Geraldton WA is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Western Australia for a vacation, as the city enjoys plenty great weather all year-round.

things to do on Australia's west coast

If you are visiting the city for the first time, some of the popular things to do in Geraldton WA include surfing, snorkeling, visiting a winery and enjoying and eco-tour to the Albrolhos Islands.

Geraldton WA is located around two hundred miles north of Perth Western Australia and can be reached within a five hour drive on Highway 1.

However, if you are not used to driving through the Australian Outback, we wouldn’t recommend traveling by car as you’d be driving through isolated areas.

Things to do in Geraldton WA: Outdoor Activities

If you are looking to enjoy fun outdoor activities, the town of Kalbarri is only two hours from Geraldton WA along the North West Coastal Hwy route.

Apart from being able to book fishing charters and other kind of tours in Kalbarri town, you can explore the nearby Kalbarri National Park where you can enjoy hiking, horseback riding, kayaking and whale spotting activities.

Hiking

Kalbarri National Park

If you are an experienced hiker, the park is home to many hiking opportunities where you can enjoy anything from a day trip to an extended hiking excursion.

For instance, the trail that runs along the coast from Eagle Gorge to Natural Bridge is around 4 miles long and takes a few hours to complete, and along the way you are treated to lovely views of the ocean.

For easy hikes, the park is home to a few lookouts that offer lovely views of the area around and the gorges.

Two such lookout points are Z Bend and The Loop, which are both sign-marked trails that can be easily reached within minutes..

Chapman River Nature Trail

For a hike closer to Geraldton WA, the Chapman River trail along the River Chapman is another popular place to observe plenty of wildlife while enjoying a fun hike.

Whale Spotting

The coastal area of Kalbarri National Park is home to the magnificent Red Bluff cliffs, which offer breathtaking panoramas of the ocean as well as a perfect vantage point for spotting whales and dolphins.

Water Activities

If you are looking to enjoy water activities during your vacation in Geraldton WA, the waters of the town of Kalbarri's estuary are one of the best places where you can enjoy paddle boating, canoeing, swimming and even fishing activities..

Surfing & Windsurfing

If you are a surfing enthusiast, two of the most popular places where you can ride a wave include Sunset Beach and Back Beach.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach is located is only 5 miles north of Geraldton WA and it is only 20 minutes on Bus201. If you are using car rental, take the North West Coastal Highway (it takes around 10 minutes by car).

Apart from windsurfing, Sunset Beach is popular with other wind sports such as paragliding.

Back Beach

Back Beach is located south of Geraldton WA in the Mahomet Flats suburb. To get there by car, take Fitzgerald Street (around 8 minutes by car).

If you are a true surfing enthusiast, Back Beach is one of the most popular places in Geraldton WA to ride a wave, and body surfing.

Winery Tour

If you are a wine enthusiast, visiting one of the wineries in Geraldton is a must-add activity in your itinerary.

Two of the most popular vineyards where you can enjoy winery tours are Chapman Valley and Ego Creek Vineyard.

Ego Creek vineyard is the closest one to town (5 miles northeast), while Chapman Valley is located on Nanson Howatharra Rd (around 14 miles).

Things to do in Geraldton WA: Places of Interest

HMAS Sydney II Memorial

The HMAS Sydney II Memorial, located on Gummer Avenue, is a lovely remembrance memorial honoring the lives of the sailors that lost their lives aboard HMAS Sydney II in 1941.

If you are interested on a walking tour, the Geraldton Voluntary Tour Guides Association runs a 30 minute tour every day at the memorial.

Houtman Abrolhos

One of the most visited places on Western Australia it’s Houtman Abrolhos, which is a group of Islands located around 40 miles off Geraldton port.

If you are visiting the city for the first time, a visit to the Albrolhos Islands is another thing to do in Geraldton WA, which is worth adding to the itinerary.

The Albrolhos Islands are home to beautiful coral reefs and a wealth of marine life, which you can explore on a snorkeling trip.

However, the only way to get to the islands is through a tour or a fishing charter but book in advance, as only a certain amount of people are allowed every day on theses islands.

Glendenning Park

If you are traveling with kids to Geraldton WA, Glendenning Park is one of the most popular spots where families hang around for a fun day out..

The Park, located only 3 miles south along the Brand Highway, features kid’s play areas, picnic and grilling areas.

Old Geraldton Gaol Craft Center Tour

If you are a history buff, the Old Geraldton Gaol used to be a depot for convicts in the 19th century. Nowadays, this old depot serves as a craft center and open museum.

If you’d like to book a tour of the Gaol, you can do so at the Geraldton Visitors Centre.

Things to do in Geraldton WA: Shopping

The Old Geraldton Gaol Craft Center is a great place where you can purchase local handmade goods, which are ideal for souvenir gifts.

For retail shopping, head to Centro Northgate Shopping Center, located along Sanford Street near the Flight Center.

Things to do in Geraldton WA: Nightlife & Entertainment

The city of Geraldton WA has a buzzing nightlife with plenty of bars and pubs located along the city center.

For a bit of clubbing head to the ZUU nightclub, located between the corner of Fitzgerald Street and Lester Avenue.

If you love performing arts, one of the most popular things to do in Geraldton WA is to visit the Queens Park Theater, located between Corner Cathedral Ave and Maitland St.

The theater nightly performances range from fun comedy sketches to acrobatic performances such as Acrobatic Allstars, which happens next week.

Things to do in Geraldton WA: Events & Festivals

Geraldton Cup

If you are a horse enthusiast, the city is home to the Geraldton Cup thoroughbred horse race every March at the Geraldton Turf Club.

Sunshine Festival

The annual Sunshine Festival is one of the most popular events in Geraldton WA. If you are traveling with kids during September, the event features fun family activities and exciting competitions.

Big Sky Writers Festival

If you are a writer or love writing, the Big Sky Writers Festival is a great place where you can meet other like minded writers, share ideas, and participate in workshops.

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Top natural attractions in Australia

Cairns, along with Darwin, is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Queensland and an excellent gateway destination for exploring Australia’s Northern Territory.

Best places for hiking in South Australia

If you are traveling to this city for the first time, Cairns Queensland is very touristy and has a feel to the French Riviera, with luxurious accommodations and expensive yachts.

Nicest Beaches in Australia

However, what makes Cairns Queensland so popular is its wealth of natural attractions and outdoor opportunities such as hiking at one of the national parks or forest reserves.


If you are traveling to Australia consider the following places: Perth, Brisbane, Tasmania and Adelaide.


Things to do in Cairns Queensland: Fun Outdoor Activities

Hiking & Canoeing

If you are an outdoor enthusiast and are looking to enjoy the Queensland's natural scenery, Barron National Park is just a short drive from the city center (around 30 minutes by car).

Apart from great hiking trails at the park, you can kayak along Barron River and enjoy picnicking as well as a free tour of the Barron Gorge Hydro-Power Station.

Beware that camping is not allowed at the park but if you are looking to camp out, the nearby Speewah State Forest has campsites there.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Fitzroy Island

One of the best places for diving and snorkeling opportunities it’s Fitzroy Island, which is an easy forty minute ferry ride from the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal to Marlin Marina.

Once you get to Fitzroy Island, you can hire diving and snorkeling gear, paddle boats and kayaks.

Don’t forget to book the popular glass bottom boat tour, which allows you to see colorful fish and marine plants.

Apart from water activities, the Fitzroy Island is home to a National Park home to many hiking trails that will allow you to explore all the areas of the Island.

Low Isles

The Low Isles are another hot-spot for snorkeling and diving as the waters are crystal clear and the coral is excellent.

To reach the Low Isles, head to Port Douglas where you can find many tour companies that will take out on the outer reef and the Low Isles for scuba diving and snorkeling trips.

Helicopter Tour

If you are not on a tight budget, a helicopter tour is another popular way to discover the area around Cairns from overhead.

A typical helicopter tour takes you around the rain forest and the Great Barrier Reef, allowing you to take unforgettable pictures.

Cable-way Ride

If you are visiting the town of Kuranda, another activity worth adding to your itinerary it’s a ride on the Skyrail Rain-forest Cableway, which runs between the towns of Kuranda and Caravonica (return trip takes around 3 hours)

During the ride you can get amazing views of the forest, the Barron River and the water falls.

Things to do in Cairns Queensland: Beaches

If you are looking to spend most of your vacation at the beach there are plenty of northern beaches to choose from.

Machans Beach and Holloways Beach are the nearest beaches to Cairns Queensland. You can reach these two beaches on Bus7, but if you are driving it’s around 20 minutes along Captain Cook highway.

Three of the most popular northern beaches are:

Trinity Beach

Trinity Beach is just 10 miles from Cairns and offers plenty of amenities such as restaurants, picnic tables, lodging and even shopping places.

Trinity Beach is a cool 20 minutes by car, and 50 minutes on the Bus2A.

Palm Cove

Palm Beach is one of the best international beach destinations in Cairns Queensland and features a sandy shoreline with beautiful palm trees reminiscent of Los Angeles and Miami beaches.

Palm Cove is just 30 minutes by car, and around 60 minutes on the Bus1X.

Four Mile Beach

Four Mile Beach is a short walk from Port Douglas and it is another beautiful sandy beach where you can enjoy plenty of beach activities such as Kite surfing.

Things to do in Cairns Queensland: Day Trip

Kuranda

Kuranda town is located 15 miles northwest of Cairns’ city center. There are a couple of options for getting to Kuranda and these include public transit, car and railway.

If you are using car rental, take first the Captain Cook Highway towards Macalister Range then the Kennedy Highway (It takes around 30 minutes by car).

Having said this, one of the best ways to enjoy a trip to Kuranda town is with the Kuranda Scenic Railway.

The Kuranda railway line offers breathtaking mountain scenery views and an amazing vertical drop view as it passes through Stoney Creek Falls Bridge.

The Scenic line also cuts through the Barron Gorge National Park and stops at Barron Falls allowing you to catch a glimpse of these majestic waterfalls.

Once in Kuranda, you can check out a koala and butterfly sanctuary as well as the Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve.

Things to do in Cairns Queensland: Shopping

For retail shopping, the Cairns Central Shopping center (located on Spence Street, near Cairns Central Station) offers plenty of department stores to choose from as well as a food court.

Pier Market Place, adjacent Marlin Marina, is another popular shopping center that offers over 100 different department stores, cafes and a food court.

For souvenir shopping, the Chinese night market on Esplanade Street (along the waterfront) is one of the best places where you can find all kinds of handmade items.

Things to do in Cairns Queensland: Nightlife & Entertainment

The nightlife in Cairns Queensland consists of bars and a few nightclubs mostly located on the city center.

Along the waterfront on Esplanade Street you can find a few bars and cafes where you can enjoy a quite drink.

Bungalow district, along Spence Street, also features plenty of bars and nightclubs such as Tropos nightclub, which plays mainly hip-hop and R&B music.

Things to do in Cairns Queensland: Events & Festivals

Port Douglas Carnivale

The Port Douglas Carnivale, held in May in Port Douglas, is a popular event that features a different theme every year.

This year the event features a vintage era theme and you’ll be able to see vintage cars, beautiful street parades, amazing floats and plenty of live entertainment.

Go Troppo Arts Festival

The Go Troppo Arts Festival, held in October in Port Douglas, is one of the most popular cultural events in Australia. The festival is a community event, and brings together artists, performers and dancers from all over the region to share their passion for art.

Cairns Blues Festival

If you love Blues music, and are traveling in early May, you can catch the Cairns Blues Festival at Fogarty Park.

Cairns Show

The Cairns Show is a two day event that happens in July on Severin Street. The event features the best arts and craft in the northern territory, along with farming shows, and fun competitions such as wood chopping contests.

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Top natural attractions in Australia
things to do on Australia's west coast