When to go & weather

Weather

WA is Australia’s largest state, comprising one-third of its land mass. In the north much of the landscape is barren. The Great Sandy Desert fringes the central-west coast. The Nullarbor, a vast dry plain, sweeps across the south and over the border into South Australia (SA). The southwestern corner of the state is a fertile area of forest and vineyards, and is only small in comparison to the size of the rest of WA.

Interesting variations in landscape include the Kimberley in the extreme north of the state, a wild and rugged area with a convoluted coastline and stunning inland gorges.

The Pilbara, in the northwest, is magnificent ancient-rock and gorge country from which the state derives vast mineral wealth. Away from the coast most of WA is simply a huge empty stretch of outback: along with the Nullarbor Plain and the Great Sandy Desert, the Gibson and Great Victoria Deserts cover much of the state.

It’s tropical in the north, where the Dry and Wet seasons replace winter and summer. The Dry lasts from June to August and the Wet from December to February, with monsoonal rain falling from January onwards. The rain can render roads impassable and Port Hedland weathers a serious cyclone at least every two years. In the interior the climate is semi-arid and arid. The southwest of WA is temperate. It’s often above 25°C here while the average temperature along the Kimberley coast is a heavenly 28°C. Up in the Pilbara temperatures can soar to an enthusiasm-depleting 48°C.