SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR SUMMER ROAD-TRIPPING SEASON
The big tickets
WA’s bucket list festivals and events for 2026
Gear-up for off grid adventure
Kitting out your four-wheel drive for camping
Is Perth’s traffic getting worse?
Busting congestion in our growing city
11:00am saturday catching a break
Driving down the coast with the windows down as the salty air flows through your hair… freedom has never felt so good. You were up at the crack of dawn to catch some early waves before packing up and heading off to your next spot a bit further south. Luckily, you’re ahead of schedule, so you have some time for a pit stop to chat over a cold drink and a few cheeky snacks. For taking a break between breaks, there’s no place like Dôme.
Perth Metro, WA Regional: Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Katanning, Newman, Northam, Port Hedland, Rottnest.
For deaf, hearing or speech impaired members: Emergency Roadside Assistance SMS number 0434 182 877 All queries accesshub.gov.au
See page 81 for more contact details
The opinions contained in this publication may not be shared by the Royal Automobile Club of WA (Inc) or its related bodies corporate (together “RAC”) or any of its or their councillors, directors or employees. Advertisements in Horizons are the responsibility of the advertiser. No person should act or rely upon such opinions or advice and RAC accepts no liability for them. Any rewards or rights provided to a member cannot be transferred, assigned, sold or redeemed for cash. Inclusion of a product should not be construed as an endorsement by RAC. OUR PLASTIC WRAPPER IS BIODEGRADABLE. PLEASE
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Driving change
How we’re working towards a safer, sustainable and connected Western Australia. Learn more at rac.com.au/betterwa
What your membership made possible in WA in 2024/25
RAC’s 2024/25 Group Annual Report and Social and Community Impact Report were published in September 2025. Some of the year’s highlights include:
Sponsored 10,500 RAC Rescue helicopter missions since 2003helping the WA community when they need it most.
Secured $1 billion for crucial safety upgrades to regional roads with our advocacy work for the Regional Road Safety Program.
$70 million Ningaloo Resort upgrade meaning more investment in regional WA.
Continued focus on road safety championing a Safer Speeds Trial across the Shire of Augusta Margaret River.
1,590 caravan enthusiasts are safer on the road after attending our Tow Safe sessions.
$256,425 * in value contributed to the WA community through our community volunteering program.
RAC PRESENTS AT THE AUSTRALASIAN ROAD SAFETY CONFERENCE
In October, Perth hosted the 2025 Australasian Road Safety Conference, which saw road safety and injury prevention researchers, practitioners, and policymakers come together to share knowledge under the theme Equity, Elasticity and Evolution
At the conference, RAC presented findings from the Member Priorities Tracker, a regular member survey that has been collecting data since 2020 and explores the priorities, perceptions, and experiences of members on a range of topics aligned with RAC’s Vision for a safer, sustainable, and connected Western Australia.
Since the survey began, driver-related factors such as driver behaviour, mistakes and skills are consistently rated as being the top three biggest contributors to crashes where someone is killed or seriously injured (KSI).
Despite the focus on other drivers as key contributors to road trauma, 83 per cent of respondents in the 2023 and 2024 surveys admit to having performed one or more illegal behaviours in the past year.
While we should seek to minimise human poor choices and mistakes, reducing road trauma will require us to increase focus on creating a road system that ensures poor choices and mistakes don’t lead to KSIs.
RAC Ignite empowers local youth in Carnarvon
During the 2025 July school holidays, Carnarvon’s Youth Precinct along Babbage Island Road was given a colourful makeover, thanks to the imagination, energy and hard work of local young people.
After workshopping their ideas, and with support from our youth membership, RAC Ignite, young locals aged 15 to 24 years got to work on bringing their ideas to life.
Among the additions to the precinct, which already includes basketball courts and a bike pump track, the group built and painted three new public seats, installed two bike racks to make riding to the pump track easier and safer, and planted and decorated vibrant planter boxes designed to slow vehicles down. They helped local artist Tayla Beynon paint a massive 170-metre-long footpath mural with road safety messages and a half-court basketball mural with artist Sally Ridge. Once completed, the group held a street party to reveal the big makeover.
The Carnarvon Youth Precinct Street Makeover is just one example of what happens when young people have the chance to reimagine their community and are empowered to work together to bring about real change in their streets and neighbourhoods.
To register your interest in an RAC Ignite Street Makeover or workshop in your local community, visit rac.com.au/ignite and click on ‘Programs’.
RAC AND CONSTABLE CARE EXPAND PARTNERSHIP
We are delighted to announce an extension of our long-standing relationship with the Constable Care Foundation. And we’re shifting gears - elevating them to one of our Community Partners.
Since 2019, RAC staff have proudly supported the Constable Care Foundation Safety School through our community volunteering program. Through the program, RAC people have regularly donated their time to help deliver important road safety messages to primary school students across WA. By elevating our partnership, RAC people will now support bespoke in-place secondment projects to upskill the not-forprofit organisation, while continuing to raise awareness of safe riding behaviours for young people across WA, and sharing these unique experiences with our members.
We’re thrilled for this next chapter in our Constable Care partnership, which will deliver engaging programs that help educate the next generation of road users, and build local knowledge within our communities.
This partnership change reflects the strength of RAC’s purpose and we look forward to working together to achieve a safer, sustainable, and better-connected future for all Western Australians.
A very special 21st birthday surprise
In 2004, little Skye became the first baby ever born aboard the RAC Rescue helicopter.
It was 19 September 2004, when her mum, Alicia, went into early labour. She was rushed to the district hospital in Collie, but a decision was made to transfer Alicia to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) in Perth.
Alicia was just 24 weeks into her pregnancy, experiencing a sudden onset of contractions, and was around 200km away from a hospital with the facilities needed to care for her at that moment. Due to the urgency of the situation, hospital staff organised a transfer to Perth via the RAC Rescue helicopter.
It was 5:35pm when RAC Rescue got the call. By 5:50pm they were airborne and on the way to Collie, where upon landing, they were met by a local ambulance who conducted the transfer.
About halfway into the flight, as Alicia’s contractions increased, the crew realised they were about to deliver a baby at over 4000 feet.
At just 24 weeks and in the confines of the RAC Rescue helicopter, the challenge the two Critical Care Paramedics faced was formidable.
Remarkably, little Skye was born between Collie and Perth near Serpentine, weighing a tiny 575 grams and three months ahead of her scheduled arrival.
But thanks to the extraordinary work of the two Critical Care Paramedics, Roland Eagleton and Mike Ficko, as well as Pilot Lincoln Gabel, and an RAC Rescue Air Crew Officer, Skye and her mum arrived safely at SCGH at 7:35pm that night.
More than 20 years later, ahead of Skye’s 21st birthday, Alicia contacted the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) with a special requestwould Skye be able to meet the crew that saved her life? On 19 September 2025 –Skye’s birthday – she did.
Alicia and Skye were reunited with Roland, Lincoln and Mike. Mike had vivid memories of the rescue. “She was so small, incredibly small, and the equipment that we had on board was for a full-term baby, so we had to adapt the equipment.”
Skye was overwhelmed to finally meet the people who saved her life. “It’s been amazing to meet them. I shouldn’t even be here, but I am. This is the best birthday present ever.”
At this time, Skye remains the only baby ever born on an RAC Rescue helicopter.
The RAC Rescue helicopters are funded by the State Government, managed by DFES and sponsored by RAC.
ABOVE: Critical Care Paramedics Michael Ficko and Roland Eagleton, Skye Hill and Alicia Wells, and Pilot Lincoln Gabel.
You’re helping us drive for the better
As a member of RAC, we’d like to thank you.
Your membership helps us drive real change through advocating for safer roads, speeds, vehicles and drivers.
It also means we can deliver ground-breaking projects like the RAC Air Health Monitor, which helps our understanding of changes in air quality.
And every year, your membership helps us teach over 50,000 school children how to stay safe around roads. Together, we’re ensuring WA’s future drivers learn the importance of road safety.
Discover more about the ways your membership benefits WA.
RAC Better WA
Snapshot
Summer lock-in warning
Inadvertently locking your child or a pet in the car can be distressing, and on a warm or hot day the situation can quickly escalate into a medical emergency.
On a 32-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can reach 40 degrees Celsius in as little as seven minutes.
As children are unable to regulate their body temperature as effectively as adults, heatstroke can occur much more quickly. Pets such as dogs also struggle to regulate their body temperature in these conditions.
If you do experience a lock-in this summer, call RAC’s Roadside Assistance on 13 11 11. We prioritise child and pet lock-ins over other callouts so we can get to you as soon as possible.
RAC also extends this emergency service to the rest of the community, with membership not required.
In the year to June 2025, our Roadside Assistance patrols attended 311 ‘locked in vehicle’ events in the Perth
metropolitan area alone, rescuing 145 children, 132 pets and even 36 adults.
The auto-locking function in many modern cars, which relocks the doors after a set interval, has increased the incidence of lock-ins so it is important that motorists familiarise themselves with their car’s locking system. This information is available in the owner’s manual.
When away from home and using your car, always keep your key fob on you – avoid putting it down anywhere in the car or letting children handle it. It’s also recommended you keep your car keys out of reach at home to prevent a curious child from getting into your car without you knowing.
Remember - if a life is in danger, call triple zero immediately.
Watch our podcast on how easily lock-ins happen and how quickly heat stress can take hold.
What to do in a breakdown on a freeway or major highway
Having your vehicle break down on a high-speed road can be stressful and also dangerous if you’re unsure of what you need to do to stay safe.
Whether you’re on a freeway, or one of the state’s major highways, in the event of a breakdown, you should indicate, slow down, and pull over into a designated emergency lane or a signed emergency stopping bay.
If there are no emergency stopping lanes or bays, indicate left before slowing down to pull over on the left shoulder, as far away from moving traffic as possible.
Stay in your vehicle and keep your seatbelt on. Apply your handbrake, turn your hazard lights on and call your roadside assistance provider.
If your car stops on a major road before you have the chance to pull over, and there are no safe breaks in the flow of traffic, stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt, handbrake and hazard lights on. Only if it’s safe to do so, exit your vehicle ideally on the opposite side to the traffic, and move yourself away from the road to wait for roadside assistance. If your vehicle is obstructing traffic on a major road in the metropolitan area, Main Roads WA may be able to tow your vehicle to a safer location at no cost. Call 138 138.
For more information about what to do in a breakdown, visit mainroads.wa.gov.au
IS PERTH TRAFFIC CONGESTION GETTING WORSE?
If it feels like you’re spending longer in traffic on Perth roads, you’re not alone.
From 2023 to 2024 there were significant increases in the proportion of Perth-based RAC members who ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that traffic congestion is adding a lot more time to their commute to work/study (up from 71 per cent to 79 per cent).
Three-quarters of members also ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they often see driver frustration and road rage incidents caused by traffic congestion - this is 10 per cent greater than in 2023.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT FARES SET TO BE HALVED IN 2026
To encourage more commuters to leave the car at home and take a bus, train or ferry instead, public transport fares in WA will be substantially reduced from January 2026.
A new suburban flat fare will be available, with the standard cash ticket for 2 zone fares reduced from $5.20 to $3.50, which is equivalent to the previous 1 zone fare.
For someone already making three return trips every week on public transport – the new fare will save them around $8.
When asked about congestion-easing measures, members believe the initiatives most likely to ease traffic congestion on Perth roads by ‘a lot’ or ‘a great deal’ are fixing pinch points such as at busy intersections (68 per cent); general road upgrades and improvements (52 per cent); and improving public transport, including connections to major activity centres (52 per cent).
To find out more about increasing traffic congestion on our roads, turn to page 14.
The State Government has also committed to permanently halving ticket prices on TransWA services from January 2026.
Free public transport for school students will continue in the 2026 school year, with 10 Transperth student fares offered for free over 40 weeks of the year. Free public transport on Sundays continues until January 2026.
In four previous State Budget submissions, RAC has asked for public transport to be made more affordable in WA, requesting the Government implement a three-year freeze on fares to help bring them back in line with inflation.
RAC provides Apple’s Roadside Assistance via satellite for WA iPhone users
To help members who become stranded outside mobile phone coverage areas, RAC is working with Apple to provide easy access to its groundbreaking satellite Roadside Assistance function.
Apple iPhone users with an iPhone 14 or later with iOS 18.4 or later, including the new iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will be able to access RAC support when they are beyond mobile and Wi-Fi coverage, offering peace of mind on the roads in some of the country’s most remote locations.
An intuitive interface, including a short questionnaire, captures key details and transmits the information via satellite so an RAC agent can message you directly and dispatch help to your location.
“Keeping people safe on the road and helping them reach their destination is at the heart of what we do at RAC,” said RAC general manager Motoring and Home Services, John Griffiths.
“This innovation extends that safety net further than ever before. Australia is a vast country, and a breakdown in a remote area without mobile reception can be incredibly stressful.
“Apple’s satellite feature is a gamechanger — this means Australians who would previously have been unreachable can now connect with RAC and get the support they need, when they need it most.”
Roadside Assistance via satellite is free for two years after the activation of an iPhone 14 or later, and is designed for use in open spaces with a clear line of sight to the sky.
For more details see the Apple website and bit.ly/satelliteroadside
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A FULL-SIZE SPARE TYRE
A recent survey of more than 2,700 RAC members found that 64 per cent regarded having a full-size spare tyre in their vehicle as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important, and 65 per cent said it was something they had taken into consideration when purchasing their vehicle.
Many emphasised that full-size spares offered greater safety, especially when driving in rural or remote areas, providing better stability, road handling, and braking performance. Some also commented that a full-size spare allowed motorists to continue their journey without needing immediate repairs or assistance.
Spare tyre alternatives, such as space savers, typically can’t be driven on at high speeds or over long distances.
The majority of respondents (69%) said they did have a full-size spare tyre, while 22 per cent reported having a space saver.
As vehicle manufacturers increasingly move away from supplying full-size spares, replacing them with space savers, run flats, and inflator kits, Western Australia’s vast distances and often patchy regional mobile phone reception were some key reasons full-size spares were seen as essential.
Survey respondents commented that space-savers and other alternatives to full-size spare tyres were inadequate to cope with vast distances and terrain outside built-up areas in WA. Having a full-size spare was seen as essential in case of emergencies.
When asked about the incidence of flat tyres, 89 per cent said they had experienced a flat at one time or another, but only 53 per cent said they were ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ confident in being able to change it themselves.
Rethinking congestion
WHY CONGESTION ON PERTH ROADS IS HERE TO STAY, AND HOW ITS IMPACTS CAN BE MANAGED
By Ruth Callaghan
What could you do with 150 free hours — take up a hobby, learn an instrument, get in a few rounds of golf? Maybe you could add them together for a week away?
It’s a safe bet that you wouldn’t punt for spending them sitting in traffic, but that’s the current reality of congestion in Perth.
Last year anyone taking the average 27km one-way commute across the city centre spent an additional 150 hours — more than six days — sitting in traffic, according to GPS data company TomTom, up more than seven hours from 2023. With a population that grew by about 73,000 in 2023-24, it’s likely the figures in coming years could be higher.
The growing cost of congestion
Car ownership remains high, use of alternative transport remains low, and together
with a strong economy, this all combines to keep our roads busy. And while significant infrastructure projects are underway around the city with the goal of making it easier to move between locations, these works also create congestion thanks to road closures and delays.
Each year, Main Roads WA calculates the cost of congestion in the Perth metropolitan area, considering the cost of delay, cost of travel time variability, the impact on vehicle operating costs, and the cost of emissions.
For 2024-25, the annual cost of congestion for Perth metro was a remarkable $2.9 billion, says Mehdi Langroudi, executive director of Network Operations at Main Roads WA.
“Congestion has been increasing year by year, and over the past three years we’ve seen about a 30 per cent increase in the dollar figure of congestion on our road network on state roads and major local roads,” Langroudi says.
“We’ve had a significant population increase over the past three to four years in greater Perth, our economy has grown… and that all puts pressure on the road network.
“The government has been spending a lot of money on infrastructure projects as well, and while these are great investments for our state and for our city, roadworks create congestion for the duration that they’re happening.”
Where the big bottlenecks are
The top three routes for total congestion are the Mitchell Freeway (which has experienced delays during
construction activities), Kwinana Freeway, and parts of Albany Highway.
But other areas are also congestion hot spots. The inner section of Great Eastern Highway and the connection between Graham Farmer Freeway and Orrong Road represent the two locations with the highest congestion cost per kilometre.
Looking at intersections, the worst are Reid Highway and Erindale Road, Tonkin Highway and Welshpool Road East, and the intersection where Leach Highway meets Manning Road.
Bottlenecks, where a road narrows, lanes merge or two roads join, also represent a key contributor — responsible for as much as 68 per cent of congestion, according to Main Roads.
Research looking at a known bottleneck near Whitfords Avenue, for example, shows that while that stretch of
Mitchell Freeway should sustain 1880 vehicles per hour in each lane, this falls to 1400 in peak morning periods. In other words, the capacity of each lane falls by almost a quarter, simply because there are so many cars trying to get through.
over 90 per cent of our members use a car. So when we’re talking about the peak times of the day, that’s going to make a significant impact on congestion,” McCracken says.
“WE’VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION INCREASE OVER THE PAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS IN GREATER PERTH, OUR ECONOMY HAS GROWN… AND THAT ALL PUTS PRESSURE ON THE ROAD NETWORK.”
The impact of congestion on our wellbeing
RAC senior manager Public Policy, Anita McCracken, says members report congestion pressures and less satisfaction with their daily commute.
A few years ago, threequarters of members said they were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their daily commute; that is now the case for only about four in 10. And for those who drive in peak hour five days a week, only one in three is satisfied.
“When asked what modes of transport they use for commuting to work or study,
“Last year 65 per cent of members said sitting in traffic congestion causes stress and negatively impacts wellbeing, which was up from 56 per cent in 2023. Three-quarters also say they often see drivers frustrated by sitting in traffic or engaging in road rage. In the worst case, this frustration can lead to people getting hurt on our roads.”
Managing congestion with innovation and investment
Congestion is a signal, telling us where people want to go, such as jobs, schools, shops, services, and social connections.
As Main Road’s Mehdi Langroudi points out, “You can’t eradicate congestion,
because a healthy city does have a certain level of congestion, but you can manage it. We have been widening the freeways and upgrading arterial roads and intersections, and we have been investing in our network, in user technology, and smart freeways.”
One of the clearest signs of that investment is in Intelligent Travel Systems, or ITS, where technology is used to smooth traffic flows and keep roads moving.
Freeway ramp signals have now been added in several locations, along with variable speed limit and messaging signs so Main Roads can slow traffic, divert vehicles around crashes, and reduce the impact of congestion caused by stop-start braking.
Over the next year, the timing of lights at some 150 intersections will be reviewed to improve efficiency and
safety. Main Roads says a recent review of one hotspot — the intersection of Canning Highway and Riseley Street to Sleat Road — had already led to a five-minute reduction in travel times for vehicles on the highway.
“LAST YEAR 65 PER CENT OF MEMBERS SAID SITTING IN TRAFFIC CONGESTION CAUSES STRESS AND NEGATIVELY IMPACTS
WELLBEING, WHICH WAS UP FROM 56 PER CENT IN
2023.”
The State Government has also earmarked more than $485 million to upgrade four key roads in Perth’s southern suburbs, including widening Kwinana Freeway between Roe Highway and Mortimer Road.
Infrastructure measures are only a partial fix It’s well established that new road capacity can also incentivise demand, particularly if it becomes more attractive to jump in the car than on a bus or train. And with each bus capable of replacing up to 50 cars while using just 6 per cent of the road space, buses play a critical role in easing congestion and reducing
car dependency, particularly during peak periods.
Last financial year was the busiest on record for WA buses, with more than 85 million passenger movements, nearly two million up on the previous year. Trains had 62 million passenger movements, and even ferries had a record year. New options, such as the Ellenbrook train line, now attract 250,000-odd passengers a month.
Still, the share of public transport compared to private vehicles remains low, and as many as 2.8 million trips a day in Perth are for distances less than 5km by car - journeys that could possibly be switched for other transport modes, including walking and cycling.
“Behaviour change doesn’t happen overnight,” Mehdi Langroudi says. “When a train station pops up, people don’t just say, ‘As of tomorrow, I’m going to change my behaviour,’ but over time, they notice that
2.8 million trips a day in Perth are for distances less than 5km by car.
there’s a bit of congestion and consider using the train.
“Once they get used to it, they can see it’s a more attractive mode to go to work or go shopping. We’re hoping to see a lot more of that over the next few years.”
Without behavioural change, the options for the city become more complex. In other countries, efforts to curb persistent and troublesome congestion include the imposition of charges in inner-city areas in places like London and New York or the introduction of high taxes and barriers to car ownership in places like Singapore.
Paris has introduced a Limited Traffic Zone across four arrondissements with the goal of reducing the 500,000 cars that pass through central Paris daily — half, reportedly, without stopping. It has also restricted car parking for SUVs, banned vans at different times and turned lanes over to bikes and pedestrians.
Integrating land use with transport planning
Main Roads’ Mehdi Langroudi says that for an elongated city such as Perth, the best transport plan is a good land-use plan.
“The focus of employment cannot be just the CBD because our transport infrastructure can’t support everyone coming into the city and going away,” he says.
“If we build employment further away from a central point and build communities around those centres, people don’t have to go that far (to work), and their actual commute times are shorter because distances are shorter.”
Anita McCracken agrees and says strong local areas also allow people to make other choices about how they commute.
“Perth is ‘growing up’ and congestion is not just going to magically disappear,” she says.
“We need a range of options, with more done to address the barriers for active travel and public transport in local areas.
“There also has to be careful planning, because there are of course times you may need to be in a car. The goal is to be more efficient with the road infrastructure we have so people can travel more comfortably around by all transport modes.
“As part of its budget priorities for the State Government, RAC is calling for improvements to public transport and active transport infrastructure.”
While it can be frustrating, congestion is a natural feature of a growing, vibrant city.
Choosing to view congestion differently and responding with patience, safer driving, or alternative travel choices can help create a calmer, safer road environment for everyone.
How to read even the most confusing parking signs
By Cristy Burne
You’re in a rush, you’ve spent ages searching for a parking spot, and then you see it – an empty bay. The only problem? The parking sign looks more like a word puzzle.
Parking signs are designed to say a lot in a small space. They detail parking restrictions that help the flow of traffic, keep things fair, and save you from paying parking infringements.
But until you know how to decipher the code, navigating parking signs can sometimes feel like rolling the dice – especially when you’re in a rush.
The good news is that parking signs are standardised across Western Australia. Once you learn the rules, you can park with confidence.
So, here’s a friendly guide to reading WA’s local parking signs without breaking a sweat.
Parking sign basics Colour
There are only two colours used on WA parking signs. Green signs mean parking is allowed if you meet the conditions. Green text means you can park, but with conditions. You might need to pay a parking fee, observe time limits, or meet other requirements noted on the sign.
Red signs mean no parking unless stated otherwise. Red text means you cannot park. Sometimes there are exceptions clearly shown on the sign.
Stewart Allen
Arrow direction
Parking sign arrows show you where the parking restrictions apply. A right-pointing arrow means the parking restriction applies only to the right of the sign. A left-pointing arrow means the restriction applies only to the left of the sign. A double arrow means the restriction applies on both sides of the sign. No arrow? The parking sign applies only to the parking bay directly under the sign.
Side of the street
Parking signs only apply to the side of the street the sign is on.
Times and days
When signs include days of the week and/or times of the day, these are the only times and dates when the parking restrictions apply.
For example, if the sign says Mon–Fri you must comply with parking restrictions on weekdays from Monday to Friday inclusive.
If the sign says 8am–6pm you must comply with restrictions any time after 8am, right through until 6pm.
If you’re parking outside the days and times listed on the sign, the restrictions don’t apply. For example, a sign that says Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm means on Saturdays and Sundays you can park any time.
Decoding green signs (parking allowed)
Time limits
A green ‘P’ means you can park for as long as you need: there is no time limit.
If you see ‘2P’ or another number before the ‘P’, that’s your maximum parking time. For example: 2P gives you a maximum
of two hours’ parking. 1/4P gives you a maximum of 15 minutes. The P time limit applies to all dates and times listed on the sign panel.
Parking fees and tickets
If the sign doesn’t mention a fee or ticket, you don’t have to pay to park. If the sign says something like Ticket or Pay Here or Pay and Display or Fee Payable, you must get a ticket to park in the bay, even if it’s a free ticket.
Tickets can be paper, in which case you need to return to your car to display the ticket on your dashboard, or they can be digital, and you’ll need to know your car’s licence plate number to type into ticket machines.
You can get your parking ticket using either parking meters or ticket machines. These are usually cashless and require payment by credit card, or mobile apps like EasyPark or PayStay, which require you to register your car’s details in advance.
Just note: Moving your car to another bay in the same parking zone, or paying for more time in that parking zone, does not reset your time limit. Parking inspectors can monitor the cars in a parking zone using physical markings, photography and more, so play it safe and shift to a different parking zone to avoid a fine.
ACROD parking
Parking spots marked with the blue wheelchair symbol are reserved at all times for people with a valid Australian Disability Parking Scheme (ACROD) permit and ACROD Parking Program Card. You risk a $500 on-the-spot fine for illegally parking in an
ACROD bay. This increases to a fine of $5000 if you illegally display an ACROD permit.
ACROD parking permits are available on application to eligible people who:
> always require the use of a wheelchair, mobility or medical aid; or > have a disability or medical condition that significantly restricts their ability to walk; or > are legally blind.
Currently around 90,000 Western Australians depend on their ACROD permit for accessible parking.
ACROD permit holders must still comply with all other parking conditions.
Motorcycle and scooter bays
Signs marked M/C or showing a motorcycle icon mean that parking is allowed for motorcycles or scooters only. If you park your car there, you can expect a fine.
Extra conditions
Resident permits
In some streets, parking bays may be restricted to residents with parking permits.
Exceptions
Some signs will specifically list the types of vehicles that are exempt from the parking conditions, for example, emergency police vehicles.
Decoding red signs (parking not
allowed)
No Parking
No Parking signs allow short stops for drop-off or pick-up, but you must remain in your car. You can’t park and leave your vehicle unattended.
Clearway Zone
Clearway Zones are serious no-stopping areas during
peak hours and busy times (often 7:30am–9am and 4:15pm–6pm on weekdays).
Parking here during restricted times risks fines and towing at your expense.
Loading Zone
Loading Zones are prime parking spots reserved for freight and delivery vehicles to load or unload goods, usually during specified hours. Passenger cars, rideshare vehicles and taxis parked here during restricted times will be fined.
No Stopping Zones
No Stopping Zone signs forbid stopping at all times. This includes picking up or dropping off passengers, even if you have your hazard lights on and your engine running. You’ll usually find these signs in high-risk areas, such as near intersections.
Works Zone
Works Zone signs indicate if there are temporary parking restrictions near construction sites or maintenance zones. Signs will indicate if and when parking is prohibited.
Bus Zone
Only buses are allowed to stop in bus zones, typically to pick up or drop off passengers. Cars, taxis and rideshare vehicles may not use these zones.
Taxi Zone
Taxi Zone spots are strictly reserved for taxis actively loading or unloading passengers. Note that charter vehicles, like rideshare cars, are not taxis and may not use Taxi Zones without risking a fine.
What about multipanel signs?
If a sign has multiple panels, simply read the sign from
top to bottom, then left to right. The most important parking restriction is usually in the top panel. As you read down, lower panels add details or exceptions. Don’t forget to look at the arrow to work out which part of the sign applies to where.
What about public holidays?
If a sign lists any day of the week (e.g., Mon–Fri), those parking restrictions do not apply on public holidays, regardless of what day the public holiday falls on,
even if the sign is red. That means you can park for free and for as long as you like in these restricted zones on WA public holidays.
If a parking sign doesn’t list a day of the week, it applies yearround, every single day.
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Stay (no. of nights)
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What’s behind the ongoing increase in WA road fatalities?
THE ANNUAL REPORT ON CRASHES THAT KILL OR LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURIES ON WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ROADS MAKES FOR GRIM READING
By Ruth Callaghan
In 2024, 171 crashes on WA roads led to 188 deaths, the worst result for nearly a decade in which hard-won safety gains seemed to slip away.
Of the 188 fatalities, 61 per cent of them took place in regional areas, a 9 per cent increase from 2023.
While the 1412 serious injuries on WA roads in 2024 was similar to the 2023 figure, the year-on-year increase in deaths and serious injuries is in stark contrast to the WA Government target to reduce the numbers of people killed, severely or seriously injured by 50-70 per cent by 2030. But as bad as last year was, the first six months of this year were even worse. The number of deaths between January and July in WA was 15 per cent higher than in 2024, and metropolitan road deaths were 63 per cent higher.
“Any death is a tragedy, and any road fatality number is too high,” says Marion Morton, RAC general manager Social Impact.
“WA used to be leading, with one of the best records among Australian states and in the OECD in terms of road fatalities, but we are now falling behind. It’s something we should be very concerned about.” Sadly, we are not alone.
National road fatalities also up
The number of people killed on Australian roads increased from 1097 in 2020 to 1291 in 2024. Over the first nine months of 2025, there was an average of 110 deaths a month, around 15 more than the five-year average.
In almost every state, authorities are wrestling with the same challenges, begging drivers to slow down and take greater care.
Of course, levels of road trauma have still vastly improved compared with the 1970s. In 1973, there were 3679 fatalities on Australian roads and 358 fatalities on WA roads. These deaths represent raw numbers. When overlaid against rising population, our road safety record has improved even more over time, but has still stalled in recent years.
The road fatality rate per 100,000 Western Australians was 6.2 in 2024, higher than the five-year average, even if a significant improvement over historic rates, which reached as high as 33.5 per 100,000 in the 1970s. Last year our fatality rate was the worst in the country bar the Northern Territory.
And with one in every 20 reported road crashes leading to someone being killed or seriously injured, road trauma remains far too high.
1412
serious injuries on WA roads in 2024
“WA used to be leading, with one of the best records among Australian states and in the OECD in terms of road fatalities, but we are now falling behind.”
“Speed is the underlying factor in the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads each year.”
What are the reasons behind our poor performance?
According to WA’s Road Safety Commission, the key culprit remains speed.
“Speed is the underlying factor in the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads each year,” Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner says.
“In 2024, just under half of all fatalities occurred on roads with a speed limit of 100km/h or more, most of these in regional areas. The speed limit is the maximum you should travel under ideal conditions — but throw in fatigue, distractions, weather and other environmental factors and the risk of crashing at speed increases.
“Too many people think that travelling a little bit over the speed limit is okay, but multiply that thinking over WA’s more than two million licensed drivers, and a little bit of risk-taking turns into serious consequences on our roads. We need more people driving at or under the speed limit, more often.”
High speeds are particularly deadly. About 60 per cent of all serious injuries last year occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 70km/h or below, perhaps not surprising considering these make
up the vast majority of routes in and around city areas.
But two-thirds of fatalities occurred on roads with limits 80km/h or above, since speed and physics are unforgiving. At 60km/h, there is a 95 per cent chance of surviving a head-on crash between two light vehicles. Just 10km/h faster and the chances of survival fall to 90 per cent. Collide at 90km/h and the chance of survival is a slim 20 per cent.
For those outside a car, crashes at much lower travelling speeds are often fatal.
From January to September 2025, pedestrian deaths on WA roads were twice that of the same period in 2024.
“A healthy adult struck at 30km/h has a 90 per cent chance of survival. After 50 km/h your chances of survival drop to less than 20 per cent,” says Warner.
“Of the 26 pedestrians who died in 2025 after being hit by vehicles, all but one occurred on roads 50km/h or above.”
A second persistent factor in road deaths is seatbelts. In 2024, a remarkable 16 per cent of people killed inside a vehicle were not wearing a seatbelt, prompting a new campaign to underscore the importance of wearing seatbelts — and wearing them correctly.
“While the majority of people do the right thing and wear their seatbelt correctly –the statistics tell us that about 20 per cent of those killed in motor vehicle crashes over the past decade were not wearing a seatbelt,” Warner says.
Levels of seatbelt non-compliance can now be measured using WA’s new advanced AI-enabled safety cameras, introduced in February 2025.
caution notices were issued, behaviours had started to change.
“Over the course of a seven-month caution notice period, there had been a decrease in offences detected by the safety cameras,” Warner says.
“Between February and August, mobile phone offences detected by the safety camera trailers dropped nearly 60 per cent and those detected by fixed cameras dropped by 33 per cent.
“Seatbelt offences detected by the trailers also dropped by 34 per cent and 41 per cent by the fixed cameras.
“As well as encouraging self-motivated change, the risk of penalties is also a proven motivator to change behaviour.
It’s not about catching people out, we want to see behaviour change.”
As of 8 October 2025, the caution notice period ended and infringements began to be issued.
Changing driver behaviour
Shifting behaviour can be a challenge, says road safety researcher Teresa Senserrick, if the activity itself doesn’t necessarily feel unsafe.
In 2024 16% of people killed inside a vehicle were not wearing a seatbelt
“We need to protect people from death and serious injury, and we need safer roads and roadsides. We need safer speeds. We need safer vehicles.”
Six safety camera trailers operating in the Perth metropolitan area, Great Southern and Mid West, and two fixed cameras on the Kwinana Freeway, detected more than 380,000 mobile phone, seatbelt and speeding offences during the eight-month caution notice period.
Between February and October, tens of thousands of warning letters were issued to drivers, with more than 88,000 people detected not wearing a seatbelt or wearing one incorrectly. This represented less than one per cent of vehicles monitored, indicating that people not wearing a seatbelt are massively overrepresented in road deaths.
Nearly 97,000 people were detected by the cameras using or holding a mobile phone, 61,000 had a mobile phone illegally resting on another part of their body, and 100,000 were found to be speeding.
Road Safety Commissioner, Adrian Warner, says that during the period
The Director of the Western Australian Centre for Road Safety says checking a phone for a second or travelling just a bit above the speed limit doesn’t immediately trigger a sense of risk.
And while people might drive at night with a heightened sense of awareness, nearly 40 per cent of serious and fatal injuries occur in the afternoon, and nearly 20 per cent of fatalities are on Saturdays.
“There are a lot of people who don’t feel like their behaviour is particularly risky because they feel like they are in control,” she says.
“If you think about the way people used to drive before booze buses came in, drinking and driving was pretty common behaviour. People accepted the risk. Then when we brought in booze buses, we changed behaviour. Now, there’s strong agreement that drink-driving is risky and there needs to be enforcement. I think we have a similar challenge with speed, because people don’t always sense how fast they’re travelling.
“As humans we tend to normalise and automate and habituate how we drive, so keeping attention to risk is critical. These are predictable and preventable injuries and deaths, and we can make the change.”
The Road Safety Commission’s response to the increase in road trauma has been to roll out several new safety campaigns, including a first-of-its-kind model to introduce road safety education to Year 7 and 8 students, initially focusing on schools in the regions.
In 2024, nearly 40 people were killed or seriously injured in vehicles where the driver only had a learner’s permit, a 64 per cent jump above the five-year average. Another 76 people were killed or seriously injured in vehicles driven by someone with no licence at all.
Other measures have included speed reduction trials, where communities and authorities are testing lower speed limits on local roads to minimise the risk of harm when a crash occurs and to make streets more welcoming for people walking and riding.
RAC has partnered with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, with support from Main Roads, on a three-year trial of
safer speed limits across approximately 550 local roads. The trial commenced in May 2025 and is accompanied by a comprehensive evaluation to measure the impacts of lower speed limits.
The Perth Inner City Group is also working to reduce speed limits from 50km/h to 40km/h on local streets, replicating the changes already implemented in the City of Vincent.
Better education, coupled with enforcement, will make a difference, says RAC’s Marion Morton, but the only way to bring down the fatality rate is to have multiple safety systems working in unison.
“We support the Safe System approach, which recognises people make mistakes even when they are trying not to,” Morton says.
“When you layer protection, if one part of the system fails, the rest of the system is there to support people.
“So we need to protect people from death and serious injury, and we need safer roads and roadsides. We need safer speeds. We need safer vehicles.
“We need all of these things to come together to make sure that people aren’t dying or being permanently injured as a result of just travelling on the roads.”
Find out more on the Horizons podcast
Listen to our podcast about WA’s road fatality increase and how we can learn from other cities that have achieved zero road deaths.
And to find out more about WA’s new AIenabled road safety cameras, catch our podcast where we deep dive into how they detect offences.
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How to kitout your four-wheel drive for camping
SET YOURSELF UP FOR COMFORTABLE, OFF-GRID CAMPING WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK
By Brendan Batty
The ultimate four-wheel drive camping setup. It’s a headline you’ll see across many camping blogs, often accompanied by terms such as ‘must-have’, ‘essential’ and ‘can’t live without’.
It’s also quite common that the list represents thousands of dollars in gear. The thing is, you can have a pretty comfortably decked-out four-wheel drive camping setup without spending too much money.
Some caveats, though. No camping setup is really ‘the ultimate’ for more than a small group of people, and almost every choice you make is a compromise. Take swags, for example. They look awesome, are comfortable, and most of the good ones are easy to set up and pack down. But, with a pair of swags on your roof, there’s not much room for anything
else. And getting changed lying down is an experience.
So, although nothing is ideal for everyone, here are some of the most important things to consider when building your own camping rig.
1. The best four-wheel drive for camping
This is, maybe, the most subjective topic, as there are so many different types of four-wheel drives, so we’ll break it down to two options. The best four-wheel drive for a camping setup is either the one you already own (whatever it is), or if you don’t own a four-wheel drive,
something wagon-shapedfor example, an actual fourwheel drive wagon or a ute with a fully enclosed tray of some sort. Why? Because then all your stuff stays protected from the sun, dirt, dust, rain and opportunists. You can also build or buy very good storage systems for vehicles with large, rectangular storage spaces in the back.
If you already have a fourwheel drive that isn’t wagonadjacent, like a trayback ute or a Suzuki X-90 (remember those?), don’t rush out for an upgrade just yet. Pack it up and take it out so you know what you do and don’t like.
If you want to make your fourwheel drive go further, start with some good all-terrain tyres and a tyre pressure gauge. Deflating your tyres will get you further off-road for less money than any other modification you can be sold. Also, most people who want to travel Australia will be able to do it in a vehicle with little more than a modest suspension upgrade and lift.
2. Where to sleepon or off the ground?
The trend in camping has moved away from people setting up tents on the ground. Now, more and more, travellers sleep in or on a vehicle. Think camper trailers, rooftop tents or caravans. The appeal is usually speed of setup, but on the flip side, sleeping on the ground is the least expensive (and original) way to get into camping.
Setting up camp is akin to building a castle for your family and can be wonderfully satisfying. However, packing up camp is the worst, so focus on a setup that’s easy to pack up. You also have to decide whether you prefer a ‘base camp’, something separate from your four-wheel drive which you leave set up to explore from, or something more transient, like a rooftop tent, which goes wherever you drive, even if that’s just for milk because you forgot it.
3. The camp kitchen
The camp kitchen is a vitally important part of any camping
Of course, you’ll need to carry water. The ultimate is any solution you have where an electric pump makes it run when you turn on a tap. Fourwheel drives are naturally limited in how much water can be carried, because water is heavy, so focus on a solution that’s easy to refill.
And lastly, don’t forget your kitchen essentials – sharp knives, common utensils like spatulas, tongs and mixing spoons, as well as handy items you never remember until you need them, like potato peelers and graters.
4. Keeping your devices running
experience, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. All the online chatter these days is about induction cooktops and espresso machines, but both require a significant investment in batteries, inverters, and charging, so they’re not entirely feasible for most people. Just like at home, while camping you need somewhere to cook, somewhere to keep shelfstable items, and somewhere to keep cold food.
The most versatile stoves are the briefcase-style ones you can get almost anywhere that plug into a proper gas bottle. The small butane stoves are okay, but the single-use canisters are quite a waste. Don’t forget to pack something you can use over a campfire.
A fridge is the ultimate camping luxury, but for a fridge to be reliable, you need a decent auxiliary power system that includes a battery bank and, probably, solar charging. If you are only camping occasionally, a good-quality icebox might be more suitable.
Most modern campers need electricity for refrigeration, lighting, device charging, and increasingly, Starlink. You probably need around 1000Wh (about 80Ah) of energy per day for basic needs. Good camping setups have auxiliary batteries and charging (ideally portable solar panel blankets) managed by a DC-DC controller with MPPT tracking for the solar charge. In the scenario above, you’d ideally have 100 usable amp hours of storage (a 200Ah AGM or 125Ah LiFePO4 battery) and at least 200W of solar panels to reliably charge it each day.
Consider an inverter (a device that increases voltage from 12V to 230V). Inverters rated by wattage start at around 300W for the smallest, up to around 3000W for the biggest. For most people, something on the smaller end of the scale will be suitable.
5. Fitting it all in
The one thing seasoned campers have worked out is that it doesn’t matter if you’re going for a night or a month, you’ve got to pack almost the same amount of
gear. Organising camping gear is an art and a passion for many, and it’s widely agreed that drawers under a false floor in the back of your four-wheel drive make that much easier. There are plenty of DIY tutorials online, and just as many professionally made options you can buy. Being able to divide your load space also helps keep things organised even if it technically reduces how much space you have.
Storing things on your roof, or maybe even in a trailer (likely if you’re a family), is also common. Roof platforms have come a long way in the last decade, with many modular solutions with click-and-connect attachments for common items like bikes, awnings, fuel cans or recovery tracks.
6. Protection from the elements
Car-mounted awnings are a very common way to add shelter at camp. The best are awnings that swing out 270° and cover the side and back of your vehicle. If you’d prefer shelter separate from your car, those concertina gazebos are really quite suitable, but the dedicated dome-shaped or inflatable camping versions often pack smaller. Or you
could go old-school with a tarp, some tent poles and guy ropes. Whatever you use, make sure it’ll be secure in windy conditions and that it can’t pool water in the middle. The ability to add walls will make it even more versatile.
7. BYO ‘throne’
If you’re going to be setting up camp at a site that has no toilet facilities at all – including drop-toilets, you’ll need to come prepared with your own chemical toilet. You’ll be relieved that you did because some site owners will turn you away if you don’t come equipped with your own ‘conveniences’ – which could be very inconvenient after a long trip.
8. Don’t forget the toys Whatever you do, don’t get so carried away packing camping gear that you can no longer fit things you enjoy doing. There’s no point driving halfway across the countryside and sleeping in a fabric bedroom just to miss out on doing things you love. That might be sitting in front of a campfire whittling some timber, or it could be mountain biking a new trail. Whatever it is - don’t forget the reason you’re getting outdoors in the first place.
WA CAMPSITES TO TEST OUT YOUR SETUP
Now that you've got the ultimate camping set up (or even if you don't), it's time to go camping. Fortunately, WA is the best place in the world to camp, so here are some of the actual ultimate campsites.
SANDY CAPE, JURIEN BAY
Once a defensive outpost against potential Japanese attacks in WWII, Sandy Cape, just north of Jurien Bay, is now a top spot to camp, fish, and fourwheel drive amongst the dunes. Many of the old fortifications are now covered in street (camp) art, adding a distinct counterpoint to the coastal dune landscape. Camping sites cost $25 per night, and the facilities are great for a remote, offgrid location.
NINGALOO'S STATIONS
Does camping steps from a coral reef sound idyllic? Make your way to the various coastal stations in the Ningaloo region and you'll find
paradise. Choose from Nyinggulara National Park (formerly Ningaloo Station), Warroora (now also managed by DPAW), Gnaraloo or Quobba, and don't forget some fishing rods and surfboards.
CAPE LE GRAND, ESPERANCE REGION
West is best, but if you head just a little east of Esperance to Cape Le Grand National Park, you can set up camp overlooking some of WA's most stunning coastline. Lucky Bay Campsite is the pick of a great bunch, but Le Grand Beach Campsite is also incredible.
NORTHERN BEACHES, THE KIMBERLEY
Want to camp under those iconic pindan-red cliffs on the beach in the Kimberley? Head 14km north from Broome along Cape Leveque Road, then turn left onto Manari Road and follow it to the beach where you can camp for free for three days. Find a spot along the beach with epic sunsets one way and incredible cliffs the other.
What’s new to do down south?
SUMMER ROAD-TRIPPING SEASON IS HERE, SO POINT THE WHEELS DOWN SOUTH, BECAUSE THERE ARE A BUNCH OF NEW ARRIVALS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS.
By Fleur Bainger
As summer temperatures rise, the desire to head ‘down south’ grows. And we don’t mean just to the Margaret River region and its glittering, winery-dotted coastline.
For us, ‘down south’ takes in the tall trees of Pemberton and the Southern Forests, as well as the bays and bush of Denmark and Albany, and the white sands of Esperance; all make for excellent road trips with plenty of stops for eats, drinks, walks and swims.
And while it’s tempting to fall into the same old rinse-and-repeat escape, there are
loads of new activities and experiences. This summer might see you marvelling at the world’s largest-ever lighting installation, taking a sauna floating on a tree-fringed pool, or drinking wine that was fermented 20m deep in the ocean.
So read on for all the latest hot ideas for this summer’s road-tripping season.
Margaret River
Think you know the Margaret River region? Think again. Even locals are surprised at the finds. That includes the Secret Picnic Adventures that have launched in Busselton, Bunbury and Dunsborough. It’s like a treasure hunt, with clues delivered to your mobile phone. As each clue is solved, directions are
given to places where you collect the goodies for your picnic.
While the destinations are ‘classified’, we can tell you that wineries, on-farm producers, tucked away cafes, and underthe-radar restaurants are part of the mix.
All picnics are dog and family-friendly. A choice of three picnic locations is revealed at the end of the hunt. One is a hidden wonder, one will please the doggos, and one has a playground. The concept was dreamt up by the two dynamic women behind the Bridgetown Art Trail and The Rabbit Hole gallery and art boutique. Beginning in Bridgetown in 2022, there are also secret picnics in Pemberton and Nannup.
OPPOSITE PAGE: One of Heyscape’s tiny cabins near Denmark.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: South West Bottega is an eclectic Italian eatery in Vasse; Sweet tooths will love Little Otto’s Big Choc Shop on the Busselton foreshore; Relax with views over William Bay National Park at Heyscape Denmark; Discover on-farm producers, and tucked away cafes and restaurants with Secret Picnic Adventures; Join a packrafting tour through Walpole.
Kirsten Sivyer
Wildflower
Creative
Daniel Barrington
Speaking of astonishing discoveries, the first wholly ocean-based winemaker in the southern hemisphere, Subsea Estate, is now open to visitors. Giant vats shaped like spinning tops are anchored to the sea floor off the coast of Augusta, where they’re pushed around by the ocean’s swell, putting pressure on the grapes.
The Estate’s 413-hectare subsea grounds are shared with Rare Foods’ ocean-grown greenlip abalone. You can now visit the underwater winery – not beneath the sea, mind, but at their cellar door based at the marina. Tastings are available for walkins, or you can book a behind-the-scenes tour that includes seeing abalone tanks, hearing the full Subsea story, and finishing with a wine-abalone combo tasting.
Good eating and drinking are at the heart of Margaret River, and there are many good reasons to indulge (provided you have a designated driver). In addition to wineries, a handful of gin distilleries have wedged themselves between Margaret River’s vineyards. One of them, Busselton small-batch producer Beyond Distilling, is now revealing the secrets of creating small-batch gin using native botanicals by taking visitors on a two-hour masterclass with the head distiller.
On the food front, there’s a new Community Café at Dunsborough brewery and pub, Southcamp, a new chocolatier you’ll struggle to get the kids out of on the Busselton foreshore called Little Otto’s Big Choc Shop, and an eclectic Italian eatery, South West Bottega, which recently opened in Vasse. The cosy interiors combine art with vintage furniture and upcycled treasures, giving this new spot a creative, lived-in vibe.
Great Southern
The surf’s up at Albany, with the opening of the Southern Ocean Surf Reef. Found offshore at Middleton Beach, the new artificial reef is creating more consistent, high-quality waves for surfers at all levels, from beginners to salty experienced riders. The $11.75 million project expects better waves more than 40 per cent of the time.
That’s not all for Middleton Beach. It now also has its own self-service sauna, after new owners refreshed the playfully named Sauna on the Corner. Open Wednesday to Sunday, it is, indeed, just around the corner from the new surf break. After the four-person, traditional sauna’s 80-90 degrees Celsius heat, try an 8-degree Celsius ice bath for full rejuvenation. The owners’ goal is to
create sauna culture in Albany, while tapping into the wellness tourism trend. Just out of Denmark, Heyscape has launched three new tiny cabins, each with a sauna between them. Perfect for friends or families holidaying together, the new pairs of off-grid cabins gaze over William Bay National Park and are only a five-minute drive from Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks. They join individual cabins that opened last summer with a deep steel bath set into each balcony. More cabins are planned for the same property, which is a regenerative cattle farm where The Dam distillery and restaurant sits. A new e-bike trail is also in the works – ideal for the free-to-use e-bikes on the property.
In nearby Walpole, a new guided hiking, mountain biking, and packrafting tour sees adventure lovers explore the Walpole Wilderness area. The adventure starts at the Valley of the Giants – where there’s a suspended canopy walk – then continues on through ancient tingle forests where you’ll paddle along hushed waterways and stare in awe at some of WA’s tallest karri trees, before camping overnight.
Back in Albany, the largest lighting installation on Earth is set to illuminate
TOP LEFT: Subsea Estate is the first wholly ocean-based winemaker in the southern hemisphere; LEFT: Middleton Beach in Albany is home to Southern Ocean Surf Reef, a new artificial reef for surfers, as well as tapping into the wellness tourism trend with Sauna on the Corner (above).
Tim Campbell
Tourism Western Australia
the skies for nine nights spread across three weekends in March 2026. Created as an Australian-exclusive event by renowned Finnish artist Kari Kola, the free-to-view Lighting the Sound installation will be part of Albany’s 2026 bicentenary events. Enormous projections will be visible from various locations around Albany, lighting up landforms in and around King George Sound. The artist draws inspiration from the Menang (or bloodroot) plant, for which the region’s First Nations peoples are named. The illuminations on Menang Noongar Country will play into themes of reconciliation, shared cultural knowledge, and community.
While in Albany, step back 100 years at a restored and transformed dairy farm, now home to Barrel Brewery. The name speaks to the family’s three main loves: winemaking, brewing, and ocean waves perfectly formed for surfing. The 38-acre property blends rustic elements of the historic dairy, shearing sheds and Albany’s original settlement cottages, with modern food – think herb and garlic Albany sardines, Reuben sandwiches or crumbed local shark. For more fresh produce, pop into Sotao Bar, another new arrival in the centre of town.
Southern Forests
Pemberton is reinventing itself this summer. A floating sauna is being trialled atop Pemberton Swimming Pool, expected to open around Christmas time. Two sauna rooms will overlook the placid water rimmed by trees. That same view doubles as a freshwater plunge for those steaming inside.
If you haven’t been, Pemberton’s swimming hole is no ordinary chlorinated pool, it’s a historic, dark-water pool built in the late 1920s for timber workers’ families. It sits within the 120-hectare Pemberton Forest Park and beside the Pemberton Mountain Bike Park, granting easy access to 22 kilometres of tracks and dual-use trails. It’s also an excellent picnic spot beneath the shade of karri trees filled with birdlife. Just nearby is the historic Pemberton Tramway, which chugs for 10km through forest on a former timber milling route. New owners took over nearly three years ago, undertaking numerous upgrades since. They also allow dogs to take the tram ride with you.
The summer festive period should also see the Gloucester Tree reopen for visitors to climb its new, 37m-high lookout platform – just as fire spotters once did -
as part of the state government-funded Climbing Trees Project. Climbing has been closed since 2023, and the full 61m ascent is not expected to return. An upper tree canopy experience of the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree is also on the cards, above the 20m climbing platform that opened in 2024.
If heights aren’t your thing, take in the Gloucester Tree’s grandeur from the alfresco deck at a new forest café. It’s just doing drinks and ice cream for now and is run by Aerial Adventure, which opened in 2024 with a zipline and ropes course suspended between the trees.
Continue to delight the senses with a visit to Southern Forests Chocolates, which has just installed two kitchens and a new machine to make their own couverture chocolate from scratch. The artisan chocolatier is a former winemaker and expertly pairs the two crafts. Families driving to Pemberton from Perth should stop at the upgraded Thomson Park in Greenbushes. Its new youth precinct combines a skate park and pump track with a playground, ping pong table and barbeques – a great way to tire kids out and stop any cries of “Are we there yet?”
TOP LEFT: The Valley of the Giants - where there is the suspended canopy walk - is the start of a new guided tour in Walpole; LEFT: Aerial Adventure has a zipline and ropes course suspended between the trees; ABOVE: Opening around Christmas, a floating sauna will be trialled atop Pemberton Swimming Pool.
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WA travel brief
RAC’s Ningaloo Reef Resort gets ready for the big reveal
Over the past 18 months, an exciting development has been unfolding on WA’s Ningaloo Coast.
RAC’s Ningaloo Reef Resort, which has provided accommodation for local, interstate and international visitors for decades, has been undergoing a major redevelopment.
In 2026, after extensive works, a new state-of-the-art resort will be ready to accept visitors once again.
To ensure the resort is integrated into the local landscape in an environmentally sensitive manner, the redevelopment was sustainably planned and managed throughout.
With only a minor expansion to the property’s overall footprint, the maximum capacity of the resort will increase from 160 to 270 people.
The new resort will grow from 34 to 90 units, ranging from 1-bedroom units to 3-bedroom family options. Resort guests will also have access to a new clubhouse, featuring a restaurant, bar, and alfresco and function space.
Once opened, the Ningaloo Reef Resort will be the jewel in the crown for visitors seeking accommodation in the region.
For updates and images that show the progress of the redevelopment, visit parksandresorts.rac.com.au/ningaloo
TURTLE SEASON BEGINS IN NINGALOO
If you’re visiting the Ningaloo Coast during the summer months, although it’s not the season for whale shark and humpback whale swims, one sea creature that gets very busy here in summer is the turtle.
There are many turtle species that call Ningaloo home, including loggerhead and flatback turtles, endangered hawksbill turtles, and green turtles –one of the largest sea turtles.
From December they begin to dig their beachside nests, then just 60 days later, the little hatchlings emerge.
If you visit during breeding season, make sure you adhere to the Turtle Watchers Code of Conduct and do not disturb their activities. Always stay at least one metre away from nests, and don’t use flash photography or any type of illumination around them.
To improve your turtle spotting chances, there are a number of tours on offer, including turtle snorkel tours that get you into the water among them.
For turtle tours and more, visit australiascoralcoast.com
TOP: Ningaloo construction; BOTTOM: Render of Ningaloo Reef Resort redevelopment (subject to change).
The giant WA waterslide in a surprising location
When kids in the Wheatbelt town of Kulin asked for a slide to be added to the town’s pool, the local council went one better and installed the largest waterslide in regional Western Australia. Standing 18 metres high and with a run length of 182 metres, the slide is an unlikely beacon in this small community.
The town’s aquatic centre, where the waterslide is located, is open during the summer months, generally on weekend afternoons, as well as Thursday to Sunday afternoons during the summer school holidays.
If you’re road tripping through the region and plan to visit, it’s a good idea to check opening times with the manager.
Email admin@kulin.wa.gov.au or call 9880 1204
NEW BUSH TUCKER DINING EXPERIENCE OPENS
IN PERTH HILLS
The Flackyard, a new dining destination in the Perth Hills, is bringing edible artistry to the table with six, eight and ten-course degustation menus that showcase local produce, including bush tucker.
Husband-and-wife team Nik and Em Flack opened their new restaurant in August 2025, relocating their acclaimed Queensland venture to Em’s hometown. Together with Chef Dan from Bimba Foods, they’ve recreated their vision of modern bush tucker dining on the edge of Lake Leschenaultia in Chidlow.
Begin your feast with a bush tucker board before moving through dishes such as paperbark-baked organic carrots, wild-caught coral trout, and kangaroo fillet with quandong and anise myrtle.
The Flackyard is open Friday to Sunday from 12pm. To book, visit theflackyard.com
BUNBURY’S AWARDWINNING DOLPHIN SWIM TOUR
Interactions between dolphins and humans have been part of life in Bunbury’s Koombana Bay since the 1960s.
To protect the dolphins and formalise the study of their behaviours, a dolphin Interaction Zone was established in 1990, followed by the opening of Bunbury’s Dolphin Discovery Centre in 1994. Today you can see and swim with the descendants of those original dolphins on one of the Dolphin Discovery Centre’s award-winning tours.
Swim tours are available from November to April each year, with dolphin sightings guaranteed, or you go again for free on the next available trip.
The four-hour tour, which includes snorkelling equipment, wetsuits and refreshments, is designed by marine biologists, with each trip used to continue studying the local bottlenose dolphin population. Tour fees go towards further funding the centre’s research.
To find out more and to book your tour, visit dolphindiscovery.com.au
Camping + caravanning
Essential caravan accessories
Some caravan accessories are just nice to have, but others really are essential to ensure safe and hasslefree road tripping.
Fires, gas leaks, and carbon monoxide build-up in caravans can be lethal and are more common than you think. Smoke and gas detectors are relatively cheap and should be on your list of essential accessories. New caravans should also come equipped with a fire extinguisher. If yours doesn’t have one, make sure you keep one on board.
Ramps and wheel chocks are inexpensive and handy to have on hand if you’re ever parked up
on a site that’s not quite level.
Chocks will also prevent your van from rolling when on an uneven surface. Just make sure you choose ramps and chocks suitable for your caravan’s axle configuration and the weight you’ll be putting on them.
Towing mirrors are required if your caravan is wider than your tow vehicle, which is very likely. There are different options to choose from, some that are permanently attached to your car and others that you can remove. It is recommended that you select a mirror that mechanically clamps onto your existing mirrors. Mirrors secured by straps tend to vibrate significantly and can be dislodged by turbulent air from passing trucks.
For more essential caravan accessories and why you might need them, watch our video guide.
BEWARE OF DELAMINATION
Delamination in caravans occurs when the composite layers that make up the caravan’s walls, roof, and floor panels begin to separate. Delamination is most commonly caused by water ingress but can also be due to impacts to the panels, temperature fluctuations, and the adhesive used to bond the panels simply failing. If it is caught early, and if the area impacted by delamination is small, it can be repaired fairly simply. But left to spread, the cost for repairs can be significant.
You should regularly inspect your caravan for signs of bulges, cracks, or uneven areas on the walls, floor, and roof.
Because delamination is often the result of moisture getting into the panels, to prevent damage from occurring in the first place, make sure you regularly inspect your caravan’s roof, window, and door seals, looking for cracks or gaps. Also check anywhere that there are joins in exterior materials. Where there are gaps, fill them with a quality silicone sealant. And remember to periodically recheck the condition of the sealant.
WATCH VIDEO
STICKYBEAK INSIDE BONNIE’S CARAVAN
Sometimes less is more, and that’s certainly the case with Bonnie’s sweet little caravan.
It’s a 2015 teardrop caravan called “Retro Roamer” that’s had a custom fit-out.
Bonnie bought the van specifically to do a trip around Australia. Also on board with her for the big lap is her 13-year-old golden retriever, Meg. Bonnie’s favourite feature in the caravan is the 12-volt battery, which will allow her to go offgrid when she needs to. It also powers her TV and Netflix for some extra comforts on the road.
To have a stickybeak through Bonnie’s teardrop caravan, watch the video walkthrough by scanning the QR code.
Compliance crackdown on low ATM trailers
Since 1 July 2023, all low ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) trailers with an ATM of 4.5 tonnes or less provided to the Australian market for the first time, must be entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV).
The RAV system replaces the previous arrangement where vehicle identification numbers for trailers were provided by the Department of Transport to owners or builders of low Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) trailers.
ATM is the total mass of the trailer when carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer. ATM includes the mass imposed on the towing vehicle when the combined tow vehicle and trailer are resting on a horizontal surface.
Low ATM trailers include towable recreational trailers such as caravans and camper trailers.
The Australian Government’s new Road Vehicle Standards, which came
into effect on 1 July 2021, provided a transitional period for certain segments of the industry until 30 June 2023.
Since then, all trailer manufacturers and importers need to apply for approval for low ATM trailers. Where previously compliance was self-certified, certification is now included on the publicly searchable Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV). Manufacturers and importers must receive approval before they go to market.
Earlier in 2025, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia reported that compliance would be increased across the local industry following meetings with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
The Department indicated that a new compliance team had been created to conduct a greater number of inspections of low ATM trailers.
The compliance crackdown would include sending inspectors to caravan and camping shows to conduct checks, and more in-depth checks of low ATM trailer applications.
Penalties for non-compliance include businesses being suspended.
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All tours include airfares, taxes, return transfers in New Zealand, Ultimate 20 seat coach travel, 4 - 5 star accommodation, most meals, sightseeing and attractions.
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• Visit the home of a
• Meet a Vietnam War veteran in Mai Chau and connect
• Practice Tai Chi on the deck of a Ha Long Bay cruise.
Taste egg coffee and pho on a Vespaled night food tour through Hanoi.
Exquisite Kimberley Adventure
Highlights & Inclusions
• All accommodation, meals and select beverages for the duration of the tour
• Travel aboard a custom 4WD Mercedes-Benz with a Tour Driver/Guide
• Enjoy 2 scenic helicopter flights at Punamii-Uunpuu (Mitchell Falls) and the Bungle Bungle Range
• Exlplore the Dampier Peninsula by 4WD and Horizontal Falls by seaplane on a full day adventure
• Spend 2 nights at El Questro and visit Emma Gorge and Zebedee Springs
• Visit Purnululu National Park, including Cathedral Gorge and Echidna Chasm
Highlights & Inclusions
• All accommodation, meals and select beverages for the duration of the tour
• Travel aboard a custom 4WD Mercedes-Benz with a Tour Driver/Guide
• Enjoy 2 scenic helicopter flights at Punamii-Uunpuu (Mitchell Falls) and the Bungle Bungle Range
• Explore the Dampier Peninsula by 4WD and Horizontal Falls by seaplane on a full day adventure
• Enjoy a marine adventure to the spectacular King George Falls
• Spend 2 nights at Faraway Bay on the north Kimberley coast
Small town spotlight
Cowaramup
By Myke Bartlett Images Lisa Cook
About ten minutes
from Margaret River, Cowaramup is an ideal pitstop, whichever direction you’re travelling on the Bussell Highway.
Affectionately known as Cow Town, there’s no missing Cowaramup’s herd of bovine statues dotted around the main shopping strip. This former dairy community has become a gastronomic hotspot and a thriving artisanal hub.
It’s not so long since the best hungry travellers could expect to find in Cowaramup was a jaffle and an ice cream spider. Jaffles are still on offer from Red Feather Coffee (as is some excellent coffee), but the fillings — including chicken chipotle and mushroom truffle — are a little more exotic these days.
Culinary delights
This new inclination towards finer fare reaches its zenith at the Gourmet Food Merchant, which offers everything you might need for a posh picnic or an indulgent weekend in the country. The place has the appealingly nostalgic aesthetic of an old-fashioned grocer. The wooden shelves are packed with jars of locally made pickles, bottles of infused olive oils, and an array of spicy sauces. You’ll find fresh sourdough loaves and fridges
full of delicious cheeses as well as charming souvenirs and pottery. If you’re in a rush, takeaway food and coffees are available at the counter.
Sweet treats
Candy Cow is an old-school sweet shop - think fudges, honeycomb, lollipops, and all manner of boiled sweets. Everything is made on-site, which means the kids can watch slabs of candy and chocolate being poured, baked, and packaged.
If that’s not enough of a sugar fix, you’ll find a more innovative approach to chocolate across the road at Temper Temper. Chocolatier and co-founder Georgia Aughton comes from a gourmet restaurant background, which explains some of the surprising options on the menu here, whether it’s honeycomb and dukkha or cauliflower and chilli.
If you’re not feeling experimental, there are plenty of old favourites too, with twists on everything from Fruit Loops to rocky road. The focus is very much on the local, with regional farms providing many of the improbable ingredients — the macadamias grown in Cowaramup itself.
Getting a coffee fix
Nestled inside Temper Temper is Two Cracks Coffee Roastery, which specialises in single-origin beans, all roasted in-house.
If you prefer tea, walk a few steps further into the adjoining
TOP: One of Cowarmup’s infamous cow statues; MIDDLE: Finer fare is on offer at Gourmet Food Merchant; BOTTOM: Visit the old-school sweet shop, Candy Cow.
Seven Seas Teas and Spices. Established by Cathy HoranAnderson, a Cowaramup resident desperate for a good cuppa in a coffee-rich landscape, the shop feels like a temple to tea and includes delightful knickknacks that celebrate the world’s favourite brew. The tea itself is top notch. On the other side of the highway, Millers Little Ice Cream Shop has 40-plus flavours to choose from, supplemented by a range of nutty choices.
High street fashion and homewares
The town’s attractions aren’t entirely gastronomic, of course. High street fashion can be found in Reborn Code,
which offers a selection of Australian designer brands, and Wild Earth Trading Co, which specialises in modern spins on vintage and Bohemian styles.
More artistic souvenirs can be found at MuKau Giftware and Gallery. The downstairs shop has a carefully curated collection of homewares, soaps, books, trinkets, and toys, while upstairs is a gallery exhibiting and selling artworks from local artists.
Explore the surrounds
When it’s time to stretch your legs (or walk off lunch), about five minutes out of town is the Wadandi Track, a multi-purpose track that runs from Busselton to Augusta along the old railway track. Not all of the track is
currently accessible, but the stretch from Cowaramup to Witchcliffe is ideal for ramblers and cyclists alike, passing through vineyards, untouched wilderness, and rocky outcrops.
Dining out
Back on the main street, evening dining options include a couple of unique drinking holes. The first is Strange Brew Wine Bar. Run by the team behind Skigh Wine, Strange Brew embodies the same laidback ethos, with wines on tap, charcuterie boards to share, and tunes from local DJs.
The Servo Taphouse also has a tasty line in pub fare (the fish tacos are recommended) and a similar broad geographical reach to the beer on tap.
Housed in the town’s former petrol station, the Taphouse is a favourite with locals and blow-ins alike, attracting a younger crowd as the night draws in. It’s also a great place to sample the local music scene, with bands from the South West taking to the stage most Saturdays. While there’s no need to stray far from the high street, Cowaramup can be a handy weekend base from which to explore the wider area with the coast, caves, and other tourist hotspots. But whether you’re here for the day, the weekend, or just an hour or so, one thing is certain — this is one small town where you’ll always find a reason to come back again soon.
ABOVE: Have a browse at MuKau Giftware and Gallery; TOP RIGHT: Stop in at Temper Temper for a chocolate or coffee fix; RIGHT: Seven Seas Teas and Spices is the place for a good cuppa.
WATCH VIDEO
Join Myke as he explores Cowaramup on our Horizons YouTube channel.
Spring is a season of renewal and the perfect time to plan your next unforgettable journey.
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• Off Train Experiences in Kalgoorlie, Cook, Barossa Valley, Broken Hill and the Blue Mountains
• Visit Kalgoorlie, a gold rush-era town on the Nullarbor
• Enjoy a nightcap by a bonfire under the Nullarbor sky in Cook
• Visit Seppeltsfield Estate for a dining experience in the Barossa Valley
• Visit Australia’s first heritage listed-city, Broken Hill
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2026 bucket list events and festivals in WA
By Fleur Bainger
There’s so much going on around WA in 2026 that you’ll want to start planning now.
Event travel is a trend that’s been gaining traction since the pandemic, as an increasing number of people prioritise life experiences and memory making. Not only does it make economic sense to explore a region you’re already going to for a festival, but it’s also a great excuse to extend your travels beyond an event ticket. Most of WA’s festival fun can be framed around a road trip – some short and punchy, others more epic in nature. Read on to get excited about what’s happening in the year ahead.
The Karijini Experience 10-13 April 2026
This four-day cultural festival is set inside Karijini National Park, on Banjima country. Traditional owners’ traditions are woven through a moving Welcome to Country ceremony, bush walks identifying native foods, traditional healing practices, shield carving and storytelling.
There’s a starlit dinner, a music concert with a big-name act, an Elders tent where Banjima language can be learnt and the
chance to explore Karijini’s deep crevices, waterfalls and pancake-stack formations. Family-friendly workshops include circus skills, footy training with WAFL players and Aboriginal craft activities; there are also markets and reptile handling. Why not frame a road trip around the festival, following some or all of the 2,480-kilometre Warlu Way through the Pilbara’s iron-rich red plains and spinifextufted ranges? The route also passes the iconic Red Dog statue and the ancient rock engravings of the Murujuga Cultural Landscape, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2025.
karijiniexperience.com.au
Shore Leave
Late April
Seafood is at the centre of this oceanfacing festival based in Geraldton. Home to the WA rock lobster industry, there’s naturally plenty of sweet white flesh and red carapace being cooked up each day. Go all out and get tickets to the Abrolhos Islands long table lunch, reached via a convoy of light planes; the view from the sky is as good as a dip in gin-clear water between courses.
Other sell-out events include the Mid West Paddock to Plate - an open-air, multi-course dinner held on farmland, a local gins and food pairing event, and a tour of the processing facilities at the Geraldton Fisherman’s Co-Op; it’s free but books out fast.
There are plenty of other free events too, from food stalls, cooking demonstrations and live music at The Helm on the foreshore – where you can get barbequed rock lobster – to sand sculpture workshops for the kids, a silent disco, a BYO seashell identifying session, and a talk on Abrolhos Islands research expeditions. Make a road trip of it by driving the loop track through the Pinnacles, stopping at Seashells Cervantes for lunch and exploring the Stockyard Gully National
Park caves north of Jurien Bay. Consider extending the adventure with a jaunt up to Hutt Lagoon’s pink lake, on the way to Kalbarri and its ocean cliffs.
shoreleavefestival.com.au
Fridgetown Fest
Various dates June-August
They say if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, and that’s certainly the spirit for Bridgetown’s annual winter festival. Fridgetown Fest embraces the cold head-on, with a winter feast complete with a toasty fire, a winter soiree of musical classics and a Dungeons & Dragons winter fest aimed at the whole family. There are also ghost walks held by the local historical society, a winter craft fair, and paint and sip events – only the sipping is of Devonshire tea.
Bridgetown proudly declares itself the winter capital of WA, with local shops and galleries such as The Rabbit Hole, Goorbilyup (found inside the restored Bridgetown Railway Station) and the Perrier Studio Sculpture Garden all visitable through the darker months; you can also go roller skating at the Rec Centre and clink glasses at The Cidery or Llama Lounge Bar (inside Karma Llama Records shop) anytime.
fridgetownfest.com.au
Gascoyne Food Festival
July-August
Covering some serious kilometres between Shark Bay, Carnarvon and Exmouth, the Gascoyne Food Festival is regarded as Australia’s largest regional food festival. It also takes in outback stations and an island, inviting participants to explore WA’s backyard as much as savour its flavours.
For a road trip like no other, follow the Taste of the Gascoyne Food Trail. There’s a digital and print trail map that leads you between restaurants, cafes and foodie destinations, with each venue creating a signature dish using seasonal Gascoyne produce. There are also ticketed events, with a glam full moon feast on Exmouth’s Sunrise Beach, dinner under the stars at Bullara Station and a two-day adventure - including seeing Australia’s last sunseton Dirk Hartog Island.
Free events range from a stargazing supper at Mount Augustus to ‘beats and eats’ at Shark Bay and a familyfriendly food festival on the Carnarvon Foreshore. While you’re in the region, meet the dolphins at Monkey Mia, the whales in Exmouth Gulf, and check out the blowholes north of Carnarvon.
gascoynefoodfestival.com.au
LEFT: Immerse yourself in the culture of The Karijini Experience; ABOVE: Take in Geraldton’s ocean views at Shore Leave festival; RIGHT: Local seafood is in the spotlight at the Gascoyne Food Festival.
SoCo StudiosTravis Hayto
Broome Cup
15 August 2026
Getting gussied up and popping on an Akubra or 10-gallon hat is de rigueur during Broome’s racing season, and the Broome Cup is the pinnacle event. Locals and station folk joyfully rub shoulders while curious visitors flock to the Broome Turf Club. The peoplewatching and racing culture is as much of a lure as the horse race itself.
Even the location is special, with the red dirt racetrack cut into bushland and the Indian Ocean on both sides at Gantheaume Point. Helpfully, the Broome Explorer Bus does a special drop-off service, and there’s an evening shuttle bus back to both Chinatown and Cable Beach, allowing punters to let their hair down while enjoying the live music and fashions on the field. There’s also kids’ entertainment and food stalls.
While in Broome, consider booking into the new Astro Tours, restarted by family members of the late Greg Quicke (aka Space Gandalf), visit the dinosaur footprints with Broome Adventure
Cruises, and grab a bite at the new Cable Beach House overlooking the transformed foreshore, with redevelopment set to be completed by mid-2026.
broometurfclub.com.au
Shinju Matsuri
Late August, early September
Japanese for ‘festival of the pearl’, Shinju Matsuri began more than 50 years ago, originally to mark the safe return of pearl luggers who’d spend up to two months out to sea.
The fortnight-long festival takes over the multicultural town of Broome and its famous Cable Beach, peaking with an iconic long table dinner for 400 on the sand. It opens with the awakening of Sammy the Chinese Dragon who parades through crowds.
Other highlights include a mass release of floating lanterns carrying remembrance messages across the ocean, a pearl meat cook-off with loads of tastings, a float parade through the heart of town, a catwalk for pets in fancy dress, and a pop-up food feast in Chinatown.
TOP & BELOW: Shinju Matsuri festival takes over Broome during the fortnight-long festival; RIGHT: More than 50 events run over the month of the Bloom Festival in the Great Southern; OPPOSITE PAGE: Take in one of the many food and wine events at Pair’d Margaret River.
While in Broome, be sure to catch the Staircase to the Moon, and watch as the reflection of water on the corrugated mud flats creates a transfixing staircase effect that simply must be seen at least once in your life. It’s visible from many vantage points, including the Broome Golf Club, Town Foreshore, Matso’s Brewery and the Mangrove Hotel. At the latter, the warble of a didgeridoo fills the air as the moon rises, like a giant pearl.
If travelling with kids, the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park will leave a lasting impression, as much for the giant crocs snapping at feeding time as the chance to hold a new hatchling (where possible).
shinjumatsuri.com.au
Bloom Festival
End September to end October
More than 50 events run over the month of the Bloom Festival in the Great Southern. Exotic wildflowers get their time in the sun, as the focus of activities across nine shires and 26 communities. That said, everything that blooms is celebrated, so expect a lot of floral
theming and adventures that range from Noongar culture events to open gardens and wine and dine events – including a paint and sip in the vines.
There are also guided tours through the Stirling Range National Park, a breakfast hike, heritage trails, wildflower displays, and art exhibitions. The Bloom street party launching the festival is a highlight, and craft activities such as fabric flower making and woven vessels are popular.
For families, there’s a children’s treasure hunt, a felt flower workshop, bloom story time and a “learn to ride gravel” session. The festival also wraps in the Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show, and the Kojonup and Katanning agricultural shows.
greatsoutherntreasures.com.au/bloom
Pair’d Margaret River
Late November
Ever listened to opera sung in a cave or dined on a long table beneath tall trees? In 2026 it’ll be the third year of the Pair’d Margaret River food and wine festival, which offers experiences that are anything but expected.
Events have an out-of-the-box edge to them, while a focus on the region’s renowned produce remains in place. You might meet the next generation of Margaret River winemakers at the popular New Wave event. There’s also the opportunity to go for a vineyard wander, sample wine in a barrel hall, cruise on a catamaran for sunset vino and canapes, or have a fireside feast on a working farm.
Previous sell-out events include the Cullen chardonnay tasting, lunch on the lawn at Fraser Gallop Estate, and the sounds of a soprano inside Ngilgi Cave.
While in the Margaret River region, check out the new Miss Chow’s dumpling restaurant at Edwards Wines, book in for a sophisticated beachside breakfast at the recently opened Ilma Beach House at Bunker Bay, and take the magical (and free) 3.7km coastal walk between Dunsborough and Meelup Beach. pairdmargaretriver.com
Event dates are correct at the time of publication. Where exact dates are not listed, please check the event website closer to the time.
Western Australia
CJ Maddock
Broome - Darwin | 9 July 2027 10
Fremantle - Broome | 8 August 2027
10
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Honeymoon Bay - Lisa Kuilenburg
In my garage
WE CHAT WITH MARY ANN STEWART RICHARDSON ABOUT HER 1947 MG TC
It was 1995 when Mary Ann’s late husband Ken lovingly restored their MG TC. Since his passing four years ago, Mary Ann has ensured the car has remained in the pristine condition he returned it to.
Despite only 10,000 being built between 1945 and 1949, the MG TC introduced affordable sports cars to a generation that relished the thrills these cars offered. Mary Ann agrees there is something about the TC that has made it so loved, especially during the era in which it made its debut.
She said there was much optimism following the end of the war, and as people began to prosper again, this sporty, fun, and somewhat cheeky little car captured people’s hearts.
“I can understand why the pilots after the Second World War got such an adrenaline rush when they were driving these little cars with the aero screens. It would be the closest thing they would get to flying. Even though they weren’t going very fast, they felt like they were.
“They handled so well. They do have a certain amount of real grunt.”
The TCs made their mark in competition too, gaining success on racetracks around the world, including in Western Australia.
Among some of the changes Ken made when he restored the TC was the addition of a walnut dashboard.
Over the years, Mary Ann has maintained the car with support from a local TC owners club.
“You can maintain it yourself with a bit of support from others and that’s where it’s so important to be involved with the club.
“And did you know that we now have four lady members in the TC owners club that own their own cars outright? I think that’s amazing.”
In addition to keeping the car in peak condition, Mary Ann also enjoys getting it out on the road, taking it for a drive every two or three weeks.
“It’s lovely because Ken’s with me. And although he passed in February in 2021, when I’m in the TC, Ken is with me and helping me. I try and drive it with the same enthusiasm and verve.”
WATCH VIDEO
See inside Mary Ann’s garage and watch us take a ride in her MG TC.
Test drive
WATCH CAR REVIEW
Watch Alex’s full review of the Subaru Forester.
TOP: The Forester hybrid is now a far more competitive proposition against other hybrid mid-sized SUVs; LEFT: Kia sharpened up the Sportage’s styling in 2025; RIGHT: The Forester’s controls are quick and user-friendly to interact with when driving.
MID-SIZED HYBRID SUVS GO BACK-TO-BACK
We compare the Kia Sportage with the Subaru Forester
By Alex Forrest
Here are two of the heavy hitters of the medium-sized SUV segment. They are established top ten sellers out of over 60 models available in Australia’s biggest-selling and most diverse vehicle category: mid-sized SUVs.
The new Subaru Forester’s all-new hybrid system has a bigger battery and more powerful electric motor, which make it both more fuel efficient and better to drive.
The updated Kia Sportage arrived in May 2025, just a month before the new Forester. It’s had a nip and tuck front and rear and some interior changes, and the petrol-only models now get an eightspeed torque converter transmission.
The biggest indicator of how much these two rival each other is their very close pricing. Entry-level variants for the Forester and Sportage hybrids cost $52,770 and $52,325 respectively.
But there are some critical differences between these two, especially around pricing and off-road ability.
Let’s see which one suits you best.
Value for money
Both the Subaru Forester and Kia Sportage are well-stocked with safety and infotainment tech, but there are some differences that buyers will want to keep in mind.
Firstly, even the entry level Forester Hybrid gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, whereas in the Sportage you need to plug in your phone to access these.
On the flipside, the Sportage gets a space saver spare tyre, which is a better option than the puncture repair kit offered by the Forester hybrid. Kia offers a seven-year warranty with the Sportage, where the Forester only gets five years warranty coverage. But perhaps the biggest value difference is that compared to the entry level Forester Hybrid, which is all-wheel drive, the similarly priced Sportage Hybrid is more powerful but only front-wheel drive.
Behind the wheel
The extra punch from the Forester’s vastly improved hybrid system (compared with the first try launched in 2020) is immediately evident. It’s responsive
and the all-wheel drive system makes the Forester feel highly capable and sure-footed, especially on wet roads. The Sportage’s hybrid system does produce more power – 173kW against the Forester’s 145kW. But at the Forester’s approximately $52,000 price point, the Sportage is only front-wheel drive. You’ll need to spend a little more ($55,730) to get all-wheel drive in the Sportage hybrid. In comparable all-wheel drive form, the Sportage also uses less fuel in the mandated test, sipping 5.3L/100km against the Forester’s 6.2L/100km. Both only require 91 RON fuel.
The Forester is better suited to offroad driving, with a substantial ground clearance of 220mm and all-wheel drive on all variants. The Sportage’s clearance is a more road-hugging 181mm and all-wheel drive costs extra.
Safety and practicality
Both the Forester and Sportage have 5-star ANCAP safety ratings, with the Forester being most recently rated by ANCAP in 2024.
A significant downside for the Forester Hybrid in the eyes of many potential owners will be that it does not come with a spare tyre of any kind. In contrast, all variants of the Sportage come with a spare, with a space saver in the hybrid and a full-sized spare in non-hybrid versions.
It’ll be important to drive both of these enough to see which of the driver attention and speed monitoring systems in these two suits you better. We found the Subaru’s version to be better calibrated and less intrusive.
Verdict
The new Subaru Forester is among the most compelling medium-sized SUV options out there. It’s a far better performing and better value vehicle than its hybrid predecessor. And the drivetrain’s full-time all-wheel drive is preferable over other part-time allwheel drive systems. There are many good reasons why the Kia Sportage is among the top ten sellers, with its refinement and on-road manners among them, but it also costs nearly $3000 more for the all-wheel drive hybrid. Which is why it’s the Forester this time.
ENGINE 2.5-litre petrol/electric hybrid
POWER 145kW (combined)
TORQUE N/A
CLAIMED FUEL ECONOMY 6.2L/100km
PRICE $52,770
ANCAP SAFETY RATING
ENGINE 1.6-litre turbo petrol/electric hybrid
POWER 173kW (combined)
TORQUE 367Nm (combined)
CLAIMED FUEL ECONOMY 5.3L/100km^
ABOVE: The Sportage’s cabin is cleanly designed but wireless phone charging in the base model would be welcomed.
Kia Sportage
Subaru Forester Hybrid
WATCH CAR REVIEW
Watch Alex’s
ENGINE 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol turbo / PHEV
POWER 300kW (combined)
TORQUE 750Nm (combined)
CLAIMED FUEL ECONOMY 1.7L/100km
PRICE from $51,490 drive away
ANCAP SAFETY RATING
GWM CANNON ALPHA PHEV
With so many tough-sounding superlatives in its name, the GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV may be at risk of raising questions about what it is trying to offset.
The truth is though, the ute itself doesn’t really need all those pneumatic monikers. It does okay at most ute tasks, and rather well when it comes to cabin refinement, electriconly driving range and actual value.
As a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), the GWM Cannon Alpha has a real-world electric driving range of around 85km when fully charged. If the battery runs out before you can charge again, the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine adds more assistance, and the ute runs more like a typical hybrid.
With a starting price of $51,490 drive away, the Cannon Alpha PHEV competes with the Ford Ranger PHEV ute ($81,200) and the BYD Shark 6 PHEV ($59,400).
It comes in two variants, being the Lux PHEV and the Ultra PHEV. We drove the latter (costing $60,490), which demonstrates well just how much gear you get for what is midspec pricing in some other utes.
For example, front seats which are heated, cooled, massaging and electrically adjustable with position memory are unusual in a vehicle costing less than $65,000.
The theme of plush family transport in the shape of a ute continues with polished finishes, fake woodgrain and a nice shiny analogue clock.
To make best use of its electrified talents, the Cannon Alpha PHEV is best suited for city driving where trips are short and regenerative braking is plentiful.
Long trips are not its forte – after the battery is depleted, in petrol hybrid mode it uses around 10L/100km.
Charge it regularly though, and you’ll have access to its tremendous, combined output of 300kW and 750Nm. There’s a huge amount of gear and tech here for the money, but it’s best in the city.
full review of the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.
HYUNDAI INSTER
Small city cars are absolutely in the sweet spot when it comes to getting more people over the line and into electric cars. Here’s why.
Firstly, they’re among the cheapest EVs available. Secondly, the Inster in particular addresses the pitfalls of many other city cars, such as poor build quality, a lack of refinement and being sparsely equipped.
In doing that, Inster demonstrates just how much maturity can be packed into a tiny city car nowadays.
Inside, it has two 10.25-inch screens – one for the instruments and one for the infotainment system.
There’s also wireless charging for your phone, and it even has a vehicleto-load socket, so you can power low-draw 240-volt external items like a vacuum cleaner or laptop charger.
Its near-silent electric motor, which drives the front wheels, is powered by a 71.1kWh battery pack in the base model, with 84.5kWh of battery capacity in the Inster Extended Range and the range-topping Inster Cross. The charge port is in the front bumper, which we found more convenient than a side port.
It’s by no means a performance machine in the style of a Kia EV6 GT, but the Inster’s quietness and smooth power delivery make it so much more pleasant than a miniscule petrol engine shuffling through gears.
An unnecessarily fussy rear luggage cover is in the boot, but other than that, the rear section is adjustable and can comfortably fit regular-sized people in it.
It was rated by ANCAP in 2025 and received four stars, but this excludes the Cross variant, which is unrated.
The Inster is cheap for an EV at $39,990 drive away, but expensive for a car this size.
But it benefits from Hyundai’s rock-solid infotainment tech, quality switchgear and a modern but normal-looking interior that doesn’t shout “I’m an EV!”, which can’t be said of all small EVs.
More choice, same savings
Car doctor
Q I drive an automatic Kia Cerato. If I park on an incline, it is sometimes hard to move the gearstick out of park, and when it does move, there is an audible ‘clunk’. Is there a sequence of actions I can do to avoid this?
Robert, Currambine
A It sounds like the vehicle is relying mostly on the transmission to prevent it from rolling away, instead of the parking brake. To avoid this, when you come to a stop, keep your foot on the brake pedal and apply the parking brake. Shift the transmission to neutral, then carefully take your foot off the brake pedal, allowing the vehicle’s weight to be taken by the parking brake. Then shift the transmission to park.
QThe vehicle service centre where I take my Land Rover Discovery 4 tells me the brake discs must be changed at the same interval as the brake pads. Could you verify this?
Tyrone, Mosman Park
A Yes, it is common practice on modern vehicles such as yours to replace a set of brake rotors at the same time as brake pads. While there may still be some useable thickness on the rotor, after it is resurfaced it is unlikely to last the life of the new pads, during which time braking performance may also be affected. Often, in the long run it will be more economical and safer to replace the rotors as well.
Q Why do vehicle manufacturers recommend one tyre pressure while tyre suppliers often suggest a slightly higher pressure when tyres are replaced?
Richard, Hillarys
ATyre pressures recommended by vehicle manufacturers are typically skewed towards optimising ride comfort, whereas a tyre shop may recommend slightly higher pressures to improve fuel economy (with reduced rolling resistance) and to sharpen handling. We’d recommend following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
RAC members can take advantage of our Auto Advice Line. If you have a motoring question, call 6150 6199 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm to speak to one of our experts.
WIN FREE FUEL
Send us your question for the Car Doctor and if it’s published, you’ll receive a $50 fuel voucher to use at any Puma and Caltex locations Australia-wide, thanks to RAC Member Benefits.
Send your questions to editor@rac.com.au or post to The Car Doctor, Horizons, GPO Box C140, Perth WA 6839
Please include your full name, address and daytime telephone number with your question.
If your question is chosen for publication, please allow up to eight weeks for delivery. See page 81 for terms and conditions of entry.
Member lounge
FUNDING YOUR RENO WITHOUT TOUCHING YOUR SAVINGS
If you’ve decided to renovate your home, rather than relocating, financing it with a personal loan can be a great option for those mid-sized renovation projects, which can make a big impact.
They can also add value to your home, especially bathroom and kitchen renovations, and outdoor upgrades such as swimming
How AI is making home security smarter
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in security systems can make the identification of security-related events much easier to detect.
Your AI-enabled security cameras don’t simply record footage, they can detect and identify objects such as people and cars in real time, so you’re only alerted to what matters rather than irrelevant movement such as pets or wind moving trees and shrubs. This results in fewer false alarms, as the technology is able to specifically detect the movements of an intruder. Because irrelevant activity and movement is ignored, you only receive notifications when there is a potential security threat, which means a faster response to security threats.
pools and patio areas with outdoor kitchens.
A fixed-rate, personal loan can avoid the need to dip into your savings or redraw from your mortgage to pay for the work – you can just borrow what you need.
RAC’s Finance team offer fixed-rate, secured personal loans for amounts up to $150,000, with no ongoing monthly or annual fees. That means more of your money goes towards your renovation – not hidden costs.
To help get started, contact RAC’s local finance team on 1300 045 197
In the case of security cameras, if you need to review any events that have been captured, you can quickly find the relevant footage. The system can also categorise the events into files such as ‘Vehicles’ or ‘Persons’.
Coupled with a security alarm, your AI-enabled cameras will provide a superior level of surveillance to keep your family and property safe.
To find out more about the AI features in RAC’s security cameras, call 1300 132 735 or visit rac.com.au/security
SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST CLUB MED NOW OPEN FOR BOOKINGS
Bookings are now open for Club Med’s very first allinclusive South African resort.
The property, in the heart of KwaZulu-Nata, offers two distinct holiday experiences – a beachfront stay at The Beach Resort or a safari experience at Mpilo Safari Lodge located within a private reserve. The coastal resort looks out over a pristine part of the Indian Ocean with access to a range of water-based recreational activities, including a surf school and a splash park. While at the
safari lodge, you’ll stay within a private reserve sprawling across more than 18,000 hectares, where you’ll be taken to see the animals dubbed Africa’s Big Five - lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and African buffalo.
At both resorts, you’ll enjoy all the premium Club Med inclusions that come as part of your package, from dining to kids’ clubs.
To find out more and to book for travel from July 2026, contact RAC Travel on 1300 655 179 or visit rac.com.au/travel
DOWNLOAD YOUR DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP CARD
Your RAC membership card is now available as a digital card, which you can save to your phone’s digital wallet for easy access to member benefits and discounts.
You can download your digital card directly via your myRAC account. Simply head to
rac.com.au/myrac and either log in or register and follow the prompts. Once logged in, you’ll find instructions to download your digital card. And even if you don’t use a digital wallet, you can still use your digital card while you’re logged in to your myRAC account.
Of course, your plastic membership card is still valid, so you can continue to access your member benefits and discounts.
Payments by cheque are being phased out
As Australia’s financial system moves towards the elimination of cheques as a form of payment, RAC will be phasing out cheque payments from 1 January 2026. You will still be able to pay for RAC services and products using cash, EFTPOS or credit card.
If you need assistance switching to other forms of payment, we’re happy to help. Please contact us on 13 17 03.
RAC’s Travel & Cruise Expo
15 March 2026
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
This is your chance to discover the world in one place and book your dream holiday.
Make the most of the great everyday savings you get as an RAC member. Whether it’s discounts on travel, fuel, gas for your home, pharmacy, groceries, entertainment, dining or RAC products and services – RAC members save every day.
ENJOY A SUMMER OF SAVINGS IN THE ONLINE SHOP
And, say hello to better value mobile plans with Member’s Mobile.
Page 64 & 65
Show your RAC member card and start saving today
Plantation Shutters for comfort and style
Get the timeless look of plantation shutters with our range, custom made for your home. Available in PVC, Basswood and aluminium. Professional installation.
• Premium Promesh Stainless Steel
• Tough & affordable SecureGrille
• Aust Standard triple locking system
• Replace old flyscreens & doors
RAC Members save 10%. Plus claim the $400 Safety and Security Rebate^
• Control heat and light
• Increase privacy
• Modern contemporary design
• Premium quality with a 25 year warranty
Roller Shutters Summer Sale
• Increase security
• Increase privacy
• Blockout the heat & cold
• Save on energy bills
• Professional installation
Reduce heat from entering your home by installing NuStyle Roller Shutters. Save on cooling costs by maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your home Plus save on energy consumption and help the environment.
• Custom made in WA
• 10 year warranty
Enjoy your life with improved hearing! You will be able to hear your family, your friends, the TV & telephone and in group settings much more clearly with this new 2026 hearing aid technology.
No one will know that you are wearing a hearing aid
Introducing our brand-new 2026 hearing aid technology that was designed in Europe and is made for your exact ear size and hearing loss. It’s so small it can fit deep inside your ear canal, it begins where other hearing aids end. This makes it virtually invisible to anyone else.
$600 OFF* Every Hearing Aid Purchased. FOR RAC MEMBERS The Hearing Aid Specialists
With our new 2026 voice clarifying hearing aids, you will absolutely hear the difference!
Not sure if you require a hearing aid or which one is right for you? Want to know how they look and feel? Why not request an appointment for a FREE hearing test and hearing aid consultation with an in-clinic demonstration? You will instantly be able to hear clearly. This New Invisible Hearing Aid is virtually undetectable!
You can now stream Directly from your mobile phone to some models of hearing aids giving you crystal clear hearing. *Conditions Apply.
28/02/2026 Book in today to receive your Special RAC Discount 9350 6311 Cannington Duncraig Nedlands Rockingham email: info@hearingloss.net.au web: www.hearingloss.net.au ORIGINAL PRICE $2,199 VALUE RANGE NOW AFTER DISCOUNT $1,599ea Less Private Health Insurance Refunds
Entrants may submit more than one entry. Up to three entrants (winners) will be awarded only one prize as follows: one $50 fuel voucher to use in one transaction at any Puma/ Caltex location Australia-wide. The prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash. Entries that do not, in the absolute discretion of the panel of judges, comply with these requirements are invalid. The winner will be notified by email, telephone or letter. When the winner is notified of their prize, they will also be provided details as to the collection of their
prize. Entrants published in the summer 2025 edition of Horizons must claim their prize by 15 January 2026. In the event that no contact details are supplied, or RAC cannot make contact with the winner, the prize may be withdrawn at the absolute discretion of Horizons magazine. Prizes will only be awarded following winner validation and verification. This competition is subject to the promoter’s privacy and security statement and group privacy policy.
Full terms+conditions for competitions available at rac.com.au/competitions
Ten best
SHELTERED SUMMER SWIMMING SPOTS
Yanchep Lagoon
A long outer reef provides protection and added interest to the beach at Yanchep Lagoon. It’s a great spot for snorkelling and exploring rock pools close to shore. The safest spot to swim is at the southern end between the flags. There are two large car parks at both ends of the beach in addition to roadside parking bays. Public amenities include showers and toilets, grassed picnic areas with barbeques, a playground, and a beach kiosk.
Mettam’s Pool
North Beach
It’s popular for a reason. The reef surrounding Mettam’s Pool doesn’t just make this an excellent snorkelling spot, it also keeps the waters clear and calm. Public facilities include toilets and changerooms, shelters, and picnic tables. Even once the summer sea breeze is in, the beach remains fairly well protected. The Aquarium Yallingup
With granite rocks on each side, the Aquarium is a large,
protected channel that forms a stunning natural swimming pool. To find it, head down Canal Rocks Road and stop at the small gravel car park at Kathleen’s Seat Lookout. From there, follow the Cape to Cape track markers north to a wider dirt track and follow it down to the ocean.
Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks
Denmark
These side-by-side beaches are arguably the most tranquil and beautiful swimming spots in the region. Enclosed by giant rounded boulders, the calm waters are ideal for paddling, swimming, and snorkelling. The only public facilities here are the toilets at Greens Pool car park. Be aware that during peak holiday season parking space is limited.
Frenchman Bay
Albany
On the southern end of King George Sound, the waters of Frenchman Bay are well sheltered by Flinders Peninsula. Spend a day on this spectacular coastline with views across King George Sound.
There are grassy picnic spots with picnic tables, barbeques, and toilet facilities.
Misery Beach
Albany
Named for its proximity to Albany’s past whaling operations, today Misery Beach is anything but. In 2022 it was named Australia’s Best Beach by Tourism Australia. Huge granite outcrops provide shelter from the elements, with a spectacular hill of smooth granite at the southern end.
Osprey Bay
Exmouth
Located on the Ningaloo Coast, the beachfront area near the Osprey Bay campground is protected by the surrounding reef, providing a safe and calm area for
paddling, swimming and snorkelling. Look out for turtles among the seagrasses.
Little Hellfire Bay
Esperance
Hellfire Bay is already quite perfect, but just a short walk around the corner brings you to the very cosy Little Hellfire Bay. Head to the end of Hellfire Road to access both beaches. There are barbeques and toilet facilities near Hellfire Bay beach. To get to the smaller Little Hellfire Bay, take the coastal walk trail near the end of the parking area.
Meelup Beach
Dunsborough Protected by Geographe Bay, the beach at Meelup is paradise for a family day at the beach. It has plenty of shady
trees and grassed areas where you can take time out from the summer sun. There are barbeques, picnic tables, toilets, shower and changeroom facilities, and a good amount of parking, but it can get busy in holiday periods. A coastal cycle path also passes through the area.
Little Salmon Bay Rottnest
This peaceful bay is surrounded by rocky outcrops and protected by a reef, which also makes it a great spot for snorkelling as well as swimming. There’s also a 700m underwater snorkel trail a little way off the beach. Little Salmon Bay is accessible from stop 6 on the Island Explorer bus or a 5km cycle from Thompson Bay.
