The breathtaking beauty of Albany's rugged coastline creates a fitting backdrop to a dramatic whaling, convict and settler history and a sensational south coast adventure. The Albany Highway gets you there in just five hours from Perth, while a direct flight from Perth airport will whisk you there in one hour and 15 minutes. Or why not take your time and enjoy one of the world's greatest journeys, walking the Bibbulmun Track that runs from Perth to Albany. This charming city marks the spot where the first European settlers set foot in Western Australia, and much of their legacy remains today with around 50 colonial buildings standing proudly as museums, galleries and restaurants. From convict prisons, whaling ships and taverns to quaint cottages and grand National Trust residences, you can take in almost two centuries of history on a 30-minute self-guided walk, following the Amity Trail. Albany's King George Sound also marks the spot where the first convoy of ANZACs departed for the battlegrounds of the First World War. Today, you can follow their extraordinary stories through the National Anzac Centre's state-of-the-art interactive displays. You'll also find some of the town's biggest tales in the Historic Whaling Station at Discovery Bay, the only museum of its kind to be housed in a former whaling station. The industry met its end in 1978, creating a safe port of call for migrating humpback, southern right and blue whales. Spot them from the shore or join a whale-watching cruise for a magical encounter. One of the most scenic areas for whale spotting and cliff-top walks is Torndirrup National Park. Here, the Southern Ocean has sculpted the granite coastline into striking formations known as The Gap and Natural Bridge. For sensational views over King George Sound, head for Middleton Beach boardwalk trail. Or take a drive up to Albany Wind Farm and feel dwarfed by the towering turbines. As well as world-class hiking, you'll also find some top-notch spots for fishing, sailing and diving. A weekend visit also brings the iconic Albany Farmers' Markets. No imports here, just fresh and fabulous, locally-grown flavours.

The legendary Gibb River Road Top Trail is an icon of outback adventure through the heart of the Kimberley in Western Australia’s North West. The moderate 660-kilometre dirt track passes through remote station country with magnificent scenery and plenty of opportunities to get out of your vehicle to discover one of the many freshwater gorges. The Gibb, as it is affectionately known, was built for droving cattle from Wyndham to Derby. Today it caters for a steady stream of four-wheel-drive vehicles. Trail signage varies as the area remains privately owned by cattle stations and Aboriginal communities. Every station has a range of beautiful rivers and gorges including El Questro Station – Chamberlain and Emma Gorges, Mount Barnett Station – Manning Gorge Waterfall Walk, King Leopold Conservation Park – Bell Gorge, Gibb River Station – Barnett River Gorge and Mornington Wilderness Park – Diamond Gorge. Beware of the fresh and saltwater crocodiles. The estuarine crocs inhabit the rivers that meet the sea such as the Durack and Pentecost, whilst the freshwater variety in-habit the likes of the Manning and Barnett.

Cape Keraudren Nature Reserve is situated on a picturesque beach with pristine white sands that stretch as far as the eye can see. The clear blue water is a spectacular welcome to the start of the famous Eighty Mile Beach. This well travelled stretch of beach is well placed on the tourist trail between Port Hedland and Broome. Take one of several walk trails through the nature reserve to see a diversity of native flora and fauna that has made its home along this pristine coastline. Relax on the beach while the children collect shells as souvenirs to take home. There is easy access for beach fishing, and even a few mud crabs around to tempt your taste buds. Camp overnight and catch the magnificent sunset over the ocean. Gaze at hundreds of stars lighting up the night sky in this secluded location. With so much on offer in the reserve, allow at least one full day to explore the remote surroundings. Cape Keraudren Nature Reserve is a 1.75 hour drive northeast of Port Hedland. Tourists are advised to check for alerts and road/park closures before commencing their travel on www.emergency.wa.gov.au and https://alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au

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.

Beyond rich gold rush heritage, bountiful treasures lie in Australia's Golden Outback. Prepare to be dazzled by Australia's whitest beach - Lucky Bay in Esperance. View some of the largest collections of spring wildflowers on the planet. Ride one of the nation's biggest waves at Wave Rock and scale the world's largest monolith at Mount Augustus, or enter the largest outdoor art gallery on Earth, created by world-renowned sculptor Antony Gormley. You can reach the Golden Outback's lively hub of Kalgoorlie by road, air, rail or guided tour from Perth. Follow the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail and hit the Great Eastern Highway for the 600-kilometre road trip from the city to outback. You could join one of the many self-drive routes such as the Pioneer Pathways, Leonora Loops and the Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail. For a more direct route, catch one of the daily flights or TransWA trains from Perth. You could also take time to indulge in the ultimate rail experience - riding the Indian Pacific to Kalgoorlie from Perth and continuing across the Nullarbor Plain to the east coast. It's here, in the vast rust-red landscapes and rugged outback, that you'll find a real Australian outback experience - stepping back in time to the heady gold rush era of the late 1800s and encountering fascinating local characters in the region's historic pubs and authentic farm or station stays. Four-wheel drive enthusiasts get to blaze a trail along the longest and most remote stock routes, finding challenge and adventure on the Canning Stock Route, Gunbarrel Highway, Golden West Discovery Trail, Holland Track, Gascoyne-Murchison Outback Pathways and Australia's most adventurous shortcut from Perth to Cairns along The Outback Way. Driving enthusiasts of the golfing kind should also swing by a hole or two on the world's longest course - the Nullarbor Links - stretching 1,386 kilometres from Kalgoorlie to Ceduna. Australia's Golden Outback is out of this world.