Australia has fascinated me for a long time because of its island like remoteness, and its stark contrast to the far eastern world around it .. a sort of remote western outpost – but it is so far from Europe and the Americas that it now marches to the tune of its own drummer, and the Ozzies have developed their own style to most things … so when the opportunity came up to head over to Perth in Western Australia – often referred to as the most remote city in the world … I jumped at it
Perth is like a flower in the shade, perched on the western edge near the coast of this desert like continent – but as the light hits it, the world will suddenly wonder why they never noticed it before.
The city and area is deeply rooted in the mining and mineral world as well as nature, but has a yearning for creative expression and freedom, and if you think of Leonardo da Vinci being both an engineer and an artist, you get a feeling of what lies below the surface as far as Perth is concerned, so expect the unexpected ..within structure and a well planned vision.
For example Perth’s International Arts Festival in Feb …now in its 65th year I believe. It is here and not Melbourne or Sydney that you will find the oldest and longest running Multi Arts Festival in Australia, and the longest running Annual Arts Festival in the Southern Hemisphere – it is spread throughout the city streets, parks, beaches, theatres and galleries – and seems to grow by the year, drawing an array of international and local artists.
Perth seems to have it all, and holds the promise of even more to come
KINGS PARK
The downtown city core lies on the Swan River slightly back from the coast – its a very walkable and likeable downtown that seems to be constantly adapting and changing as the city grows. As with any city core .. it’s business as usual, but here everyone seems to take things in their stride at a more relaxed pace. Kings Park is the cities jewel in the crown, and at 400 hectares it is 60 hectares larger than New York’s Central Park. It is a park for the people and the Ozzies make the most of it – there are sand and paved trails, a glass bridge, sports facilities, a botanical garden, war memorials, picnic spots, plus areas for outdoor music concerts and moonlight cinemas, and it showcases a giant 36 tonne prehistoric bottle-like Boab tree… these I was told can live for 2000 years.
WATERFRONT & ELIZABETH QUAY AREA
The city Itself has traces of a colonial past in its older buildings but a new world is rising within, as is very apparent with all the hi rise development in and around the downtown area and the waterfront around the Elizabeth Quay with its trendy cafes, bars and restaurants. The city itself is clean and is very walkable and has some interesting areas including London Court …that if you blink will make you think you were suddenly in Europe – or that you stumbled into a real world movie set ….again quite unexpected.
FREMANTLE
Fremantle, Perth’s Port city is about a 20 min drive from downtown, but me it felt more like an outreached arm of Perth than a separate city – its here that the first colonialists settled and it has an old world Charm to it with many well preserved 19th Century buildings housing fantastic restaurants, galleries and shops. Its a creative hub and a former Lunatic Asylum now houses the Fremantle Arts Centre. One can easily spend days in Fremantle alone exploring the area, with its eclectic assortment of anything and everything… from markets to microbreweries, trendy bars, skateparks – all with boating and beaches right on its doorstep. If you like Cape Towns Waterfront area, Vancouvers Granville Island, Tampa’s Ybor area and New Yorks Soho … then you will love Fremantle
HILLARY’S HARBOUR & NORTHERN BEACHES
Head up the coast from Fremantle and you find yourself driving though City Beach, Scarborough and Sorrento …on the whole more modern seaside suburbs overlooking stunning beaches with white sand and turquoise water. A bit further along you will get to Hillary’s Harbour …Sorrento Beach is adjacent to Hillarys and is one of the few places along the coast with shark nets which makes it very popular with families – there are a few others with barriers and more have been earmarked to receive shark barriers.
The area along this coast is scattered with endless seaside cafes and modern suburbia, including elegant shopping malls catering to all your needs. Clancys Fish Bar a super relaxed venue at City Beach is a great spot to enjoy casual seaside evening meal.
At Hillary’s Harbour you will find a marina, the Aquarium of WA , an assortment of shops and restaurants and it is also one of the 2 places where you can take a ferry over to Rottnest Island – the other being Fremantle.
ROTTNEST ISLAND
Rottnest Island (locally referred to as Rotto) its about 18 km off the coast. It is a popular family holiday destination with an assortment of accommodation options – ranging from a small Hotel and Lodge to holiday cabins and campgrounds . There are no motor vehicles allowed on the island other than emergency vehicles and an Explorer Bus … but the most popular way of getting around on the island is by bike. The island is a paradise for boating, diving and snorkling with its many sheltered bays spread around the island – it was somewhat comforting knowing that drones are used to patrol for sharks The island is best known for its Quokkas – a small friendly native marsupial (about the size of a domestic cat) ..that is found all over the island, and just about everyone seemed to be wanting a selfie with these furry critters …to me they look like a cross between a rat, squirrel and kangaroo – they are not shy and if you don’t find them they will find you.
SWAN VALLEY WINE REGION
This region is about a 25 min drive east of Perth and is home to Western Australia’s oldest wine region – there are over 40 wineries and an assortment of Breweries as well as over 70 restaurants and cafes in the area, you can reach the Swan River Wine Region by road or via a Swan River Cruise from Perth’s Barrack street jetty. A few of the most popular destinations are Houghton Wines, Homestead and Feral Brewing – I loved the fact that this wineland area was such a short drive from the city and its beaches – yet they are worlds apart
Perth seems to have it all, and I can see why people move there despite its remoteness – if you want to experience the city at its best, a great time to visit would be when the International Arts Festival is on – but you would need to book any accommodation well in advance ..
