Are you all about wining and dining? Love to get out in the bush and kick up some red dirt? Or are you interested in blissing out in a city stay? Or, maybe it’s all three for you. No judgment here! Here are three ways to up the romance factor on a Western Australian honeymoon for The Western Australia Issue.

Image: Dan Avila

The City Escape

Perth’s CBD is small but mighty. Say goodbye to traffic and crowds and still enjoy those Melbourne laneway vibes or lush Sydney high-end hotel vibes some of us love. Start at The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, where you’ll be perched on the edge of the CBD at Elizabeth Quay. The hotel’s design nods to Western Australia’s natural wonders, with Kimberly sandstone aplenty. We’re big fans of the Songbird Bar and the spa’s therapy baths. Hungry? Hearth Restaurant and Lounge is your next stop. As the name suggests, this is all about the hearth, in this case, it’s a very impressive grill and fire-based cooking. Your menu comes with a map – flip it over to find out exactly where the produce is coming from. Some ingredients like abalone come from as close as Burns Beach, just 30 minutes north of the CDB, others come from the South West. The produce is the stars of the show – Margaret River wagyu beef with bush basil and bone marrow jus, Boddington lamb with native thyme, and black barley are real highlights. The wine list also taps into WA’s winemaking pedigree – with blockbuster wines from Margaret River, Franklin River, and the Porongurups, you just can’t go wrong. In the morning, hop on a ferry and cruise past Fremantle out to Rottnest Island, or head up to St George’s Terrace for a spot of shopping.

Images: The Ritz-Carlton Perth

The Wine Lovers’ Getaway

The South West Edge, the region south of Perth, is any wine lovers playground. Drive out of Perth and choose how far you want to go before making a wine stop. Just two hours south of the CBD you can detour to Ferguson Valley’s Talisman Wines for a very modern dam-side tasting in the Geographe Wine Region. Head another 90 minutes further south to Windows Estate on the northern tip of the Margaret River Wine region and stock up on local cheese, olive oil, pickles, and other picnic accouterments. Book yourself in for a couples massage at Bodhi Yallingup, the new day spa that is pure bliss in the bush. But save time for a quick visit to Yallingup Woodfired Bakery after 2.30 pm for a fresh-out-of-the-oven loaf. Then it’s on to Arlewood Estate, 40 minutes further south. On the other side of Margaret River township near Witchcliffe, this family-owned winery draws deep on their Italian roots and the excellent terroir to produce the easy-drinking Villaggio red that you’ll want to fill your pantry with for weekday winter nights, and a mighty La Bratta Rosso Nebbiolo blend. With your picnic and your wine, it’s on to Walk Talk Taste Margaret River’s glamping bell tent. A fresh billy tea and hot damper around the campfire await, then you’ve got the bush, an outdoor bath, and the night sky to yourselves.

Images: Arlewood Estate

Images: Bodhi Yallingup

Images: Samira Damirova

The Outback Adventure

Many honeymooners head south in Western Australia, but when you head north, there’s a whole other kind of adventure awaiting you. Take your time touring through the Kimberley. There’s True North’s magical week-long waterfall cruises, which are serious bucket list material.  From Broome, you can soak up the heat and then travel onwards to check out the raw, mighty beauty of the Horizontal Falls. Check out Dampier Peninsula, with a stop at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm to glamp and maybe pick up a pearl or two. Then there’s Exmouth, where the whale sharks bring plenty of visitors to the shores but the region itself is more than enough reason for the journey. A few hours drive from town, you’ll find the low-lying glamping tents of Sal Salis tucked into the dunes. This is next-level luxury glamping. A member of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, the lodge takes food, wine, and exploring seriously. Spend the day exploring nearby gorges or on a snorkel tour out to a bommie, wind down the afternoon on a day bed with a cheese platter and a sparkling wine, and lap up an evening of fine dining with your fellow lodge guests enjoying Australian wine while swapping stories of the day’s animal sightings.

Images: Sals Salis

Image: Dan Avila

City stay, outback adventure, or serious wine study; there’s no right or wrong way to be loved up and honeymooning in Western Australia.

About Lisa Perkovic: About Lisa Perkovic: Lisa has spent the past decade travelling the world writing for Australia’s leading newspapers, magazines, and blogs about all things travel. Her own honeymoon was her pièce de résistance – an epic journey to the Maldives and South Africa. Now she loves nothing more than sharing destinations and tips to help other newlyweds work out how to have the honeymoon of their dreams.