In welcome news for Western Australia, restrictions on intrastate travel, dining out, recreation and social gatherings have eased, and locals are now experiencing a sense of freedom amongst the 'new normal'. 

The lifting of restrictions allows bars, restaurants and cafes to reopen with seated service, and most of Perth's favourite hospitality venues are welcoming patrons back through their doors. Restrictions have also eased on galleries, museums, theatres and concert venues. Wildlife and amusement parks can also reopen, including the Perth Zoo.

WA's tourism operators are ready to welcome visitors - and interstate travellers when the time is right- to the regions, and have undergone the appropriate training and adhering to the COVID Safety Plan before reopening, to protect staff and guests, as required by the WA State Government.

Kalbarri Skywalk now open

The much-anticipated Kalbarri Skywalk in WA's Coral Coast region is now officially open. Offering visitors breathtaking and uninterrupted views over Kalbarri National Park, the 100 metre high Skywalk features two cantilevered viewing platforms that extend 25 and 17 metres beyond the rim of the Murchison River Gorge. Located at West Loop – only 1.5 kilometres from the popular Nature's Window – the $24 million project also includes toilets, shade shelters, paths, wheelchair accessible viewing structures, visitor information, parking and an environmentally friendly kiosk (due to open soon). The facility showcases the culture and stories of the Nanda Traditional Owners through interpretive and artistic elements. Visitors are greeted with an entry sign stating kaju yatka, the Nanda words for 'sky' and 'to walk.' Inspired by the region's heritage and beauty, several local Aboriginal artists have created interpretive artwork as an important part of the Skywalk experience. This includes the Beemarra serpent, central to the dreaming story of the Nanda people, sandblasted into the path to guide visitors, and message sticks welded with Aboriginal art to make a 'forest' near the entrance of the Skywalk. A six-hour drive from Perth, Kalbarri is well known for its National Park. A combination of coastal and inland landscapes, the spectacular coastal cliffs provide an excellent vantage point to view humpback whales on their annual migration down Western Australia's coastline between June and November each year, and access to some of the State's most spectacular wildflowers.

Margaret River to welcome first five-star hotel

Luxury hotel chain Marriott International has just announced it will open a five-star resort in the world-renowned Margaret River region in WA's South West. As the first five-star resort in the region, the Westin Margaret River Resort & Spa will be located on the southern headland of Gnarabup Beach – offering pristine views over the Indian Ocean and direct access to the Cape to Cape Walk. The hotel will include 120 guest rooms, onsite dining venues, and meeting and event spaces and is expected to open in mid-2023.

Western Australians now free to 'Wander out Yonder'

With intrastate travel restrictions now lifted across the State (with the exception of remote Aboriginal communities), West Australians are being encouraged to 'Wander out Yonder' and take a different kind of holiday by travelling to new places and seeking out new experiences.

Locals are now free to explore tall timber forests, swim with the biggest fish in the sea, experience the magic of the Kimberley region, take a selfie with the happiest animal on the planet, drive the South West Edge and walk on the whitest beaches alongside kangaroos, or explore Australia's sunniest capital city. Now is the perfect time to discover, or rediscover, what a holiday in WA has to offer. Ticking off a bucket-list destination or revisiting a familiar holiday spot? Experience it from a different perspective by booking a tour with a local tourism operator.

While West Australians are free to wander out yonder, the adventure awaits for travellers from the rest of Australia and our international friends. When the time is right, we'll be ready to welcome visitors with adventures across incredible landscapes and wide open spaces, amazing deals, epic road trips, friendly tour operators and the most welcoming locals on the planet.

A collection of passionate tour operators are looking forward to welcoming guests on a WA adventure, such as Kate Gibson of The Hike Collective who hosts guests on guided hiking expeditions in Perth and its surrounding regions. On the sparkling Esperance coastline, Esperance Chalet Village's Fiona Shillington has been getting on top of property maintenance ahead of welcoming visitors back to its adored chalets, while Leigh Rawlings of Kimberley Air Tours in the State's North West is behind 'tours from the couch' for those who are still unable to travel to the Kimberley – a mini-series of online air tours allowing anyone from around the world to experience a scenic flight virtually. For those wanting to reflect and reconnect with nature, the tranquil surrounds of Valley of the Giants is an ideal getaway in WA's South West, while Finlay's Kalbarri is ready to welcome travellers seeking a coastal escape with a side of succulent seafood and easy access to spectacular beaches. Frances Pollock of Wooleen Station in the Murchison offers a perfect residence for those after a spiritual outback escape, where sunshine and fresh air abounds.

For more information on the operators, quotes or interview requests, please contact media@westernaustralia.com.

Sneak peek of WA's epic landscapes in first trailer of feature film Dirt Music

Audiences across the globe have had a first look at the film adaptation of West Australian author Tim Winton's classic novel Dirt Music. The latest movie from the producers of LION and acclaimed director Gregor Jordan (Two Hands, Ned Kelly) is set against WA's breathtaking and evocative landscapes, including the Kimberley, Perth, Goldfields and Esperance. Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald, US actor Garrett Hedlund and Australian favourite David Wenham headline the cinematic adaptation, which will be released in Australia this year. The haunting love story won the 2002 Miles Franklin Award, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in the same year.

You can watch the trailer here. 

Finding your story in WA's Goldfields

Australia's Golden Outback, in partnership with the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society, has launched an ancestry campaign encouraging Australians (and internationals) with a connection to WA's Goldfields to discover their family history. It's estimated that around 120,000 people from more than 30 countries flocked to the region during the gold-rush era – including former US President Herbert Hoover.  Since then, there's been more than 125 years of continual gold production.

Perth resident Toni Barnett answered Australia's Golden Outback's call to be part of its mini-documentary to uncover her family story – watch the eight-minute documentary here, and be inspired to find your links.

Farming initiative ensures livelihood of Australian-grown pearls

In an Australian first, a pearl farming operator has successfully spawned two types of pearl oysters across two of its hatcheries at the same time, helping ensure the long-term future for Australian-farmed pearls. Pearl of Australia's WA-based Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm operation produces the famous Australian South Sea Pearl. Situated 200 kilometres north of Broome on Cape Leveque Road, the property runs a collection of pearl farm tours and cultural experiences. It also houses a mix of accommodation types, in addition to an onsite restaurant. The ability to continue with a pearl shell breeding program has been vital to the long-term success of the business – and represents a first for Australian pearling.

Local Operator Updates

• Perth's island playground Rottnest is welcoming visitors again, with accommodation providers now taking bookings, and most of the eateries and activities open for business. The world-famous quokkas are ready to greet their guests with a smile.

• Perth's popular State Buildings has reopened, welcoming guests back to the luxurious COMO The Treasury hotel, Wildflower, Long Chim, Petition and The Treasury Lounge and Bar. The historic precinct has also evolved its collection of restaurants and bars, and will feature a new-look Wine Merchant (opening today), a refreshed Post restaurant (reopening in early July), and a brand new late-night bar (opening in July).

• The Art Gallery of WA is now open and encouraging visitors to experience its world-class exhibitions. This includes all the State Art Collection galleries, together with special exhibitions Pulse Perspectives, the Tom Malone Prize and Tom Muller's WA Now exhibition MONOLITH SCORES.

• Western Australian Museums are now open, including the WA Maritime Museum and Shipwrecks Museum. The New Museum for WA is well on track to open in the Perth Cultural Centre in November 2020. Catch a glimpse of the new state-of-the-art building in the latest video update. 

• Winter is the season for black truffles in the Southern Forests region of WA's South West. Lovers of this foodie delicacy will be pleased to hear that Australian Truffle Traders has commenced its annual truffle hunts for the season. Visitors to the region can follow along with highly trained truffle dogs as they sniff their way through orchards in search of the famous black truffle. At $60 per person, the private truffle hunts are available on Saturday and Sundays during the months of June, July and August. And if you're looking to purchase fresh WA truffle for your next culinary adventure, Australian Truffle Traders and The Truffle and Wine Co. are now offering online orders of freshly harvested Perigord Truffles, available for delivery throughout Australia. Australian Truffle Traders is also supplying freshly unearthed truffles for purchase at European Foods Marketplace in Osborne Park from June 18. WA's Southern Forests region is the largest producer of black truffles in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Mandurah Cruises has launched a new Dolphin and Scenic Marine Cruise – which is an interactive 1 hour 15 minute cruise taking guests through Mandurah's calm, inland waterways to spot playful dolphins as they feed, rest and play in their natural environment.  The tour also includes live demonstrations of how to catch blue swimmer crab and Western Rock Lobster, then cruises to the region's vast wetlands to spot pelicans, ospreys and black swans.

• WA's annual humpback whale migration – one of the longest in the world – has now commenced, with the whales now making their way along the South West coast. Visitors can jump on board a charter tour with operators such as Albany Whale Tours, All Sea Charters, Naturaliste Charters or Whale Watch WA to see these majestic creatures up close, with tours taking place off the coast of Albany and Augusta in the South West region.

• Luxury eco-retreat Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef has received an upgrade over the summer months, and is ready to welcome guests from July 1, 2020. Additions include a new lodge area featuring local art; new beach furniture and pathways; and new luxury vehicles and golf buggies for guest transfers. As an opening season special, all guests who book a two or three night stay before June 30, will receive a complimentary night's stay. The season for 2020 has also been extended to mid-November for the first time.

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• Kimberley Coastal Camp, a remote coastal retreat located in the Kimberley region, has released a cookbook – Cooking in Thongs. The book features delicious seafood recipes as well as stunning images and stories from the family run fishing resort. Kimberley Coastal Camp sits on the edge of the pristine waters of the Admiralty Gulf, one of the best fishing regions in Australia. The exclusive resort is only accessible via helicopter or float plane, and guests numbers are limited to just 16.

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• Perth-based GoGo Active Tours has just launched a new Bike and Brew bike tour. The 3.5 hour tour will take in the Swan River foreshore, and will include some of Perth's latest breweries such as Blasta Brewery and Bright Tank. Guests will enjoy snacks and tasting paddles of beers and ciders. Bikes and helmets are also supplied. 

• Perth tour operator Two Feet and a Heartbeat, which operate a range of walking tours around Perth city and Fremantle, is now offering small group, physically distanced tours. From themed walking tours and progressive dinners in Perth and Fremantle, to extended air safaris across the rugged Kimberley region, guests get a unique perspective on the landscapes, people, culture, food and history of WA.

• Illegal Rum Tender Co has proudly taken out the top award at the World Rum Awards in the category of World's Best Column Distilled Rum (5 Years Old and Under). The Dongara-based business located on the Coral Coast Highway 3.5 hours north of Perth - is continuing to distil its rums, which can be purchased online.

• Great Southern wine producers are reporting one of the best vintages in living memory. Renowned international wine website JamesSuckling.com has reviewed West Australian Rieslings, finding ten of the best are from the Great Southern, cementing the region's reputation for producing outstanding Riesling. A list of the Great Southern Wine Region producers offering specials and delivery can be found online here.

• Albany's Historic Whaling Station will be re-opening to the public on July 1. The only complete whaling station tourism attraction in the world, it provides a fascinating insight into Albany's unique history. 

Virtual Updates

Tourism WA's Virtual WA hub on westernaustralia.com brings together immersive content to keep WA's amazing experiences at the top of consumers' minds and provide inspiration for when they can travel again. The Virtual WA hub features nature, wildlife, food and beverage, events and cultural experiences that can be sampled from the comfort of your living room. These experiences are showcased via live streamed events, interactive tours or attractions, virtual reality footage of awe-inspiring landscapes or natural phenomena, and other assets allowing travellers to get a feel of a holiday in WA.