians, while others are believed to be over 4,000 years old. Each artwork serves as both a cultural record and a living connection to the past, offering a rare opportunity to engage with the enduring traditions of the Kimberley’s Indigenous communities.

Freshwater Cover Rock Art the kimberleys — Walk among cultural records preserved in stone. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

See the best of this incredible part of the world on a Silversea Kimberley cruise. Book your 10- or extended 16-day expedition voyage at silversea.com

A first-timer’s guide to South West WA