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| Perth and Nearby - Western Australia |
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| Scroll down for details of Perth, Fremantle, Swan Valley, Rottnest Island, South of Perth, North of Perth |
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Perth is arguably the most attractive of all
the state capitals. It is built on the Swan River, 19 km from the port
of Fremantle at the river mouth. At the city centre, the Swan widens out
into Perth Water and high on a hill on the western side of the city is
magnificent Kings Park with its immaculately kept gardens full of well
labelled, intriguing Australian native plants and manicured green lawns
with shady spots to sit. |
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 Fremantle is the biggest
port in WA and is 19 km from Perth, at the mouth of the Swan River. It
is a busy and attractive place with a number of old buildings, a good
selection of cafes, restaurants, galleries, the Maritime Museum and
shops.The Americas Cup in 1987 spawned a general smartening up of the port city of Fremantle, including extra accommodation and enhanced facilities for visitors. Now there is a good variety of accommodation here. Fremantle is a popular day trip from Perth, usually by boat from the Barrack Street Jetty in Perth. |
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 The Swan Valley is just over
10 minutes drive from Perth airport and about 30 minutes from Perth city
and has a large selection of
wineries, restaurants and accommodation and a superb golf course, The
Vines (pictured). It is Western Australia's
oldest wine area.
It is an easy place to drive to and there are a number of day and half
day tours, some of which include cruising on the Swan River.The Nyoongar Aboriginal people inhabited the area long before the Englishman James Stirling first saw the valley in 1827 and was impressed by the rich soil and considered it an ideal area for settlement. The Swan Valley and Eastern Region Visitor Centre is located in the pioneering town of Guildford at the gateway to the valley. |
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Roughly 11 km long and 5 km wide, Rottnest Island is only 20 km west of
Fremantle. Ferry services run from Barrack Street Jetty in central Perth,
from Fremantle and from Hillarys Boat Harbour.
There are no cars on the island but you can hire bicycles to explore and
there are also coach tours of the island each day. Surprisingly, Rottnest has some very old settlements and the countryside is attractive with gorgeous, sandy beaches with crystal clear water. It is famous for the quokka, an unusual looking little marsupial which together with the other wildlife on the island is protected. The island is popular with divers and snorkellers. There is accommodation on the island including a hotel, a lodge, units, cabins and camping. |
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South of Perth is a string of beachside towns, including Mandurah, and
commuting areas now being linked to central Perth with a new light
railway, imaginatively conceived and sited within the main highway area. Rockingham is a large seaside town about 50 km south of Perth with good beaches and here you can join boat trips to see or swim with dolphins. If you are not driving, the operators will provide transfers from Perth. There is a dolphin centre on the beach near Bunbury where you can see dolphins in the wild during the season and learn about them at the centre which has good educational exhibits and a lecture room. Further south is the Margaret River wine region... |
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A string of beach suburbs
stretch north of Perth, including Scarborough beach which has a
selection of hotel accommodation. Further inland is the Avon Valley with
a semi circle of characterful pioneering towns - Toodyay, Northam and
York.
Located 51 km north of Perth on a sealed road, Yanchep National
Park www.naturebase.net(Yanchep)
is a popular day trip with easy walks and picturesque picnic areas
around a lake and a good place to see wild flowers in the spring.The Nambung National Park www.naturebase.net(Nambung/Pinnacles) is situated 17 kilometres south east of Cervantes and 250 kilometres north of Perth. It is the home of the Pinnacles, amazing limestone pillars eroded by the wind into fantastic shapes (pictured). |
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| Truly Australia have attempted to give an honest and objective description of the topics covered on this page and have deliberately avoided regurgitating tourist office media releases. The information shown has been compiled from a variety of reputable sources and our own experiences. We check and review this information from time to time, but we assume no responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the details given. |
The city centre is very manageable on foot and has imaginatively laid
out new shopping precincts with good pedestrian access, interspersed
with gleaming new office accommodation and hotels. Hay Street Mall,
Raine Square, Murray Street Mall and Forrest Place Mall are the main
shopping areas. After work the centre has a good buzz with a young
working population making the most of outdoor bars and cafes and Truly
Australia felt that the city had a safe feel after dark. A
striking recent attraction in Perth is the Swan Bells Tower
(pictured) 