The south western regions of Western Australia offer rolling farmlands, boutique wineries, winding rivers, spectacular cave systems, magnificent forests and great coastlines. There are many fascinating towns and areas to visit these include Bunbury, Margaret River, Yallingup, Augusta, Pemberton, Denmark and Albany.

Bunbury is the third largest urban area in Western Australia, and is the major port and commercial centre for the south west region. Bunbury is located 189km south of Perth on the Leschenault Estuary at the junction of the Preston and Collie Rivers.

Margaret River, famous for its wineries, is an ideal base to discover the coastal scenery as well as to go wine tasting, surfing and caving. Yallingup offers great surfing and is also the home to the first of numerous underground caves, part of the cave system which works its way south to Augusta. These fascinating limestone caves include Lake Cave, Mammoth Cave and Jewel Cave with magnificent limestone formations and beautiful colours.

Augusta is a popular fishing village set on the slopes of the Hardy Inlet. The town overlooks the mouth of the Blackwood River - the regions largest river, the waters of Flinders Bay and rolling, heavily wooded countryside.

The huge karri forest is accessible via Manjimup and Pemberton. There are many scenic drives through karri country, which are covered in wildflowers during the spring. The Southern Forests also include the new Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk and the Ancient Empire. The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk was set up to protect the Tingle Forest and provides a unique opportunity to view the forest floor and also the canopy tree-tops along the gradually elevated walkway (reaching 40 metres).

Denmark is a popular holiday town on the banks of the Denmark River. Nearby is the William Bay National Park, which has beautiful white beaches and impressive rocky scenery. The surf beaches are also popular for water sports and the town boasts that fishing is excellent.

Albany is Western Australia's oldest town and one of its most picturesque. Situated on the edge of King George Sound and the magnificent Princess Royal harbour, the town offers a wealth of history and beautiful coastal, rural and mountain scenery. The town has spectacular views looking out over the coast and inland towards the historic Stirling and Porongurup Ranges. The Porongurup Ranges are located 50 kilometres north of Albany and offer bushwalks and wineries.

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.