For an authentic Australian outback experience, visit Kookynie - a living gold rush ghost town. On the Golden Quest Discovery Trail, with a quintessential goldfields pub and a host of gold rush relics to explore, Kookynie is located 8.5 hours east of Perth by car, the small town of Kookynie is 1 hour northeast of Menzies or a 2.5-hour drive from Coolgardie. In its gold rush heyday, following the discovery of gold in 1895, the booming hub of Kookynie had 1,500 residents, 6 hotels, public baths and brewery. Today, it's practically a ghost town with just 13 permanent residents, but several buildings bear testament to Kookynie's heritage, including the Grand Hotel where you can enjoy a cold beer, a hearty meal and drink in the outback ambience. View the hotel's collection of historic photographs, antique bottles and memorabilia. Stroll to the old shops and the Cosmopolitan Hotel ruins and imagine the life of a pioneering prospector during the gold rush with a visit to the Old Miner's Cottage - the last timber and iron building in Kookynie from the turn of the 20th century. Nearby, Niagara Dam was built in 1898 to provide plentiful freshwater for the railway linking Kalgoorlie with Menzies. This oasis in the wilderness is now a top spot for a picnic, refreshing swim or a night in a swag under the stars. Whether you're following the 965 kilometre Golden Quest Discovery Trail - a self-drive tour that takes in 25 sites of historic and Indigenous significance - or creating your own Goldfields adventure, be sure to include a trip to sculptor Antony Gormley's Inside Australia exhibition. Inside Australia on the flat salt lake of Lake Ballard, is the country's largest world-class open-air sculpture exhibit. Covering an area of 10 square kilometres, the art installation showcases 51 statues representing residents from the nearby town of Menzies. If you'd like to make Kookynie your base, book a stay at the historic hotel or caravan park.

One of the last true wilderness areas on Earth, Australia's North West is a land of breathtaking contrasts covering billions of years in history and over one million square kilometres. From the sheer canyons of Karijini in the Pilbara to the curious Bungle Bungle Range in the Kimberley, it features some of the most extraordinary outback experiences. There are several hubs to use as a base for your outback adventure in Australia's northwest. Hop on a direct flight to the exotic pearling town of Broome from Perth, Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Fly from Darwin to Kununurra, Broome, Port Hedland and Karratha, or get more choice from Perth, with flights direct to Newman, Paraburdoo, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Derby and Kununurra. The real beauty of Australia's North West is that it lets you be as adventurous and indulgent or as laid back as you wish. Walk, climb, swim or just stand and admire the beauty of Karijini, one of Australia's largest and most spectacular national parks, famous for its sheer gorges, waterfalls and cool swimming holes 350 million years in the making. Take an exhilarating helicopter flight over the magnificent beehive domes of the Bungle Bungle Range in World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park. Ride the white waters of the spectacular horizontal waterfalls or follow the trail of legendary cattle drovers on the Gibb River Road. Immerse yourself in one of the world's oldest living cultures, seeing ancient Aboriginal stories come to life in the Bradshaw Paintings (also known as Gyorn Gyorn or Gwion Gwion) - believed to be some of the oldest artworks on Earth. Join a luxury cruise of pristine reefs and archipelagos. Witness the rare spectacle of the Staircase to the Moon. Take in a Cable Beach sunset from the saddle of a camel, or laze in chic beach-side eco retreats and resorts.

Coral Bay is as idyllic as the name suggests. There, on white sand beaches, you're just a few steps from the world's largest fringing reef - the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef. Dive, snorkel or fish in clear turquoise waters and immerse yourself in marine life encounters. This tiny seaside town is blessed with beach weather for most of the year, and you can get there in half a day from Perth. A two and a half hour flight gets you to Learmonth Airport, then it's just a one and a half hour drive to Coral Bay. Taking it a little slower, you can drive there in two days or join an extended guided tour from Perth. At the southern end of Ningaloo's 5,000 square kilometres of diverse reef habitats, laid-back Coral Bay lets you explore its wonders at your own pace. You can even stay dry and view the coral gardens from a glass-bottom boat, or just laze on the beach with a book. But there's plenty of adventure to be found. It's one of few places on Earth where you can come face-to-fin with the biggest fish in the ocean - the whale shark. These gentle filter-feeding giants can be found off the coast there from March to July every year. Next on the visitor list are migrating humpback whales, with whale watching tours giving you a front-row seat from June to November. Other close encounters of the marine kind can be enjoyed year-round, including spotting or swimming with graceful manta rays, dugongs and turtles. Or take to the skies on a scenic flight and drink in the spectacle from above. Ningaloo also boasts the title of Western Australia's premier game fishing destination, and Coral Bay's fishing charters will put you within striking distance of your dream catch. Emperor, cod, Spanish mackerel and bream are regularly hooked, not to mention hard-fighting tuna, marlin, mahi mahi and sailfish. Just a sandy-footed stroll from the beach, the town itself offers a good choice of accommodation, cafes, shops and restaurants. Book early during peak season to secure your piece of paradise.

The white salt plain of Lake Ballard creates a dramatic setting for the largest outdoor art gallery on Earth. This extraordinary natural landscape was selected by world-renowned artist Antony Gormley to display his Inside Australia exhibit, a collection of 51 individually cast black chromium steel sculptures, stretching across 10 square kilometres. You can reach Lake Ballard by car in one hour and 45 minutes from Kalgoorlie or in 45 minutes from Menzies. Day Tours are also available from Kalgoorlie. Each sculpture represents a resident of Menzies. For a fantastic overview, climb the hill and see the sculptures disappearing into the distance, each connected by the footprints of visitors. The exhibit forms part of the self-drive Golden Quest Discovery Trail, which takes in eerie gold rush ghost towns, historical gold mining sites and the former home of US President Herbert Hoover in Gwalia. The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon when the sculptures' shadows stretch across Lake Ballard. Allow at least two hours (it will take considerably longer to view all 51 sculptures as they are spaced 500 metres apart), always walk with a friend, and carry water as the heat can be extreme during summer.

In Busselton's calm turquoise bay you can take a 1.8-kilometre stroll or train ride over the Indian Ocean on the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere. And below the waves, Australia's best artificial reef can be viewed by stepping into the Underwater Observatory or getting suited up for a diving tour. Twice voted Western Australia's Top Tourism Town, and just a short hop from the Margaret River wine region, Busselton gives you plenty of reasons to take the 2-hour-and-40-minute drive or 50-minute flight south from Perth. Its iconic, heritage-listed jetty was originally built in 1865, and a ticket to ride with the Busselton Jetty Experience takes you all the way to the end to get a glimpse of the colourful fish and tropical corals that have made it their home, thanks to the warm waters of the Leeuwin current. Along the north-facing shoreline, the tranquil waters, white sands, lush lawns and shady pine trees of the main swimming beach offer the perfect setting for a family day beside the sea. Here, and along a 30-kilometre coastline of immaculate beaches, you can try your hand at fishing, water skiing, snorkelling, scuba diving, windsurfing, kayaking or sailing in the calm waters of Geographe Bay. A short walk from the main beach brings you to Busselton's main street, where you can browse boutique fashion, designer homewares, surf gear and antiques. Take a detour down Fig Tree Lane and you'll find yourself in a quaint little retail enclave of fashion, beauty and refreshments. For a spot of culture, step inside the Busselton Museum, Old Courthouse or the beautiful St Mary's Church and be transported back to the 1800s, when Busselton was established as one of Western Australia's first settlements. Housed in the old prison and courtroom, the modern ArtGeo Gallery and Courthouse Arts Complex now celebrates freedom of expression, displaying the works of South West and Western Australian artists. All tastes and budgets are satisfied with a huge array of tours, restaurants and accommodation. And for the best views in the bay, be sure to check out Busselton's string of beachfront resorts.