Western Australia: Getting there & around

Perth Airport is the first port of call for most visitors to WA. International arrivals will often come through a major eastern airport first (usually Sydney), but some services run directly to Perth, especially from the closer Asian destinations. From the airport, shuttle buses and taxis will take you into town.

While the extreme distances involved in road travel to WA may be daunting, for some this is an attraction in itself. If you fancy the 3900km (2423mi) drive from Sydney, make sure your vehicle is in good order, you're aware of the empty distances you'll have to cross, and that you've got plenty of petrol and water. Greyhound buses also connect to the other major cities: the Darwin trip takes 2.5 days. Perth is connected to Australia's rail network by the country's most iconic train, The Indian Pacific (named for the two oceans it connects). Run by Great Southern Railway ( www.gsr.com.au ), the train travels between Perth and Sydney twice a week and takes three nights to reach its destination.

Once in WA, there's no respite from the tyranny of distance. While the state has an extensive road network, it's simply so large that most of it, barring the coastal fringe and a few lonely roads into the interior, is still inaccessible. Most visitors either hire a car or van, or take the bus to explore beyond Perth. All the major international rental companies are represented in the capital. The two principal bus companies, Transwa and McCaffertey's/Greyhound Pioneer, offer services to all major population centres and tourist destinations. There is also the option of a 'hop-on-hop-off' bus such as the Easyrider that travels up and down the west coast and down into the southwest, stopping off at main towns and attractions. You can choose to either continue your journey, or stay at a destination and hop on another bus when it passes through.

Air and rail are the other two ways of seeing the state. Skywest connects to Albany, Esperance, Broome, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Geraldton and other significant towns. WA's thin widely dispersed population means the rail network is far from comprehensive. Major destinations in the southwest of the state, such as Albany, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie are served, but no network exists beyond this.