Covering an area of 2 and a half million square kilometres, Western Australia covers one third of the Australian continent. This is in stark contrast to its population of only 1.9 million – one tenth of the country's entire population. And to get a feeling of the remoteness of this state, over 72% of people live in or around the capital city, Perth.

This is a state of incredibly diverse landscapes. Rugged, dramatic ranges and gorges to the north; some of the world's tallest forests in the south; the arid deserts of the east and almost 13 000 kilometres of pristine coastline to the west. The climate naturally varies greatly also with the north being tropically humid; the outback dry and the south enjoys a mild Mediterranean type of climate.