There is enormous potential for sea kayaking in Western Australia and the sport is just starting to take off there. One of the most convenient destinations for a weekend outing is Rottnest Island, which can be reached in two to three hours from Perth; other islands, such as Garden, Bird, Seal and Penguin islands, are even closer. In the north, on the Pilbara Coast, the 42 islands of the Dampier Archipelago constitute a sea-kayaker’s paradise, with the some islands just 2 nautical miles offshore. The Kimberley coast provides perhaps the ultimate challenge, with 250 miles of remote and barren coastline punctuated by tidal whirlpools. To add to the excitement, the scarcity of fresh water makes it necessary to paddle up estuaries – the hunting grounds of estuarine crocodiles – to look for creeks. A much more relaxed time can be enjoyed at Ningaloo Reef, off Exmouth, one of the richest aquatic environments in the country, which is inhabited by dolphins, turtles, dugongs and myriads of fish, including the area’s famous whale sharks.