Perth and Surrounds

Do you want to know more about Perth and Surrounds in Western Australia? I am proud to feature Perth and Surrounds with my top 8 destinations that I have the pleasure to experience and explore. Perth and Surrounds have got a lot to offer to locals, travelers and holidaymakers!

Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world. I live and work in Perth for more than a decade. Perth is such a stunning place! It is situated along Swan River, surrounded by beautiful gardens, scenic parks, sandy and turquoise beaches, world-class wineries, and historical places. The city itself is vibrant and yet not overly crowded. It is bustling with friendly people, restaurants, pubs, shops, cultural centres, museums, sports and concert stadiums.

Perth City

Top 8 destinations in Perth and Surrounds

1. Kings Park

Kings Park is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world. It is just a 5-minute drive or 10 to 15 minutes walk from Perth CBD on either St Georges Terrace or The Esplanade. Kings Park sits on Mount Eliza overlooking Perth City and the Swan River. I used to either go to Kings Park for a run or climb up and down Jacob’s ladder (with 242 steps) for a quick lunch break from work.  Kings Park is a nice place to relax, dine in and enjoy the Perth and Swan River view. On weekend, you can spend a day with family and friends for a picnic and enjoy the Botanical Garden and the natural bushlands. You can take the free buses that go around the city. Bus route 935 takes you into Kings Park from St Georges Terrace. It comes every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends, alternatively you can go for a short walk if you love to explore on foot.

Kings Park

2. Elizabeth Quay

The Elizabeth Quay is right next to the Swan River across The Esplanade in the Central Business District (CBD) of Perth. This is a place I incline to ignore. Why? It is because my office is just right across the quay. I guess it is very accessible to me that I tend to disregard. Elizabeth Quay offers a range of activities that make your visit enjoyable whether you are a lone traveller or travelling with family and friends. My top things to do in Elizabeth Quay:

• Walking along the high suspension bridge that connects the island to the quay. The best place to chill out, relax and take your selfie with the river in the background on one side and the Perth CBD skyline on the other side. A few bars and cafés nearby to eat and drink. The Isle of the Voyage café is right at the footstep of the bridge with a friendly atmosphere and occasional live music.
• BHP Water Park, where you can take your kids to play and enjoy splashing the water in the park whilst you are watching and eating a nice burger at the burger place close by. Right next to the park is a mini jetty where you can hire a private boat for a personalised river cruise around the quay or take the ferry for a short river cruise across to South Perth for more fine dining.
• Barrack Street Jetty, where you catch water transport and private ferries and where you find the iconic Bell Tower, restaurants, cafés and bars.
• The Landing, a favourite place for concerts in the park, lunchtime sports, food and beverages exhibitions with pop-up restaurants,  and other events that showcase local crafts and entertainment.
• Strolling on the riverside with trees providing you shades on warm days. A fantastic way to unwind and release your stress!

The best way to get to Elizabeth Quay is by train or bus. Elizabeth Quay train station is right across the road from the quay.

Elizabeth Quay

3. Burswood

Burswood is home for Optus Stadium, Crown Perth, Belmont Racecourse, beautiful parks and nightlife. Optus Stadium is where most of the major sporting and concert events are held. Crown Perth, where casino gaming, upscale fine dining, event venues, theatres and 5-star accommodation are hosted. Belmont Racecourse, where major venues for horse racing is held. The beautiful Burswood parks on Swan River for family picnics and fun activities. And the thriving nightlife that makes Burswood a place for partygoers, theatre and concert enthusiasts and casino lovers.

Optus Stadium hosting a major concert

4. Surrounding Beaches

Perth is known for its fabulous beaches. As I live in the south of the river, my favourite beaches to swim in are South Beach, Port Beach and Coogee Beach. For my dog to play and swim, the South Fremantle Dog Beach and the Woodman Point Dog Beach are the preferred options. I always love the sunset at the beach with my dog, and the crabbing and fishing depending on time availability. A fantastic way to end your day is to immerse yourself in the sunset with your dog, a fishing rod and a crabbing net. The excitement is priceless when you catch a fish and crabs bite the bait! It’s free to go fishing and crabbing. You can have fresh catch dinner afterwards! Popular beaches north of the river are City Beach, Cottesloe Beach and Scarborough Beach. The beaches located north or south of the river are a few minutes drive from Perth city. All these beaches are sandy and have turquoise waters.

5. Fremantle

Fremantle is part of Perth. It is a historic port city filled with stunning characters and a popular tourist destination. I love to take my family to Fremantle to dine out at Fishing Boat Harbour, do some fun activities like cycling in and around North Fremantle, swimming at one of my favourite beaches and shop at historic Fremantle markets. There’s a lot more Fremantle can offer. If you love history, you can visit the Maritime Shipwreck and Army Museum, the Fremantle Prison and The Roundhouse. If you love to hang out with friends for drinks and good food, bars and restaurants are aplenty. Other things to do in Fremantle that deserve to be on your bucket list are going on walking or segway tours, hiring a bike to discover the north of Fremantle or stroll along the boardwalk to Bathers Beach. Fremantle is also a place for water transport and private ferries. It gets really busy in Fremantle when cruise ships arrive off-boarding thousands of tourists, however, this makes Fremantle vibrant and fun to visit. The best way to get to Fremantle from Perth City is by train.

Family fun ride in North of Fremantle

6. Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is another highlight in Perth. It takes a short ferry ride to the island from Fremantle Port or Barrack Street Jetty in Elizabeth Quay. Rottnest Island is a getaway destination for my family if we fancy adventures that are close by. It is a car-free island, which means the only way to get around and explore the island is by pushbike or a dedicated bus that drives around the island. Apart from pushing our bikes around the island, swimming, snorkelling and trekking are the favourite activities we do as a family. You can spend your day hopping on different beaches or just stay in one place and enjoy the serenity of the island. Staying overnight on the island is the best way to fully experience Rottnest Island, however, a day trip is sufficient if your time is limited. Rottnest Island is also home to quokkas. Be ready with your cam to get a quokka Instagram post!

A secluded beach in Rottnest Island

7. Swan Valley

For lovers of world-class wines, Swan Valley is the place to go for a short drive (40 mins from the city). It is the oldest wine region of Western Australia located just in the upper reaches of Swan River. Swan Valley is very picturesque with all the wineries and vineyards. But Swan Valley is not only known for world-class wines but also fine food, chocolate factory, wildlife encounters, first-class golf course and adventures.

Vineyard in Swan Valley

8. Perth Hills

There is a lot to blog about Perth but one thing that I don’t want to miss out on is Perth Hills. Re-connecting to nature is one of my passion. It is my therapy after a period of hectic schedule with work and family. West Australia is vast. I always travel far to take a break from work, which means I have to plan my leave to be able to do it but sometimes it gets tricky with work & family schedules. Perth Hills is the solution for me if I only have a weekend to do camping, hiking and re-connect to nature. Perth Hills is just a short drive away. The Perth Hills Discovery Centre camping facility is very clean and has got everything you need (flushing toilet, warm showers and a huge kitchen with a fridge). All you need is a tent to sleep in and food. Booking is essential and it costs you $15 per person per night. Right next to the Perth Hills camping site is the stunning Helena River and historic C.Y. O’Connor Pump Station. There are a few hiking trails around Perth Hills if you love hiking like me, mountain biking from easy to an extreme level, orchards and botanical gardens if you are a lover of plants, just to name a few of the activities Perth Hills can offer.

Helena River in Perth Hills

Perth is the hub of Australia’s mining & energy sector. Western Australia experience a mining boom for the past decade, which boosts household consumption to a record high that significantly contributes to the Western Australia economy and the country as a whole. On this note, Perth has become more expensive to live in than ever. The affordability of house prices, rentals, transport, food, and basic commodities is the downside of Perth or Western Australia in general. However, there is free transport around Perth city. You can hop on and off the bus that comes every 5 to 10 minutes during the day.

There are a few options for cheaper accommodation apart from backpacking. Perth public transport system is not complicated, it is easy to follow. Take note that train services from Perth international airport will open soon (probably early 2022). You can also share a ride with other passengers if public transport is not your preference. It is essential to plan your travel ahead. There are guided tours you can book to help you get your footings.

Perth weather is mild. Perth is the sunniest place in Australia. The coldest temperature in Perth I’ve experienced was 1-degree Celcius during wintertime (June – August) but it doesn’t go down to 1-degree all the time. The average temperature in winter is between 5 to 18 degrees and yet you still enjoy the sunrise and the sunset. The hottest time is in summer (December – February) where the temperature sometimes goes as high as 40 degrees.

Please follow and like us: