Perth WA

On By Coral WaightIn Australia, Western Australia

I’ve been wanting for a long time to head west to explore Perth. We’re deep in winter here in Melbourne and I’d heard a rumour there’s sunshine over there. So a couple of weeks ago I checked temperatures, they were pretty pleasant, so I took the bull by the horns and booked a one-way flight out of here.

I discovered when I arrived that I’d brought Melbourne with me. It got colder and wetter as the first three days went on, though luckily the sun popped out every afternoon for a little while to help with photos.

I loved Perth, so quiet, so organised. It reminded me of how manic my large city can feel. Public transport is fabulous. There’s a new rail link to the airport, costing just $5 or $2.20 for oldies. Trains to Fremantle leave every quarter of an hour and also cost $5, and there are buses everywhere.

There are pedestrian malls all through the central district, making it very easy to get around. It would be hard to get run over in Perth.

Lunchtime in Hay Street Mall

And arcades from street to street. I loved this one. Ye London Court.

Perth, or the Swan River Colony, was settled by the British in 1829. Gold discoveries in the Kalgoorlie region in the early 1890s brought an era of prosperity, which accounts for a lot of their fairly impressive buildings, fitting in quite well with the more modern ones.

Government House

My favourite was His Majesty’s Theatre. It was constructed in the early 1900s, and has had various renovations since, the last having been completed at the end of 2022. I love theatres. I was taken on a tour and was in heaven.

The dome is not really a dome but painted to look like one. Even sitting in the theatre, you can’t tell.

I don’t usually put myself in photos but the tour guide insisted. ‘Pretend you’re at Raffles in Singapore,’ she said, and it does look a bit like that. Note the beautiful brand new flooring.

I love river cruises, and they’re the only way I can go on water without getting seasick. So on my second day, I took myself down to the wharf and boarded the River Cat for a cruise along the Swan to Fremantle and back. It was a bit nippy at the back of the boat.

There’s a lot of money in Perth, thanks to the mining industry, and massive mansions have been built all the way along the cliffs. This one takes the cake, I think. Actually it looks a bit like a wedding cake.

A fifteen-minute stop allowed passengers to get off and others to board and we shot back in half the time, which was good because you can only gawk at massive mansions for just so long.

Wandering back to my digs, I came upon the stunning Supreme Court of Western Australia, sitting in the middle of the Stirling Gardens.

The original court house is right next door, and is now The Old Court House Law Museum. I love old court houses and I spent ages checking out the history of the early days of Perth and surrounds.

Next morning, I caught the train down to Fremantle to check out some serious colonial history at the Fremantle Gaol, which I’ll leave till next time.  

27 thoughts on “Perth WA”

  1. I think you’ve seen more of Perth than me! I wish I had know you were here and we could have met. Love all your photos and the interesting history you’ve unearthed, I am so happy we ended up living here

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  3. Unknown's avatar Anonymous

    Government House looks like the Tower of London. Didn’t you visit the WACA? The MCC always found it a difficult place to play.

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  4. Nadine's avatar Nadine

    Coral very inspiring. I think I might try that trip next year or two so will use this post as a guide.

    Hope this finds you well I am really good except just had a nasty head cold this week still recovering..,

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    1. Hi, Nar. Thanks for reading. Getting to and from, and around Perth, I found to be awfully easy. The air fares weren’t cheap though compared with the east coast but to be expected, I suppose.
      I’m well, thanks. Hope you’re over your cold soon. xx

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  5. A con-man trying to sell us an inappropriate time-share in Orlando, Florida asked Alie what was the one place in the world she would like to see. She replied to his surprise, “Perth.”

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    1. Good starting point, Ray. My intention was to continue down the coast by train but I chose the wrong time, weather-wise. I’m returning later in the year to do that. Western Australia is pretty stunning. It’s so large, so there’s so many different landscapes to explore.

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    1. Thanks, Marion. I wanted to ask, did you organise the various categories/countries of your travels at the top of the blog yourself, or were they supplied with that theme? I’d like to have my blog that way.

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      1. I organised all the headings myself. Depending on the blog theme you are using, you just need to go into categories and compile a ‘nesting’ arrangement something like this example: Northern Europe, United Kingdom, South West, Cornwall. Then you can add more as you go along. I don’t think all WordPress themes support the menu structure so if your current one doesn’t you could select a different one in a few clicks and migrate your site over and if you don’t like the appearance, you can just revert back to the old one without losing anything. Hope this helps a little Coral. Best wishes, Marion

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  9. I really liked your article about Perth in Western Australia. You have shared a fantastic and comprehensive guide to this vibrant and beautiful city. You have also given some practical and useful facts and tips about the weather, transport, accommodation, and attractions of this city. Your photos are also very stunning and impressive, showing the diversity and charm of the cityscape.

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  10. Pingback: Perth to Fremantle WA – Planning to the Nth

  11. Nadine Eagleson's avatar Nadine Eagleson

    Coral great taster of visiting W.A hope to do a trip there and will follow your travel hints. Pic’s of Fremantle lovely . Thanks for the ahare cheers Nar

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    1. Hi Nar, Thanks for reading again. That’s great that you might make it there. I’m hoping to go back to continue my explorations but not till it warms up a bit. I’m thinking of heading north to get some sun. Cheers, Coral.

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  14. Suzanne's avatar Suzanne

    Wonderful ! Perth is a lively city; your photos and comments certainly capture its charms. Some lovely old architecture, great “Raffles” pic! I look forward to reading what you made of Fremantle . Great blog Coral 👏

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