This area incorporates Western Australia's Mid West region as well as the Gascoyne Coast and Pilbara regions. It is a vast area of contrasts where the desert meets the ocean. There are fine beaches, small coastal towns fascinating landscapes and a wondrous abundance of wildlife.

The Mid West region of Western Australia is a region of great contrasts, covering 500,000 square kilometres. The area includes beautiful coastal stretches, paddocks of native wildflowers and rugged open spaces.

Geraldton, 500km north of Perth, is the port and administrative centre for the mid-west region. On the Champion Bay, the city also offers sandy white beaches and good fishing. The surrounding area is rich agricultural land, and the district is noted for its beautiful spring wildflowers and picturesque countryside. The Houtman Abrolhos Islands lie 64km off the coast and are surrounded by treacherous reefs and shipwrecks. The islands are a bird-watchers paradise and are also the centre of the area's lobster-fishing industry. Kalbarri is a popular holiday resort situated on the coast at the mouth of the Murchison River. The area is picturesque with spectacular gorges of the river running through the Kalbarri National Park.

Geraldton and Kalbarri form part of the coastal area of the Mid West region also known as the Batavia Coast. The Mid West region also includes the Wheatbelt area with its pastoral country and bushland. The centre of the outback mid west is made up of pastoral and goldmining towns. This area depicts real outback life, complete with rugged hills, sheep and cattle stations plus wide-open spaces. Go on bush treks, fossick for gold, hunt for gemstones, watch for birds and animals, and enjoy the spring wildflower spectacular.

Also in this area is one of Western Australia's biggest natural attractions The Pinnacles. Nambung National Park is known best for its bizarre limestone formations known as The Pinnacles. The rocks jut from the desert sand and vary in size from slivers to gigantic columns.

Denham is the main population centre of Shark Bay and is Australia's most westerly town. The Shark Bay World Heritage Area and Marine Park is home to Monkey Mia with its world famous dolphins. Here wild dolphins visit the shore daily to be fed and to interact with the human visitors. Shell beach is a beautiful attraction, as is Hamelin Pool - see the world's best known colony of stromatolites (fossilised micro-organisms).

Carnarvon is the commercial centre of the highly productive Gascoyne region. On the mouth of the Gascoyne River, and 983km north of Perth, Carnarvon enjoys worm winters, hot summers and a tropical appearance with bougainvilleas and hisbuscus blooms.

The Ningaloo Reef between Coral Bay and Exmouth is 260 kilometres of coral reef sheltering a shallow lagoon. The reef provides excellent diving, snorkelling and coral viewing opportunities. On this reef, the longest coastal reef in the world, see fish, whales, dugons and turtles. From March through June each year migrating whale sharks and humpback whales visit the area. Coral Bay and Exmouth are the major base points for visiting the Ningaloo Reef. Exmouth is also close to the Cape Range National Park.

The Pilbara covers the north western corner of Australia, roughly 500,000 square kilometres. The Pilbara is an ancient, arid and tropical land - a great outback location. Its national parks and nature reserves are located both near the coast and far inland. The Pilbara area is one of the world's richest mineral areas, with many iron ore mines and mining towns. The Pilbara is the ancient Aboriginal land of 'The Dreaming' and is of great importance in Aboriginal culture and creation legends.

Port Hedland is the gateway to the Pilbara, and is one of the most historic towns in the region. The town handles the largest tonnage of any Australian port. You can not swim in ocean off Port Hedland and surrounds due to sea snakes, sharks, stone fish and blue ringed octopus, which inhabit the waters.

Karijini (the Hamersley Ranges) is Western Australia's second largest National Park. Over millions of years rain has carved the ancient range into many different shapes and gorges. The walls are vibrant bands of browns, greens, blues and pinks. Vegetation is sparse and the primitive grandeur of the bare rock is more apparent.

Stretching more than 300 kilometres through the Pilbara is the Hamersley Range. In the south the mountains slope gently up to flat-topped outcrops and in the north they rise majestically from golden spinifex plains. The main activity in the area is mining, centred at towns like Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Newman.

Inland from Roebourne is the Fortesque River and the tropical paradise of Millstream-Chichester National Park. Thousands of birds flock to this area where ferns, lilies and palms grow in abundance. The springs produce over 36 million litres of water each day, supplying the region with much needed water.

Dampier, on King Bay, faces the islands of the Archipelago. It is a modern iron ore town, with a nearby salt industry. It's deep water port provides export facilities.

The state of Western Australia is the biggest state in Australia and therefore will have the biggest climate changes throughout the state. There is three main climatic zones in the state, which are Tropical, Semi - Arid and Mediterranean.

The tropical zone is found in the north of the state where the climate is characterised by the Dry and the Wet seasons. This area is known for monsoonal rains during the wet season with the occasional cyclone hitting the region about once every 1-2 years. The Semi-Arid zone is in the central part of the state where the area is mostly covered by deserts. The south of the state is the Mediterranean zone, where there is little rainfall in the summer and the winds are hot and dry except with the occassional afternoon coastal sea breeze. Winter brings the southern region cold fronts and low pressure zones which brings rainfall for the agricultural regions.