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The entry point into Australia from the west, Perth is the capital of Western Australia, the nation’s largest state. Edging the Indian Ocean, this western metropolis of less than two million population is regularly ranked in the top ten most liveable and attractive cities in the world. Soaking under a near-permanent canopy of blue sky, life here moves at a very gentle pace. (Also read: Byron Bay: A serene destination in Australia to recharge your senses)
Like any other world city, there are many things to do and see in Perth. The popular ones for locals and visitors alike include marvelling its riverfront silhouette from Elizabeth Bay, capturing through lenses the rich architecture of the century old colonial buildings, picnicking at the Kings Park- world’s largest inner-city green sanctuary, going up the Bell Tower for a bird’s eye view of the city, appreciating street art and watching the best ocean sunsets in Australia from one the city’s several white sandy beaches. Not to underestimate visiting the art galleries and museums, some retail therapy and dining opportunities at any of the city’s trendy cafes and restaurants.
There are also many stunning places outside the city limits that draw attention. Listed below are five of them that are worth considering as a day trip from Perth.
Freemantle
Often referred to as Perth’s Old Town, port settlement Freemantle is regarded as one of the most eclectic and spirited seaside neighbourhoods in the world. Easily accessible by bus, ferry and train from Perth, just 20 km away, it’s home to Western Australia’s oldest public buildings and one of the best-preserved samples of a 19th century maritime streetscape. This makes it an ideal venue to spend a day delving into the history of its convict-built heritage places, now home to museums, galleries, pubs and stores.
Not to be missed heritage icons are the Round House, the oldest building in the state, and the Prison built by convicts in 1850. While marine history fans visit the Maritime Museum and the Shipwrecks Museum and art aficionados crowd the Freemantle Arts Centre or go through street art adorning walls and fences, some with fun in mind head for the beaches to mingle with the sea and sand. Those more interested in food and wine end up at the Cappuccino Strip, an alfresco street lined with cafes, eateries, bars and microbreweries or at the Fishing Boat Harbour to watch the fishing boats returning after the morning catch and sample a fresh seafood meal.
Rottnest Island
When it’s a nice and sunny day many Perth residents rush to Rottnest Island to spend the day soaking up in the sunshine and nature experiences alongside the world’s happiest animal called quokka. They look like little wallabies, though they appealed to 17th century Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh as rats or ‘rotts’ in Dutch. So he named it Rottnest Island – a nest for the rotts. Reachable by a short ferry ride from Freemantle, it’s not big in size, only 19 sqkm in area.
Isolated beaches, scenic bays, many coral reefs, colourful underwater scenery and shipwreck sites makes it ideal for those who like playing with water. There are many locations perfect for scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming or just lying in the sand. The best way to tour the island is on a bike or a Segway, but there are also bus tours to circumnavigate the island only 11km long and 4.5km at the widest point. The island also boasts of some nice historical buildings and lighthouses.
Pinnacles Desert
Less than three hours’ drive north from Perth along the Indian Ocean coastline, the Pinnacles Desert inside the Nambung National Park presents a setting in which many admit of not knowing something like that exists on earth. The desert landscape is generously powdered with thousands of huge of pinnacle-shaped limestone pillars. Each of them is unique, representing different structural forms and shape. Some are spiky and toothed, sharp-edged rising to a point while few others resemble tombstones reaching a height of 5m. There are lookouts within the precinct for visitors to ponder how the natural forces of water and wind shaped the pinnacles from seashells over millions of years. It’s unquestionably a sight to behold.
Sculpted by nature, these models were formed by the limestone from seashells in an earlier epoch rich in marine life. These shells, broken down into lime-rich sands, were brought ashore by the waves and carried inland by the wind to form mobile dunes which in combination with decaying vegetative matter, rain and wind erosion ultimately resulted into these exotic moulds. According to geologists this complex process still continues to form newer pinnacles even to this day. Many visit this natural wonder during the sunset time to enjoy the surreal beauty of the nature’s artefacts changing colour as the sun vanishes into the horizon.
Margaret River Region
Producing more than 25 percent of Australia’s premium wine, Margaret River is one of the nation’s largest wine regions, with more than 200 vineyards. Though synonymous with wine, the region tucked in the south-west part of the state is also home to many pristine beaches, tall timber karri forests, famous surf breaking points, kangaroo dotted farmlands and ancient underground caves cramped with limestone formations of different shapes and forms.
A scenic 2.5-hour drive from Perth is the start of the region that stretches from the little town Busselton, famous for its long timber jetty to Cape Leeuwin where Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. The Cape Leeuwin location also marks Australia’s most south westerly point and is landmarked by the presence of a historic lighthouse, said to be the nation’s largest. On a day trip it’s possible to cover all of these iconic sites in addition to crawling through a few renowned wineries, breweries and cellar doors.
Wave Rock
Western Australia’s stunning coastline lures surfers worldwide, but its biggest swell rises from the vast outback plains – with no ocean in sight. It’s the Wave Rock –a natural rock formation that resembles a tall crashing ocean wave. Located some 300km south east of Perth, in dimensions it’s nearly 15 m high and 110 m long. This gently sloped formation has caused a great deal of interest from both the general public and geologists for decades. In geological terms, it’s actually a granite inselberg, like Australia’s famous Uluru Rock, created by more than 2.7 billion years of wind and rainwater erosion. Visitors surf the wave from dawn to dusk, with dazzling colours of the ancient granite providing the perfect photographic backdrop to their adventure.
The epic grandeur of the Wave Rock is mind-blowing, but worldly encounter continues in nearby Mulka’s Cave, where a collection of more than 450 ancient rock paintings tell the fascinating story of a local Aboriginal legend. The area around Wave Rock is famous for its spectacular wildflower display that becomes the brightest from September through to December.
Sandip Hor is an Australia based international travel writer and photographer
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