PHOTO GALLERY Perth SkylineHotel FreemantleKings ParkCottesloe

Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is another of Australia´s modern cities and is supposedly Australia´s sunniest capital. Perth is also the most isolated capital city in the world with 80% of the 1.8 million people in Western Australia living in and around the city.

Perth is situated on the west bank of the Swan River and was founded in 1829. It grew due to the convicts arrival around the labour shortage, with many of the major buildings built by the convicts. The city boomed during the 1890´s gold discovery.

Cottesloe
One of the most popular beaches in Perth, Cottesloe is a wonderful spot to visit. Swimming, surfing, snorkelling, fishing and just sitting in the sun are all favourite pastimes at this premier beach location. The suburb abounds with old, well preserved homes from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Norfolk Pine trees, some more than 70 years old, line the streets.

Freemantle
Heading south from Perth the first major town you will come across is Fremantle, a relaxed and historical city offering plenty of places to visit. From Fremantle you can head east the small town of Hyden and the famous Wave Rock. It is quite a distance, although worth it to see this amazing rock formation. Continuing south along the coast are several pleasant coastal holiday resorts. Rockingham offers a number of good beaches, as well as various boat cruises.

You can join a cruise out to Penguin Island as well as go swimming with dolphins between September to May, which is an unbelievable experience.

Margaret River
Margaret River is a beautiful wine growing region set just inland from the pretty south west coast of Western Australia. The surrounding landscape is made up of deep forests, spectacular beaches, and a number of limestone caves.

Several good swimming beaches include Gracetown and Prevally, although much more popular are the many surfing beaches near Margaret River. Great surfing beaches include Gnarabup, Margaret River Mouth, Redgate and Suicides, although many of the coastal bays and beaches in this area offer fantastic surf.

Rottnest Island
Although Rottnest Island started out as a prison and also hosted a large military stronghold during World War II, it soon became a perfect escape from the busy city life in Perth and is a wonderful place to visit. You can find out more about the history of the island at the interesting Rottnest Island Museum, or by following one of the Rottnest Voluntary Guide Tours around various historical sites. You can also visit the Oliver Hill Gun Emplacement which is a site from World War II, which you can get to by train from Thomson Bay.

There are plenty of other things to do on Rottnest Island, and a number of activities to get involved in. Cycling is popular on the island and is a great way to get around and see everything. Also popular are fishing, snorkelling and diving. There is some beautiful coral around the island which you can see from various points, as well as a number of shipwrecks. If you are planning on going snorkelling it is a good idea to hire a boat, and explore the waters best points.

Perth has a Mediterranean climate. Summer, from December to February, is warm, sunny and dry, while winter, June to August, is wet and mild. Inbetween, spring and autumn are fresh, sunny seasons which are an ideal time to visit Perth.

Getting around Perth is easy with lots of options to suit your taste and budget including free city transport, trains, buses, ferries, taxis and more.

Free city transport
For city travellers, Perth and Fremantle are serviced by an efficient public transport system as well as a free shuttle-service in Perth known as the Central Area Transit (CAT). There are four different CAT services, which circulate specific routes every five to 15 minutes during the day. Weekday timetables are more frequent than weekends.

Travel by Train or Bus
There are four train lines which service the Perth metropolitan area, these lines all service Perth city. The train lines are:

Armadale
Fremantle
Midland
Joondalup
Many train stations along these lines provide connecting bus services.

Train and bus service details as well as a comprehensive journey planner are available from Transperth.

Taxis
There are over 1000 taxis operating in around Perth. All taxis are meter operated by time and distance, and operate twenty four hours a day. Taxis indicate they are vacant by illuminating the sign on the vehicles roof. Taxi ranks are situated outside some of Perth&Acute;s major hotels and close to the shopping areas.

Hop on a ferry
Ferry services traverse some sections of the Swan River, and regular high-speed ferries travel from Perth, Fremantle and Hillarys to Rottnest Island.

Timetabling information for trains, buses and ferries across the Swan River are available from Transperth.

Kings Park
Kings Park is magnificent; there are so many areas to explore with picnic and barbecue facilities and their own different scenery and moods. You can walk around these areas or drive a car around the 400ha of virgin bush land, manicured gardens and brilliant displays of wildflowers during spring.

Swan River
The foreshore areas come alive on a sunny day; extensive grassed areas and walkways with barbecue and picnic facilities attract sun-lovers of all ages. Whether you grab a quiet spot for yourself, throw ´a prawn on the barbie´ or kick a football around with a few friends, the atmosphere is excellent. Australia Day (January 26th) celebrations are huge on the foreshore with thousands congregating for daylong displays and fun in the sun, culminating in a massive fireworks display that coincides with local radio. It.s a great time to visit and is the epitome of what Australian leisure time is all about.

Perth Zoo
Just minutes from the city, the award-winning Perth Zoo is home to around 1300 native and exotic animals from over 230 species, as well as world famous breeding programs for critically endangered species. You can see some of the planet´s most amazing animals at Perth Zoo in exhibits that closely replicate their natural environments. A botanical paradise, the Zoo.s shaded walkways and grassy picnic areas provide a relaxing way to enjoy the animals and daily activities.

Perth Suburbs
Most of Perth´s population lives in suburbs spread out in all directions along the river and coast. Around the city, Subiaco, Leederville, South Perth and Mt Lawley are stylish areas with excellent shopping, restaurants, cafés, nightlife and entertainment facilities. Perth´s nightlife can be found in Northbridge, Perth City, Subiaco, Leederville, and Cottesloe. The main coastal recreational areas are from Fremantle, and then Cottesloe, Scarborough, Trigg, North Beach and Hillarys heading north along the coast.

Perth features a wide variety of restaurants and cafes scattered all around the city. Many are situated around Murray and Milligan Streets, however, you will also find a wide range of variety in the food halls in the Hay Street Mall.

When Shopping in Central Perth consider the Carillon Arcade, not only does it feature around 70 retail shops but it is also boasts an international food court.

Just 5 minutes from the city of Perth is Burswood Casino. With nine restaurants and six bars there is dining for all tastes including smorgasbord, asian style menu, authentic oriental, steak and seafood, a´la carte and fine dining in the multi award winning Windows Restaurant.

Perth has a full range of shops and also a number of weekend markets. The Wanneroo Market in Wangara sells food and other goods. For art and craft go to the Galleria Market situated between the art gallery and museum. Other weekend markets include the Fremantle Market and the Stock Road Market, with Gosnells Railway Market and Subiaco Pavillion Market open Thursday - Sunday.

London Court, situated in the in Central Perth is a great place to source that perfect souvenir, with its great selection of souvenirs, exclusive and independent shops set within a unique old world backdrop making shopping here both unique and pleasurable.

Hay and Murray Street Malls, both being traffic-free areas make for comfortable shopping. Familiar department stores and franchise outlets together with specialty stores are present. The many arcades contain a wide range of shops including fine jewellery and fashion.