Perth Cheat Sheet for Interstate Visitors |
The far-flung capital of Western Australia isn't necessarily what it seems.
Yes, there are bronzed bodies and fit physiques, but while Perth has one eye on its sparkling coastline, the other is on its evolving urban core.
Here's our guide to doing what the locals do, covering free bikes and buses, secret beaches, hidden rooftop bars and islands where quokkas smile.
URBAN COOL
The inner city has had a dramatic facelift over the past decade, and the change has also altered the city's psyche. Small bars have popped up, particularly throughout gritty, creative Northbridge, which neighbours the CBD.
Favourites include Mechanics Institute, The Standard, Wines of While and Bivouac. Their flavour-driven , small plated eats have pushed Perth's wider restaurant sector to be better.
The city has also loosened the necktie, with basement haunts such as Alfred's Pizzeria adding diversity to Petition Beer Corner and Levantineoriented Hadiqa.
The 2016 arrival of waterside precinct Elizabeth Quay has beautified Perth's Swan River frontage, while new pedestrian zone Yagan Square has connected the CBD to Northbridge since 2018.
MECHANICSINSTITUTEBAR.COM.AU,
THESTANDARDPERTH.COM.AU,
WINESOFWHILE.COM, BIVOUAC.COM.AU,
ALFREDSPIZZERIA.COM.AU,
PETITIONPERTH.COM/BEER,
HADIQA.COM.AU,
MRA.WA.GOV.AU
ONE TRAIN LINE TO HOT SPOTS
The Fremantle line doubles as a hopon , hop-off adventure route. Leaving Perth's central train station, it passes through retail-friendly Subiaco (pasta restaurant Lulu La Delizia is reason alone to stop). Next, alight at Claremont and make your way to swanky shopping centre Claremont Quarter. A few more stops away at Cottesloe, visit Napoleon St for more glam shopping (local designer Flannel is here) or wander 1km westward to the beach.
A free shuttle bus runs in March during the annual Sculpture by the Sea outdoor exhibition. Continue down the line to Fremantle, a portside town that retains its historic bones and working class charm.
LULULADELIZIA.COM.AU,
CLAREMONTQUARTER.COM.AU,
FLANNEL.COM.AU
SCULPTUREBYTHESEA.COM/COTTESLOE
BIKES AND BEER
It's not all about the beer at Little Creatures Brewing in Fremantle.
After a tasting and lunch, leave a credit card and ID card as collateral to borrow one of its red pushbikes for free and explore Fremantle, from the Bon Scott statue to WA Shipwrecks Museum across the road, or venture further to the WA Maritime Museum to see the Australia II - the yacht that won the America's Cup in 1983.
LITTLECREATURES.COM.AU,
MUSEUM.WA.GOV.AU
30 MINUTES TO AN ISLAND IDYLL
From Fremantle, it takes half an hour by ferry to reach Perth's playground, Rottnest Island, but a better way is to include a cruise on Swan River, taking the 8.45am daily departure from Elizabeth Quay.
You'll score views of multi-millionaires' riverside houses that way, including Gina Rinehart's .
While on quokka-dotted "Rotto", save some coin by signing up for a free walking tour. Yellow T-shirted guides offer numerous tours each day.
MRA.WA.GOV.AU
RIDE FREE BUSES
Perth's system of free transit buses covers the city centre, suburbs, and Fremantle. CAT buses - the acronym stands for Central Area Transit - are branded with giant panthers.
The stop colours are route indicators - blue (looping north-south , takes in hot spots such as Elizabeth Quay and Northbridge), red (covers the WACA and Forrest Chase), green (travels between Leederville station and Elizabeth Quay) or yellow (stops by Perth Arena, Watertown discount shopping and Perth Busport).
Fremantle has a red CAT, which takes in Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle Prison and the Maritime Museum, and a blue CAT, whisking you to emerging neighbourhood South Fremantle (stop at Mokoh Design for funky holiday keepsakes, Ootong & Lincoln for the best coffee).
TRANSPERTH.WA.GOV.AU
MOKOH.COM.AU
OOTONGANDLINCOLN.COM.AU
BEST VIEWS
While Kings Park does have 3000 WA species in its sprawling parklands, it also affords a panorama from high on the hill of central Perth, its waterfront, Swan River and the escarpment.
Just a five-minute drive from the CBD, most buses driving along St Georges Tce will take you there for free - just tell drivers where you're headed.
BGPA.WA.GOV.AU/KINGS-PARK
BEYOND COTTESLOE BEACH
There are 19 beaches within reach of Perth's city centre, and Cottesloe, being the glamazon, gets all the attention.
Shift focus to redeveloped City Beach, with its clutch of sunsoaked restaurants and new public change rooms, or Scarborough Beach, where a $100 million makeover has revitalised the stretch with a beachfacing public pool, Thursday evening summer markets, a sunset viewing hill, a playground and fresh eateries.
For something more intimate, sneak northward to Bennion Beach.
Mettams Pool is another local favourite for its snorkelling reef.
THE SUBURB THAT BUZZES
Urban Leederville, one train stop out of the CBD, jams in independent shops (Hunter for shoes, Urban Records for tunes and Pigeonhole for gifts), idiosyncratic cafes (Queen of Leeds nails caffeine while Bunn Mee draws queues for its Vietnamese rolls, as does the poke bowl window at Kailis Bros fish market) and bareateries that sprawl onto the pavement.
On a Monday, Pinchos is packed, thanks to its great value Spanish tapas and party vibe.
WWW.HUNTERSTORE.COM.AU, URBANRECORDS.COM.AU, PIGEONHOLE.COM, FACEBOOK.COM/QOLPERTH,FACEBOOK.COM/BUNNMEE.LEEDERVILLE/, HOKIPOKE.COM.AU, PINCHOS.ME/
CULTURE IN ONE SPOT
Perth Cultural Centre is a one-stop hub of old and new art. Crowned by the Art Gallery of Western Australia, its permanent galleries host modern sculptures, indigenous bark paintings and Australian classics such as Down on his Luck by Frederick McCubbin.
Opposite, the Urban Orchard's herb gardens make for easy picnicking and, around the corner, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) offers up experimental and modern creativity.
From 2020, New Perth Museum (New Museum for Western Australia) will open, housing WA's swashbuckling, pioneering history and the many interesting species found here.
Once done, pop out on William St in Northbridge where you'll find young designer boutiques, an excellent Greek providore called Kakulas and Perth's tiniest cafe, Lil' Toastface.
VISITPERTH.COM.AU, ARTGALLERY.WA.GOV.AU, MUSEUM.WA.GOV.AU/NEWMUSEUM, KAKULASBROS.COM.AU, FACEBOOK.COM/LILTOASTFACE
CENTRAL STAYS
For boutique and creative feels, go for Alex Hotel; for elegance and refined luxury, splurge on Como the Treasury; for maximum personality and the city's coolest rooftop bar, opt for the QT; for simple but comfortable with a noon checkout, DoubleTree by Hilton is the go, and for class mixed with art, stay at The Westin, perched above Hibernian Place's new restaurant and bar precinct.
ALEXHOTEL.COM.AU, COMOHOTELS.COM/EN/ THETREASURY, QTHOTELSANDRESORTS.COM, DOUBLETREE3.HILTON.COM, MARRIOTT.COM, HIBERNIANPLACE.COM.AU/
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