Stunning eco stays in Western Australia

Carla GrossettiBy Carla Grossetti
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From glamping tents that use solar power to farm stays that don’t cost the Earth, it’s time to book an eco stay in WA.

Quobba Station

Recycling initiatives, composting, energy-efficient lighting, rainwater tanks and solar panels are just a few of the initiatives that help you tread lightly on the Earth during a stay at Quobba Station , on the southern tip of Ningaloo Marine Park. Whales and whale sharks migrate past the remote eco camp and are easily spotted from the beach or clifftop, where you’ll find five hard-deck safari tents, two of which are luxury retreats. Surfers will also love the property’s low-fi beach shacks, which have uninterrupted views of breaking waves.

Quobba Station, Eco-stay in WA
Stay at Quobba Station on the southern tip of Ningaloo Marine Park. (Image: Imogen Caldwell)

Barn Hives

You can test-drive that tree change you’ve been dreaming of at Barn Hives, where you’ll see the farm-to-fork, grape-to-glass philosophy in action. The luxury pods are part of the Barnyard 1978 conservation tourism concept, which includes a fully equipped restaurant, cellar door and honey store. While the Barn Hives tread lightly on the Earth, they are also deeply connected to their surrounds, situated moments from Smiths Beach in the midst of the Margaret River region. The two-storey pods include a fully equipped kitchen, dining area, cosy lounge and outdoor sun deck with barbecue.

Barn Hives, Eco stays in WA
You can test-drive that tree change you’ve been dreaming of at Barn Hives. (Image: Bianca Kate Photography)

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef

All 16 luxury safari tents at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef safari camp are perched above the sand to prevent erosion, so you can kick back in good conscience from your hammock overlooking the fringing reef system. There is no Internet at Sal Salis, which encourages guests to connect with nature and each other in the communal lantern-lit lodge to swap stories about their day. Knowing that almost 100 per cent of the camp’s electricity and power is generated by solar makes a stay here even sweeter.

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Eco stay in WA
There is no Internet at Sal Salis, which encourages guests to connect with nature and each other.

Petit Eco Cabins

Petit Eco Cabin is positioned in a pretty pocket of Windows Estate, a certified organic vineyard in Yallingup. The 32-square-metre cabin was built from hand-milled jarrah and fitted out with Australian-made fixtures and furnishings, from bespoke glass wall lights by Soktas to custom-made furniture by Timber Grooves and tapware by Consolidated Brass. Enjoy a glass of Windows Estate Syrah in the outdoor antique French bath overlooking the estate’s expansive dam and see the night sky in a new light via the wonderful waterfall window, which cascades over the king-sized bed.

Petit Eco Cabin, Eco stay in WA
Petit Eco Cabin is positioned in a pretty pocket of Windows Estate, a certified organic vineyard in Yallingup. (Image: Rachel Claire)

Eco Beach Resort

This rustic retreat was designed to leave the smallest footprint possible on the surrounding landscape in Yardoogarra Country, an hour’s drive south of Broome. All up, there are 25 eco villas and 30 safari-style tents at the oceanfront eco resort , which are linked by elevated boardwalks on the pristine Kimberley coastline. The solar-powered resort has bamboo floorboards, composite eco decking, and an energy monitoring system that enables guests to check their own energy consumption. Each villa and tent faces the Indian Ocean and nothing is more luxurious (or environment-focused) than going to sleep to the soundtrack of soothing ocean sounds.

Eco Beach Resort, Eco stays in WA
This rustic retreat was designed to leave the smallest footprint possible on the surrounding landscape.
Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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Your Mandurah guide: art, dining & dolphins await in WA’s coastal gem

    Monique CeccatoBy Monique Ceccato
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    Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

    Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

    Aerial view of Mandurah.
    Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

    The best things to do in Mandurah

    Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

    In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

    While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

    If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

    Dolphins swimming in Mandurah.
    Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

    You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

    Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah  sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

    Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

    The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah.
    Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

    Where to eat in Mandurah

    Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

    On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

    Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

    The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

    If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

    A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops.
    Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

    Where to stay in Mandurah

    With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

    Seashells Mandurah; on the shores of Comet Bay.
    Stay right by the sea.

    The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

    But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

    A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river
    Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

    Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.