Travel in Perth, Capital of Western Australia
Introduction
Perth is the fourth-largest city in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne, and
Brisbane. The city, with a population of about 1.75 million residents, is the
capital of Western Australia, a giant state that constitutes about a third of
the Australian continent. However, the population in all the rest of Western
Australia is only about half a million. Tourists from Israel need to internalize
the issue of scale when planning a trip to Australia in general and Western
Australia in particular.
Perth is a large and very beautiful city, and it has a lot to offer to visitors within the city and its surroundings. The mining industry in Western Australia has contributed greatly to the development and wealth of the city and the state.
The city sits on the shores of the Indian Ocean, and a large river, the Swan River, crosses the city with many meanders, with part of it being very wide (2-3 km), creating the feeling of a large lake in the heart of the city. The river adds greatly to the city's beauty and to the entertainment options around it, both in swimming beaches and in various water sports, fishing, boat sailing, sailboats, kayaks, etc., in waters protected from rough sea waves. Luxurious and expensive houses were built along the river's long banks, some even with a private dock and yacht.
Recommended Hotels in a Central Location in Perth:
Hyatt Regency Perth
A 5-star level hotel in the city center, a few minutes' walk from the riverbank and the city center. Heated pool and tennis court. 5 restaurants.
Holiday Inn Perth City Centre
A 4.5-star hotel in the city center adjacent to Perth train station. Restaurants. Free internet in the lobby.
Pan Pacific Perth
A 5-star hotel in the city center overlooking the river. Heated outdoor pool, free internet in the lobby.
3.5-4.5 Star Hotels:
Novotel Perth Langley
A 4.5-star hotel located in the city center.
ibis Perth
A 3.5-star hotel in the city center, 5 minutes' walk from the train station and the convention center.
Travelodge Perth
A 4-star hotel in the city center, 5 minutes' walk from the river.
Apartment Hotels:
Adina Apartment Hotel Perth
A 4.5-star apartment hotel in the city center adjacent to the Convention and Exhibition Centre. Heated pool, sauna, and gym. Fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, and dryer.
Verandah Apartments
A 4.5-star apartment hotel in the city center. Free internet and covered parking. Kitchen and washing machine.
Mounts Bay Waters Apartment Hotel
A 4-star apartment hotel in the city center. Fully equipped kitchen and washing machine.
Baileys Serviced Apartments
Located in the city center. Equipped apartments with kitchen, internet, and free parking.
Attractions and Destinations for Travelers in Perth
Recommended Tours Within the City of Perth (from Viator):
Kings Park
Within the city limits is Kings Park, covering an area of about 4 square kilometers, making it the largest urban park in the world. It is located opposite the city center on a hill on the north bank of the river, offering a fantastic view of the city center, the river, and other parts of the city. The park features a botanical garden (free entry) with a central fountain, monuments, an Aboriginal art gallery, a cafe, lawns, and walking paths with spectacular views of the city and river.
The Bell Tower
In the city center, on the riverbank near the ferry wharves, stands the modern Bell Tower built for the millennium. It features a unique structure with 18 bells, most of which were brought from churches in England. You can visit inside the tower, ring its bells as part of a fascinating demonstration, ascend to its upper floors, and look out over the city and river views.
The Mint
The Perth Mint is located in the city center at 310 Hay Street in a preserved building. The mint features a display of numerous coins, gold bullion bars, raw gold nuggets, jewelry, and more. You can take a guided tour where they demonstrate how gold is melted, poured into a mold, and cast into a gold bar. In addition, you receive a fascinating historical overview of the discovery of gold in Western Australia and the harsh living conditions of the early gold prospectors. The mint houses the world's largest display of gold bullion bars—over 900—produced by 130 manufacturers worldwide. You can also try to lift a pure gold bar that looks small but weighs 12.5 kg. You can also view the world's largest gold coin, weighing 1 ton! (Featured in the Guinness Book of Records).
Streets and Pedestrian Malls
In the heart of the city, it is worth strolling through its bustling pedestrian malls on Hay and Murray streets. You will find a variety of shops, cafes, and restaurants, as well as interesting street performances by dancers, jugglers, and musicians. Nice alleyways branch off from the pedestrian malls, such as London Court, featuring unique entrances resembling a gate in an ancient English town, or a narrow graffiti alley filled with interesting graffiti paintings.
Adjacent to these pedestrian malls, on Hay Street, you can see Town Hall with its preserved structure, and on St. George Street, you can see Government House, the Supreme Court, and the beautiful gardens in front of it.
Aquarium
Fish and sea life enthusiasts will be happy to discover that Perth is home to AQWA, Australia's largest underwater aquarium. Land animal lovers can also enjoy a variety of animals at the city zoo and typical Australian animals at Caversham Wildlife Park.
Perth, like any self-respecting major city, offers a selection of quality museums, the largest of which are the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum, located in the city's cultural and entertainment center area, near the main train station.
Fremantle
Fremantle is located south of Perth at the mouth of the Swan River into the ocean and serves as Perth's port. It is a bustling tourist town with preserved historic buildings housing restaurants, cafes, and a abundance of shops and galleries. It is also home to the Fremantle Markets, a covered market open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Restaurants on the harbor docks in Fremantle:
A juggler at the entrance to the market in Fremantle:
Also located in Fremantle are a fishing boat harbor, a port for large ships including cruise ships, a Ferris wheel, and a brewery named Little Creatures, where free guided tours are offered including tastings of their beers and ciders.
Fremantle Prison
In this suburb, there is also a large historic prison, Fremantle Prison, built in 1850 by convicts. Interesting guided tours are held at this prison that illustrate the harsh living conditions in this old jail, including a twilight tour in the evening hours and a tour of the site's underground tunnels. Thousands of convicts were brought to this prison from the British Empire at the request of residents seeking cheap labor, and it also features a hanging execution chamber.
The prison closed in 1991 due to severe sanitary conditions. There was no running water or sewage piping in the cells. The prisoners relieved themselves in a bucket.
Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum is also located in Fremantle in a beautiful, modern building and contains many boats from different eras and numerous exhibits related to Australia's maritime history. Adjacent to the building is a large World War II submarine raised onto a dry dock that visitors can tour inside.
It is recommended to dedicate a full day to Fremantle. It is also the place to eat fresh and delicious seafood.
Attractions in the Vicinity of Perth:
Recommended Tours around Perth (from Viator):
Swan Valley
Near the city, to its northeast, lies a valley called Swan Valley, featuring numerous vineyards and wineries, galleries, shops, event venues, restaurants, cafes, hotels, and more.
At the wineries, you can take tours and taste a variety of the wines they produce, dine at unique valley restaurants, and enjoy various interesting galleries, such as Gomboc Gallery, which has numerous sculptures scattered throughout its yard and houses a variety of additional artworks across two floors.
The wine tasting room at Janebrook Winery
Margaret River
Margaret River is located about 270 km (about a 3-hour drive) south of Perth.
Swan Valley is very reminiscent of the wineries around Margaret River, but many Perth residents travel to visit and purchase in the farther Margaret River because it is considered more prestigious and high quality, with more luxurious visitor centers and wine tasting showrooms.
Macadamia Nut Growing and Processing Farm
About 30 minutes drive south of Perth is a farm for growing macadamia nuts and manufacturing various products made from these delicious nuts. The farm shop features a wide selection of macadamia nuts in different flavors: sweet, salted, spicy, and more. You can easily crack the hard nuts using an effective nutcracker, taste nuts in a wide variety of flavors and coatings, as well as various spreads. It is worth purchasing at this shop because prices are cheaper than in stores and the selection is larger. MacNuts WA, farm address: 213 Doghill Rd, Baldivis.
The Pinnacles – A Forest of Rock Pillars in the Desert
A truly unique natural phenomenon is located about 200 km north of Perth in Nambung National Park. In the desert, which is mostly sandy, numerous limestone pillars stick out from the sand like a forest of strange tombstones.
There is a visitor center on site featuring a display of the area's flora and fauna and explanations for the unique phenomenon of these rocks. It should be noted that researchers are still divided in their opinions regarding the origin of these rocks.
From the visitor center, you can go hiking along marked trails between these pillars on a route of about 1.2 km and/or take a drive along a marked 4 km trail between the pillars. Scattered across the area are thousands of pillars of various heights, ranging from a few centimeters up to 3-4 meters, in different shapes.
Migrating Sand Dunes
On the way north from Perth to the Pinnacles, around the coastal town of Lancelin, you suddenly see huge sand dunes on the right side of the road, almost as white as snow—a spectacular and unusual sight. On the left side of the road, not far away, lies the sea, whose beaches also feature completely white sand. Between the white dunes and the sea, there is no white sand, but brown desert soil; so how did the white dunes travel several kilometers inland from the sea? It turns out that these dunes move constantly with the winds eastward into the interior of the continent at a speed of about 12 meters per year!
Along the roadside, you can also see vast areas covered with plants called Grass Trees, from which tall flowering stalks sprout. At the Nilgen Lookout point, there are walking trails among these trees and a good elevated view of them and the nearby sea.
In the town of Lancelin, locals take advantage of these dunes for the enjoyment of travelers, who can embark on dune tours in suitable off-road vehicles or sandboard down the steep dunes on a sandboard. It is recommended to coordinate tours in advance.
Lobsters and a Unique Lake in the Town of Cervantes
Lobsters
About 20 km north of the Pinnacles is the town of Cervantes, which serves as a port for lobster fishing boats. On 11 Madrid Street in town, there is a casual lobster restaurant operating directly from fisherman to consumer. During the season, you can join a guided tour of the local factory, which receives the lobsters from the fishing boats, sorts them, and packs them for shipment.
By the way, the town of Cervantes is closest to the rock park, and those interested can also find accommodations there.
Lake Thetis
Adjacent to the town is Lake Thetis, which is also part of Nambung National Park. This lake contains single-celled organisms—among the oldest in the world—which build structures in the water several dozen centimeters in size. The lake water is more than twice as salty as seawater, preventing other pests from living in it and harming these organisms, allowing them to grow undisturbed for thousands of years.
On site, there is an easy, short walking trail, partially elevated above the muddy ground, leading up to the formations, as well as a walking path encircling the entire lake. A short unpaved gravel road leads to the lake, suitable for driving standard vehicles as well.
