What more could you ask for in your dream vacation than sight-seeing, enjoying the natural, historic and artistic attractions, basking in the sun-drenched beaches, or taking pleasure from various physical activities. Perth has the ideal climatic condition for any vacation spot. The Mediterranean climate in Perth insures lovely weather all through the year, which calls for a number of outdoor activities. With so much to do and so much to see, you can't really have enough of Perth.
Tourism in Perth also includes the major places of sightseeing in Perth. You could visit the Perth tourist attractions like London Court, Perth Mint, Perth Town Hall, Swan Bells, Barracks Arch, Sunset Coast and many others. The Perth Zoo is also a must visit as it gives the exclusive chance of seeing wild animals and reptiles in an absolute natural surrounding. If you want to take a peek into the times gone by then a stopover at the museums in Perth is also a great option.
In spite of being a major metropolitan city, there are some luxurious parks and gardens in Perth. Amidst the heritage buildings, contemporary shopping centers, restaurants, pubs and discos are the specks of greenery. Hence Perth tourism would be incomplete without mentioning parks and gardens like Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Burswood Park, Supreme Court Gardens and few others.
The other activities in Perth would include walks and swims in the beaches, playing volleyball, hiking, cycling, Sailing, canoeing, fishing, horse riding and many others. You can also enjoy a cruise along the Swan River and visit the various theme parks.
Here are some Perth Tourism Facts:
Founder's Day: 12th August 1829
Languages: English is the most widely spoken language but languages like as Greek, Italian and Chinese are also common.
Time: Local time is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time
Currency: Australian dollarsHistory of Perth
The city of Perth was founded by Captain James Stirling as the Swan River Settlement in 1829. However the history of Perth goes back to pre 20th Century when Perth was occupied by groups of Nyungar tribe for thousands of years and the place was called Boorloo.
Captain James Stirling grew so fond of the place that he suggested a colony to be built there which the British Government later agreed upon. Hence a colony was founded which was the first free settlement in Western Australia. The British Government brought along with them over 9000 convicts, due to shortage of labor. They were involved in the construction of a significant amount of infrastructure and some well known buildings like Fremantle Prison in 1855, Government House in 1864 and the Perth Town Hill in 1870 which stands till date as witness to Perth history.
The historical development of Perth had been rather slow until the 1890s. However with the Gold Rush in Coolgardie and Kalgoolie from 1892-93, the population of Perth grew four fold along with incredible growth. Western Australia also gained its first constitution and Premier, Sir John Forest in 1890s. A major turn in the history of Perth, Australia took place in 1901 when Western Australia was made a state of Commonwealth of Australia. The city of Perth had now become the capital of the new state and hence its importance was also on a rise.
The World War II had brought new cultures and traditions to the city beginning a new chapter in the history of Perth. The 1960s and 1970's was a major phase of development with the boom in minerals, newly built skyscrapers and burgeoning of huge business empires. Today Perth is a thriving, friendly and multicultural city, ideally positioned as a tourism and business gateway for the world, yet it has continues to retain its unique appeal.Sightseeing in Perth
Sightseeing in Perth, Australia is a whirlwind tour through history, culture, entertainment and wilderness. It is a city of contrasts where scenic natural beauty co-exists with swanky shopping malls and night clubs, untamed wildlife stands side-by-side with elegant and majestic looking historic buildings.
Know what influenced Perth to become the way it is today with trips to the historic sites of the city. Check with your Perth travel guide and head out for the Swan Bells, which houses one of the largest collections of antique clocks and bells, the Swan Valley Heritage Trail that takes you past some fine specimens of 19th century farm architecture and the Minnawarra Historic Precinct that traces the socio-economic development of the Armadale suburbs of Perth. These are some of the most popular destinations in Perth.
This quaint old world charm of Perth exists just beneath a very cosmopolitan and vibrantly modern layer, the high watermarks of which are to be found at Northbridge, the entertainment and culture hub of Perth. Sightseeing in Perth here is facilitated by a multitude of restaurants dishing out the choicest in terms of world cuisine, night clubs and bars where you can down your day's worries in a glass of beer and some foot-tapping music and many art galleries that showcase the artier side of Perth. Check out London Court too if Perth shopping sprees are what you are after. Your Perth sightseeing tours would just get that zing.
What is sightseeing in Perth if you haven't tasted nature yet! Nature and all things natural occur at the Penguin Island, where you can meet up with throngs of cute Little Penguins amongst other diverse forms of aquatic and avian life forms, the Shark Bay, the AQWA-Aquarium of Western Australia and the Perth Zoo and the various beaches around the city of Perth, like the Cottesloe Beach, Scarborough Beach and the Sunset Coast.
Garner more options on sightseeing in Perth at
Toodyay
Perth Mint
St George's Terrace
Barracks Arch
Caversham House
Government House
Perth Town Hall
BankWest Tower
St. Mary's Cathedral
Parliament House
St. George's Anglican Cathedral
All Saints Anglican Church
Adventure World
Hills Forest Discovery Centre
Waters Edge Winery, Perth
National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuaries
One of the most endearing features of Australia is the plethora of verdant parks and wildlife sanctuaries. In fact all the national parks and wild life sanctuaries in the country have some sort of uniqueness which makes tourists from all over the world fall in love with them, you too would join the ranks once you make a tour of the natural world! Some of the most fascinating wild life parks are in the vicinity of Perth, one of the most populous and sophisticated city in Western Australia. Perth was established by Captain James Stirling and till this day remains an important part of the seat of governance in Australia. The national parks and sanctuaries in Australia will give you an acute picture of the distinctive flora and fauna for which the continent is justly famous.
In Western Australia, the majority of the parks and sanctuaries are well within the vicinity of the city of Perth, you will need to drive down for maximum of thirty or forty minutes to reach your desired location. Some of the parks fall within the meandering path of Swan River and the small rivulets and pools are ideal for swimming and boating. There are also some trekking trails, which you can explore at your leisure, if cuddling koalas is more your scene then head straight for the Cohunu Koala Park, and all the parks and sanctuaries have enough facilities for refreshments and relaxations.
Festivals and Events in Perth
The Australian City Perth is the host to innumerable events and festivals of first order. Every year it organizes major fests like sporting competitions attracting the best athletes of the world. Even the wine festivals which celebrate good food, great wine and nice music has a distinct significance among the locals and tourists who get to see a different side of Perth celebrations and culture and simultaneously feel at home. Few of the major events celebrated throughout the year by the people of this Australian city Perth are, Lottery West Australia Day Skyworks, Busselton Jetty Swim, West Australian Ballet at the Quarry, Boyup Brook Country Music Festival, Opera in the Park, Porongurup Wine Festival.
Most of these festivals are celebrated with great pomp and grandeur while the tourists get the utmost opportunity to learn and experience the customs and cultures of Perth. These cultural and sports fests are a new source of tourism and revenue earning as they highly promote the movement of tourists during these peak timings of the year.
The fests being conducted almost all the year round occupy a key position in the tourism agenda of the government and thus Perth normally tends to remain an active tourism zone throughout the year. To know more about the festivals and events of Perth browse through the following pages.
How to Get In
There are straight flights to Perth from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin and Alice Springs. You can also take off to regional centres such as Albany, Broome, Carnarvon, Esperance, Exmouth, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Geraldton, Monkey Mia and Port Hedland.
Daily bus services run from Adelaide via the Nullabor to Perth. A bus from Darwin takes 56-hour to reach Perth. Perth can be reached by a network of fast and reliable coach services. In addition, local bus operators provide frequent links to Perth from most local towns. The Indian-Pacific train line goes from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide. It is one of the world's grand train journeys.
