Guide to Perth: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The most interesting in Perth: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shops.
Perth is the capital of the Western Australia region, one of the most isolated administrative centers of the world from a wide civilization. The position “on the outskirts” has earned Perth the fame of a hidden pearl in the Australian crown: not everyone can find it, but a stubborn seeker will be rewarded in full – kilometers of virgin beaches, a huge number of national parks within walking distance, beautiful nature, and all this, coupled with lifestyle – cordiality and contagious carelessness of local residents more than compensate for possible inconveniences.
How to get to Perth
The journey from Russia to Australia is long and there are no non-stop flights, so get ready to spend at least 20 hours in the air, excluding connections. There are a lot of flight options: Emirates via Dubai, Singapore Airlines via Singapore, not counting the possibility to fly to Sydney and from there get to Perth by a domestic flight of the national carrier Qantas or low-cost Virgin Blue. Check 3rjewelry for other cities and countries as well as islands in Oceania.
Perth International Airport is located 15 km from the city and consists of three terminals. Flights from abroad are served in terminal 1, home flights – in the 2nd or 3rd. To get from the airport to the city center, you can use the shuttle service. Connect shuttle buses link the international and local terminals to Perth city centre; departures from the airport from 6:20 am to 1 am. In Perth, the shuttle makes 5 stops in different parts of the city. Travel time to the first stop is about 20 minutes, the fare is 18 USD one way and 30 USD round trip. Another option (profitable if you are traveling with a group) is to take a taxi. The trip will cost approximately 40 USD.
Transport in the city
The municipal company Transperth runs Perth’s public transport. It offers local residents and visitors – city buses, suburban trains and a ferry connecting the banks of the Swan River, on which the city is located.
Perth has a large number of bus routes, the most popular of which are CAT buses. There are three lines within the city: Red CAT and Yellow CAT connect the eastern and western parts of the city (from 6 am to half-8 pm with an interval of 5/10 minutes), Blue CAT – northern and southern (from 7:00 to 19:30, interval 8 minutes). In addition, circular routes No. 98 (clockwise) and 99 (in the opposite direction) are popular.
The fare is charged according to the number of crossed zones, there are nine of them in the city. The fare within one zone is USD 2.50, two – USD 3.70, etc. The city center and the areas closest to it are within the same zone. A ticket for 24 hours will cost 9 USD. Movement within the Perth Free Transit Zone (FTZ – Free Transit Zone) is free. Bus stops in this zone have a red FTZ sign.
In addition to fare tickets, you can purchase SmartRider, an electronic card that must first be “charged” with money at Transperth offices. Apply SmartRider to the validator in public transport when entering and exiting, and the required amount will be automatically withdrawn from the card balance.
Gaze at the fantastic starry sky of the Southern Hemisphere in Scitech, the largest planetarium on the continent.
Commuter trains are a great way to quickly get to the outskirts of Perth and its suburbs. Popular destinations include North Clarkson and the towns of Fremantle and Midland. Trains depart from the city’s central station on Wellington Street. The traffic schedule is from half past six in the morning to midnight on weekdays and until two in the morning on weekends. Trains are also subject to the FTZ rule – free travel within the city.
By ferry, you can quickly and comfortably get to the southern regions of Perth, for example, to visit the zoo. Vessels run every 20-30 minutes from 7 am to half past eight in the evening on weekdays and from 8:00 to 21:00 during the weekend; travel time – 7 minutes.
For lovers of physical activity in Perth, there is the opportunity to rent a bicycle. There is an extensive network of cycle paths, and all of them are maintained in almost perfect condition.
Cuisine and restaurants in Perth
Perth has a huge number of bistros, pizzerias and restaurants of a wide variety of gastronomic traditions – from native Australian to American, Italian, Japanese, Mexican and Thai. The largest selection of establishments for every taste and budget in the Northbridge area. Bars, pubs and nightclubs are also located here, and after dark you can “continue the banquet” in them. Other restaurant areas are around Barrack Street and Mend Street on the south bank of the Swan River (lunch can be combined with a short, but romantic ferry trip).
Among the local dishes, it is recommended to try grilled steaks (Australian specialty) and a variety of seafood, from shark meat to freshwater oysters. Perth is famous for lobsters, it is a whole industry with an impressive share of exports to the USA.
The Swan River Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, don’t miss the opportunity to have a glass or two of the local invigorating drink.
Italian cuisine flourishes in Fremantle, a town 20 minutes from Perth. In the 50s and 60s, thousands of pasta and lasagna adepts immigrated here, and since then it has not been difficult to find an institution with excellent dishes here.
Shopping and stores
Perth’s main department stores, Hay Street Mall and Murray Street Mall, are located in the heart of the city. There are many shops of international mass brands of clothing, shoes and accessories and several boutiques of local designers. King Street is another popular shopping artery in the city. It also makes sense to visit the malls Carillon City Arcade, Carousel Shopping Center in the Kenington area, the Harbor Town outlet in western Perth and the colorful Karrinyup Shopping Center – luxury boutiques here are interspersed with nooks and crannies with all sorts of things – bracelets, neckerchiefs and other accessories.
Soak up the local flavor and stock up on food at Perth markets: Fremantle Markets (more than 150 trading places in a historic building from 1897), Canning Vale (fruits, vegetables, flowers, second-hand items; open on Sundays), Gosnells Railway and E-Shed Markets. Large selection of souvenirs and handicrafts at Scarborough Fair Markets and Wanneroo Market (Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 5 pm).
Entertainment and attractions in Perth
One of the main attractions of Perth is the ocean and the beach in all their diversity: from simply lying on the sand to flying in a two-seater plane over the surf line. The most comfortable and safest beaches include North Beach, Sorrento Beach and City Beach. Cottesloe beach is also suitable for swimming, but here you need to beware of underwater currents near the breakwaters. Scarborough and Trigg are ideal for surfers.
You can enjoy the charm of uninhabited beaches and watch short-tailed wallabies on Rottnest Island, located 19 km from Perth (about two hours by ferry). Private transport is prohibited here; the island has one bus route and several bike rentals. In the vicinity of Rottnest, divers can dive to the wrecks of sunken ships.
The out-of-the-way position has earned Perth the reputation of being the hidden gem in the Australian crown.
The Perth Zoo has more than 2,000 animals of 280 species, mostly native to the continent. Kangaroos and wombats can be seen at Caversham Wildlife Park, and numerous koalas inhabit Cohunu Wildlife Park. Fans of cold-blooded animals are advised to visit the Armadale Reptile Center and the huge Aquarium.
In the center of Perth there are also several noteworthy architectural monuments – the Governor’s House surrounded by beautiful gardens, the Houses of Parliament and City Hall, St. George’s Cathedral, as well as the Perth Mint, where precious metals are processed today.
During a tour of the Mint, you are allowed to hold a gold bar worth 200 thousand dollars in your hands (unfortunately, they do not give you a rental).
You can breathe fresh air within the city in one of the four parks in Perth: Allen Green Conservatory with a collection of tropical plants, Burswood Park, 400-hectare Kings Park or Botanical Gardens.
To gaze at the fantastic starry sky of the Southern Hemisphere, head to Scitech, the largest planetarium on the continent. You can fly over Perth and its environs in a hot air balloon, helicopter and two-seater plane. And of course, do not forget that the coast of Australia is one of the best places in the world for diving.
