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Perth Attractions
Catch the Fireworks
Australia Day (Jan 26) commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia. The main celebrations in Perth are around Perth Water, climaxing with a massive fireworks display set off from moored barges. It's free and draws over 300,000 people, so you need to stake out a vantage point early or, if you're staying in a hotel with river views, make sure you're at the window!
Find Me a Swan
The black swan is the state emblem, and the Swan River was named after it, but sadly has very few, because most of the swans' preferred habitat, the shallows, has been destroyed. Lake Monger, 3.5km (2 miles) northwest of the city, usually has hundreds by its shores, plus cormorants, native ducks, herons, coots, and swamp hens. Taxi is the easiest way to get here; ask for Lake Monger Drive.
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- Zoo/Aquarium
AQWA
There's plenty to see here, including Australia's largest walk-through aquarium, where you are surrounded by sharks, stingrays, turtles, and hundreds of colorful fish. You can also come face to fin with pretty leafy sea dragons, and observe some of the ocean's deadliest creatures,… - Zoo/Aquarium
Cohunu Koala Park
WA allows you to hold a koala, but this park set in bushland is the only place to actually do so. You can also hand-feed kangaroos, wallabies, and emus wandering in natural enclosures, see wombats and dingoes, walk through an aviary housing Aussie native birds, and see wild water… - Park/Garden
Kings Park & Botanic Garden
Overlooking both the city and Swan River this 406-hectare (1,000-acre) hilltop jewel of parkland encompasses a botanical garden, numerous war memorials, and native bush. The main entry, along Fraser Avenue, is lined with magnificent lemon-scented gums, while each tree on the other… - Historic Site
Perth Mint
This lovely historic building -- built in the 1890s to refine gold from the Kalgoorlie goldfields, and to mint currency -- is one of the world's oldest mints operating from its original premises. It now produces commemorative coins for collectors around the world, and bullion is… - Zoo/Aquarium
Perth Zoo
This is an excellent modern zoo -- with re-created natural habitats including the African savanna, Australian wetlands and Asian rainforest. It has several successful breeding programs, including its world-leading orangutan one; others cover a selection of West Australian fauna. This… - Landmark
Swan Bells
They've been rated as the best full ring (or set) of bells in the world. A needlelike tower, wrapped in copper sails, was specially built to house a complete "ring" of 18 bells, including 12 historic, centuries-old bells from London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields (donated for Australia's… - Natural Attraction
Swan River
The river is a great natural and free asset for the city. Perth Water, the section of the Swan immediately below the CBD, is a superb foreground and mirror to the city -- best seen from South Perth, and stunning around sunset. The South Perth ferry is the easiest way of getting… - Park/Garden
Yanchep National Park
One of WA's oldest national parks it's an excellent place to see some traditional Aboriginal culture, Sat and Sun when available, and the local wildlife. The park is 51km (32 miles) north of the city, set in glorious natural woodland around a reed-fringed lake. You can follow a…
Perth Shopping
Most major shops are downtown on the parallel Hay Street and Murray Street malls, and in the network of arcades running off them, such as the Plaza, City, Carillon, and Tudor-style London Court arcades. Off Murray Street Mall on Forrest Place is the Forrest Chase shopping complex, housing the Myer department store and boutiques on two levels. The other major department store, David Jones, opens on to both malls. Add to your collection of international designer brands on posh King Street, in the west end. Harbourtown, at the western edge of the city, is a large complex housing "factory outlets" of numerous retail chains.
If you want to avoid the chains, spend half a day in Subiaco or "Subi," where Hay Street and Rokeby Road are lined with smart boutiques, galleries, and cafes. The Colonnade shopping center at 388 Hay St. showcases some groovy Aussie fashion designers.
Fremantle's shopping is mostly limited to a good selection of crafts, markets, and Aboriginal souvenirs, with several galleries in High Street.
Most shops are open until 9pm weeknights in the city, Subi, and Fremantle.
Local Arts & Crafts
Two shops showcase contemporary ceramic, textile, glass, and jewelry products: Form, at 357 Murray St. just round the corner from King Street (tel. 08/9226 2161); and Aspects of Kings Park, behind the Visitor Centre in Kings Park (tel. 08/9480 3900).
Aboriginal Arts & Crafts
Creative Native, Shop 58, Forrest Chase, opposite the Visitor Centre (tel. 08/9221 5800; www.creativenative.com.au), stocks Perth's widest range of Aboriginal arts and crafts, and includes a gallery that sells original works by some renowned Aboriginal artists. Another branch is at 73 High St., Fremantle (tel. 08/9335 6995). Also in Fremantle, Japingka Gallery, 47 High St. (tel. 08/9335 8265; www.japingka.com.au), is dedicated to encouraging and exhibiting Aboriginal Australian art, a large stock of it certificated.
Indigenart (incorporating the Mossenson Gallery), 115 Hay St., Subiaco (tel. 08/9388 2899, www.indigenart.com.au), stocks works on canvas, paper, and bark, as well as artifacts, textiles, pottery, didgeridoos, boomerangs, and sculpture, by Aboriginal artists from all over Australia.
Jewelry
Western Australia is renowned for farming the world's best South Sea pearls off Broome, for Argyle diamonds mined in the Kimberley, and for being one of the world's biggest gold producers.
Kailis Jewellery, 29 King St. (tel. 08/9422 3888; www.kailisjewellery.com.au), sells elegant South Sea pearls and gold jewelry. Another branch is located at the corner of Marine Terrace and Collie Street, Fremantle (tel. 08/9239 9330).
Some of Perth's other leading jewelers, where you can buy Argyle diamonds, Broome pearls, and opals set within locally designed WA gold jewelry, are Linneys, 37 Rokeby Rd., Subiaco (tel. 08/9382 4077; www.linneys.com.au), and Costello's, Shop 5-6, London Court (tel. 08/9325 8588). Linneys also has locations at 39 King St. and Burswood Resort.
For opals to suit all budgets, head to the Perth outlet of Quilpie Opals, Shop 6, Piccadilly Arcade off Hay Street Mall (tel. 08/9321 8687).
Perth Nightlife
Scoop is a good source of information on festivals and concerts, theater, exhibitions, and the like. Your best guide to dance clubs, rock concerts, and art-house cinemas is the free weekly X-press magazine, available at pubs, cafes, and music venues. The West Australian (especially the Sat. edition) and Sunday Times newspapers publish entertainment information, including cinema guides.
Three ticket agencies handle most of the city's major performing arts, entertainment, and sporting events: the performing arts-oriented BOCS (tel. 1800/193 300 in Australia, or 08/9484 1133; www.bocsticketing.com.au), the sports-and-family-entertainment-oriented Ticketmaster (tel. 13 61 00; www.ticketmaster.com.au), and Ticketek (tel. 13 28 49; www.ticketek.com.au). Book opera, ballet, and the various theater companies through BOCS. The orchestra handles its own bookings.
The Performing Arts
The West Australian Opera (tel. 08/9278 8999 administration; www.waopera.asn.au) and West Australian Ballet (tel. 08/9214 0707 administration; www.waballet.com.au) usually perform at His Majesty's Theatre, 825 Hay St. Perth's leading theater company, the Black Swan State Theatre Company (tel. 08/6389 0311 administration; www.bsstc.com.au), plays at the new State Theatre Centre, corner of William and Roe streets, Northbridge, together with the Perth Theatre Company (tel. 08/9323 3433; www.perththeatre.com.au). The West Australian Symphony Orchestra (tel. 08/9326 0000; www.waso.com.au) usually performs at the Perth Concert Hall, 5 St. Georges Terrace, but with other performances (for example, the open-air summer series) in Kings Park. Perth Concert Hall has the best acoustics of any such venue in Australia and features a wide range of other artists.
Perth is an outdoors kind of place. In summer, look for outdoor concerts or jazz at Perth Zoo (tel. 08/9474 3551 for recorded information, or 08/9474 0444 administration); movies at Perth's several outdoor cinemas; and open-air concerts, plays, and movies in Kings Park (tel. 08/9480 3600 administration; 08/9480 3666 24-hr. events information).
The Perth International Arts Festival (tel. 08/6488 5555 bookings & information; www.perthfestival.com.au;) is the oldest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, producing 3 1/2 weeks of local and international theater, dance, music, and a wide variety of free performances every February. It makes great use of Perth's summer weather and outdoor venues, especially with its 4-month film festival, and Beck's Music Box.
One of Australia's premier arts training colleges, the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) is based in Perth, at 2 Bradford St., Mt Lawley. The students, as part of their training, regularly put on some of Perth's best performances of drama, musical theater, dance, jazz, classical music, and percussion. Check tel. 08/9370 6636 (box office) or www.waapa.ecu.edu.au for current productions.
Movies & Stars
Catch an art-house movie in the superb tree-lined Somerville Auditorium in the grounds of the University of WA. Picnic on the grass beforehand (you can buy food and drinks there) while the sun sets; then watch the film from rows of deck chairs, with the stars visible overhead. The season runs nightly at 8pm from December through mid-February, or at 7:30pm from March 1 to mid-April, as part of the Perth International Arts Festival.
Pubs, Bars & Nightclubs
Northbridge houses most of the city's lively pubs and dance clubs, while Freo has good pubs, too.
For a take on the traditional pub, head to the Brass Monkey, 209 William St., at James Street, Northbridge (tel. 08/9227 9596; www.thebrassmonkey.com.au). Downstairs are several bars, and there's a refurbished grill room upstairs. The Laugh Resort comedy club performs upstairs in the Glass House at 8pm on Wednesdays for a A$12 cover.
The Subiaco Hotel, also known as the "Subi," 465 Hay St. at Rokeby Road, Subiaco (tel. 08/9381 3069; www.subiacohotel.com.au), is a popular historic pub with great cocktails, live music on Wednesday and Saturday nights, and an eatery.
The Perth International Arts Festival has a vibrant, jumping music scene, nightly, for the entire 3 1/2 weeks, at Beck's Music Box, a specially created and licensed open-air venue on Perth's Esplanade. There are ticketed headline acts at 8:30pm, followed by varied performers from 10:30pm until late with free entry, but numbers limited by capacity -- check www.perthfestival.com.au.
The biggest place on the nightclub scene is Metro City, 146 Roe St., Northbridge (tel. 08/9228 0500), with 10 bars over three levels, open every Saturday night from 10pm. The cover of A$10 increases to A$15 after 11pm. It opens on other weekend nights for special events with visiting bands and artists; check www.metroconcertclub.com for details.
In Fremantle, the Metropolis, 58 S. Terrace (tel. 08/9336 1880), is a complex of two dance floors and eight bars on several levels. It has disco nights Fridays 9:30pm-4am, and Saturday 9pm-5am; the cover is usually in the A$15 range. See www.metropolisfremantle.com.au for schedules.
Several jazz clubs are run on a not-for-profit basis, including the Perth Jazz Society, with modern contemporary music played Monday night at the Charles Hotel, 509 Charles St., North Perth (www.perthjazzsociety.com), and Jazz Fremantle, with "crossover" music played most Sundays 4 to 7pm at the Navy Club, 64 High St., Fremantle (www.mediahighway.com.au/jazzfremantle). The Ellington Jazz Club, 191 Beaufort St., Northbridge, Perth (tel. 04/0806 9867; www.ellingtonjazz.com.au) is a dedicated jazz establishment with a performance and cabaret area, and bar, upstairs (Tues-Sun and some Mondays).
Gaming
Burswood Entertainment Complex, on the Great Eastern Highway just over the river from the city (tel. 08/9362 7777; www.burswood.com.au), houses WA's only legal casino. It operates 24/7 except Good Friday and December 25 (closed 3am-10pm), and April 25 (Anzac Day; closed 3am-noon), and is open to everyone over the age of 18. Dress code is "neat and tidy," with smarter standards after 7pm. There are multiple restaurants and bars, a 1400 capacity nightclub, and a 2,300-seat theater which features frequent major international acts. It's an A$15 to A$20 cab ride from the city, or take a train to Burswood station.
