Visit Shark Bay, Australia

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous for its blistering beaches, sparkling waters and vibrant red dunes, and is also home to an extraordinary range of aquatic life and boasts the country’s longest wildflower season.

Often overshadowed by the rival attraction of the visiting dolphins at Monkey Mia a few miles away, the Shark Bay Marine Park provides a far less commercial experience.

Wildlife and walking

A host of walking trails link rugged sea cliffs to tranquil lagoons where unspoiled environments of coral, mangrove and huge seagrass meadows support a prolific amount of sea life including nesting turtles, whales and dolphins.

Scratch the surface and you will find graceful dugong and the curious living fossils of stromatolites at Hamelin Pools. At François Peron National Park, the Eden Initiative is working to reintroduce animals threatened with extinction.