Stunning eco stays in Western Australia

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

This rustic retreat was designed to leave the smallest footprint possible on the surrounding landscape.

WA might be enormous, but the right insider knowledge brings its mysteries a whole lot closer.

“Western Australia is a land of record-breakers,” says Carolyn Tipper, a Travel Director working on AAT Kings Western Australia tours. “It has the second-longest fault line, the second-largest meteorite crater, the second-fastest flowing river—it just keeps surprising you. And every area has its charm.”

From tropics to deserts, Australia’s largest state is a land of extremes. You can’t see all of Western Australia in a lifetime, but with the right guide, you can discover its hidden pockets of magic.

Carolyn wishes to reach her guests’ hearts. “I want them to enjoy and be in awe,” she says. “I want them to have the holiday of a lifetime.”

1. Mimbi Caves

You wouldn’t expect a Great Barrier Reef in the outback – but that’s what you’ll find at Mimbi Caves. Once part of a 350-million-year-old reef, these caves hold marine fossils, ancient Indigenous rock art, and Dreamtime stories shared by a Gooniyandi guide.

“That’s when the real connection happens,” says Carolyn, who has taken guests through on the AAT Kings Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour . “When guests connect, not just with the land, but with the people who have called it home for tens of thousands of years.”

Eye-level view of traveller exploring Mimbi Caves. — Walk through ancient limestone passages. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Kalbarri National Park

Nothing prepares you for the Kalbarri Skywalk: a 25-metre platform jutting over Murchison Gorge, 100 metres above the red cliffs and river below. From July to October, join the AAT Kings Untamed Pilbara and West Coast tour to see over 1000 wildflower species paint the park, and listen as an Indigenous guide shares their uses, bush foods and medicine plants.

“I want our guests to have an emotional experience,” says Carolyn. “It’s not just about seeing the land, it’s about stepping into the stories.”

An aerial view of the Kalbarri Skywalk, one of the secret places in Western Australia, with visitors on the edge. — Stand on the Kalbarri Skywalk in Western Australia. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

3. Hamelin Bay Wines

Margaret River isn’t just a top wine region – it’s a winner in every category. Where the Indian and Southern Oceans collide, granite cliffs rise, limestone caves sprawl and Karri forests tower. It almost distracts from the world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Almost.

Out of over 100 cellar doors, AAT Kings pick Hamelin Bay Wines as a favourite. Hosted tastings of small-batch wines on the Western Wonderland tour end with a group meal. The menu shifting with the seasons.

“Get off the beaten track to one of WA’s most relaxed venues for some amazing red and white signature wines,” explains Carolyn, “accompanied with upmarket pub food.”

Spectacular views.

A person raising a glass of Chardonnay against a glowing Western Australia sunset. — Sip world-class wines at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia. (Image: Getty)

4. Wildflower Guided Walk, Kings Park

Western Australia is home to 12,000 native plant species – 3000 bloom in Kings Park’s Botanic Garden. Stroll past Kangaroo Paw, Banksia and blooms from the Goldfields, Stirling Ranges and Kimberley. “The diversity of Western Australia is immense,” says Carolyn, who leads guests through on the South Western Escape tour .

Couple enjoying the view from the Lotterywest Federation walkway at Kings Park and Botanical Garden. — Wander among thousands of native plant species. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

5. Hoochery Distillery

Did you know that between Kununurra and Emma Gorge lies the state’s oldest continuously operating distillery? Well, the oldest legal one. Set on a family farm, Hoochery Distillery was hand-built using materials found on the property, conjuring up award-winning rum from local sugarcane, wet season rainwater and yeast.

Today, visitors can sample a hearty nip of rum, along with whiskies and gins – all crafted using traditional, labour-intensive methods. It’s the ideal way to soak up the ‘spirit’ of the Kimberley on the AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour .

People enjoying a rum tasting at one of the secret places in Western Australia. — Sample award-winning rum. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

6. Geraldton

The wildflowers of the Midwest will make your heart blossom. In Geraldton, the Helen Ansell Art Gallery brings the region’s botanicals to life in vivid colour and intricate detail. In nearby Mullewa, wander bushland trails lined with everlastings and native blooms. Further afield, Coalseam Conservation Park bursts into carpets of pink, white, and yellow each spring. Do it all on the Wildflower Wanderer tour with AAT Kings.

woman walking through Wildflowers, Coalseam Conservation Park — Chase vibrant wildflower trails. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

7. El Questro

Wake up after a night under the stars at Emma Gorge Resort, ready to explore the mighty beauty of the El Questro Wilderness Park. With deep gorges, thermal springs, and cascading waterfalls, time slows here.

Join the AAT Kings’ Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour to drift through Chamberlain Gorge, where sheer sandstone walls glow burnt orange in the sun, archer fish flick at the surface, and rock wallabies peer down from ledges above. Then, step into Zebedee Springs, a secret oasis of warm, crystal-clear pools among prehistoric Livistona palms – a moment of pure, wild stillness.

Emma Gorge Resort at El Questro. — Wake to adventure at Emma Gorge Resort. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Lake Argyle

Once vast cattle country, Lake Argyle now sprawls like an inland sea – Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake, created by the damming of the Ord River. Scattered with over 70 islands, its glassy waters teem with life, like freshwater crocodiles, barramundi, bony bream, sleepy cod and over 240 bird species. That’s nearly a third of Australia’s avian population.

Glide across the lake’s surface on a cruise as part of AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour , where the silence is only broken by the splash of fish and the call of birds. For Carolyn, this place is a perfect example of how WA’s landscapes surprise visitors. “Lake Argyle is a big puddle of water that became a game-changer,” she says. “Seeing it from a boat, coach, and plane is mind-blowing. It puts time, isolation and the sheer scale into perspective.”

Aerial View of Triple J Tours on the Ord River, near Kununurra. — Glide past islands on Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake. (Image: Western Australia)

Discover more of Western Australia’s hidden gems and book your tour at aatkings.com.