Welcome to Perth

Welcome to Perth, the capital of Western Australia. This city was put on the international map when Australia won the America’s Cup yacht race in 1985. It became an instant tourist sensation and since then, it has remained a fun and funky place with great restaurants, bars and nightlife, plus fabulous beaches and parklands. If you need a break from the pristine and uncrowded beaches, take a hike in the nearby bushlands, sample the world-class local wines, or drive 30 minutes up the road to watch an ocean sunset.

Getting to Perth

I recommend flying to Perth unless you have days and weeks to spare to drive there from the East Coast. Otherwise, catch the Indian Pacific railway which is Australia’s version of the orient express.

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Things to do in Perth

• Choose from 19 beautifully clean and uncrowded beaches to swim, relax and enjoy. These include the iconic Cottesloe to the surf hotspot of Scarborough beach. 
• If you're in Perth in March, check out the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. This free exhibition is held at Cottesloe beach. See art come alive with local artist showing off their talents.

• Enjoy the many beautiful parks and gardens that make Perth is a living postcard. Kings Park and Botanic Garden is one of the world’s biggest inner-city parks. It features sculpted gardens, a treetop walk, Indigenous cultural tour, wildflowers (when in season), and is the ideal place for a picnic. 
• Take a lazy lunch by the river or beach and enjoy fresh fusion flavours of Perth's many cafes, restaurants and new small bars.

• Spend a day at Perth Zoo or get up close with Australian animals at the Caversham Wildlife Park.
• Visit the Cultural Centre where you'll uncover Perth’s colonial and Indigenous cultures and see some all kinds of fascinating artefacts.
• Walk along the Perth's main street where you'll find artsy pop ups such as colourful giant statues. 

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Great things to see and explore nearby Perth

• Freemantle is south of Perth and filled with colonial history, cool cafes and bars, locally brewed beer, and a great shopping outlets.
• Visit the convict-built Fremantle Prison which is now a fun historic site. Before being decommissioned in 1991, it was far from fun and was a maximum security prison with a series of spooky underground tunnels.
• Browse through the Fremantle Markets where you'll find fun stalls filled with cool and quirky items, many of which are handmade. 
• Take a free brewery tour of Little Creatures. This brewery runs free afternoon tours where you get to sample some of the delicious quality craft beer. 

• Rottnest Island is off the coast of Perth and has beautiful beaches, bays and coral reefs which are ideal for swimming, surfing, snorkelling or fishing. Look out for the resident Quokkas which are unique wildlife to Rottnest Island. Quokkas are part of the macropod family (such as kangaroos and wallabies) and are about the size of a domestic cat. Rottnest Island is a car-free area so the best way of getting around is to hire a bike from the ferry terminals. In terms of getting to Rottnest Island, catch a ferry from Freemantle.

• A must is Rockingham is Perth's marine playground and is only 45 minutes south of Perth. This is home to little penguins, bottle-nosed dolphins, sea lions and a variety of native birdlife. Exploring this area can be done in any number of ways, including swimming with wild dolphins, Kayaking around the Park to see the little penguins and sea lions, snorkelling and scuba diving or even Skydiving to land right on the beach. There’s also plenty of heritage trails and walks and drives to enjoy.

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Dining & nightlife in Perth

Some of the high end places to eat include:

• Rockpool Bar and Grill is one of International chef Neil Perry's taste sensations. 
• Jackson's Restaurant serves up delicious meat and seafood dishes to suit the season.
• ​The Gala Restaurant​​​ offers traditional European cuisine and uses local black truffles.
• My Place Bar and Restaurant serves up Modern Australian food using local produce and at great prices.

If you're looking for something inexpensive, try:

• Gypsy Tapas in Freemantle that serves up Spanish food and live music. Servings are very generous. For the hungry, try the 11 course degustation menu that includes wine and coffee.
• ​The Publican is another popular place to eat and offers a wide menu from Tapas, Asian, pizza, seafood to a tender and mouthwatering steak.

Perth’s many laneways are home to chic small bars and restaurants. It also has a huge choice of microbreweries that you will discover in Margaret River, Swan Valley, Perth, and Broome.

As for nightlife, Perth is anything but boring and there is a perfect place for everyone to relax with a drink and listen to music.

Bottom line is that it' bottoms up in Perth. Here's cheers to eating and drinking your way around the West.