Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island: a small, unspoilt island offshore from Perth, a popular place to relax and unwind. The island's coastline is picturesquely indented with many bays and inlets, which are a haven for boating and fishing and ideal and safe for bathing and snorkelling. A popular natural attraction are the island's cute, furry and friendly quokkas - small wallabies - which are unique to Rottnest. Colonial buildings have been adapted to provide shops and accommodation for visitors. Travel around the island is by bus, bicycle (they can be hired) or on foot - private cars are banned! A day trip is adequate to get a feel for the island, but you'll need to stay longer to check it out in detail and to take full advantage of the relaxed atmosphere.
War Memorial, Kings Park
Kings Park & Botanical Gardens: a sizeable reserve of natural bushland close to the heart of Perth. Being situated on My Eliza overlooking the Swan River and the Perth city foreshore, King Park offers both picture-postcard view over Perth Water to the city as well as the opportunity to experience the natural flora of the Perth region without leaving the city. Walking trails link the many gardens, lookouts, children's playgrounds and open spaces dotted throughout the park. Western Australia's wildflowers are in full bloom and on show in the Botanical Gardens each Spring (Sept-Nov). The Lotterywest Federation Walkway extends 620 metres through the Botanic Gardens. It is a combination of on-ground pathways and a spectacular elevated 52 metre glass and steel arched bridge that is suspended among the canopy of tall eucalypt trees. The park's restaurant, situated opposite the war memorial, is a popular spot where locals take visitors to Perth out for a meal and show off their city. Free entry to Park.
 Perth Mint: mankind's fascination for the most precious of metals - gold - has played a major role in making the Perth Mint one of the city's most visited places. The Mint's guided tour incorporates watching a gold pour, discovering what one's weight is worth in gold, and viewing part of the world's greatest collection of investment gold bars and Australia’s largest natural nugget collection. The The original grand Victorian-era style gold receiving room of the heritage-listed building houses the Perth Mint Shop, which sells gold, silver and platinum coins, jewellery, precious stones and souvenirs, most of which cannot be purchased elsewhere.
Contact: (08) 9421 7222. Location: 310 Hay Street, East Perth, a short walk from the city centre.
Yanchep National Park
Yanchep National Park: a natural bushland reserve close to Perth, Yanchep features over 600 limestone caves and a koala sanctuary. Situated just beyond Perth's northern outskirts, Yanchep National Park gives a snapshot view of the tuart and banksia woodlands of the Perth costal plain. It abounds with native animals, water birds and plants in their natural surroundings. Western Grey kangaroos are commonly seen on the walk trails or grazing on the picnic lawns and golf course. Boat tours are conducted on Loch McNess; daily guided tours of Crystal Cave; Aboriginal cultural demonstrations on weekends. Park entry fee applies.
Contact: (08) (08) 9561 1004. Website. How to get there: by 51 km north of Perth via Wanneroo Rd. Coach tours visit the park daily.
Fremantle: the working port of the city of Perth, Fremantle is a vibrant meeting place for its culturally diverse population. Fremantle has in recent years been given a new lease of life, its sandstone warehouses and Victorian era pubs having been restored and put to new uses. Its excellent cafe strip, galleries and museums draw visitors to the city from all over Perth.
| Special Interest Attractions |
WA Art Gallery: WA's leading gallery that houses and displays the state's art collection. Founded in Perth in 1895 with the purchase of the nucleus of an art collection by the Perth Museum, the Art Gallery is currently housed in a modern building with nine galleries on two levels that is an integral part of the Perth Cultural Centre. The Gallery's collection focuses on art by Australian artists, particularly those from WA, and includes works from Western Desert, Kimberley and South West artists and communities. Frederick McCubbin's famous "Down On His Luck" and Henry Moore's Reclining Figure sculpture illustrate the diversity of the art on display.
Contact: (08) 9492 6622. Website. Location: Perth Cultural Centre, Beaufort St, Perth. How to get there: Walk north along Barrack St; cross the Barrack St railway bridge; or walk north from Perth Railway Station to Perth Cultural Centre, James St.
SciTech Discovery Centre & Planetarium: Hands-on scientific displays designed to appeal to younger audiences. The Centre is a Government-initiated not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to increase the interest and participation of Western Australians in science and modern technology. Its displays include over 160 hands-on discovery items. Entry fee applies.
Contact: (08) 9215 0700 Website. Location: 1st Floor Railway Parade, Cnr Sutherland Street, West Perth. How to get there: by train to City West station. The Centre is opposite the station.
Elizabethan Village: a recreation of of Shakespeare's Birthplace and Anne Hathaway's Cottage. Extensive English-style gardens surround this meticulously accurate recreation of two iconic British buildings. The gardens around Anne Hathaway's cottage are open to the public, however the two buildings provide bed and breakfast accommodation. The complex also includes an olde English-style pub, restaurant and cafe. The complex is a popular venue for weddings. Adding the nearby History House Municipal Museum and Pioneer World to your itinerary makes for an interesting history-themed day out in the Armadale area.
Contact: (08) 9399 4531. Location: 25 Canns Rd, Bedfordale. How to get there: by car, take Carradine Road off the Albany Highway and follow the signs.
Minnawarra Historic Precinct: a geographically linked series of folk history museums in the Armadale area on Perth's southern outskirts. A series of developments in the 1970s that have became a unique history-based attraction. The Minnawarra Park complex comprises of an old school, the very first church in Armadale, and the History House Municipal Museum. The displays material pertaining to the economic, social and cultural history of Western Australia and the city of Armadale in particular. Nearby Elizabethan Village is a recreation of two English Elizabethan era homes (see separate entry); Pioneer World is a recreation of an Australian pioneer village. Free entry.
Contact: (08) 9497 3543. Location: Orchard Ave. & Armadale Rd, Armadale, 27 km from Perth. How to get there: by car, via Albany Hwy, left into Hull St at Armadale, right into Orchard Ave.; by rail: train to Armadale, walk along Jull St to Orchard Ave.
Perth Observatory: Australia's oldest continuously operating professional observatory and Western Australia's premier astronomical institution. Built in 1900, The Observatory has a range of tours available, both day and night. Day tours are usually held on Sunday and include informational talks by an astronomer and a visit to the Observatory`s museum.
Contact: (08) 9272 4472. Website. Location: 337 Walnut Rd, Bickley, 25 km east of Perth. How to get there: by car, Gt Eastern Hwy and Kalamunda Rd to Kalamunda, then via Canning Rd and Lawnbrook Rd to Walnut Rd.
Fremantle Markets: One of Perth's oldest suburban markets and certainly its most well patronised, it has over 150 stalls offering everything from ocean-fresh seafood, fruit and vegies, cheeses, freshly baked bread, coffees, gourmet foods, herbs, spices, health food, painted T-shirts, cane-ware, pottery, fantastic clothing, finely crafted jewellery and much much more. Unique Western Australian Gifts including sheepskin and leather goods, jarrah and cane products, dried wildflowers, opals, local shells and pottery are all available. The building which houses the markets was originally built as a market hall in 1897 and the current building has been restored to its original Victorian grandeur.
Location: Cnr South Terrace and Henderson Street, Fremantle
Opening times: Fridays 9am - 9pm; Saturdays 9am - 5pm; Sundays 10am - 5pm; Monday public holidays 10am - 5pm
Contact: Ph. (08) 9335 2515. Website
- James, Lake & William Streets, Northbridge - wide choice, mainly Italian and Asian
- South Terrace, Fremantle - cafes and restaurants
- Fishing Boat Harbour, Fremantle - fresh seafood, fish and chips
- King Street, City - cafe dining
- Barrack Street Jetty - riverside dining with views of the Swan River
- Oxford Street, Leederville - wide range with emphasis on Greek and Italian
- Northern beach suburbs - seafood restaurants
- Coode Street and Mends Street, South Perth - cafe-style eateries, many with views of the river
- Rokeby Road & Hay Street, Subiaco - cafes and restaurants
- Rockingham - mixed cafes
Supreme Court Gardens: shady gardens in the Perth Central Business District. Lying to the south of Stirling Gardens near the Swan River foreshore, Supreme Court Gardens surround the city's original Court House (built in 1836). Now restored, complete with wood shingled roof, it is today the home of the WA Law Society. An orchestral shell in the Gardens is a popular venue for outdoor concerts, including the well supported 'Carols by Candlelight' each Christmas.
Location: Cnr Riverside Dve. and Governors Ave., Perth CBD. Walk down Barrack St to Riverside Dve. Entry from Riverside Dve.
More Parks and Gardens ...
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| General Interest Attractions |
River and winery tours: A leisurely cruise to the wineries of the Upper Swan valley is a great way to view suburban Perth and visit the early homes and farmlands of Perth and some the oldest vineyards in the country. Ferries leave from the jetties on Perth Water at the foot of Barrack Street, Perth CBD for day and half day cruises. Tours fees apply. Tour operator websites.
Penguin Island
Penguin Island: Perth's most visited eco-tourism destination, and focal point of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. Birdwatching, Fairy penguin viewing, exploring the island's limestone cliffs and sea caves are just some of the activities to be enjoyed onshore. Offshore, there's sea kayaking, snorkelling, scuba diving, boogie boarding, fishing, wind surfing and kite boarding, with tours to view the sea lion colony at Shoalwater Bay or spot dolphins, cormorants, pelicans and sea eagles for those who prefer not to get their feet wet. Tour operator Rockingham Wild Encounters runs a ferry service to the island, tours to the Marine Parks breeding grounds and swims with wild dolphins.
Contact: (08) 9591 1333. Website. Location: south-west of Rockingham near Warnbro Sound. How to get there: by car to jetty at Mersey point, Cnr Arcadia Dve. and Safety Bay Rd; train to Rockingham station on the Manduarah line, bus No. 551 or 552 to Safety Bay.
London Court: built in 1937 as a combination of residential and commercial premises for a wealthy gold miner and financier, Perth's London Court is today an Elizabethan-style shopping arcade with a distinct tourist flavour. It is said to be the only walk in the world outside Britain that has captured a setting and atmosphere so similar to that of Tudor England. The decorative entrances on St Georges Tce. and Hay St Mall incorporate clock towers - both clocks are replicas of the Great Clock of Rouen, France. On the hour, miniatures of four knights march into battle above St Georges Tce., and St George overcomes the dragon at the Hay Street Mall entrance as the clocks chime.
Website. Location: Hay St and St Georges Tce., Perth central business district, between Barrack and William Sts.
Mundaring Weir: Mundaring Weir was built across the Helena River in the the Darling Ranges near Perth at the end of the 19th century as part of a daring engineering scheme to catch water in the Darling Ranges and pump it to the Kalgoorlie goldfields 530 km away. The No. 1 pumping station, at the foot of the dam wall, houses the CY O'Connor Museum, which tells the stories of the dam's construction and the engineer who made it a reality. A visit to the weir and museum make for a pleasant half or full-day drive through the Darling Ranges via the semi-rural townships of Mundaring and Kalamunda. Facilities include toilets; picnic tables; dam wall walk.
Location: south of Mundaring on Mundaring Weir Rd; between Kalamunda and Helena Valley on the Bibbulmun Walking Track.
John Forrest National Park: Western Australia's most visited national park is situated in the foothills of the Darling Ranges to the east of Perth. The park has been a popular place for day outings and picnics by the people of Perth for over a century. Most people who grew up in Perth have childhood recollections of swimming in the numerous waterholes along Jane Brook, of cooling off under the waters tumbling over National Park and Hovea Falls, or running with delight to catch a glimpse of a steam train from the Eastern States upon hearing its whistle blow as neared the park's station. The steam trains have long gone (the line closed in February 1966) and the tunnel through which they travelled on their way down the hillside towards Perth is now part of a walking track. The tranquillity of the natural wandoo/jarrah/marri forests and woodlands, the granite outcrops and the walking tracks through the wildflowers that carpet the bush in spring is a major drawcard. Entry fee applies. Facilities include kiosk, picnic facilities, toilets.
Contact: (08) 9295 2244. Website. Location: 24 km east of Perth near Swan View. How to get there: by road via Gt Eastern Highway, turn onto Park Rd at Glen Forrest.
Hillarys Boat Harbour: a modern ocean marina catering to fishermen, boaters, beach goers, tourists, local residents and Rottnest Island ferry passengers. The only suburban boat harbour on the Indian Ocean to the north of Perth, Hillarys Boat Harbour is a very popular day-and-night destination in Perth's northern beachside suburbs, as much because of its diverse range of eateries, bars and nightclubs and attractions, as it being the sole coastal point outside of Fremantle from which to catch a ferry to Rottnest. As well as being a centre for boat owners and fishermen, the marina is home to the Naturaliste Marine Discovery Centre, Aquarium of Western Australia and numerous fishing charter, whale watching tour operators and diving schools. No entry fee to Hillarys Boat Harbour.
Contact: Website. Location: intersection of Hepburn Ave., Whitfords Ave. and West Coast Dve., Hillarys, 22 km north of Perth. How to Get There: by car via Mitchell Freeway (Hepburn Ave. exit); train to Warwick on the Joondalup line, then bus No.423 to Hillarys Boat Harbour (weekdays) or train to Greenwood on the Joondalup line, then bus No.456 to Hillarys Boat Harbour.
Swan Bells: the bells are housed in a carillon situated on the shores of the Swan River beside the Barrack Street jetties. Said to be WA's most visited tourist attraction, the Bell Tower includes twelve bells of Britain's St Martin-in-the-Fields which are recorded as being in existence from before the 14th century and recast in the 16th century by Queen Elizabeth I. The bells were again recast between 1725 and 1770 and are today one of the few surviving sets of royal bells and the only ones known to have left England. The odd-looking tower, which has the appearance of a giant sprouting plant, is open for inspection, including during bell-ringing demonstrations. It has a viewing platform offering views of the city and river. The A$5.5 million building was erected to commemorate the new millennium, but it received much criticism from locals who opposed it, calling it a wasteful expenditure. It remains WA's only 'icon' millennium project that was completed on time, and on budget.
Contact: (08) 9218 8183. Website. Location: Barrack Street Jetty, Perth.
Burswood Entertainment Resort: Perth's only entertainment, resort, casino complex. Burswood has attracted more overseas tourists to Perth - particularly high rolling gamblers from south-east Asia - than any other attraction in the city. Located beside the Swan River not far from the CBD, it is an international standard complex complete with two resort-standard hotels, restaurants and shops, casino, golf course and day spa, Convention Centre and live entertainment venues.
Contact: (08) 9362 7777. Website.
Location: Burswood Peninsula, Gt Eastern Hwy, Perth: How to get there: by car, enter car park from Gt Eastern Highway; by bus, free shuttle buses operate from the Domestic and International airport terminals; by train, alight at Burswood station on the Armadale line, a free shuttle bus operates between the station and the complex.
Pt. Peron: the last sizeable piece of coastal sand dunes in the Perth region to survive in its natural state. Surrounded by the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, this peninsula marks the southern end of Cockburn Sound. For generations of Western Australian school children, Point Peron holds special memories as the location for school camps. It is a safe location for swimming, snorkelling and exploring its small bays and rocky outcrops and for spotting the odd dolphin swimming past. Numerous World War II gun placements, that are connected by a series of tunnels, dot the sand dunes are worthy of exploration. A causeway to the naval support facility on Garden Island extends from the point's northern shore. Though by no means a tourist attraction, Pt. Peron is worth a visit if you are in the area and want to spend some time alone with nature.
Location: Pt. Peron Rd, Shoalwater. How to get there: via Parkin St., Rockingham.
Lake Leschenaultia: a popular day-trip destination and picnic spot among the locals. The lake is the focal point of a small bushland recreational area with a cafe, canoe hire, swimming, barbecue and picnic facilities, grassed areas and walking paths. This man made lake was constructed in 1897 to provide water for steam trains on the Kalgoorlie-Nullarbor railway line. The lake is stocked with trout and anglers are invited to try their luck between December and April each year. Wildflowers are in full bloom in September and October. Lake Leschenaultia is not the sort of place visitors to Perth would make a B-line for as a stand-alone destination, but it is ideal as a stopping place for a barbecue, picnic or a swim on a hot day for travellers on their way to or from the historic towns of Toodyay, York and Northam. Entry fees apply.
Contact: Website
Location: 46 km east of Perth. How to get there: by road Gt Eastern Hwy via Greenmount to Swayers Valley, left into Lion St, right into Elliot Rd, left into Rosedale Rd, Chidlow. Entrance off Rosedale Rd.
Serpentine Dam & Falls - a series of dams and a pretty waterfall down stream, situated to the south of Perth. Serpentine Dam was built in the boom years of the 1960s as a major water supply for the City of Perth which, at the time, was undergoing rapid expansion. The area surrounding the dam has been carefully landscaped to create a large and popular barbecue and picnic area. Several walking trails through the surrounding bushland lead to scenic lookouts. Serpentine Falls has a large natural swimming pool at its base. Kittys Gorge walking trail starts at the falls; it offers extensive valley views and passes through a small picturesque stand of virgin jarrah forest. Park entry fees applies.
Information sheet Location: near Jarrahdale, south of Perth. How to get there: by car, drive past Armadale on the South-West Hwy, take the turn-off to Jarrahdale, proceed along Kingsbury Dve. to the Dam. To visit Serpentine Falls, proceed along Kingsbury Dve. to South-West Hwy. Proceed along Serpentine Falls Rd.
Noble Falls, Walyunga National Park
Walyunga National Park: an attractive bushland reserve renowned for its vistas over the Swan River coastal plain. A 1,790 hectare tract of bushland in the Darling Scarp on Perth's north-eastern perimeter, the park is particularly popular among bushwalkers; the River, Kangaroo, Echidna, Kingfisher and Aboriginal Heritage Trails are of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. Swimming is permitted at Walyunga pool though the water quality is questionable. White water canoeing on the Avon River is popular after rain, when the Park's string of placid pools turn into a raging torrent. It then becomes one of Australia's best white water canoeing courses and is part of the annual Avon Descent race each August. Wildlife seen in the park can include Kangaroos, Emus, Echidna, Black Duck and Teal.
Website and downloadable park guide. Location: 37 kilometres north east of Perth. How to get there: by car, via Great Northern Hwy; follow signs to park. Transperth buses run to the highway turn off only some 2 km from the park entrance.
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