The South West is a place apart, shaped by sandy soil, low summer rainfall, and a coast that is a sailor's nightmare - the long deep swells and frequent storms of the Southern Ocean, numerous reefs, no natural harbours, and plenty of seals to keep the Great White population healthy. Except for the sharks, a surfer's dream, especially in summer when a prevailing easterly wind smooths the face of the swell. These are on the Margaret River beach, with the famous point break on the right in the first one (Z50II with 16-50/2.8 at 16mm).
North of Perth there is less rain and the dominant trees are grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp), which can be 6 m tall including the flower spike and form vast "forests". Also in this area there is a remarkable landscape called The Pinnacles - fields of limestone columns up to 4 m tall standing in bare sandy soil. They look like a petrified forest, but the mechanism of formation of the columns is controversial.
