Augusta, Western Australia. This town offers the perfect family holiday. Within a short drive you can visit world-class wineries and stunning forest.
Nestled at the mouth of the Blackwood River, the town has some of the most pristine beaches in the world, perfect for fishing, swimming, surfing, diving and boating.
Augusta is situated on the south coast of Australia's South West tourist region. Augusta faces the Southern and Indian Oceans at Cape Leeuwin on the shores of Hamelin Bay and mouth of the Blackwood River. Augusta is the most south-western city in Western Australia.
Use the controls on the map (slide up), to zoom in for a detailed view.
Whale Watching
From June to December, the waters near Augusta play host to hundreds of Humpback and Southern Right Whales as they migrate up the Western Australian coastline to warmer, northery waters. See the Whales Breaching and Tail Slapping as they play and mate with each other
Jewel Cave
8km from Augusta lies this mammoth cavern, lined with awesome decorations such as the 'frozen waterfall' and the longest straw stalactite in any visitorcentre cave in the world! Listen to the water dripping off these marvellous creations of nature as you walk through the cave
Hamelin Bay
This magnificent area involves a sweeping bay with sheltered swimming pools, all surrounded by beautiful limestone formations. There is a shipwreck trail in the bay and stingrays are human-friendly which allows for easy feeding and great photo opportunities
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
This lighthouse marks the most extreme south-west corner of the Australian continent and is the place where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet. The lighthouse tower has 176 steps to the top which rewards the visitor with marvellous views and is open daily
Augusta has a mild-temperate climate. In Summer temperatures are quite pleasant, cooled by the fresh southerly winds. In winter, the town experiences quite a large amount of rainfall from the cold fronts which cross the coast here. Temperatures in Winter can actually be warmer than Perth! In Summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 36°C with an average minimum temperature of 20°C. In Winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 17°C with an average minimum temperature of 7°C.
Originally explored by the Dutch in 1622, it was, however, Matthew Flinders who named the south-western tip of the coastline "Cape Leeuwin" on 6 December 1801. The first European 'settlers' in the area were the whalers and sealers who sought protection from the storms of the southern ocean. Reports of the land were good, so, on March 12, 1830, Augusta was founded by James Stirling accompanied by settlers from the ship "Barque Warrior".
Up until the 1870s, the town struggled to grow due to the obstructed transport back up to Perth. The town suddenly grew when the value of the local hardwood trees Karri and Jarrah was recognised and local sawmills were setup.
If you plan to holiday in Western Australia, the West-Oz e-Newsletter is a must read. Packed full of local information, promotions, links and photographs. Each issue is presented in an attractive, easy to read manner and is delivered to your e-mail, once per month.
