Planning Your Expedition to Perth, Australia

If you’re planning a visit to Australia then there is a lot to think about — a lot of different places across this vast continent all competing for your attention, all with different selling points.

If you had unlimited time (and money) you would of course do everything, see everything, experience everything. Ultimately you are going to have to make some choices — due to the huge distances between most of the key points of interest, there’s no way that you can try and cram everything into the one trip.

One of the destinations that people often compromise on is Perth — the capital of the state of Western Australia.

One of the most remote cities in the world is Perth in the far west of the continent of Australia. It’s a long way from anywhere, and a bit of a mission to get to, but definitely worth the effort.

Emerging from Perth airport the first thing that hits you is the light. Clear blue skies and an almost harsh bright white sunlight that bakes everything it touches.

The Weather

If you’re looking for an escape from the depths of the Northern Hemisphere Winter, then Perth offers the Southern Hemisphere summer at its most intense.

Baking hot sun and a clear bright white light so harsh that it will put your sunglasses to the test.

Sun-block is essential here as the sun’s rays seem to unfiltered by any trace of the ozone layer — your skin will begin to burn after only minutes of beach time.

Even during the winter months the regulation wardrobe in Perth is shorts and t-shirts. This means that the city enthusiastically embraces an outdoor lifestyle — sport of every description and barbecues at any opportunity.

Where to base yourself

North Perth — a neighbourhood well-served by cafes and restaurants and within walking distance of the city centre.

Leederville — great cinema and good bars and restaurants.

Fremantle — known for its markets and dock-side lifestyle.

Central — Perth’s central business district has all the shops you could want, plus some great bars and restaurants. The city has the Swan River running through it and there is development underway to make the most of this riverside precinct.

Which beaches to go to

As a coastal town, Perth is blessed with a range of great beach options — all just a few minutes drive from the centre of town. You will need to hire a car to get around.

Locals tend to head to the beach either first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon.

North Cottesloe — probably the favourite with locals, endless white sand and solid waves.

City Beach — a bit easier to get to and favoured by a younger crowd. You can get great fish & chips from Clancy’s seafood cafe overlooking the pounding surf.

One thing to be slightly cautious of is the sharks. While you still have a much greater chance of meeting an untimely end driving a car, this stretch of coastline is regularly patrolled by Great White Sharks who aren’t very good at distinguishing between humans and seals. Keeping one eye out for white pointers certainly adds an adrenalin rush to jumping the waves rolling in from the Indian Ocean.

Where to eat

For a city that seems to be surrounded by arid bushland, they take particular pride in the local produce that’s available to them. Most of the food that you see is grown or sourced from somewhere in Western Australia — the seafood, meats, fruits, and vegetables all seem particularly fresh and of high quality.

As a result there are some really stand-out restaurants in the city, but even local cafes are serving up food that is interesting and using great local ingredients.

Stanley Cafe — Leederville: The type of brunch and coffee place that Australia seems to get exactly right.

Long Chim — Perth: Chef David Thompson is renowned as a passionate advocate of Thai cuisine, and in his restaurant Long Chim he celebrates the flavours and traditional dishes of Thailand by elevating them to something spectacular. We were there for a family dinner, which the sharing-style dishes suited perfectly. Our starters included crunchy prawns; beef skewers; and dried prawns wrapped in betel leaves. Our mains included calamari, green chicken curry, a rich beef curry, and lamb ribs. While there is a relaxed, unfussy style to this restaurant this is still very much high-end cooking, with high-end prices to match. If you were being picky, the serving sizes are a touch on the small side (considering the price you’re paying), but this is almost compensated for by the depth and complexity of flavour. Without doubt this was one of the best Thai meals I’ve ever eaten.

Little Creatures — Fremantle: If you’re visiting Perth, then you will want to spend at least one day exploring the docklands precinct of Fremantle. One of the most popular spots for lunch is the Little Creatures brewery. This is a massive complex where they brew the beer and also serve a great selection of food. We shared pizzas and slurped down mussels in a spicy tomato broth.

Foam — Leederville: Leederville is a cool neighbourhood in Perth, renowned for its bars, cafes, restaurants, and a cinema. One of the best cafes we found was Foam. We called in one day for a mid-week breakfast — simple poached eggs and bacon, but you couldn’t ask for a better breakfast.

The Aviary—The Nest is the rooftop bar of The Aviary. A popular spot with locals catching up for drinks while on a night out. Dress-code seemed to be dress-to-impress, which for women was obviously the shortest, tightest skirt you could find. A great spot to enjoy a warm evening in Perth.

Visiting Margaret River

The wine region of Margaret River is a three hour drive south of Perth. It’s in this area you also find fantastic beaches including Smith’s Beach — a vast expanse of bright white sand, sparsely populated with a few swimmers, surfers, and sunbathers, while young surf-lifesavers keep a relaxed eye on proceedings.

You need a car to explore this area effectively. It’s along the coastal Caves Road, that links the towns of Dunsborough and Margaret River, where you find most of the wineries.Favourite wineries include: Vasse Felix which has an excellent Shiraz; and Cape Mentelle where not only are the wines really good but it’s the perfect spot to grab a light lunch to eat out under the gum trees. Cheeky Monkey brewery is a good spot for lunch — especially if you have young kids who need to run around.

Last time I visited Margaret River I stayed at Abbey Beach, just outside of Busselton. This is resort-style accommodation, relaxed and casual, with a couple of pools and direct access to the beach — perfect for a family holiday.

If you don’t have time to make the journey down to Margaret River, then the Swan Valley wine region is closer to Perth and can easily be covered in a day trip.

An expedition to Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is a fairly unique little place — just a short ferry ride from Perth. This is a car free island so everyone cycles around to the various beaches and accommodation options. This is also the place to see Quokkas — possibly the cutest marsupial that you’ll find in Australia.