04 Feb WA Regions and Sub Regions Explained

This is an in depth guide to WA’s sub regions. Western Australia is a massive state and is broken down into regions, which require some explanation. WA covers nearly half of Australia and stretches thousands of kilometers between the regions. Each region also has very diverse landscape and differing weather from North to South and can be very confusing.

If you plan on traveling by road you will quickly learn just how big WA is. For example common road trips include Perth to Margaret River, which is a leisurely 2 ½ hr drive. Perth to Albany is a 4 ½ hr drive, Perth to Kalbarri is a 7 hr  drive.

Going further north means very long car trips that require a little extra planning. 

Coral Coast, Rainbow Coast, South West, North West, Wheat Belt, Goldfields… Pilbara. It’s all a bit confusing if you are a tourist or not from Western Australia. 

So let’s break it down so you know what WA regions have to offer so you can start planning your next getaway.

The North West.

Within this region you have 2 sub regions called The Pilbara and The Kimberley which are both within the North West Corner of the state. This region is very remote and the landscape does vary quite a lot between these 2 sub regions. 

The north west is ideal for long road trips and adventure. From Perth it is at least 14-15 hr drive to reach the Pilbara Region of the North West. Due to the distance from Perth a lot of people choose to fly up into this region instead of endure days on the road.

The Pilbara:

The Pilbara is known for the arid desert, mineral rich soil and intense red dirt. There is a lot of mining that is done in this region (specifically Karratha, Tom Price and Paraburdoo). Everything from large scale mining down to the amateur weekend gold prospector. There are also some amazing national Parks worth exploring. You may have heard of Karijini? Well it is a very well known tourist destination in the Pilbara as well as Millstream Chinchester National Park. 

Also within this region is some amazing coastline of Dampier and Karratha the Montebellos.

The Kimberley:

This region stretches from Broome up to the Northern Territory boarder. The landscape differs from the Pilbara. With lots of gorges, waterfalls and bodies of water to explore. The most common tourist destinations being Broome, Kunanura, there is also Horizontal falls, the gibb river road, the bungle bungles and lake Argyle. The landscape, while still dry and arid, has a lot more bush land, gorges, water holes and waterfalls to explore. 

The North West region of WA is a long way from Western Australia’s capital, Perth. So plan your trip accordingly. This is not a region you can just explore in a weekend getaway. You need to pick the time of year to visit this region. Is is very seasonal.

Weather in the North West

The best time of year to visit is April to Sep-Oct. Due to the geography the North West is a lot closer to the equator making this region very hot and humid in summer with temperatures reaching approx 35-45 or more. During the summer months Dec – March (or the off-season) is considered too hot by most standards. Also during the summer is the wet season, with huge downpours of rain can leave roads flooded and large electrical storms. Most remote accommodation or stations will close during the “off-season” due to the extreme weather. 

The Coral Coast 

Unlike the North West this region the Coral Coast is much more accessible from Perth.

The coral Coast refers to the coastal towns from Jurien Bay all the way up to just North of Exmouth. This region gets its name due to the stunning Ningaloo Reef, which stretches from Carnarvon all the way up to Exmouth. Unlike the great barrier reef the Ningaloo reef is just off the shore. The coastal attractions include quiet fishing towns, picturesque beaches, station stays, whale watching, gorges and much much more. 

Some popular places include Jurien Bay (including Sandy Cape Campsite), Kalbarri, Monkey Mia and Shark Bay, Coral Bay and Exmouth. 

Best Time to Visit the Coral Coast

The ideal time to visit from Perth to Geraldton is Perth’s Summer (approx Oct – March). Anything north of Geraldton is best to explore during Autumn, Winter and Spring (April – Oct). The further north you explore the warmer it will be in the winter season.

Shark Bay and Exmouth are best to explore in the Spring months which when the weather is warm, light winds and warm water. Its also conveniently the whale migration season where you can swim with whale sharks and humpback whales. Also the wildflowers are usually out in full force. After Oct it will get hot and can get very windy along this coast line… so if you choose to go in summer be prepared for a hot and potentially windy trip. 

South West

The south west is by far WA’s most popular tourist destination. It is very accessible from Perth CBD. This South West region stretches from Harvey (90mins south of perth) all the way down to Bremer Bay (approx 5 ½ hrs south of Perth). It includes everything in the south west corner of WA.

This WA region is a treat, no matter the season. In summer you can enjoy the amazing coast line and explore the beaches. Amazing surfing, beaches, hikes, landscape. In the cooler months the great southern forests come alive. It screams a glass of red wine by the fire in a log cabin surrounded by tall Karri trees. Not to mention the famous Margaret River wine region. 

There really is so much to do in this region you will find an abundance of posts to read on Escape With Me because there is just so much to do. Everything from stunning hikes in the Stirling ranges, to mountain bike rides in Wellington National Park, exploring thick karri forests in the south west to wine tasting in Margaret River and Denmark wine regions. 

Here are a few to inspire your next getaway.

• Read: Hiking Bluff Knoll
• Read: 5 Must See National Parks
• in the South West
• Read: Denmark
• Read: 10 things to see and Do in Albany
• Read: Contos Campgrounds, Margaret River

Weather in the South West

This region has plenty to offer all year round. It has a similar climate to Perth with summers being warm, dry and sometimes windy. Winters are approx 15-20, cool with the occasionally wild rainy day. 

Golden Outback

Covering more than 50% of the Western Australia is the Golden outback. Which is the largest of the WA regions. It is a vast and has a very diverse landscape from vast sheep, wheat and cattle farmland to rocky formations to white sandy beaches in Esperance.

It encompasses the wheatbelt of farming land from York, Narrogin to Katanning to the dry red sandy desert of Kalgoorlie and throughout the goldfields.

The salt lakes through Lake Grace and Newdegate to the picturesque beaches of Esperance.

Surprisingly the golden outback comes alive in spring with an abundance of wildflowers. Driving through here in summer and autumn it can feel a dry and arid but explodes with colour in spring. 

Mount Magnet and the Kennedy Ranges are situated east of Carnarvon in the sub region of Murchison. Mount Magnet is a large granite rock stretching 8kms and a similar experience to the more well known, Uluru. The Kennedy Ranges are a large plateau that includes gorges to explore, and sandstone cliffs.

The Kennedy Range National Park is well know for the many bush walks to explore the gorges and enjoy the wildlife and surrounding bushland.

Weather in the Golden Outback

This is the largest region in WA so each sub region has more ideal times to visit. In general it will be very warm in the summer months. 

Along the Southern coastline (Fitzgerald River National Park to Esperance) the best time to visit would be Summer so you can enjoy the amazing beaches. However there is still lots to do in Spring and Autumn in this sub region. Winter will be quite harsh, windy and cold along this coastline. 

The best time of year to explore the Gascoyne (East of Kalbarri) and Murchison region (east Carnarvon) would be Late Autumn (April), Winter and Spring (June – Oct). This region remains warm throughout Winter and Spring and gets very hot and dry in summer.

The wheatbelt and Kalgoorlie are best explored in Autumn, Winter and Spring because it gets very warm in summer.

The further from the cost line the warmer these areas will be throughout winter and summer. The towns that hug the South West will have cool and wet winters however the towns further east (such as Kalgoorlie) will remain very warm and dry throughout the winter months. 

 Final Thoughts on the WA Regions

WA has some really diverse landscape and so much ground to explore. I have lived here my whole life and there is so much more for me to explore. WA has something for everyone. 

Our biggest asset, in my opinion, is the weather. The weather here is stunning and really allows you to fully enjoy the best of the state depending on the time of year and depending on how you like to travel.