AQWA, The Aquarium of Western Australia

AQWA, the Aquarium of Western Australia, stands on Hillarys Boat Harbour on Perth's Sunset Coast, about 20 kilometres north-west of the city. It first opened in 1988 as Underwater World and took its current name in 2001. Its theme is the state's own coastline, and the aquarium invites visitors to explore 12,000 kilometres of Western Australian shoreline in a single day.

The exhibits are arranged by region, moving through the Great Southern, the Shipwreck Coast, the Perth Coast and the Far North. There are more than 45 exhibits in all. The centrepiece is the three-million-litre Shipwreck Coast display, viewed from a 98-metre acrylic underwater tunnel where sharks, rays and turtles glide overhead. Elsewhere you can look out for grey nurse sharks, loggerhead turtles, leafy and weedy seadragons, moon jellyfish, octopuses, cuttlefish, rock lobsters and juvenile saltwater crocodiles from the tropical north. The aquarium also runs a Turtle Rescue Centre, and a glass bottom boat trip and an Investigation Station add hands-on activities.

For something more adventurous, AQWA offers two guided small-group experiences in the main exhibit. Snorkel With Sharks runs daily and lets participants swim with sharks, stingrays, turtles and fish, while Dive With Sharks is a scuba experience available every day except Tuesday. Both are fully guided, include aquarium entry and need to be booked in advance, and prices are listed on the aquarium's website.

The aquarium suits families with children, for whom the tunnel and the Investigation Station are natural highlights, and it is an indoor alternative to the beach. Couples and solo travellers interested in marine life will find plenty to see across the four coastal zones, and those who want to get closer can join one of the shark experiences. The aquarium describes itself as Australia's largest single aquarium.

AQWA is open seven days a week from 9am to 4pm, and as it closes relatively early it is best visited in the morning or around lunchtime. Ferries to Rottnest Island also leave from Hillarys Boat Harbour, taking around 45 minutes, so the aquarium can be combined with an island trip on another day from the same harbour, or with an afternoon on the Sunset Coast.