Perth, Australia (*cruise tour) Nearby:
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Perth is the capital and largest city of Western Australia. It is separated from Adelaide (the nearest city with over one million inhabitants) by the distance of 2,139km to the east that includes the Nullarbor.
Perth spreads out along on a flat coastal plain, dissected by theDespite its isolation and relatively small population, Perth is a surprisingly culturally diverse city. Due to the high rate of migration to Perth, slightly less than half of Perth's residents were born outside Australia. Its proximity to Southeast Asia and Africa has led to an influx of migrants from countries such as Malaysia, South Africa, and Thailand, and this is reflected in the... Read more
Perth is the capital and largest city of Western Australia. It is separated from Adelaide (the nearest city with over one million inhabitants) by the distance of 2,139km to the east that includes the Nullarbor.
Perth spreads out along on a flat coastal plain, dissected by theDespite its isolation and relatively small population, Perth is a surprisingly culturally diverse city. Due to the high rate of migration to Perth, slightly less than half of Perth's residents were born outside Australia. Its proximity to Southeast Asia and Africa has led to an influx of migrants from countries such as Malaysia, South Africa, and Thailand, and this is reflected in the diversity of cuisine available in Perth. If you wish to experience a cosmopolitan culture without the hustle and bustle of larger cities then Perth is worth visiting.
The City has a temperate Mediterranean type climate. Summers are hot and dry whilst winters are generally wet and mild. Summer temperatures average 30°C/86°F between November and April. Maximum temperatures during the height of summer can reach and sometimes exceed the 40°C/104°F mark. Very hot days tend to have very low humidity making conditions more bearable.
Spring (Sep-Nov) and Autumn (Mar-May) are ideal times in which to visit Perth. Spring (particularly October / November periods) is perhaps the very best to see the sights as after a decent winter's rainfall, the famous wildflowers around Kings Park and the Avon Valley bloom splendidly.
The Perth metropolitan area has a fairly reliable and inexpensive public transport system operated by Transperth. Information about timetables, disruptions or service alterations can be found on their website, by calling 13 62 13 or at 'Transperth Infocentres' at the central train station and a couple of branches in the City.
A reasonably reliable network of public bus services run around the suburbs between bus and train stations.
Transperth also operates a free CAT bus service in Perth CBD, Northbridge, Fremantle and Joondalup. The large air-conditioned buses of different colors with the distinctive CAT logo run about every 10 min on various routes around major facilities and attractions. They are a great way of getting from one place to another.
The buses are free leaving and entering the city within the Free Transit Zone - it runs from Newcastle Street down and from the end ofThe suburban railway network is great for quickly getting to outlying suburban areas. All services stop at the central Perth station in the City on their way to or from the outlying terminating stations. The network consists of five rail lines, some reaching further into the outer metropolitan area:
All rail lines converge at Perth Station. Joondalup and Mandurah Line services utilize underground platforms at Perth Underground Station, which is directly connected to Perth Station, allowing transfers by foot to the other lines.
All lines connect to various bus services. The Wellington Street Bus Station, located in the CBD, is where many bus services can be boarded and are directly connected to Perth Station. The Esplanade Bus Port is another prime bus service location in the CBD and is directly connected to Esplanade Station on the Mandurah and Joondalup Lines. Most train stations across Perth have bus transfers that service the more local area of the station.
Train services run every 5–10 minutes (this depends on the line and station) during peak hours, with many trains running express. Off-peak and most of the day on weekends, trains run every 15min and 30min after 19:00 and weekends. The Armadale Line runs express at all times except late nights.
During peak hours (07:00-21:00.00 & 16:30-18:30) the Midland and Clarkson lines can become extremely overcrowded. Avoid these lines during peak if possible. Bicycles are not allowed on trains heading toward the city in the morning, or away from the city in the evening; they are also not allowed to enter or pass through Perth, Perth Underground or Esplanade stations. Passengers with bikes should use City West, McIver, Canning Bridge or Leederville stations during this time and then ride to the final destination from there.
Services commence around 05:00 and cease around midnight.
Remember to purchase a valid ticket or use your SmartRider card when traveling on the rail network. A good tip to remember is, if you have a SmartRider, to use one of the red fare gates to enter the station, so you can also be sure you have "tagged on". Do the same when leaving. Not all stations have these gates. If your station does not, look for a green pole with a SmartRider reader instead.
On Saturday morning, extra services depart Perth at 1.00 AM and 2.00 AM, with three extra services on Sunday morning (1.00 AM, 2.00 AM) These services cater to people traveling home from night clubs in Northbridge. These services operate in one direction only, heading away from the city. The Armadale services run all stops during this time; there is no late night service to Thornlie.
Weekend service frequency is 15 minutes on all routes. Trackwork can cause partial line closures on weekends, with buses replacing trains. It is rare for a whole line to be closed due to track work, but it does occur at least twice a year on the Fremantle and Midland Lines.
Also note that during special events, some extra train services may operate, such as the Perth to West Leederville shuttle, or the Mandurah to West Leederville special. It is best to avoid these trains if you can, as they are often overcrowded.
For trains, buses, and ferries, the Transperth system is divided into 9 concentric zones, as well as the Free Transit Zone (city center and surrounds). The Free Transit Zone on the trains is only available to SmartRider (transport card) holders, passengers without a card have to buy a ticket. Tickets and passes are valid on all buses, ferries, and trains within a zone. Tickets are valid for two hours and can be used on your return trip.
Zone 2 extends as far as Fremantle and for most visitors, a two-zone ticket will suffice. Single trip, cash tickets can be purchased from bus drivers or coin-operated ticket machines located at train stations. The more convenient SmartRider cards automatically calculate your fare and deduct it from your card when you tag on and off upon boarding and alighting bus and train services. SmartRiders can be bought or recharged at Transperth Information Centres, major train and bus stations and/or from most Newsagents. Bus drivers can also charge your SmartCard for you, however, they will not provide change. SmartRider cards carry a 15% discount over cash fares.
Those passengers not holding SmartRider cards will need to present their paper ticket to the transit guard upon entering and leaving Perth Station and selected suburban stations.
Taxi experiences in Perth can range from hassle-free to problematic. Extended waits during peak periods (5 AM-9 AM Weekdays and Weekend Evenings) are common, but outside these times, taxis are plentiful. If your journey is likely to be short, it is better to simply call for a taxi once you are ready to leave, or hail a taxi if you are in a busy area.
Two major taxi companies are Swan Taxis (13 13 30), who dispatch Swan, TriColor, 13CABS, Yellow and Coastal taxis, and Black and White Taxis (131 008). There are numerous smaller companies that operate mainly out of the Central Business District. Fares are regulated by the state government and all dispatch companies charge the same rate. Surcharges apply on designated holiday periods (New Year's Eve and Christmas Day) and on weekend nights between midnight and 5 AM. Tipping taxi drivers in Perth is not customary, but adding a small gratuity on top of the fare is common for exceptional service.
Catching a taxi from an entertainment precinct late on a Friday or Saturday night sees clubbers waiting at taxi stands up to 2 hours for a ride home. Drivers are known to avoid picking up drunken patrons from outside of pubs, clubs or from the entrance to Perth central station. There has been a recent spate of sexual assaults on female passengers so it is advisable to travel in groups. There are specially designated 'secure ranks' operating at these times where patrons can queue in (relative) safety. Another option is the late night Transperth trains and buses run specially for revelers after their night out.
Services at Perth Airport are generally reliable, but at offpeak times (1 am - 8 am), be prepared for a potential wait at the taxi-stand as the line of waiting taxis crawl in one by one. The frequency at night drops off but there should still be a few cars waiting to meet incoming planes.
Perth can be comfortably explored on foot or by bicycle as Perth has some of the best cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in Australia.
The Perth bicycle network features an ever-growing, metro-wide system of bicycle/pedestrian paths. The system features;
Cycle maps are available from most bike shops and at Planners Map. The Department for Planning and Infrastructure provides a range of guides, maps and brochures for bike riders. If you have a scenic route in mind, these brochures can take you to the coast, Kings Park, Armadale and the Hills or around the Swan River.
A favorite among seasoned local cyclists is the ride along the North side of the Swan River between the City and Nedlands. Allow 60 min for a round trip along this route, as you might encounter a strong headwind.
Bicycles are allowed on board Transperth trains but not during peak hour unless they can be folded up.
Perth city has at times had books and pamphlets for self-guided walking tours.
Two Feet and a Heartbeat currently has guided walking tours.
Driving into Perth's CBD and Northbridge will mean paying to park. There is also congestion on roads leading to the CBD during peak hours. The other option is to park at a railway station and catch a train. Some stations charge a small fee for parking, and all-day parking can fill up. Once parked in the CBD, you can reach most destinations by foot or by a free bus.
Renting a car is the ideal means of transportation for traveling through the suburbs and to outlying attractions. Most major car hire companies have locations in or near Perth. Budget Rent a Car has 7 location in Perth, Avis, Hertz, and others have more than one location, as well. Perth's major freeways and highways are free from any tolls, and it is possible to be surrounded by beautiful countryside within minutes.
Car rental providers are located at the airport and in the city. There are some providers also in the suburbs.
The speed limit within built-up areas is 50 km/h unless otherwise directed by traffic signs.
Police are rarely seen out on the roads but speed cameras are very prevalent. Driving even 5 km/hr above the speed limit can incur a fine. Driving 40 km/hr above the speed limit means the car is impounded for 28 days even if it is not your car (hire cars excepted).
There is plenty to see in the city center within wandering distance or on a free CAT bus. Hidden among the sprawl of the surrounding and metropolitan area are a few worthwhile attractions usually less than an hour away by car, or a bit longer on public transport.
Outside of the metropolitan area are some unspoiled national parks, unpopulated coastline, and other interesting locations.
There is a designated area in the zoo for kangaroos where they can wander on visitors' paths and the animals are used to people so you can see them very close.
To see semi-wild kangaroos visit the Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park (a cemetery, but not European style) - it's a walking distance from Whitfords Transperth Train/Metro Station - just cross the highway, the highway exit and look for the entrance on the left. As there is plenty of space for them you may see them not only eating but also hopping.
In Whiteman Park, kangaroos come close to the parking areas in the main visitor areas of the Park. Kangaroos are also commonly seen on many golf courses, including at The Vines and Joondalup Resorts.
There are also kangaroos that occasionally come close to the Mundaring Weir Hotel and the car park above Mundaring Weir/Lake C Y O'Connor.
Perth is well known for its indie music scene at established venues such as Amplifier Bar, Rosemount, Fly By Night, The Rocket Room and Mojos. The Big Day Out festival was held in early February every year. Visit YourGigs for upcoming gigs or Perth Indie Bands for a selection of good Perth bands.
One of Perth's drawbacks is that its people have not embraced late night dining. Very few places will serve food after 22:00, even on Friday or Saturday nights. Most restaurants in Perth do not cater for vegetarians or vegans, and if they do - the range is extremely limited. If you are looking for a place that embraces vegetarian food, Fremantle is great.
There is an extensive array of restaurants in Northbridge. You will find a great selection of Southern European and Asian restaurants. Northbridge gets very busy on Friday and Saturday nights as Perth goes into party mode. Neighbouring Mount Lawley and Highgate also have some good options. Victoria Park has a stretch of restaurants along Albany Hwy which is a fairly steady location with the locals and has a few high-quality restaurants, although is lower key and more casual.
Fremantle is a good eating option. Famous for its cappuccino strip lined with cafes next door to one another popular with the yuppie crowd. On weekends, a local tradition is to visit the Fisherman's Wharf on warm, sunny weekend evenings for fish and chips. There are a couple of options to choose from close to the beach. Just follow your nose or the seagulls. Further exploring in Fremantle, or "Freo" as it is locally known, can reveal lots of trendy, alternative restaurants that cater for the "careful" eaters. If you care about knowing what it is you are eating, (vegan, preservative free, fair trade, organic), try exploring the Freo markets area, or just ask around, they are often not in the "touristy areas". Little Creatures is a decent brewery but is also a yuppie pub. If you are looking for a decent fish and chip or seafood dinner, it is typically far more expensive by the coast (where the tourists are), excellent seafood at a better price can be sourced in the central and eastern suburbs.
Subiaco is located just a couple of kilometers from the city center. It is a trendy but fun suburb which features some great food and entertainment, although it can be quite expensive.
Claremont is a suburb on the Fremantle railway line where you will find some good restaurants as well (including authentic Italian), although, again, it can be quite expensive and there is a limited range.
The Swan Valley, especially along West Swan Road contains various wineries, food producers and restaurants with stunning views over the vineyards. Particularly good are The Black Swan Cafe, Duckstein Brewery, Elmar's and The Mallard Duck Cafe.
Kalamunda and other Eastern hills suburbs offer hidden gems of cafes, small shops and food producers in beautiful countryside with stunning city views. Traditionally Perth locals used to go for picnics and produce festivals in these areas back in the 19th and early 20th century, however as the practice waned with fashions leading towards the coast, it is an excellent place to visit away from the touristy areas for a relaxing or peaceful trip to the bush with fine views and decent food not too far from the city. People often do DIY food tours to local orchards, vineyards, cheesemakers, bakeries, and other cottage industries, arts, and cafes as it's not really organized. It's usually best to visit during Spring or soon after the rains when the forest is at its best.
Guildford has many antique stores (although like all Australian antique markets are visited by many hundreds of tourists as well as locals, so real bargains can be rare), but you can get decent cafe morning teas and lunches in some fine old architecture. This area has some of Perth's oldest residential houses and grand building museums & cafes. The old theatre now houses a large Asian textile and artworks store worth a visit and a quirky taxidermy museum a few doors down. Alfreds Kitchen is a tiny but legendary burger bar to the locals, who amass in large crowds that opens at night.
A large Western Rock Lobster (known locally by its former name of crayfish) industry. Most of the crayfish is exported to Asia and USA for vast sums of money. However, crayfish prices in Perth can be relatively cheap, especially during summer in a good season. A chance to give it a try without breaking the bank.
Chilli Mussels are a popular local specialty, consisting of mussels cooked in tomato and chili jus, available in various restaurants.
Truffles are grown around Mundaring and Manjimup and hosts individual truffle festivals at different times in the year.
The nearest wine region to Perth is the Swan Valley which has many wineries as well as distilleries and breweries. In addition to cellars where you can sample the wines, many wineries also have restaurants or cafés for meals. The second most recognized region is the Margaret River region (about a three hours drive away) which is extremely popular for wine tasting, delicious chocolate, and fresh, locally made food and produce. Lesser publicized regions include the Porongurup region which is recognized internationally for its Rieslings, Mount Barker region also produces fine Rieslings and Shiraz
Perth has an abundance of Gloria Jeans, Miss Mauds and Dome stores mainly in the city center and suburban shopping areas. Clusters of independent European style cafes line the trendy streets of suburbs around the city center. The most well-known place for a decent espresso is the Cafe Strip in Fremantle closely followed by the districts of Subiaco, Leederville and South Perth. Although Perth culture has a high-quality taste for coffee and demands very high standards in product, in recent times Perth has the dubious honor of having some of the most expensive average coffee prices in the country.
Perth has bars scattered throughout the city but most bars are in the CBD, Northbridge, Subiaco, Leederville, Victoria Park, Mount Lawley & Fremantle areas. Bars usually become busy after 5 pm with the afterwork crowd, but most locals tend to go to bars on Friday & Saturday nights. The CBD bars, in particular, get very busy on Friday nights with many of the popular bars forming long entry lines. Most bars open from around 11 AM and close midnight (10 PM on Sundays), a few bars do have special extended liquor trading hours to either 1, 2 or 3 AM. There has been an increase in small bars and bistro dining in niche areas of the CBD. However despite the good quality, these are typically expensive, so browse around for a good value evening.
Perth has a small but strong dance music scene which revolves heavily around drum & bass. Club nights and international gigs are held at a variety of venues across the city center, Northbridge and outer suburbs (check out local street press magazines such as Xpress for gig guides and further info) for a comprehensive gig guide).
Almost all clubs in Western Australia have very strict ID policies and it is highly unlikely that you will get in if you do not have your passport or an ID issued in Australia by a government agency (either an Australian driver's license or proof of age card) with you, even if you definitely look over the legal age. Also, most dance music bars/clubs close at 2 AM following Friday and Saturday nights and are subject to Police enforced lockdowns and lockouts (as is the case in Brisbane), so you will find yourself stuck in one place after 3 AM, and be stranded should you be short on money for a cab.
The largest concentration of boutique shops is in the City center while adjacent Northbridge is the place for niche independent stores. Trendier suburbs such as Mount Lawley, Leederville and Subiaco have a number of offbeat designer fashion stores.
Most of the top end luxury brands like Burberry, Chanel and Louis Vuitton are located on or around King Street in the CBD.
Large shopping complexes located in the outer suburbs, such as in Morley (Galleria), Cannington (Carousel), Midland (Midland Gate), Joondalup, Booragoon (Garden City), Innaloo and Karrinyup have the usual department and chain stores.
Fremantle Markets offers an experience on its own with its over 150 independent stalls.
Shopping hours in the Perth metropolitan area for medium size shops to large supermarket/department stores are:
Even at the larger shopping centers, many smaller stores do not open until 9 pm each night, but only on Thursdays, the traditional, and still busiest, night for "late night shopping" in Perth.
Small supermarkets such as IGA as well as other small shops can have more flexible shopping hours (some Petrol stations and small corner stores are open 24 hours).
A 10% Goods and Services Tax is included in listed prices. WaterTown (formerly Harbour Town) is where manufacturers have their factory outlets; some good deals are to be had there. It's walking distance from the center of Perth, or catch the free Yellow CAT bus.
After Christmas (and around July as well for many stores) is the best time to come to Perth for bargain shopping. Some Perth stores are open Boxing Day as well as the 27th December. Customers have been known to form a line across the street to even enter stores such as 'Guess' and Myer store entry and escalator movement are monitored by security guards to prevent floor crowding.
LOCAL TIME
2:54 pm
January 17, 2021
Australia/Perth
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LOCAL CURRENCY
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