Stretching more than 600 miles along the Indian Ocean, the Coral Coast strings together white-sand beaches, protected reserves and coastal towns. The world that lives underwater is equally vibrant: Between March and July, whale sharks inhabit the waters of Ningaloo Reef, and you can actually snorkel alongside these harmless mammals. Another experience of a lifetime is swimming with humpback whales, and manta rays swim alongside divers in Coral Bay all year long. Plus, don’t miss a chance to see the potato-like dugongs that live in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Western Australia’s first spot to receive UNESCO status.

It’s worth timing your visit to experience Western Australia’s marvels of nature. Between March and October in Broome’s Roebuck Bay, you can witness a stunning vision: When the full moon rises over the mudflats at low tide, it creates an optical illusion of stairs ascending to the heavens.

Is there any sight more quintessentially Australian than a kangaroo sunbathing on a beach? You can spot that and much more in Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park. Keep your eyes open for whales bobbing in the waters, and marvel at the milky sand that was once scientifically proven to be the whitest in Australia.

South of Perth is the Margaret River region, where the rugged coast gives way to rolling vineyards and more than 120 wineries. In these fertile lands, Western Australia produces 20 percent of Australia's top-rated wines. Further inland is the truffle capital of Manjimup — arrive in June just in time for the Truffle Kerfuffle to celebrate these beloved morsels with guided hunts and harvest dinners.

Cosmopolitan Perth is booming, and in between exploring new restaurants and luxury hotels, there are plenty of spaces to reconnect with nature. At 990 acres, Kings Park and Botanic Garden is one of the world’s largest city parks — overlooking the Swan River — where you can venture out on a guided walk and learn the how the Aboriginal Nyoongar people rely on local flora and fauna to live off the land. Within minutes of Perth there are 19 white-sand beaches to play on, from the pristine waters of popular Cottesloe Beach to the new amphitheater on Scarborough Beach.