Off the beaten track for many travellers to Australia, Perth boasts some of the country's best beaches, and much of the city curves gracefully around the beautiful Swan River. With a culinary scene to rival the east coast, Perth is Down Under's best-kept secret.
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The tropical paradise of Rottnest Island, a protected nature reserve and home of the quokka
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Waterside Perth is the capital of Western Australia with a sublime location where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean
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Stroll through Perth’s luscious Kings Park, a welcoming green space right beside the Central Business District
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Perth combines a thriving city metropolis with spectacular nearby bushland, pristine parks and beautiful beaches
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Tour the World Heritage Fremantle Prison just a short drive from Perth, one of Western Australia’s most fascinating cultural attractions
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Spend a day at one of Perth’s many beaches and enjoy the sunshine
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The tropical paradise of Rottnest Island, a protected nature reserve and home of the quokka
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Waterside Perth is the capital of Western Australia with a sublime location where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean
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Stroll through Perth’s luscious Kings Park, a welcoming green space right beside the Central Business District
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Perth combines a thriving city metropolis with spectacular nearby bushland, pristine parks and beautiful beaches
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Tour the World Heritage Fremantle Prison just a short drive from Perth, one of Western Australia’s most fascinating cultural attractions
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Spend a day at one of Perth’s many beaches and enjoy the sunshine
Do
Swan Valley
The Swan Valley is Western Australia's oldest wine region and is just half an hour's drive from Perth's city centre. As well as flavoursome warm-climate wines, the area boasts some outstanding eating, the most impressive being Dear Friends in Caversham.
See
Kings Park
Bigger than New York's Central Park, Kings Park is just as popular with visitors as it is with locals who regularly visit for the purpose of marriage proposals, exercise and other heart-pounding activities. During the spring wildflower season, take a guided tour of the Botanical Gardens.
Drink
Helvetica
The new small-bar licence has indelibly changed the city's drinking habits. Best in class is Helvetica, a two-storey, neo-speakeasy whose assets include great cocktails, instantly likeable staff and Perth's finest whisky collection.
See
Art Gallery of Western Australia
A showcase of local talent, the state gallery will also be channelling New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Over the next three years, MoMA will send pieces from its imposing collection down under for a series of six exhibitions in the West Australian capital.
Do
Watch the Indian Ocean sun set
Yes it's touristy, and you've already seen the pictures on Facebook, but there's a perfectly good reason why people continue to line the state's coastline at dusk: it's a magnificent sight. The Cottesloe Beach Hotel and Ocean Beach Hotel provide prime vantage points.
Location
Cottesloe Beach, Cottesloe
Eat
Restaurant Amusé
A watchful eye on international trends keeps this unassuming restaurant on the cutting edge. Sure, it's degustation-only, but dietary requirements are catered to with aplomb. Among ingredients on the winter menu are Tasmanian ocean trout, Rottnest scallops, tea seed oil, Blue Ridge marron, zucchini flower, Linley Valley pork belly, salted caramel and passionfruit. Switched-on service and a thrilling cellar cement Amusé's status as a must-do for serious eaters.
Shop
King Street
Heritage-listed King Street and its surroundings are where Perth's beautiful people shop. International names abound, including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and – by the year's end – Chanel. Urbane threads can also be purchased at the likes of Subway DC and Periscope.
