Travel Eye on Perth (Western Australia, Australia)

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Overview:

Most of the two million people who live in Western Australia reside in the sophisticated and scenic state capital. Perth grew on the banks of the Swan River, named after the Scottish city of the same name, and was proclaimed by Queen Victoria as a city in 1856. The discovery of gold in Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, to the east of the city, in the 1890s led to a dramatic rise in its population and an economic boom. Another boom followed in the 1960s with the mining profits of iron ore and nickel.

Today the city is characterised by numerous waterways, green parks and a compact central business district. There is plenty to occupy visitors in Perth, from touring the city by tram or bus, enjoying watersports on the Swan River or just sipping a glass of the famous local wine in a riverside or beachside restaurant. Perth has more restaurants per capita than any other Australian city. Not far from the city is Western Australia's oldest wine-growing region, Swan Valley, which welcomes tourists to visit the many award-winning family-owned wineries, which offer alfresco and restaurant meals and cellar tastings.

Perth is also the site of the world's oldest operating mint, and boasts several museums and art galleries, historic buildings, a casino and a good variety of shopping opportunities. Last, but not least, the city offers more than 50 miles (80km) of white sandy beaches in close proximity. Among the most popular are Cottesloe and Scarborough.

Perth is suitable more for couples than families, because put the zoo and beaches aside there are few attractions for young children. The accommodation here is mostly 4- and 5-star skyscraper hotels with smattering of smaller concerns in the beach areas.

Locality:

Perth is the capital of Western Australia, it is in the south west corner of the continent. (it is 12 mls N of the port of Fremantle. 2,500 mls SW of Darwin. 1,700 mls W of Adelaide. 10 mls SW of the international airport, with good taxi and bus connections to town). Perth is strung out along the Sunset Coast on the Indian Ocean. It isSurrounded by desert, which encroaches upon some suburbs, and backed by the Darling Range and bisected by the Swan River.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Located at the top of St Georges Terrace, Barracks Arch is all that remains of the huge Pensioner's Barracks which once comprised 120 rooms. The Arch is nothing more than a hint of the grandeur which once characterised this chequered building which was designed by the architect, Richard Roach Jewell.

Located on St Georges Terrace just opposite Mill Street, the Cloisters have, in their time, been a Boys' school, a Girls' school, private houses, a training college for clergymen, a university hostel and a cafe.

Kings Park, otherwise known as Mount Eliza, offers a superb view of Perth and the graceful Swan River. It has been a source of pleasure to Perth residents since it was set aside as parkland in 1831 by the colony's first Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe. It was named Perth Park in 1872 and subsequently renamed Kings Park in 1901 to honour Edward VII's accession to the throne. Shortly afterwards the park was visited by the King's son, the Duke of Cornwall and York.

The Old Courthouse is the oldest building in central Perth. It was designed by Henry Reveley, the colony's first Civil Engineer, and completed in 1837. It is hidden away in a corner of Stirling Gardens beside the larger and more imposing Supreme Court Building.

Located on the corner of St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street, Stirling Gardens are a wonder to behold in springtime when the blooms and the exquisitely maintained lawns offer a dramatic contrast to the canyons of iron and concrete which surround it. The Gardens were first set aside in 1829 and opened in 1845. They are the state's first Botanical Gardens.

Northbridge features every kind of eating experience, from pricey fish restaurants to covered food halls where you pick and mix international cuisine from a variety of stalls and then eat at tables in the centre. Choose from Thai, Korean, Malaysian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Cantonese, French, Italian or Lebanese. Most hotels have their own restaurants.

During the daytime visit the zoo, beach, Museum and Art Gallery of Western Australia, and Perth Mint. There are many heritage trails through Fremantle for the nature lover and hiker. The nightlife here offers the Perth Entertainment Centre which hosts ballet, comedy and lots of other functions, there are cinemas, ahuge casino, and a restored Edwardian theatre.