Many people stopping in Australia tend to forget all about the westernmost city, Perth because it’s just so far away from everything else. Yet this city, which is the most isolated city in the world geographically, provides the heart of a journey which shows the most spectacular character of Australia.

A small city with barely two million people, Perth is nevertheless a sprawling place. The Swan River divides the north from the south and it spreads far and narrow against a spectacular coast line of beaches that puts the Gold Coast to shame.

The ocean that butts against the Perth shore line is not as fierce as further south, but each day surfers, windsurfers and wake boarders can be seen littering the waves like sea gulls, jumping and leaping against the surf.

Western Australia has two very distinct characters. From Perth upwards it becomes hotter and drier and towns nestle between the desert and the sea, wrestling against red dust and a wild sea. The further you go, the hotter it becomes.

One of my favourite journeys however is to the south, beginning first in the Swan Valley region just north of Perth. The Swan Valley is one of Western Australia’s spectacular wine regions and the whole area is filled with both major and boutique wineries and breweries. Fairly inland, it is a patchwork of hills and lush vineyards, each open to the public to come and sample their wares. This is an area to spend at least a few days taking tours and enjoying the restaurants.

Driving further South however you will come to one of Western Australia’s stunning coastal towns, Margaret River. Also a major wine growing region, Margaret River is renowned for its string of surfing and swimming beaches. Everyone from old men to children have a surfboard and it’s a great place to learn it yourself. It is easy to spend weeks hanging out on the beaches or touring wineries or just sitting on the verandah and overlooking the ocean.

From swimming with the dolphins, to surfing, to sunbathing, Western Australia offers some of the most spectacular sights for tourists and it is as yet still unsullied in the way that many eastern Australian tourist attractions have become. It remains an isolated idyll that has been hidden from view, even from Australia itself, and as such has retained its spectacularly untouched character.