Many travelers to Australia do not visit this city because it is located at the edge of Australia, yet it is worth it for certain reasons. This city is on the side of the Indian Ocean, so the water is around 20°C on average all year round! When you compare that to Sydney or Melbourne, where when the sun is strong, the water is only 20°C on the best days, you can say that you can be happy to be in Perth! So what to do in Perth?
📋 Key points to remember: Perth is the most isolated capital in the world (the nearest big city is Adelaide, 2,700 km away). My must-sees: Cottesloe Beach, Rottnest Island (the quokkas), Fremantle (port + breweries), Kings Park, and the Pinnacles coast 2 hours to the north. Plan for 3 to 5 days. Mediterranean climate, ideal in October-November and April-May. Avoid summer (Dec-Feb) when it reaches 40°C.
What to do in Perth, the city at the edge of Australia
Perth is the capital of Western Australia, with a population of 2 million people. Perth is known for its quality of life, which is better and calmer than the big metropolis Sydney; the downside is that there are a few more Aboriginal people, some of whom can be malicious or cause trouble!Due to its distance from other major Australian cities, there are more people born on Australian soil, so many more English speakers; the Asian population remains very low (less than 5%) compared to other cities like Brisbane, Melbourne, or Sydney (over 20% for each of the other cities).
What to do in Perth: Several neighborhoods and places characterize Perth:
– King Park and the business district,
This park is the largest park in the world inside a major city, and the most visited place in Western Australia. It is a park where you can take nice walks; inside there is a botanical garden with more than 2000 floral species. It has a memorial to commemorate the victims of the world wars; this is where people gather on ANZAC DAY (a memorial day for war victims).
In the background of this photo is the business district!
– What to do in Perth: visit Perth city center,
This is the place with the most pedestrians in Perth; you will find several shopping centers, and on nice days, street artists can be found here. The interest of the center, composed of two parallel streets, is that it is quite lively since the city itself is quite calm; if you want to stroll and shop, this is the place to go. The center is not far from Northbridge and the business district.
🌍 Did you know?
Perth enjoys more than 3,200 hours of sunshine per year, one of the sunniest cities in Australia (and the world). For comparison, Paris has 1,660 hours. It is also the city that holds the title of the most isolated state capital in the world, closer to Jakarta than to Sydney.
– Scarborough,
It is the famous beach of Perth, located 45 minutes west of Perth, it has, like all beaches in Australia, barbecues, so it’s the place to be with family or friends on the weekend. You can often find people flying kites and surfing is quite enjoyable!
🗣️ My experience: On Rottnest Island, I came across about ten quokkas in one hour. This endangered animal, nicknamed “the happiest animal in the world” because of its natural smile, is totally comfortable with humans on the island (where they have no predators). Strictly forbidden to touch or feed them: a fine of 300 AUD applies.
– Fremantle,
At the very south of Perth, Fremantle has quite nice architecture compared to Perth. You can find quite a few bars next to the port, including “Little Creatures,” known for serving their own brewed beers! There is also the old prison “Fremantle Prison” which housed the most famous prisoners of the British Empire. This is where you can take the boat to Rottnest Island!
– Northbridge,
This place is known among Perth’s youth for having the best spots to party, although it’s not Sydney, it’s the place to go on weekends to enjoy. You can also find the library here for those who want to hang out on the internet!
🍀 Visiting Perth
- Pleasant Mediterranean climate
- Beautiful and clean beaches
- Human-sized city (2 million inhabitants)
- Excellent entry point to Western Australia
🔻 Limitations
- Isolation (long domestic flights)
- High cost of living (Australia)
- Quieter nightlife than Sydney
- Fewer historical monuments
Places not to be missed around Perth:
– Margaret River,
Better known for its vineyards and wines, this region has hundreds of vineyards and the day tours are very interesting to learn about the wines made there, with tastings included in the tour!
⚠️ Classic trap
Underestimating distances in Western Australia. Perth-Margaret River = 3 hours by car, Perth-Broome = 22 hours or 2.5 hours by plane. If you plan to explore the west coast, definitely rent a campervan or take a domestic flight. Don’t attempt Broome or Karijini as a day return trip.
– Rottnest Island,
It’s a paradise island, only bikes circulate on this island, very pleasant for bike rides and the beaches where snorkeling is a must, the water is fluorescent! Be careful, the landscape is a bit hilly so you’ll get your thighs worked out 😀
The quokka is the symbol of the island, a small marsupial five times smaller than a kangaroo! Be careful at night, they invade the streets looking for food, it is not recommended to feed them as they become aggressive :D.
To continue the Australian journey, what to do in Sydney covers the east coast. Tasmania is the other major nature destination. And to prepare the trip in road trip mode, the Western Australia coast budget provides the concrete figures.
| To see / do | Distance from Perth | Recommended duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cottesloe Beach | 15 km | Half-day |
| Rottnest Island (quokkas) | 40 min ferry | Full day |
| Fremantle (port + Cappuccino Strip) | 20 km | Day |
| Kings Park & Botanic Garden | Center | 2-3 hours |
| The Pinnacles (Nambung) | 2 h drive | Day |
| Wave Rock | 3.5 h drive | Day |
| Margaret River (vineyards) | 3 h drive | 2-3 days |
