This post was last updated on 2024 April 21
Western Australia is my favorite state in Australia. It’s got all of the best of this country: pristine white sand beaches and reef, rugged Outback gorges, and world class wines, just to name my favorites.
I spent a few weeks touring the region back in 2006 when I studied abroad in Sydney, going from Perth up to Kununurra. Back then I had an amateur camera and not a whole lot of photo-taking skills, so I’ve only included a handful of my shots from that trip here.
Then in 2015 I returned to WA, roadtripping around Southwest Australia before taking a job for 3 months up at El Questro Wilderness Park in the Kimberley.
The photos in the gallery below are from a cumulative 4.5 months spent exploring Western Australia (the last 22 images were taken in 2006; the rest were taken in 2015 with my pro camera).
To read more about my adventures traveling in Western Australia, check out these blog posts!
The Stats
Dates: July 2006 and May-August 2015
Camera: (2015) Canon 5d Mark III
Lenses: (2015) Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS
My Top 5 Western Australia Photos
1. Sunset at Lucky Bay
Fresh off a few days crossing the Nullarbor on a Melbourne to Perth roadtrip, I convinced my travel cronies to make a detour down to Esperance and Cape Le Grand National Park: specifically to Lucky Bay, one of the beaches with the whitest sand in Australia. What unfolded was a gorgeous 14 hours rife with beach frolicking, a ridiculously stunning sunset (pictured here), and an explosive sunrise with a guest appearance by a massive rainbow.
2. The Kimberley Night Sky
If you want to see more stars than you’ve ever seen in the night sky, go camping in the Outback. I frequently went for evening walks while I was working at El Questro, so I could see more stars away from the brightly-lit Station. But one night, I took a really long walk up to Saddleback Ridge and slept in my sleeping bag on the viewing platform up there. I fell asleep with the Milky Way clear above my head, then woke up around 3am to a completely different star scene. I couldn’t resist groggily setting up my tripod and capturing it on camera.
3. Lucky Bay Rainbow
I go pretty crazy upon seeing any rainbow, but to see one at the same time I’m witnessing a crazy-beautiful sunrise on one of the most glorious beaches there ever was? Well, that was straight-up magical. I couldn’t help but include another shot of Lucky Bay in my Top 5.
4. Amalia Gorge at El Questro Wilderness Park
I adore this image because it embodies the Outback with its bright orange rock and deep blue sky. And the funny thing is, this isn’t even the main attraction on the hike to Amalia Gorge – but it was my favorite part of it.
5. Mac Micking Pool at El Questro Gorge
You really have to earn this view with a lengthy hike entailing a waist-deep water crossing and more rock scrambling than you’ve likely ever done before in one sitting, but man – it’s so worth it. The water here is so clear that it looks way shallower than it actually is.
Western Australia Blog Posts:
- Highlights Of A Western Australia Roadtrip
- Highlights From A Melbourne to Perth Roadtrip
- The Luckiest Bay in Australia
- FIFO, Beaches, and Other Interesting Things About Perth
- Visiting Perth? Get Thee To Rottnest Island!
- Bingeing on Beaches and Wine in Southwest Australia
- All My Favorite ‘C’ Things in Margaret River
- Random Notes On Working in the Outback
- El Questro Gorge Hopping in the Kimberley
- Hitting the G-Spot (and Wandjina’s Window)
- Surprise! Lake Argyle is Actually Pretty Rad
If you’d like to purchase any prints or image files of my Western Australia photos, please get in touch!
