Western Australia

In Wadjuk country, way out west in the Indian Ocean breeze, Perth regularly attracts that most easy-going of adjectives – 'livable'. Under a near-permanent canopy of blue sky, life here unfolds at a pleasing pace. Throw in superb beaches, global eats and booming small-bar and street-art scenes, and Perth seems downright progressive. Free from the pressures of congestion, pollution and population afflicting Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, Perth and neighbouring port town Fremantle are uncomplicated, unfettered and alive. Yes, it's the most isolated city of its size on the planet, but this remoteness fosters an outward-looking world view. Instead of heading east for their holidays, locals – who suffer the ugly, geologic-sounding moniker of 'Perthites' – travel to Bali, the Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka… Currency-exchange reports include the Indian rupee, while the Perth-to-London 'Dreamliner' direct flight delivers Europe's virtues in a tick under 17 hours. Forget about isolation: Perth is going places.

With vineyard restaurants, artisan food producers, and some of Australia's most spectacular surf beaches and rugged coastline, the Margaret River wine region packs attractions aplenty into a compact area. Sleepy Yallingup conceals excellent beaches, restaurants and luxe accommodation, Margaret River township is the region's bustling foodie heart, and the best of the area's wineries are focused around Cowaramup and Wilyabrup. Throughout the area, an excellent craft-beer scene bubbles away, and the road further south to the windswept Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse at Augusta is studded with spectacular underground caves with particular significance to the traditional custodians of this land, the Wardandi.

You'll be hard-pressed to find words that do justice to the pristine, aquarium-like waters and pure sands of Ningaloo, Australia's largest fringing reef, which extends for over 300km of coastline. The fact that it abuts the arid, rugged Cape Range National Park for much of its length simply adds to the appeal, as do a couple of world-class beaches you'll find there.

World Heritage–listed Ningaloo Marine Park protects the full 300km length of Ningaloo Reef, from Bundegi on the eastern tip of the North West Cape to Red Bluff on Quobba Station far to the south. It's home to a staggering array of marine life – sharks, manta rays, humpback whales, turtles, dugongs, dolphins and more than 200 coral species and 500 fish species – and it's also easily accessible; in places it's only 100m offshore.

The World Heritage–listed area of Shark Bay, stretching from Kalbarri to Carnarvon, consists of more than 1500km of dazzling coastline: turquoise lagoons, barren finger-like peninsulas, hidden bays, white-sand beaches, towering limestone cliffs and numerous islands. It's the westernmost part of the Australian mainland, and one of WA's most biologically rich habitats, with an array of plant and animal life found nowhere else on earth. Lush beds of seagrass and sheltered bays nourish dugongs, sea turtles, humpback whales, dolphins, stingrays, sharks and more.

On land, Shark Bay's biodiversity has benefited from Project Eden, an ambitious ecosystem-regeneration program that has sought to eradicate feral animals and reintroduce endemic species. Shark Bay is also home to the amazing stromatolites of Hamelin Pool.

Cutting a brown swath through the scorched heart of the Kimberley, the legendary Gibb River Road ('the Gibb' or GRR) provides one of Australia's wildest outback experiences. Stretching some 660km between Derby and Kununurra, the largely unpaved road is an endless sea of red dirt, big open skies and dramatic terrain. Rough, sometimes deeply corrugated side roads lead to remote gorges, shady pools, distant waterfalls and million-acre cattle stations. Rain can close the road at any time and it's permanently closed during the Wet. This is true wilderness with minimal services, so good planning and self-sufficiency are vital.

A high-clearance 4WD is mandatory, with two spare tyres, tools, emergency water (20L minimum) and several days' food in case of breakdown. Britz in Broome is a reputable hire outfit. Fuel is limited and expensive, mobile phone coverage is minimal and temperatures can be life-threatening.

The 15 narrow, breathtaking gorges, hidden pools and spectacular waterfalls of the 6275-sq-km Karijini National Park (https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/karijini; admission per car $13) form one of WA's most impressive attractions. Nature lovers flock to this red slice of the Hamersley Range and its deep, dark chasms (the traditional lands of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga peoples), home to abundant wildlife and over 800 different plant species.

Kangaroos, snappy gums and wildflowers dot the spinifex plains, rock wallabies cling to sheer cliffs and endangered olive pythons lurk in giant figs above quiet pools. The park also contains WA's three highest peaks: Mt Meharry, Punurrunha (Mt Bruce) and Mt Frederick.

Summer temperatures reach extremes in the park (frequently over 40°C), so carry plenty of water. Winter nights are cold. At any time of year, choose walks wisely, dress appropriately and never enter a restricted area without a certified guide.

Like a paste jewel set in a tiara of natural splendours, Broome clings to a narrow strip of pindan (red-soil country) on the Kimberley's far-western edge, at the base of the pristine Dampier Peninsula. Surrounded by the aquamarine waters of the Indian Ocean and the creeks, mangroves and mudflats of Roebuck Bay, this Yawuru Country is a good 2000km from the nearest capital city.

Cable Beach, with its luxury resorts, hauls in the tourists during high (dry) season (April to October), with romantic notions of camels, surf and sunsets. Magnificent, sure, but there's a lot more to Broome than postcards, and tourists are sometimes surprised when they scratch the surface and find pindan just below.

The Dry is a great time to find casual work, while in the Wet (low season) prices plummet.

Each evening, the whole town collectively pauses, drinks in mid-air, while the sun slinks slowly towards Madagascar.

'Rotto' – or Wadjemup to Noongar Aboriginal people – has long been the go-to destination for Perth families on holiday, and a coming-of-age promised land for local teens. Although it's only about 19km offshore from Fremantle, this car-free, off-the-grid slice of paradise, ringed by secluded beaches and bays, feels a million miles away

Cycling, snorkelling, fishing, surfing, diving and wildlife-spotting are excellent on the island. There's not a lot to do here that's not outdoors-oriented, so postpone your day trip if the weather isn't looking good.

Overriding all the holiday good times and beachy leisure, there's a grim history here: 3700 Aboriginal prisoners were incarcerated on Wadjemup between 1838 and 1931. Around 370 boys and men died, many from flu or measles, and at least five were executed. People suffered here: there's a disquieting vibe on the island, even on the sunniest of days.

Heading north from Lancelin on Indian Ocean Dr, you'll pass the tiny fishing-shack villages of Wedge Island (www.wedgewa.com.au) and Grey (www.grey.asn.au) where access until recently was 4WD-only along the beach. Pressure from developers and government mean the future of these communities is uncertain. Although there are no tourist facilities, you're welcome to wander.

Laid-back crayfishing town Cervantes, 198km north of Perth, makes a handy overnight stop with easy access to the Pinnacles Desert, the Kwongan wildflowers and the heaths of Lesueur National Park and Badgingarra National Park, plus some beaut beaches. Only established in 1963, the town is scruffy, sprawling and charmless – even the Spanish street names, taking their cue from the 1844 wreck of the Cervantes nearby, do little to elevate the vibe. But things could be worse: the waterlogged survivors of the Cervantes wreck had to walk to their salvation in Fremantle, 216km away.