Australia's south-west corner is where the Southern and Indian oceans met. The small township of Augusta lies in the corner where it is lush, picturesque and peaceful. Augusta is only a 3½ hour drive from Perth and bus services run daily. Popular with tourists and fisherpeople Augusta is the third eldest European settlement in WA.

The nearby Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park offers walking trails along the river, sailing, fishing, scuba diving, surfing, water skiing, windsurfing, cycling and most sports. Within the region is Jewel Cave, where you can enjoy a spectacular underground caving experience.

Whale watching is the big drawcard in the region from Augusta to Albany from May to September when both Southern Right and Humpback whales gather for an annual rest during their northerly migration. Crafts and heritage activities are strong throughout the southern coastal and country areas, especially around Pemberton and Denmark.

This region is punctuated by giant karri pine and jarrah hardwood eucalypts, which you can enjoy in the many unpopulated bush areas. The D'Entrecasteaux National Park protects a strip of wild coast and coastal heath land scrub marking an area roughly from Augusta to Pemberton and can only be experienced by 4WD. Massive basalt cliffs rise out of the ocean with the most impressive being Black Point - a lesser-known, but excellent 4WD camping and fishing area.

The Pemberton region is a great drawcard with travellers, both local and foreign, the giant trees being the region's focus. A high-rise suspension walkway between the trees near Walpole enables visitors to get closer to the sky, to sense the height of these giants and to see into their foliage that supports an array of bird life. Giant Tingle trees with gaping holes where the natural growth of the trunk separates at its base, creating a triangular cubby-hole are another of the region's natural wonders.

The tops of these huge trees create a dense canopy allowing lush ferns and moist undergrowth to flourish. Walking and nature observation is delightful here. For the more adventurous or the history buffs there are a number of 60-70m trees once used for fire lookouts that are now open for public climbing.

Albany can be reached by following the coastal route from Pemberton, through Walpole and Denmark although for a short trip from Perth you can take a direct route via the Albany Highway making the one way trip just 400km. With a population of 28,500 Albany is a thriving city on a magnificent natural harbour. Albany has long been a favourite breeding and feeding ground for whales and is in fact the location of Australia's last whaling station (closed in 1978 but restored into a museum). Albany also offers fabulous lookouts, shipwrecks, scenic drives and natural rock formations such as the Blowholes and Natural Bridge set against the pounding seas of the Southern Ocean.

490km east of Albany or 725km south-east of Perth lies one of the most appealing coastal towns that you're likely to find in Australia. Esperance is well-known for the dramatic turquoise blue of its water, which together with its temperate climate, rolling plains and magnificent headlands makes it a family favourite for a holiday destination. Esperance is the only port in the south-east of WA and due to its proximity to Kalgoorlie exports over 3 million tonnes of products annually, including wheat, barley, oats, lupins, peas and minerals. Agriculture is by far the primary industry but tourism and fishing also play important roles.

The average summer temp in this region is 27.4 °C, with a winter average of 17.9 °C. In fact, freedom from scorching summer heat waves that can affect other parts of WA is one of the attractions of the southern coastline making it a popular summer destination for inland and Perth locals.

There are numerous National Park areas such as D'Entrecasteaux, Walpole-Nornalup, Shannon, Mt Frankland, Stirling Range, Torndirrup, Fitzgerald River, Stokes, Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks that all offer unique scenery, superb camping, abundant wildlife, a temperate climate and countless attractions. Cape Le Grand is probably the most popular of all these and as such can be fully booked out in school holiday and Xmas periods. To avoid disappointment plan your stay and make enquiries early.

March - May is the ideal time to explore Augusta, Pemberton, Albany and Esperance when skies are clear, nights cool and the seas calm.

Closest Weather Station

Temperature	Feels Like	Rel. Humidity	Dew Point	Pressure	Rainfall	Wind Direction	Wind Speed	Gusts
11.8°C	6.2°C	49%	1.5°C	-hPa	0.0mm	WSW	20km/h 11knots	-km/h -knots

Closest Climatic Station

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean Max. °C	22.8	22.9	22.2	20.8	18.5	16.5	15.7	16.2	17.2	18.4	20.3	21.9
Mean Min. °C	15.0	15.4	14.6	12.7	10.6	9.0	8.1	8.3	9.2	10.3	12.3	13.9
Mean Rain mm	23.7	23.1	38.6	68.9	118.7	132.5	143.6	126.6	101.1	79.6	43.5	29.4

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