PERTH
Area: Western Australia
Country: Australia


Location:
Capital of Western Australia, in SW corner of continent. 12 mls N of port of Fremantle. 2,500 mls SW of Darwin. 1,700 mls W of Adelaide. 10 mls SW of international airport, with good taxi and bus connections to town.

Telephone code from UK:
61 8

Website:
http://www.perthtouristcentre.com.au

Position:
Strung out along Sunset Coast on Indian Ocean. Surrounded by desert, which encroaches upon some suburbs. Backed by Darling Range and bisected by Swan River.

Description:
Said to be the world's most isolated capital, this big, modern city could be mistaken for parts of Hong Kong or London were it not for its laid-back attitude and small-town feel. At its heart is the "Central Business District" (CBD), around 1 ml across and dominated by a vast open-air pedestrianised shopping precinct known as Perth City Malls, which offers the usual modern retail experience along with some attractive, older arcades. To its W is Kings Park, 3 sq mls of parkland which act as the city's "lungs", and just N of the centre is lively Northbridge, full of restaurants, pavement cafes and entertainment venues, and frantically busy at weekends as a result. Greater Perth sprawls along the coast for almost 20 mls with only Fremantle offering anything of further interest: more visually appealing than the central area, the buzz of its cafes and markets gives a much-needed lift to this otherwise conservative beachside city.

Suitability:
More for couples than families, because _ zoo and beaches aside _ there are few attractions for young children.

Accommodation:
Mostly 4- and 5-star skyscraper hotels; smattering of smaller concerns in beach areas.

Shopping:
Centrally placed Perth City Malls sell much the same as you could find at home. American-style shopping malls are dotted throughout suburbs; Pioneer Village in Armadale (15 mls SW of centre) is a glorified shopping mall, with themed outlets selling handicrafts. Two lively markets at Fremantle; weekend markets at Subiaco, a trendy suburb 2 mls W of centre.

Beach:
Lovely 20-ml expanse of soft white sand stretching N through suburbs of Cottesloe and beyond. Although there are no palm trees and beachside entertainment is rather lacking, the beaches themselves are pleasantly free of crowds and an ice-cream is never far away.

Entertainments:
Daytime: zoo; beach; Museum and Art Gallery of Western Australia; Perth Mint; heritage trails through Fremantle. Nightlife: Perth Entertainment Centre hosts ballet, comedy etc; cinemas (discount on Tuesday nights); huge casino; restored Edwardian theatre. "Perth and Fremantle Today", free from tourist office, lists what's on where.

Eating:
Northbridge features every kind of eating experience, from pricey fish restaurants to covered food halls where you pick and mix international cuisine from a variety of stalls and then eat at tables in the centre. Choose from Thai, Korean, Malaysian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Cantonese, French, Italian or Lebanese. Most hotels have their own restaurants.

Public-transport:
Efficient, cheap integrated system run by Transperth, with train and bus stations right in centre and a free transport zone, within which a bus ticket isn't needed. Zonally priced railway system with trains to suburbs. Bus, train and ferry services run to Fremantle, with ferries available to Rottnest Island. Replica tram links main tourist areas.

Local-excursions:
Ferries to Rottnest Island, home of the beaver-like quokka; ferries (with commentary) to Fremantle, passing "Millionaires' Row" of houses belonging to Australia's elite; whale-watching trips in season (Sept_Nov); New Norcia, a 19th-century Benedictine abbey; coach tours to the Pinnacles (Nambung National Park) and to Wave Rock at Hyden; Swan Valley and Margaret River wineries. Wildflower displays in desert Aug_Nov.