Australian-first giant sculpture trail in WA

A series of enormous wooden sculptures will be installed south of Perth this year in an Australian-first. Created by renowned Danish artist Thomas Dambo, and standing at around five metres tall, the sculptures are intended to be protectors of the environment, and will each have their own distinct personality. Located in Mandurah and the wider Peel region, just an hours’ drive south of Perth, visitors will be encouraged to explore and discover these installations at five secret locations when it opens to the public in late 2022. An artist of international acclaim, Dambo has exhibited extensively throughout the world including in Denmark, USA, France, Germany, China, South Korea and Chile. Dambo's practice celebrates the diversity, beauty and importance of the natural world, with the artist's works all handmade using recycled materials. This unique public art event - Thomas Dambo’s Sculptures in Western Australia - is initiated and produced by FORM – Building a State of Creativity Inc. who has proudly delivered cultural projects such as the PUBLIC Silo Trail, and Field of Light: Avenue of Honour in Albany.

Fremantle makes TIME’s annual World’s Greatest Places list

Fremantle (Walyalup) has been named in TIME’s annual list of the World’s Greatest Places of 2022, which highlights 50 extraordinary travel destinations from around the globe. To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places - including countries, regions, cities and towns - from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences. The port city of Fremantle, located just a half hour drive or train ride from Perth CBD, earned a spot in this year’s list thanks to a once-in-a-generation renaissance of its civic heart and surrounds. The bohemian city blends old with the new, home to a 19th century port streetscape, and a recent surge of new hospitality offerings. In the recently redeveloped city centre – Walyalup Koort (meaning ‘Heart of Fremantle’ in Whadjuk Noongar language) – FOMO is a new commercial space offering hawker-style food stalls, entertainment, art and dining spaces for visitors to enjoy. Historic buildings and spaces have been given a new lease of life, such as the 122-year-old Fremantle Courthouse which has transformed into a lively bar and restaurant venue, The Old Courthouse; and the Warders Hotel, a new boutique accommodation offering located in the historic Warders cottages, the original accommodation for the Warders of the nearby UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison. Leading Perth craft brewer Gage Roads opened its first public venue at Fremantle’s Victoria Quay this year. The 1,500 capacity micro-brewery and bar is located in a 100-meter long and 100-year-old warehouse, with views over the port and Indian Ocean. Other new venues adding to Fremantle’s vibrant transformation include Jetty, offering Mediterranean cuisine on the Swan River; small bar and restaurant Nieuw Ruin; plus new breweries and distilleries such as Running with Thieves, Calamity’s Rod and Republic of Fremantle.

Margaret River named WA’s first ECO Destination

Margaret River in WA’s South West region has been certified as an ECO Destination, the first for WA and only one of four in Australia. Through this globally recognised certification program, visitors are assured the region has a range of high-quality nature-based tourism products and a strong commitment to improving sustainable practices into the future. Driven by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, and supported by the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association, 26 businesses across the region are now ECO Certified. Margaret River Discovery Company, Blackwood River Houseboats, Fair Harvest Permaculture and Tanah Marah are the latest to receive the certification, alongside the likes of the Margaret River Retreat, Margaret River Surf School, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, and Jewel, Mammoth and Lake Caves. In addition to this, around 68 wineries across the Margaret River region are certified members of Sustainable Wine Growing Australia, with 12 per cent of vineyards certified organic or biodynamic. Margaret River is the only wine region in Australia where you can hop from award-winning wineries and restaurants to stunning beaches, tall-timber forests, world-class surf breaks and ancient caves - all of this is located an easy three-hour drive south from Perth.

WA Wildflowers set to bloom

One of the greatest flower shows on Earth is starting in WA – with wildflowers bursting into colour in the northern regions of WA’s Golden Outback and Coral Coast regions. Thanks to consistent autumn rains across the regions, local experts are predicting another bumper wildflower season for 2022. With more than 12,000 species, 60 per cent of which are found nowhere else in the world, the flowers will colour the landscapes from coast to forest and city to outback. The six-month flowering season begins in June in the Pilbara, Goldfields and along the Coral Coast. By September, it moves south and reaches Perth, finishing with a flurry in October and November throughout the South West. WA’s Mid West region is known for its stunning carpets of pink, white and yellow everlastings and incredible wreath flowers (Lechenaultia macrantha). The season generally starts in August and continues until the end of September, though hundreds of wreath flowers are already starting to flower in the Golden Outback region, and patches of everlastings – along with a variety of other species such as bachelor buttons, grevillea, hakea and mulla mulla – are also beginning to bloom.

One of the best ways to experience and discover WA’s collection of wildflowers is on a guided wildflower tour, or by attending a wildflower themed event. The WA Visitor Centre’s Wildflower Tracker app also provides travellers with one easy-to-use wildflower information and sightings reference. Updated regularly, the app’s interactive map shows exactly where the wildflowers are blooming around the State.

Swim with ocean giants at World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef

Swimming with humpback whales in the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park on WA’s Coral Coast has returned for 2022, with tours now underway in Coral Bay and Exmouth until October 30. Visitors to the region can not only experience the magic of swimming with one of the world’s biggest mammals, but may also have a face to fin encounter with the world’s biggest fish, with some whale shark swim operators still offering tours this month. Ningaloo Reef is one of the world’s premier destinations for swimming with the gentle giants of the ocean – humpback whales, whale sharks, and manta rays, with manta ray tours operating year round.

Top accolade awarded to Perth's Optus Stadium

Perth’s Optus Stadium was named Venue of the Year at the recent TheStadiumBusiness Awards 2022 in Manchester. The 60,000-seat venue was judged on its ability to deliver and grow its business during a period of uncertainty, which saw it successfully host the 2021 Australian Football League (AFL) Finals Series, in addition to the introduction of Stadium Karts, two new rooftop attractions and a rapidly growing Meetings and Special Events business. Situated on the sparkling Swan River, the world-class, multi-purpose stadium hosts a variety of sports and entertainment events, including AFL, cricket, soccer, rugby league and union, plus concerts. Most recently, Winter Live has taken over the city, with Optus Stadium hosting a series of blockbuster events across Perth’s cooler months, including the ICON Festival of Football which will see four iconic English Premier League clubs take to the pitch this month. Named the most beautiful sporting facility in the world at the Prix Versailles for Sports in 2019, Optus Stadium is an ideal year-round destination, with a mix of public tours, playgrounds and recreational facilities on offer in the Stadium Park precinct.

Noongar artists reimagine the iconic Swan Lake

The West Australian Ballet will weave ancient music and dance performed by Noongar artists into one of ballet’s masterpieces, in a breathtaking new full-length production of the iconic Swan Lake. Showing from November 18 to December 11, 2022 in the iconic and newly renovated His Majesty’s Theatre, this groundbreaking new work from Australia’s oldest ballet company will bring together classical ballet alongside the work of Balladong Wadjuk Noongar man Barry McGuire and Gya Ngoop Keeninyarra (One Blood Dancers). Ancient music and dance performed by Noongar artists will add a unique cultural element to this traditional tale. Set in 1800’s Fremantle Harbour, the story of this much-loved classical ballet will intertwine with the McGuire family totem, the Black Swan, which is the symbol of Western Australia. Tickets for this show are available to purchase now through waballet.com.au.

Discover WA’s hidden treasures and tales with WAnderland

For the first time, thousands of rare and remarkable items in museums, cultural centres and private collections across WA have been brought together in a new online portal. WAnderland is packed with hidden treasures and tales - from the cultured to the kitsch and everything in between. The website opens a doorway to WA's fascinating regional collections - inspiring visitors and locals to hit the road and experience them in real life. Head upstairs above a Chinese restaurant in Broome to find a mesmerising personal collection featuring items from five generations of the Yu family; experience the culture of WA's Aboriginal peoples at centres like Bilya Koort Boodja in Northam; or marvel at little-known places like the Bellview Shell Collection in the Margaret River Region, which holds Australia's largest private collection of shells and coral. The WAnderland project, led by the WA Museum, not only showcases locations and the surprising items to be found, but also shines a light on the people behind the collections, with interviews from some of the warmest and most knowledgeable people from across the State. Discover the unique collections and build a personalised online itinerary at visitwanderland.com.au.

World’s largest plant identified in Shark Bay World Heritage Area

Researchers have recently made the incredible discovery that the Shark Bay World Heritage Area in WA’s Coral Coast is home to the world’s largest plant. Genetic testing has revealed that what was thought to be a giant seagrass meadow in the shallow waters of Shark Bay, is actually a single massive clone of Posidonia australis seagrass. About 4,500 years old and measuring 180 kilometres, according to researchers it is the single largest plant known to exist on Earth. Shark Bay’s vast seagrass beds are the largest and richest in the world, covering 103,000 hectares. The waters are also home to one of the world’s largest dugong populations who feed off the seagrass, as well as being a haven for green and loggerhead turtles. The Shark Bay World Heritage Area, located an eight-hour drive or two-hour flight north of Perth, encompasses 2.2 million hectares, and earned its World Heritage status due to its natural beauty, diverse landscapes, unique plant and animal life and natural heritage.

Former Noma head chef and head gardener open a Busselton cafe

The former head chef and head gardener from three-Michelin-star Noma restaurant in Copenhagen have taken their talents to the town of Busselton in WA’s Margaret River region, a 2.5 hour drive south of Perth. Alberta’s is a cosy 50-seat café owned and managed by Ben Ing and Kirsty Marchart, former employees from one of the world’s best restaurants. The kitchen and store opened last month, and currently offers locally sourced coffee and baked goods. The plans are to slowly introduce a lunch offering to the dining room, followed by dinner, with a rotating menu that focuses on seasonal produce sourced from local growers across WA’s South West region.

World’s first pearl oyster gin on offer in Broome

Moontide Distillery and Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, both located in Australia’s pearling capital of Broome in WA’s North West, have partnered together to release the first gin in the world to use pearl oyster as a botanical. The Pearler’s Gin is distilled with juniper berries, Burdekin plum, lemon myrtle, mint and oyster mantle – which is a by-product from the cultured pearling process. The mantle is harvested at the same time as the pearl meat and mother of pearl shell, once the final pearl has been collected from the oyster, ensuring that all parts of the pearl oyster are used and reinforcing the reason why pearls are considered the most sustainable gems in the world. The pearl oyster from Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm gives the gin a unique minerality and umami taste, making it ideal to be enjoyed with seafood. The Pearler’s Gin is available to purchase directly or online at Moontide Distillery in Broome, and at select bottle shops across Australia.

Pan Pacific opens doors to The Stage

The Pan Pacific hotel in Perth’s CBD has recently welcomed a fun new dining concept to its restaurant offering. The Stage is designed to surprise and delight its guests, with a new pop-up restaurant performing every three months. Currently on show is Picaresque – a Spanish inspired dining concept by night. The pop-up’s name comes from early Spanish literature popular in the mid-1500s, with ‘picaro’ meaning a loveable underdog hero which was almost always the central character of a Picaresque novel. Guests can expect a menu that plays into the mischievous, cheeky behaviour and rogue adventures of a ‘picaro’, and live entertainment of traditional Flamenco dancing. Also on show at The Stage is The Theatre High Tea, featuring an indulgent sweet and savoury menu, free flowing tea and coffee, fun cocktails and Australian sparkling wine.

Testun opens in Mount Lawley

Perth’s latest Italian restaurant and bar has opened its doors in the city-fringing suburb of Mount Lawley. Testun is a 50-seat dining room and bar featuring imaginative Italian cooking in a fun and colourful setting. The neighbourhood osteria features a seasonal menu utilising almost exclusively local suppliers, with house-made cured meats, focaccia and pickles, and Italian favourites with a modern twist that are designed for sharing. The drinks list is a strong nod to Australian and Italian wines, with retro ‘fancy goon’ also on offer, as well as a house-made spirit program.

The Swan Valley’s latest new venues

Valley Social has recently opened its doors in Perth’s Swan Valley region. Taking over the former Elmar’s venue, the newly renovated brewery and restaurant features a spacious interior with multiple zones to enjoy local craft beers, ciders, spirits and wines served across three different bars. The food menu features fresh local produce, with the venue’s custom-built black beauty smoker serving up a variety of smoked barbeque meats. Valley Social is also home to the largest glass micro-brewery kettle in the Southern Hemisphere, with all beers produced on-site, as well as the house spirits. With a main bar, dining area, spirit lounge, alfresco and outdoor lawn area to kick back and relax, it’s the ideal venue to enjoy a weekend afternoon, and located only 30 minutes from the Perth CBD.

Oscar’s at Guilford Landing opened last month, offering a modern Australian menu designed for sharing. Celebrating the incredible produce of WA, the restaurant’s philosophy is to source quality local ingredients, treat them with simplicity and cook over fire. The drinks menu also features only WA wines and beers, served in a comfortable and cosy setting. Nestled in the heart of historic Guilford, at the start of the Swan Valley wine region, Oscar’s is open for lunch and dinner.

New cellar door in Witchcliffe

Small-batch artisan winemaker Amato Vino has recently opened a cellar door in the quaint little town of Witchcliffe, in the renowned Margaret River wine region. Producing lo-fi and minimal intervention wines in the region since 2003, the new Tasting Bar is located in the heritage-listed Darnell’s Trader building, offering guests a cosy and intimate tasting space. Varietals on offer include Teroldego, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Marsanne.

Dinosaurs of Patagonia premiere at WA Museum Boola Bardip

Dinosaurs from the remote region of Patagonia have made their world premiere at the WA Museum Boola Bardip. Dinosaurs of Patagonia is a remarkable world-first exhibition that showcases some of the most enormous dinosaurs to have ever walked the Earth. Developed by the Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio in Argentina, the exhibition spans most of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods from 70 to 230 million years ago. The exhibition showcases 16 dinosaur skeletons including Patagotitan mayorum, a colossal sauropod and one of the world's largest land animals (around 70 tonnes and 37 metres long), Tyrannotitan chubutensis, one of the most ferocious predators of the Cretaceous period (six tonnes and 12 metres long), and Manidens condorensis, by contrast, one of the smallest herbivore dinosaurs known to date (75 centimetres tall). Visitors can explore the Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition through the eyes of palaeontologists and learn how they unravel the history of our planet through stories embedded in ancient rocks. The interactive exhibition also features 3D animations and videos, as well as the opportunity to get up close to some of the world's most remarkable fossils - including a 2.4 metre Patagotitan femur. The exhibition will be on display at the WA Museum Boola Bardip from now until to October 23, 2022.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm launches new glamping tents

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, located on the Dampier Peninsular 200 kilometres north of Broome, has launched a number of new glamping tents for the 2022 season. Adding to the property’s existing accommodation offering, the 15 brand new glamping eco tents bring a new level of luxury with private ensuites, air-conditioning and king sized beds. The air-conditioned tents allow Cygnet Bay to extend its season and operate year-round. Built to be eco-friendly with minimal impact on the surrounding environment, the entire production of the new tents used local businesses, including Indigenous trade and furniture items made in Broome by Aguyna, a not-for-profit organisation. Surrounded by hundreds of locally grown plants, the new glamping tents are located an easy walking distance to the pool and restaurant. Wheelchair accessible tents also available.

Albany’s new luxury accommodation

The historic city of Albany in WA’s South West region recently welcomed the opening of a new luxury accommodation offering. Latitude 35°5 is an architecturally designed luxury holiday home located in Goode Beach, just over 20 kilometres from Albany city centre, surrounded by nature in the Torndirrup National Park and sitting on top of a granite outcrop offering stunning panoramic views over the coastline. Accommodating up to eight people, the property features an expansive master suite and three guest rooms all with ensuites, large entertaining areas with dining room, cosy fireplace and a 160-bottle wine cellar, with timber, local granite and imported marbles used throughout. The wraparound balcony also offers both sunrise and sunset views over the Southern Ocean.

Wadjemup Lighthouse reopens to the public

The landmark Wadjemup Hill Lighthouse Precinct at Perth’s Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) has recently reopened to the public following a number of infrastructure upgrades. Revitalisation of the precinct includes landscaping improvements, upgrades to the toilet facilities, electrical upgrade works and heritage conservation. Constructed in 1896, Wadjemup Lighthouse stands at the highest point of Rottnest Island, offering visitors a fantastic view of Perth city on the distant mainland. At approximately 38 metres, it is the fourth tallest lighthouse in Australia and replaced the original 20 metre structure built in 1849. The Wadjemup Hill Lighthouse Precinct includes the State Heritage-listed Lighthouse Keepers Cottage and WWII defence heritage built-forms, such as the Signal Tower and Battery Observation Post – which are now all linked by self-guided interpretive signage. Located at the centre of the island, visitors can get to the lighthouse by bike, bus tour, shuttle bus, or by foot via the Wadjemup Bidi walk trail. Tours of the precinct operate daily between 10am and 2:30pm at 30-minute intervals.

Threatened species baby boom at Perth Zoo

Population numbers for the endangered and critically endangered numbat, western swamp tortoise and dibbler are set to rise thanks to a recent 'baby boom' at Perth Zoo. This season, 67 critically endangered western swamp tortoises have hatched in the Zoo's specialised breeding facility, while 13 small numbat joeys have been recorded in pouches and burrows. Four breeding dibblers are also boasting a rare, full pouch with each individual carrying eight joeys. Perth Zoo remains the only zoological institution in the world to breed numbats, and since 1993 more than 283 have been bred and released into the wild. Thanks to this breeding program, which works to safeguard some of WA’s most vulnerable native species, more than 5,236 Perth Zoo-bred animals from 11 different species have been released back into the wild to help bolster populations.

Relax at Stillwood Retreat in Denmark

Stillwood Retreat is a new bespoke accommodation offering located in the Great Southern town of Denmark in WA’s South West. Nestled amongst towering karri trees and set on five acres, the architecturally designed studio retreat is the perfect place to disconnect and immerse in nature. The sustainably focussed accommodation includes a living room with a fireplace, an oversized linen sofa, compact kitchenette, king bed and a two-person bath tub with rain shower. Outside there are two jetties overlooking private dams, and an outdoor claw foot bath offering stunning views of the rolling hills and forest surrounds. The property is located just a five minute drive from the town of Denmark, which is located a five hour drive south of Perth.

New eco glamping tents near Bridgetown

Nestled high in the hills overlooking the town of Bridgetown in WA’s South West, Serenity Gully is a new luxury off-grid eco glamping experience. Featuring three beautifully-appointed tents, and situated on 478 acres of private Jarrah forests and fields filled with wildflowers, native birds and animals, the property allows guests to truly immerse themselves in nature. Each tent is fitted with a king-sized bed, ensuite, kitchenette, lounge room, private fire pit with gas barbeque, plus a cosy indoor fireplace and outdoor bath. Located in the Southern Forests and Valleys region, the town of Bridgetown is located a 2.5 hour drive south of Perth.

New family-sized tiny cabin in Toodyay

Heyscape is a unique accommodation concept offering cosy and secluded tiny cabins in off-grid locations surrounded by nature. To complement the current offering of two-person cabins, a new family-sized cabin has recently come online near the town of Toodyay, only one hours’ drive east of Perth. Located on a working sheep farm, and offering sweeping views over the valleys and hillsides, the stylishly appointed cabin includes a queen size bed, bunk bed and a portacot – plus a kitchenette, outdoor barbeque, indoor shower and composting toilet, all surrounded by wildlife and nature. In addition to the Toodyay cabin, Heyscapes has four other two-person tiny cabins in secluded locations all less than a few hours’ drive from Perth.

Origins Market’s new tour experiences

Origins Market, a vibrant community hub showcasing WA makers, growers and creators, has recently added a range of new tours and experiences to its offering. Located in the town of Busselton in WA’s South West, the new experiences range from food and wine pairings to art tours – and provide visitors with a unique way to explore what the region has to offer. Current experiences include a Flight to Vietnam with Southern Forests Honey, an Après Afternoon with Marri Wood Park Wines and an Origins Market Day Tour. Prices start from $20 and are available to book online.

New mud crabbing tour in Broome

Broome Tours has recently added a new Mud Crabbing Adventure to its tour offering, allowing visitors to experience the thrill of catching a prized Kimberley Mud Crab in WA’s North West. The tour begins with a catamaran cruise of Roebuck Bay to reach the mouth of Broome’s incredible creek systems. Experienced guides will then demonstrate the tips and tricks for catching a ‘muddy’ before small groups are taken on an adventure through the mangroves to cast and pull pots to catch their own. Guests are then treated to freshly cooked chilli mud crab on the cruise back through Roebuck Bay. Tours are based on Broome’s tidal movements, and operate five mornings a week.