Enjoying the Spoils: Luxury and Adventure in our Own Backyard Supporting Local Businesses – Part 2

We continue (from Part 1) to extoll the virtues of this great state and to encourage all CapitalQ Community Members to get out and support our local businesses and communities…

…further south, the Southwest Region becomes the Great Southern.

Denmark is famous for its stunning forests, including the treetop walk amongst the tingle trees of the Valley of the Giants, and its spectacular coastline, with Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks some of the most photogenic locations in all of WA.

Historic Albany has a world-class museum, ruggedly beautiful seascapes and a burgeoning food scene.

Inland, the Porongurup mountain range is one of the oldest in the world, and its Granite Skywalk provides breathtaking vistas across the surrounding farmlands and forests.

And the nearby Stirling Ranges have Bluff Knoll, WA’s second highest peak at 1099m, ascendable through an immensely scenic trail through wildflowers and woodlands, to a craggy peak offering sublime 360 degree views to the horizon.

Further east, less well known is the tiny hamlet of Bremer Bay.

This sleepy seaside village, home to just over 200 people, has recently become famous as the one of the best places in the world to see orca!

Off the coast of Bremer Bay lies Bremer Canyon, a tiny but amazing marine hotspot discovered just a few years ago.

Here, in January to March each year, the largest congregation of orcas in the southern hemisphere occurs, arriving in their hundreds to feed and breed.

In 2015, whale watching tours commenced, and in just a few seasons have garnered a success rate for orca sightings that is unmatched anywhere else in the world.  (You can read more about our experience spotting orcas here –> youonlyliveoncetravel.com.au)

While it’s too late for orcas this year, right now Whale Watch Western Australia and Naturaliste Charters are currently providing experiences off Augusta, with sightings of humpback whales and southern right whales.

On the topic of whales, the team at YOLO Traveller have locked in an upcoming trip to Exmouth in the state’s north.

We will arrive just in time for the annual humpback whale migration and the opportunity to swim with these magnificent mammals off Ningaloo Reef.

In the tradition of the magnificent whale shark adventures that have been possible at Ningaloo for several years, swimming with humpbacks was first pioneered in 2016, and have had wildly successful first seasons.

We are staying at the legendary Sal Salis, a member of Luxury Lodges of Australia.

Deep within Cape Range National Park, Sal Salis has fifteen wilderness tents that epitomise eco-luxe sophistication.

With the coral reef just a few metres offshore, we look forward to days of swimming and snorkelling with fish and rays, followed by beachside dining and nights of secluded stargazing in this pristine corner of the world.

While we are missing the opportunities to travel the world, we encourage all West Aussies to get out and explore our great state, and to support their fellow West Australian small business owners to get through these unprecedented times.

See you out there 🙂