The capital of Western Australia, Perth, is a vibrant city with plenty to do. It is a place where you can look forward to excellent shopping, bustling markets, heritage architecture, beautiful parks, stunning beaches, fine wineries and relaxing river cruises. With is temperate climate, to provides you with an enjoyable holiday you will never forget and hope to go back many times. Below is a suggested 5-day easy and relax visit of this wonderful place which you can consider for your holiday.

On the first day, take a leisurely stroll and enjoy some of Perth city sights. You can explore several of Perth’s major cultural and historic buildings, such as Perth Concert Hall, Perth Town Hall, St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth Mint and Swan Bells Tower. If you like shopping, you will enjoy shopping in the city malls along the streets. The two main shopping malls in Perth are the Murray and Hay Street malls. Both of the malls are closed to traffic providing a safe walking environment and offer a wide range of specialty stores. Another venue for shopping is the shopping arcade known as London Court.

At Perth’s Cultural Centre and Northbridge, you will find the Western Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. The Art Gallery of Western Australia has one of the finest collections of Aboriginal art in Australia with superb pieces of painting and sculpture.

Kings Park, Perth’s premier tourist attraction is another place worth while to visit. It provides spectacular views of Perth City and Swan River. The Park’s Botanic garden presents a display of Western Australia’s unique flora throughout the year. You will enjoy trekking on the tree top walkway which has a glass and steel arched bridge.

On the second day, you can visit Fremantle, a short trip from Perth city centre. This is a major tourist attraction for visitors from all over the world. It is situated at the mouth of the Swan River. This city port enables you to enjoy a range of cultural activities in a relaxed atmosphere. You can explore places such as Western Australia Maritime Museum, Round House, Western Australia Maritime Museum’s Shipwreck Galleries, Fremantle Prison and Fremantle Arts Centre. With its maritime history and architectural conservation, Fremantle is a place you can discover both the past and the present. The two popular markets here are the E-Shed Markets and the Fremantle Markets. The E Shed Markets has more than 80 specialty stores offering unique gifts, souvenirs and fresh produce. Fremantle Markets, which is a larger market, has more than 150 stalls selling seafood, gourmet items, clothes, jewelry, antiques, souvenirs, fruits and vegetables. You can explore the city by foot or by free shuttle buses. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 16% [?]

Perth is an undeniably charming town with a host of things to see and do. But one of the great things about a holiday visit to this capital of Western Australia is that it’s the perfect base for a whole range of fascinating side trips to the delights of the state. You can pop over to nearby Fremantle, visit Australia’s only Spanish monastery, relax in national parks, head out to the wine country, and even visit penguins.

Your fist sortie should be to the port city of Fremantle, located some 13 miles along the Swan River. Here you can browse the markets, visit the splendid heritage buildings, marvel at the city’s maritime past in the museums, and sprawl on the pristine beaches. The most scenic way to get to Fremantle from Perth is to take a river cruise. It’s the perfect, relaxing day out.

For a unique side trip further afield, you can visit the Benedictine monks in the Spanish Renaissance monastery town of New Norcia, the only monastic town in Australia. Located 82 miles north of Perth, New Norcia stands on the banks of the Moore River. It’s a little touch of the Mediterranean in the midst of the Australian bush. Here’s how it got there.

Long ago in 1846, a mission led by two Spanish Benedictines visited the local aborigines and in the following year, the foundation stone of the monastery was laid. The name New Norcia is from Norcia in Italy where St Benedict was born.

New Norcia is a town of unique architecture, beautiful interiors, and olive groves. It’s best experienced on a guided town tour which unlocks all the town’s charms and secrets. You can see the monk’s own chapel in the monastery, the Abbey Church and the College Chapels with their beautiful frescoes. There’s also a museum and art gallery which include gifts from the Queen of Spain.

If you’re a wine buff or just enjoy a glass or two, you’ll want to do a day trip out to the Swan Valley vineyards for a wine tasting tour. The best way to do this is as a delightful two-hour cruise along the Swan River from Perth. You then visit the vineyards to explore the region’s wine culture and partake in numerous wine tastings.

A must visit site near Perth is the famous Nambung National Park. This is located some 150 miles north of Perth on the Indian Ocean. The main feature of the park is the famous Pinnacles desert. These ‘pinnacles’ are in fact petrified limestone pillars that thrust out of the yellow desert sand. The pinnacles are formed from ancient seashells which stuck together and formed the pillars which can get up to four metres high. Passing Dutch sailors, seeing the pinnacles from the sea, thought them the ruins of an ancient city.

They are best experienced at dawn or sunset. You can walk or drive along walking or driving trails which lead to lookouts offering stunning views of the pinnacles and the blue ocean beyond. The spring when flowers are blooming is an especially picturesque time to visit.

Our last Perth side trip is a special delight for nature lovers - a visit to Penguin Island. Just 26 miles from downtown Perth, this small island is located less than 700 metres offshore in the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park.

Other then penguins, the island is home to a range of fauna including sea lions and pelicans. The coastal and marine scenery in this area is delightful.

You can also have picnics, go snorkeling, scuba diving, or surfing, or just enjoy the natural beauty.

Another thing that makes Perth such as great base to explore Western Australia is the tremendous range of Perth city hotels that cater for every taste and budget. Two of the most outstanding are the Criterion Hotel Perth and Aarons Hotel Perth.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Many people stopping in Australia tend to forget all about the westernmost city, Perth because it’s just so far away from everything else. Yet this city, which is the most isolated city in the world geographically, provides the heart of a journey which shows the most spectacular character of Australia.

A small city with barely two million people, Perth is nevertheless a sprawling place. The Swan River divides the north from the south and it spreads far and narrow against a spectacular coast line of beaches that puts the Gold Coast to shame.

The ocean that butts against the Perth shore line is not as fierce as further south, but each day surfers, windsurfers and wake boarders can be seen littering the waves like sea gulls, jumping and leaping against the surf.

Western Australia has two very distinct characters. From Perth upwards it becomes hotter and drier and towns nestle between the desert and the sea, wrestling against red dust and a wild sea. The further you go, the hotter it becomes.

One of my favourite journeys however is to the south, beginning first in the Swan Valley region just north of Perth. The Swan Valley is one of Western Australia’s spectacular wine regions and the whole area is filled with both major and boutique wineries and breweries. Fairly inland, it is a patchwork of hills and lush vineyards, each open to the public to come and sample their wares. This is an area to spend at least a few days taking tours and enjoying the restaurants.

Driving further South however you will come to one of Western Australia’s stunning coastal towns, Margaret River. Also a major wine growing region, Margaret River is renowned for its string of surfing and swimming beaches. Everyone from old men to children have a surfboard and it’s a great place to learn it yourself. It is easy to spend weeks hanging out on the beaches or touring wineries or just sitting on the verandah and overlooking the ocean.

From swimming with the dolphins, to surfing, to sunbathing, Western Australia offers some of the most spectacular sights for tourists and it is as yet still unsullied in the way that many eastern Australian tourist attractions have become. It remains an isolated idyll that has been hidden from view, even from Australia itself, and as such has retained its spectacularly untouched character.

Popularity: 16% [?]

The Swan Valley Visitor Centre is located in historic Guildford, the gateway to Perth’s Valley of Taste, the Swan Valley. The Swan Valley is only 25 minutes from the centre of Perth and is Western Australia’s oldest wine growing region. The Swan Valley is where you will experience a colourful blend of heritage and culture, people, art, world-class wine, gourmet goodies and fresh produce. The Swan Valley is a great place for families. It’s the ideal location to escape, indulge and awaken your senses!

Award-Winning Wineries in the Swan Valley
A bustling tourist area, the Swan Valley in Western Australia has a number of award-winning wineries, many of which are family owned and run. These Western Australian wineries offer superb alfresco and restaurant dining and you can enjoy cosy fortifieds whilst basking in the warmth of a log fire in Winter. The Swan Valley makes the ideal day trip, or why not stay in one of our many accommodation venues? Take advantage of mid-week stay discounts some venues offer. Swan Valley wineries are open for tasting all year round. Forget the car and take a tour around the Valley. Wine cruise tours are also available.

Award-Winning Breweries in the Swan Valley
Swan Valley Breweries - Belgian white beer and German red beer are just two of the over 20 locally-made brews on offer in the region. Small batches and a swift turnaround mean our five microbrew outlets are always on the go, making a changing array of beers in a wide range of styles. These vary according to the whim of the brewer, but always include pale and dark ales, Belgian wheat beer and stout.

In the award stakes too, Swan Valley beers are beginning to give our wines a run for their money. Our organic pilsner and old-fashioned porter have been voted the best in Australia - you’ll find these and other top valley brews at a growing number of Perth outlets and throughout the valley.

And while our talented brewers pride themselves on keeping costs down by selling direct to the public and doing most of the work themselves, the main focus will always be on offering quality hand-made beers using the finest ingredients and traditional methods. Distillers have chosen the Swan Valley as their preferred place of spirit crafting, with 2 distilleries opening in the Valley.

Swan Valley Festivals
The Swan Valley has Festivals and Events for all seasons:

Summer: Midsummer Feast
The annual “foodie” weekend festival hosted in the Swan Valley. 2008 is the fourth year of this festival where venues host special events showcasing the local produce on offer in the Valley.

Autumn: Taste of the Valley
The Taste of the Valley festival showcases the best of the Swan Valley’s food, wine, arts, music and local produce. The festival is held annually over four weekends in April.

Winter: Seafood and Shiraz
The newest event to come to the Swan Valley where premium Swan Valley shiraz is combined with WA seafood over a winter weekend.

Spring: Spring in the Valley
Each year in October, the Swan Valley celebrates the people and produce of the region with its annual Spring in the Valley Festival – a festival of community spirit, wine, food, art and music.

Popularity: 26% [?]

The Swan Valley and Eastern Region Visitor Centre is located in historic Guildford, the gateway to Perth’s Valley of Taste, the Swan Valley. The Swan Valley is only 25 minutes from the centre of Perth and is Western Australia’s oldest wine growing region. The Swan Valley is where you will experience a colourful blend of heritage and culture, people, art, world-class wine, gourmet goodies and fresh produce. The Swan Valley is a great place for families. It’s the ideal location to escape, indulge and awaken your senses!

Award-Winning Wineries in the Swan Valley
A bustling tourist area, the Swan Valley in Western Australia has a number of award-winning wineries, many of which are family owned and run. These Western Australian wineries offer superb alfresco and restaurant dining and you can enjoy cosy fortifieds whilst basking in the warmth of a log fire in Winter. The Swan Valley makes the ideal day trip, or why not stay in one of our many accommodation venues? Take advantage of mid-week stay discounts some venues offer. Swan Valley wineries are open for tasting all year round. Forget the car and take a tour around the Valley. Wine cruise tours are also available.

Award-Winning Breweries in the Swan Valley
Swan Valley Breweries - Belgian white beer and German red beer are just two of the over 20 locally-made brews on offer in the region. Small batches and a swift turnaround mean our five microbrew outlets are always on the go, making a changing array of beers in a wide range of styles. These vary according to the whim of the brewer, but always include pale and dark ales, Belgian wheat beer and stout.

In the award stakes too, Swan Valley beers are beginning to give our wines a run for their money. Our organic pilsner and old-fashioned porter have been voted the best in Australia - you’ll find these and other top valley brews at a growing number of Perth outlets and throughout the valley.

And while our talented brewers pride themselves on keeping costs down by selling direct to the public and doing most of the work themselves, the main focus will always be on offering quality hand-made beers using the finest ingredients and traditional methods. Distillers have chosen the Swan Valley as their preferred place of spirit crafting, with 2 distilleries opening in the Valley.

Swan Valley Festivals
The Swan Valley has Festivals and Events for all seasons:

Summer: Midsummer Feast
The annual “foodie” weekend festival hosted in the Swan Valley. 2008 is the fourth year of this festival where venues host special events showcasing the local produce on offer in the Valley.

Autumn: Taste of the Valley
The Taste of the Valley festival showcases the best of the Swan Valley’s food, wine, arts, music and local produce. The festival is held annually over four weekends in April.

Winter: Seafood and Shiraz
The newest event to come to the Swan Valley where premium Swan Valley shiraz is combined with WA seafood over a winter weekend.

Spring: Spring in the Valley
Each year in October, the Swan Valley celebrates the people and produce of the region with its annual Spring in the Valley Festival – a festival of community spirit, wine, food, art and music.

Drop into the Swan Valley and Eastern Region Visitors Centre located in the Guildford Courthouse Cnr Meadow & Swan Streets Guildford - open 7 days 9am to 4pm , or contact the centre on (08) 9379 9400 for further information and assistance.

Popularity: 25% [?]