The area around Perth is very varied and, especially due to its proximity to the capital of Western Australia, a motley playground for everyone. The offer of the extensive region ranges from wine tours to hiking, water sports and sandboarding to camping trips to various national parks. In addition, sandy beaches, forests, wine-growing areas, waterfalls, wide rivers and a lot of hilly farmland characterize the area around Perth .
Activities & sights
Places
First of all , the student town of Fremantle should be mentioned as it is one of the most visited destinations in the entire region. It has become almost mandatory for visitors to WA’s capital to take a look at the historic town with its old buildings, museums, cafes and colorful markets. The natural paradise of Rottnest Island is another highlight of the region, as you can snorkel and relax here. West of Perth is the Sunset Coast with beautiful beaches and great sunsets. Some of the most famous suburbs on the Sunset Coast include Cottesloe , Scarborough, Trigg, Sorrento, Hillarys, Mindarie, Quinns Rocks and Yanchep. The festival suburb of Joondalup is also located here, in which concerts and other events are regularly organized. The Peel Region, east of the metropolis, is particularly worth a visit in spring when waterfalls and wildflowers characterize this area.
In the Peel Region, you can get to the posh town of Mandurah and Lake Clifton, Preston Beach, Pinjarra, Serpentine & Jarrahdale . The Swan Valley and Perth Hills are known for their many wineries, restaurants, cafes and art galleries. In the southern Perth area follow Armadale, Rockingham & Penguin Island , where there are wild sea lions and penguins. The region around Northam, Toodyay, Goomalling, York, Brookton and Beverley is known as the Avon Valley . Here you will find a hilly landscape with farms, waterfalls and a few isolated wineries. In addition,Ledge Point, Lancelin, Gingin, New Norcia, Bindoon & Guilderton are other places of interest for tourists in the northeastern outer region of the capital of Western Australia.
Museums, culture & art
Since many early settlements arose in the region, there are also some museums and buildings steeped in history. The cultural diversity is particularly rich in Fremantle, Mandurah and Armadale, where there are also several art galleries to visit. In the Swan Valle, in the Perth Hills and in the Chittering Valley near Gingin, a few artists or art dealers have also set up galleries. Another historical highlight is New Norcia, the only monastery town in Australia that has a lot to offer for the relatively young culture of the continent.
Shopping & Markets
Shopping centers can be found in the more urbanized area of Perth. Fremantle also has the permanent E Shed Market and weekend markets. Furthermore, Joondalup, Halls Head at Mandurah and Goomalling can also serve with regular farmers’ markets.
Culinary, restaurants, pubs & cafes
There is a particularly large selection of restaurants and cafes in Fremantle by the boat harbor or on the seafront in Hillarys, at the Ocean Marina in Mandurah, in Armadale and on the waterfront in Rockingham. But also in Northam, in the Swan Valley and in the Perth Hills (Mundaring) you can feast in a few restaurants between the wineries and cafes.
Nightlife
There is a strong nightlife scene in Fremantle thanks to the many pubs and various nightclubs. Rockingham also has various pubs and three nightclubs to offer. Mandurah should also be mentioned at this point with a nightclub and a few pubs in terms of nightlife.
Nature & parks
Rottnest Island is probably one of the natural highlights in the area around Perth, as the southernmost corals in the world are located here and there are plenty of other islanders such as the Quokkas in addition to the white sandy beaches. The Sunset Coast has the Marmion Marine Park for snorkeling and the Yanchep National Park with its koala colony and caves. In the Peel Region, the most desirable destinations are the Serpentine National Park with waterfalls and the Yalgorup National Park near Lake Clifton. The Forrest National Park and the Walyunga National Park are located in the Swan Valley and are well suited for walking. In the Perth Hills, on the other hand, excursions to the Lesmurdie Falls National Park and the Perth Hills National Park are ideal. Armadale can serve with the Araluen Botanic Park and the Avon Valley National Park is also well worth a visit. Many visitors do not miss the wild sea lions, penguins and dolphins of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park off the coast of Rockingham. Finally, the white sand dunes near Lancelin should be highlighted as a special highlight.
beaches
Whether on Rottnest Island, along the Sunset Coast, near Lake Clifton or near Lancelin, beautiful beaches can be found almost everywhere in the region. However, the further you get away from the metropolis, the more likely you are to find a lonely place.
Festivals & Events
A particularly large number of festivals are held throughout the year in the suburb of Joondalup. Occasional events are also organized in Fremantle, Northam, York and a few other locations.
More activities & sights
If you have a wanderlust or would like to go on a bike tour, you can let off steam in the Perth Hills, in the Peel Region and in the Avon Valley. Water sports are also popular on the Sunset Coast and the Avon Valley. However, the most extraordinary sport in the Perth area is sandboarding at Lancelin.
Helpful information
Arrival & onward travel
Thanks to the dense road network, the individual locations can be reached quickly and easily. TransPerth is responsible for organizing public transportation to the suburbs of the metropolis, which includes buses, trains and ferries. The transport service ranges from Two Rocks (Sunset Coast) in the north via Wundowie (Perth Hills) in the east to Dawesville (Peel Region) in the south. However, where TransPerth’s service ends, TransWA trains and buses are available. TransWA serves train stations in Clarkson, East Perth, Midland, Toodyay, Northam, Goomalling, Armadale, Byford, Mundijong, Serpentine, North Dandalup, Pinjarra, Waroona, Fremantle, Kwinanna, Rockingham, Warnbro and Mandurah. The private bus company Integrety Coach Lines also operates on the Sunshine Coast. Various ferries connect Perth, South Perth, Fremantle, Hillarys, Rottnest Island and the Swan Valley come together. Another option is to travel to and from the airport by air through Perth International Airport.
Tourist Information
The large tourist information office in the center of Perth is responsible for the tourism of all of Western Australia. In many places of tourist interest, however, you can also find other information centers that provide information about the region in question. The respective locations of the offices are listed in the individual articles.
Further information
Cheap supermarkets exist throughout the metropolitan area of the capital of Western Australia. However, the northernmost is at Quinns Rocks (Sunset Coast), the westernmost in Northam (Avon Valley) and the southernmost in Mandurah. The most important localities also have general stores, simple grocery stores, bank branches and of course petrol stations. So you don’t have to worry about being left out on dry land.
