Look West

Western Australia deserves more credit than it’s given. Here’s why its people are so proud to call it home.

- Hannah Choo

WESTERN AUSTRALIA DOESN’T get much coverage. Taking up one-third of the size of Australia and about six times as big as California, it has the reputation of being ‘boring’, which begs the question of why it deserves that much real estate. But for most of its locals, that’s fine with them. In Perth, there’s a gorgeous botanic garden that’s bigger than Central Park, and a short drive from the city can land them several glasses of wine in Swan Valley. If their hearts desire, up north there’s Lake Argyle, where harmless freshwater crocodiles invite the brave in for a dip. Western Australia has plenty to brag about, and yet it gets on with life. The beautifully laidback, idyllic nature of the state is what makes its people proud to call it home. For those who intend to reconsider this part of Down Under, here are some things to top the list.

Perth Most likely your gateway to the rest of Western Australia, spend at least one night here before moving on. Stay at Como The Treasury, an elegant transformation of the city’s state buildings of the 1890s, such as the General Post Office. Understated yet refined, the hotel has plenty of luxuries to keep you in (the Shambhala spa, indoor pool, incredibly spacious rooms), and with Long Chim Perth and Wildflower under its roof, there’s really no need to leave. Unless of course you’re up for drinks, and in that case, go to Vinotto for its wines and Mediterranean snacks, or Naber + IIII for its watermelon cruisers. The next day, work the hangover offat King’s Park and Botanic Garden, one of the world’s largest inner-city parks. It’s ridiculously immaculate and packed with over 3,000 species of the state’s unique flora.