With this year’s summer of sport upon us it seems there has never been a better time to cheer on England in a glamorous location. While the football might of left you cold, there are other sporting battles coming up in sun-filled destinations. And if the idea of a holiday in the UK or a return trip to the same European tourist spot has left you wanting more, how about considering a trip further afield?

If you or your family are cricket fans, later this year England will take on Australia Down Under in what is predicted to be a hotly contested Ashes series. And with the five tests spread between November and January, travelling supporters have plenty of time to combine the cricket with time on sun-kissed beaches or spotting Australia’s famous wildlife.

Whilst you may think you know Australia, there is actually a diamond waiting on the west coast to delight all members of your brood. Western Australia is a veritable feast of stunning landscape and whatever your budget you are sure to find something to suit your holiday style. Whether it is swimming with the world’s biggest fish, the whale shark, at Ningaloo Reef, sampling some of the fine food and wine in Margaret River, camping in the Kimberley outback, one of the world’s last wildernesses or watching the Ashes at Perth’s famous cricket ground, the WACA, you’ll wonder why you never went there before.

A man who has visited Western Australia many times is cricketing legend David Gower. He toured the state as a young cricketer before scoring his first century in Australia at the WACA, Perth’s riverside ground. And he’ll be back in December for the Ashes as well as some marine adventures along WA’s pristine coast.

So what is it that he sees in Australia’s largest and most extraordinary state? How incredible is a trip Down Under to watch the Ashes? And most importantly what is there on offer for your less sport mad friends and family?

Log on to this live webTV show with David and adventure travel journalist Richard Madden to find out why a visit to Western Australia this year will set your pulse racing both on and off the playing field.

David Gower and Richard Madden join us live online to discuss the trip of a lifetime to Western Australia.

For more information visit www.westernaustralia.com

H: Layla, host

A: Richard Madden, Adventure Travel Journalist

B: David Gower, cricket legend

H: G’day and welcome to Travel Talk I’m Layla and you guessed it, today we’re talking all about visiting Australia. To be precise, Western Australia because there’s a feast of stunning landscapes on offer and whatever your budget you’re sure to find something to suit your holiday style. I’m lucky enough to have joining with me today to guide us through all of Western Australia and all that they have to offer is adventure travel journalist Richard Madden, what a great job title.

A: Absolutely

H: Adventure Travel Journalist – lucky you. And of course we have a man who’s visited Australia on a couple of occasions, cricket legend David Gower. How are you today?

B: Very well, very well. Couple of occasions

H: Maybe a few

B: I’ve spent years of my life down there

H: We are live today so if you want to join in and get interactive use the box on your screen if you want to send us some of your questions and we’ll try to tackle them later on. Coming up on today’s show we look at the landscape and cultural experiences on offer in Western Australia. We review the fun-packed adventures on offer with a special look at family friendly activities, and all your questions answered live. Guys you’ve been to Australia, you’ve experienced it – David did you have a chance to look around and have a good time or were you always focused on the cricket?

B: Knowing me as I do the answer is yes. On the original tours, when I first went down there which was quite some years ago now, 32 years ago was the first time I went to Australia. Actually spent 4 months in Perth, but on the original tours they were four month tours with time to spare in between. Not huge amounts of time, I mean the best time is now because as a commentator with Sky basically in between games no more of that training stuff, no more nets, no more practice, the time is ours therefore it’s time to get away and do whatever you want pretty much in between matches which is what I’m kind of looking forward to. You know that does work

H: So you’ve been able to experience -

B: I’ve done you know done the Great Barrier Reef in the past, I’ve done you know the wineries in South Australia, that’s no surprises there, been to Uluru, to Ayer’s Rock, to Alice Springs. But there are some new experiences still to come. I mean we’re going down there this coming winter for the Ashes

H: Yes

B: And I’ve booked up -3 or 4 days on the Coral Coast Ningaloo Reef which I hadn’t heard of before, but apparently it’s absolutely gorgeous, more pristine than the Great Barrier Reef

H: Wow

B: And we’ll be there

H: And you’ll be there

B: Yes

H: Fantastic. And also Richard we’re talking about a long flight, let’s be honest, to get over there. Is it worth the extra miles?

A: Well I’d say it is because you’ve got this unique combination of – you know if you’re a cricket fan which I certainly am and a traveller which I do as a trade, you’ve got the two together – hard to beat, especially with an ashes tour and the great thing is that I think you know seeing the cricket is one thing but I mean there are people that are going to go and they’re going to focus on the cricket and that’s the main thing, but I think to go that far and not experience Australia, to not explore and really enjoy it would be mad, and I mean personally for me the thing to do would be to you know watch what you reckon’s going to be the key test, third test maybe in Perth and then go and explore the state around, because if you’re going to be zapping all over the place, 1) it’s very tiring and I think really to know sort of explore a particular state you know in depth is the way to go

H: You mentioned Perth there; do you have a favourite spot in Perth?

A: Well it’s got 19 beaches and all 19 of them are pretty fab so that’s well worth doing. I suppose if I had a favourite spot there are two that are quite different to each other – the first is there’s this island called Rott Nest Island which is about 20km off-shore and you get a ferry, takes about an hour and a half and I mean it’s a sort of holiday island for people who live in Perth but the thing that’s amazing about it, it has no cars

H: Oh wow

A: Which just makes all the difference in the world. And when you get there you get off the ferry on the harbour there and they’ve just got sort of lines and lines of bicycles all waiting

H: Oh lovely

A: So you just sort of hire a bicycle and there are you know it’s that white, coral sand and you know the beaches that are sort of near the – I call it harbour it’s just sort of a few buildings, it’s really sort of rural sort of –

B: Rustic

A: Rustic, yes rustic. But if you just pedal off you know it’s like you’re in the middle of the outback. It’s a very interesting island because it’s got this extraordinary creature called a Quokka

H: A quokka?

A: Quokka which is a – basically it’s a miniature rather fat kangaroo. It’s a very, very sort of comical creature

H: Ok

A: And actually that’s why it got called RottNest Island because the Dutch thought they were rats

H: Right

A: And they called it Rat Nest blah blah blah but in fact there these cute little things called quokkas. So that’s the main – and there’s lots of diving, you can do shipwrecks, goodness knows what. Lot of history there. Used to be an aboriginal penal colony and so on so it’s got a lot of – and there was a military enslavement –

H: Lots of stories

A: There’s lots of things to see. The other one in Perth itself, there’s the botanical gardens there which are fab; they’re right up on a sort of ridge –

H: I’ve heard

A: A scartment actually so they’re great – and the other one slightly off beat is Freemantle Prison, which is – well it used to be an old –

B: It’s not compulsory any more

A: No absolutely. But you don’t need a criminal record as they always say –

B: Yes. But –

H: It is actually a prison you’re talking about to go and visit?

B: Yes it is because it was a 19th century prison but it’s just got some of the great sort of escape stories. There’s a guy called Moon Die Joe, it was a very sort of escapist – but there are tunnels under which all the prisoners had to dig to get the water and there are lots of ghost stories and goodness knows what

H: I love things like that

B: It’s fun. It’s fun

H: Fantastic. There’s a lot about Perth in particular and actually now we’ve got a little VT for you, a little clip for you to get to know Perth yourself. Enjoy

Video Footage

H: Welcome back. If you’ve just started watching I’m Layla, today I’m joined by guests David and Richard, we’re live so get involved if you want to fire the little box below. We’re talking all about Western Australia. We just saw a lovely little clip there with some shopping and bits and pieces. How is it - in Western Australia to go shopping and have a little bit of luxury?

B: Well it’s – I mean Freemantle which is this extra part of Perth, is really the – well I mean they’re both very good for all sorts of things from shopping through to everything else, but I like – Freemantle’s very sort of hip and chic, that’s the place, so you can sort of do your shopping in Perth itself and then go and be seen in Freemantle. That’s what I would suggest

H: And David I’m sure you like your nice hotels and some fine wines and things like that –

A: Well we like a bit of comfort yes, and the wines of Western Australia are award-winning. I think the most famous is Leeuwin State down in the Margaret River there. The Arts Series I think is there, as is there sort of primary – primary wine. But there’s – we were talking about this earlier, Richard’s got he says about a hundred wineries in the Margaret river now so –

H: It’s famous for their wines

A: And there are quite a lot actually on the Swan River right by Perth as well. Sandalford are up there close to Perth. So you don’t have to actually go all the way down to Margaret River to get a glass of wine, and Australia as a whole, you know it’s full of the stuff

H: It’s full of it isn’t it? And also the landscapes of course with the vineyards and everything, and I’m thinking you know we’ve mostly – most of us have seen a little bit of Australia in the soaps, I’m sure it’s not the best description, but you get to see these beautiful landscapes. Is it really that gorgeous?

B: Oh yes without a single shadow of doubt and – the great thing about Western Australia is there’s just over two million people in the entire state which is sort of a third of the size of Western Europe or something, it’s vast and so there are these wide open landscapes and they vary hugely. I mean the Margaret River region which has got this just amazing rugged coast that’s sort of a bit like Cornwall or something like that except it’s got the Indian Ocean on it so they’ve got a bit more guaranteed warmth. But then up in the northern bit you’ve got Kimberley, and Karijini National Park which is these just extraordinary landscapes with these great canyons, these great sort of red, rolling dunes and so on. And then the actual coast itself is so varied all the way up the coral coast, and you’ve got this wonderful Peninsular called Sharp Bay which is a beautiful, beautiful place. And there’s a place called Monkey Mia which is a great place for seeing wild dolphins. And then further on up you’ve got the Ningaloo Reef which I must admit I think quite a few Brits haven’t really heard of Ningaloo Reef – it’s actually a – it’s a fringing reef like the Great Barrier Reef, but it’s actually in much better condition than the Barrier Reef which has got a few sort of problems at the moment

H: Yes

B: And it’s – a lot of it is actually very close to the shore, so you can literally sort of actually wade in and snorkel on the reef close in. And if you’re into diving there are some of the best dives in the world. There’s the – at Exmouth. So – and then inland – I could go on forever here – there’s some walking tracks there’s the Bibbulmun Track which goes from the hills south of Perth all the way down to Albany in New South Wales. I mean it’s sort of a thousand clicks but you know if you – you can go there – there are sort of cabins you can sail onto – you can just do it for a day or two

H: Yes and then you could travel round –

B: Or there’s a cape to cape track which is, you know, 100km in the Margaret River region. So there’s just loads

H: What I wanted to ask you both about was the people. Of course there’s the stereo-types of Australians being really laid back and chilled out. Is that the case? What are they like to travellers -?

A: Real mix. Quite an eclectic band the Australians.

H: Yes

A: There are the typical Ockers

H: Yes

A: Who insist on drinking beer and barbecues every night. There are some very cultured people down there. But from my point of view I suppose most of my friends are either cricketers or wine makers

H: Yes

A: Seems to gel quite nicely together. And they’re - and they’re cricketers and now wine appreciators, because someone like for instance just to name a great from our era, Dennis Lilley who comes from West Australia

H: Yes

A: Has a lovely spot overlooking the Swan River just in the middle there

H: Lucky

A: And you can sit on his balcony, eat his food and drink what is now actually quite a good collection of largely Western Australian wine. He’s built up a good cellar there

H: Wow heavenly

A: And that’s perfect because you’ve got you know an old adversary come friend, talk about old times with, you know like we all do, but you can drink some perfectly good wine. You’ve got a lovely vista because that Swan river, it goes right through the heart of the city and in the middle of the city you’ve got people sailing, you’ve got you know the dinghy races, you’ve got all sorts of things going on. There’s a lot of activity in that river, and it’s just a gorgeous view

H: You both clearly enjoy the wines and the views and the landscapes

A: Have we mentioned that?

H: How about the food – yes I think you have! How about the food

A: Good food

H: The grub

A: I mean you’re on the sea so there’s a lot of seafood, a lot of fresh seafood. Lots of restaurants again on the river itself. You’ve got the restaurants in the city, you’ve got the restaurants in the suburbs and you know I think the food culture of Perth has grown-up dramatically over the last 10 / 20 years. There’s a lot of very good places there. But I suppose ideally on the river itself where you’ve got the views, but you know that basically define Perth, and you can sit there with – it’s like anywhere with the water lapping

H: Yes

A: The food tastes better doesn’t it?

H: It’s always fresher isn’t it? Do you have a favourite dish Richard?

B: Well they do fantastic cheeses actually in the Western Australia

H: I wouldn’t have expected that

B: Yes. But no I mean it’s the fresh fish which is the extraordinary thing. And David was saying also down in Margaret River there are just some absolutely fantastic restaurants down in Margaret River. So yes all over, it’s very good indeed

H: We’ve got tonnes to chat about, we’ll be coming up next – we take a look, a detailed look at adventures and family fun on offer in Western Australia. Don’t move an inch

Break

H: Welcome back. If you’ve just joined us I’m Layla and you’re watching Travel Talk. I’m joined today by ex-England cricket skipper David Gower and adventure travel journalist Richard Madden. We’re not having a little look at relaxing and adventure. There’s a lot to do in Australia obviously, but what it you just want to have a little bit of a chill-out? What can I do?

A: Chilling’s hard; it’s hot there isn’t it?

B: Yes well that’s true but there are a few things to sort of help you along I reckon. I reckon I’d go – the way I like to do it is do the adventure first

H: Yes

B: And the chilling second.

H: Ok

B: So my sort of thing – I think in Western Australia you’ve got to make the most of the sea

H: The diving –

B: Yes well there’s diving but also there is one thing that for me actually really still stands out as a really epic experience, I’ve done a lot of diving and sort of underwater type water experiences but there’s a place called Rockingham or Rocking-ham probably as a sort of – how they call it – and it’s a – it’s a wild dolphin experience and basically there’s pods of about 200 dolphins out in the bay and in the ‘80s there was a local guy, I think he was called Terry Horson who basically went out in a little tinny as they call it, and sort of actually just got – he habituated these dolphins so he wasn’t sort of taming them or anything but he was sort of just getting to know their movements, and it’s all done on really good ecological principles, so you don’t touch them, you don’t feed them etc etc, but basically they take a boat out

H: Yes

B: Early in the morning, locate the dolphins and then small groups of you, up to about 8 or so, get in the water, put a little sort of not a weight belt but a little sort of belt on and then the guide, he goes with one of those little underwater scooters, so he’s done there and the dolphins just sort of perform acrobatics under the water, and you just go along –

H: Scoot along with them

B: Follow and see this extraordinary underwater –

H: Have you tried any of this David?

B: It’s incredible

A: I’ve not done that. It might be something to try and do when we’re there because I know we’ve got about a week or so before the test match in Perth this time, my family’s coming out just at that time, so that’s hence the trip up to Ningaloo, but we might have time to go down to “Rocking-ham” – that sounds like Florida –

B: It does, it sounds like California but anyway

A: But at the same time again in terms of just chilling out, the beaches down that coastal strip of Cottesloe and around there – when I first went to Australia in 1977, couple of years ago – I was very young at the time

B: On the boat!

A: And I was – yes that’ right yes. Handcuffed. Shouldn’t do that. I was playing club cricket down there for Claremont Cotre and had you know time on my hands during the week, so I spent a lot of time on Cottesloe beach which is – it’s gorgeous. It’s beautiful water, nice warm – you know from water and – lot of beautiful people down there

H: You mentioned – I bet, oh gorgeous people. You mentioned just taking your family out there as well. How about family-wise adventures, 4 x 4 adventures, maybe a bit more inland. Is there anything – do you recommend it for a family holiday?

A: Well I mean I know my girls love the beach anyway and you know we’ll take them up and they’ll try and do a bit of diving which they’re qualified for now, they know what they’re doing

H: Fantastic

A: And that sort of stuff’s good. But they like – they’re still at that age, teenagers, they quite like shopping you see

H: Yes

A: They’re not so big on 4 x 4

B: Actually I’ll tell you somewhere, I’ve got a suggestion for you here, there’s an organisation called the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and what they’re basically doing is buying up plots of land throughout Australia to try and re-introduce some of the older species that have, you know, are in danger and there’s – one of their properties is literally it’s in the hills up in Perth called Caraca Myer, and it’s a fenced in – so it’s a bit like sort of Jurassic Park, but basically they’ve taken the whole thing back to how it was 200 years ago so they’ve got these things called Woylies and again these Quokkas

H: Yes

B: And various other weird sounding creatures. But you can go there at night, when - and go out with a guide and anyone can go there and visit and so – and then you can go round and there are kangaroos and wallabies and these little Woylies and goodness knows what – incredible experience

H: It sounds like they’ve made a massive effort and they’re working hard for the tourists as well so you have a really good experience when you’re out there

B: Absolutely yes, yes, yes. Definitely

H: Lovely. And we’ve got a little clip of some adventure sports, if you want to have a taste of them yourself. Enjoy

Video Footage

H: Welcome back, you’re watching Travel Talk and we’re wasting no time at all and diving in with some of your questions. We’ve got David and Richard here to have a little look at them, people online have been sending in their questions all day about Western Australia, if you’re ready I’m going to dive straight on in. Warwick Todd, or Todd from Warwick, I’m not quite sure, has a question for David here. “Thinking back to your playing days, where was your favourite place in Australia and England to play test cricket, and also which ground make the best cup of tea?”

A: We didn’t get a cup of tea!

H: Do they drink a lot of tea in Australia?

A: No. Drink a lot of beer. Perth, I mean Perth is where I scored my first hundred against Australia, so that’s a special moment

H: Memorable

A: ’78. Sydney was I think – despite that Sydney was my favourite ground, I think some of the, you know the aura of Sydney, you’ve still got the old Victorian pavilion there, you can still almost imagine Don Bradman, Sir Don, walking down the same steps, and all in those dressing rooms (they have changed a bit now I’m told) but when I first played there it felt a little bit as though it was still the same floor, still the same lockers that the Don might have used, some of those famous figures from way back, so there was a real sense of history there, and it’s got a great atmosphere. So the SCG I think it special. I mean they’re all quite fun to play at. The MCG is the biggest

H: Yes

A: And that’s the most intimidating simply because of the number of people – come Boxing day next year, or this year still, it’ll be 90,000 people probably there

H: It’s going to feel absolutely amazing, very intense –

A: And not many of them are going to be asking for a cup of tea!

H: Yes exactly yes. I doubt the tea’s on there, but there we go we’ve answered that question for you Todd

B: Couple of tinnies

H: Next question we have here is from Bill, it’s for both of you – “just how on earth can I convince my wife to go to Australia for the ashes and that should be the holiday of a lifetime?” Good question.

B: Excellent question. Well my answer is that this time round we’re going to – it’s all going to be over after the third day of the third test in Perth, so he’ll be happy alright

H: Yes

B: And the wife will say right, let’s have some “me” time

H: Yes

B: And then we can go off and enjoy all the other stuff there is round there and –

A: Well let’s face it, we talked a little bit about the West itself, all the stuff that’s around these cities, and I’m a great believer that going that far you should be a traveller first and a cricket fan second

H: Ah, not the other way around?

A: No no, sorry I’m adamant

H: Ok

A: Traveller first, because there’s so much to do and so much to see and you know you can enjoy the country, you know the fact that I’m working on cricket is an absolute bonus

H: Yes that’s true

A: You get paid, you know it works beautifully! But I love the travel, I really enjoy the travel. And then you can imagine – wife, partner, whatever. We’re talking about here – Melbourne sales, they’re just like any other sales in the world, go down Chapel Street, fabulous boutiques. You can shop in any city in Sydney, the shopping’s fantastic, Melbourne the shopping’s fantastic, boutiques everywhere. The food’s great so I mean there is – what’s not to want to go for? You know-

H: Exactly

A: It should be a dream trip for your wife / partner / girlfriend

B: Absolutely

A: All of the above

B: Absolutely yes

H: There you go, tell her to listen to this, she’ll love it

A: Yes

H: We’ve got a question from Ben about hotels. How many luxury hotels for a romantic stay or honeymoons – something focused on that. What would you recommend?

B: Well I mean I think we might be thinking along the same lines here because actually there’s one that really stands out which is a place called Sal Salis which is up on the Ningaloo Reef which is up North of Perth, and it’s just an amazing – it’s an eco-camp so it’s – all the – there’s no sort of footprint as it were you leave behind which is a really nice feeling anyway, but it’s based on the sort of African camps, the really upmarket African camps. It’s right on the Ningaloo Reef, beautiful coral reef, you can go out and step into the sea and you’re on the reef immediately, and then up behind you there’s this amazing place called Mandu Mandu Gaud which is this the home of the black footed rock wallaby which you can go and walk through –

H: Visiting all of this, I’m dying to get my plane ticket

B: I would – this is one my sort of top travel experiences going to Sal Salis and it’s THE perfect place really for a honeymoon. But I think, am I right David that you’re going up there?

A: We are booked there for three days I think just before that Perth test match, so family’s coming up, friends are coming up there so we’ve not quite taken the whole place over but we’ll be looking forward to that. But all around the country let’s face it there are some beautiful spots. The barrier reef is still the island; the Whitsunday Islands are still good

B: Absolutely

A: There are some nice little islands there if you want you know a honeymoon-type environment. There are lodges all the way up the coast in New South Wales

B: Hayman Island

A: Yes Hayman’s lovely.

H: You can see that these guys could talk about this for absolutely forever and I could too, I’m going to dive on in there with you. We’ve got one more question from Paul in Temple. “David, big fan of your work” whoohey!

A: Love it

H: “How do you think the guys will do later on in the year?” That was one of mine; I was going to ask it

A: Well let’s face it at the moment we have lots of reasons to be optimistic about England’s prospects Down Under

H: We do

A: We’ve just won this one day series here, we’ve just beaten the course in the Caribbean T20, test matches Down Under will be different and home advantage is important for Australia but we have good players you know? They’re not as strong as they were before, some of their great players have now moved on, you know taken the money and run to IPL and stuff like that. Ok still a challenge, still a great challenge, but it will be one which we can meet head on and you can at this stage be very optimistic

H: You have a smile about it

A: I do, I’m looking forward to it

H: Good

A: Last time we went down there and we had this problem that Glen McGrath for the umpteenth time said it was going to be 5-0 Australia, and for the first time you know in 20 years he was right. That won’t happen again. If it does – I’m not going to make any weird promises

H: That won’t happen again

A: I’m not going to eat anything strange, but it won’t happen again, it will be a really good series. Cracking series

H: Thank you both so much for speaking with me today, I can see you’re both very passionate about Western Australia. If you would like to know any more about Western Australia as well you can jump online and have a look at www.westernaustralia.com. Nice and easy, thank you for staying with us on the show today, thank you for all your questions and thank you to my guests. We’ll see you again soon. Bye bye

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