Perth - In & Around the City

Earlier this year in July I decided to take a trip to Perth, Western Australia (WA) to see some family and explore a new part of Australia. I was there for 2 weeks, and had an amazing time. Perth (and WA itself) has so much to see and do, and even though I just scratched the surface, this blog post should give you an idea of what Perth and surrounding areas have to offer! I've created a map below which shows the location of each place I visited, to help you plan your next trip to the capital of WA. I've split the blog into four areas: Perth, Freemantle, Swan Valley and Mandurah.

Perth is a 4 hour flight away from Melbourne (during which the time zone changes by 2 hours!), with Virgin & Jetstar offering affordable and regular flights to the city. I flew with Virgin and had no problems with check in or in-flight. At Melbourne airport the check in process is done at a self-serve kiosk, meaning I was through security in under 10 mins. Perth airport itself is much smaller and less busy, meaning bag collection was very quick.  

Perth

Scarborough Beach

Located about a 20 minute drive away from the CBD, Scarborough Beach had a lot going on when I visited on the first day of arriving in Perth. Along the promenade there were various food trucks set up, with cuisines from all over the world. Live music was playing near the amphitheatre, as well as the beach having many cafes and bars overlooking the ocean. Despite it being winter in Perth when I visited in July, it was still 18 degrees Celsius (which I would say is pretty good for winter!). The beach is a popular surf, sunbathing and swim spot, looking out in a westerly direction over the Indian Ocean.

Hillarys

Hillarys is a waterfront area in Perth, home to a boat harbour and a boardwalk filled with various restaurants and cafes. There is also plenty of shopping that you can do, including independent craft stores and surfing stores. As I visited during the winter, the colder weather meant that Hillarys wasn't as busy - but I was told that over summer there's barely enough space to walk on the boardwalk with the amount of visitors they get! Right next to Hillarys Harbour is Sorrento Beach. I was feeling brave on the day we visited and decided to go for a swim in the sea. It was very cold, but refreshing nonetheless. The great thing about Perth (and WA) is it's abundant amount of beaches, meaning they don't feel crowded or busy at all.

Getting around the CBD

Perth is connected by the Transperth transport system. If you're just travelling in the CBD, then the CAT buses are free to use within a certain zone, allowing you to hop on and hop off at your convenience. Transperth also extends beyond the CBD into surrounding areas of Western Australia (WA), with train and bus routes connecting the suburbs and the CBD. The train routes actually run in the middle of  the highway (also known as a 'freeway'), which is a very different set up to back in London! There is a designated section between the two flows of vehicles for the trains.

Overall, the times I used the public transport in Perth I had no issues. It was very easy to use and follow (by either using Google Maps or getting a map from one of the stations), and it ran on time. However I would say that Perth has been designed on a car-centric model - the majority of my travelling was by car (due to speed and ease). Public transport development is on the rise, with some of the train lines being extended to nearby towns.

Matagarup Bridge & Optus Stadium

I spent a day in the CBD, giving me time to explore different parts of it. Matagarup Bridge is a suspension pedestrian bridge crossing over the Swan River, which you can also use to reach Optus Stadium. Officially opened in 2018 with a capacity of around 61,000, the stadium can be used to host football, AFL or cricket games. From Optus Stadium it is possible to walk along the Swan River to the Crown Casino complex, containing a hotel, restaurants, casino among other leisure activities.

Perth Mint

Built in 1899, the Perth Mint is Australia's oldest working mint. It was originally built to refine gold from Western Australia's gold fields, but now produces metal bullion and collector coins. It also is a museum which you can visit and take a guided tour of, as well as watch a live gold pour! I booked myself onto the guided tour with a gold pour, meaning I got to learn about the history of gold in WA and see how a solid gold bar is made.

Kings Park

Kings Park is a huge 399.9 hectare park overlooking Perth CBD, and has a mixture of parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland. It's a great spot to visit to get views of the Perth skyline, with the river splitting the city into the north and south.

Caversham Wildlife Park

Having yet to see any typical Aussie wildlife, we visited Caversham Wildlife Park to find them. Enjoyed the day wandering around and interacting with Australia's finest animals, including a wombat, koalas, crocodiles, dingos and of course feeding the kangaroos! A good day out for all age groups, just make sure you get some good weather when you go as most the attractions are outside.

Freemantle

Freemantle is a port city in WA that's part of the Perth metropolitan area. I spent a day in the city seeing what it had to offer, with the highlights mentioned below.

Freemantle Prison

If you're visiting Freemantle this is a must-visit place. Freemantle Prison is a World Heritage Site, and a former Australian & convict prison. Doing a guided tour of the site is really good as you get to understand more about its past. It was built as convict barracks (by the convicts) in the 19th century, and remained in use till 1991 (not that long ago!).

WA Maritime Museum

For all things about the sea and WA's involvement, come here! WA has a rich maritime history, from whaling, to shipping and sailing. Student discounts are available and you can easily spend a couple of hours here. Great for when the weather isn't so good and you want to spend some time indoors.

Swan Valley

Perth is surrounded by hill and valley ranges, and to the north west is Swan Valley. It is a region in the upper reaches of the Swan River, and I spent the day out there exploring. It is home to many independent, cosy stores selling local produce. In addition, there's plenty of spots for hiking or having a picnic. Here are a few places we visited:

• Mondo Nougat - an Italian nougat factory with a cafe.
• Morish Nuts - a family owned business selling a variety of sweet and savoury nuts. I got some coffee glazed macadamia nuts which were amazing.
• House of Honey - a family owned honey farm and cafe, selling a wide range of honeys.
• Yahava KoffeeWorks - offering free coffee tastings and beans from around the world, we stopped here for an afternoon break.

• Hikes - we did some hiking near bells rapids, which took us up one side of the valley with great views of Swan Valley and Perth in the distance.

Bells Rapids Picnic - there's plenty of spots near the Swan River to set up and have a picnic. Bringing a portable stove meant we could have some hot soup by the rapids.

Mandurah

I spent another day in the town of Mandurah, abut an hours drive away south of Perth. The highlight was definitely the dolphin boat cruise - as bottlenose dolphins tend to come into the extensive canal system that the town has. They can grow up to 2.5m in length and weigh 230kg.  I luckily managed to spot quite a few on the cruise, and also was amazed at the size of the houses along the canal. The majority of these mansions (I think you can call them that!) were actually empty as they are holiday homes.

That concludes this blog on Perth & WA. If there's any other places you recommend I visit next time I'm in the area do let me know in the comments section!

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