Perth is sunny, easygoing and
outdoorsy. There’s space here and
more to spare – the proud capital of
Western Australia presides over a
state so vast that much of Western
Europe could fit inside! The Swan
River runs through the heart of the
city. Perthites gather there every day
to swim, sail or throw some shrimp
on the barbie.
SUN, SAND AND SURF
Perth is the sunniest capital on Earth, enjoying an
average of eight hours per day. With all that warm
weather and 19 beautiful beaches, it’s not surprising that
the surfies love the city and its coast. Trigg, Scarborough,
Brighton and South Cottesloe are some of the top spots.
Even the knowledge that they’re sharing the water with
one of the most perfectly designed predators in the
natural world, the great white shark, doesn’t turn these
dedicated thrill-seekers away.
SAY CHEESE, QUOKKA!
From scuttling goannas to elegant brolga birds
and playful dolphins, Perth is known for its amazing
wildlife. The area is a biodiversity hotspot –
teeming with flowers, plants and animals. With 71
types of reptile, the city is believed to have more
species than any other urban area in the world.
Recently however, it has become more famous
for its lovable quokkas. Quokkas are small, furry
marsupials that roam free on Rottnest Island. The
little critters are so friendly, they have even sparked
a selfie craze on Twitter.
LITTLE
NIPPERS
After school and
on the weekends,
Junior Surf Lifesavers
hit Perth’s beaches.
Local five to thirteen-
year-olds, known as
‘Nippers’, dash in
and out of the waves,
learning how to swim,
surf and save lives.
Every life-saving club
in the city has a junior
Nippers programme.
The children wear
different coloured
swim caps to show
what age and stage
they have reached.
The Bells, the Bells!
The banks of the Swan River seems like
an unlikely spot to find some of the
world’s biggest musical instruments,
but this is the home of the Swan Bells.
The 18 massive bells hang in an 82.5m
(271ft) tower called a campanile. The
glass and copper tower was built to
commemorate Australia’s bicentenary,
marking 200 years since the Europeans
arrived in the country. When the Swan
Bells are rung, their chimes can be
heard for miles around.
ISLAND HOPPERS
The Noongar people have been in Perth
for a long time – tens of thousands
of years, in fact. They can remember,
through their songs and stories, when
it was possible to walk on foot to the
islands that lie offshore from
the city. That was during
the peak of the last
Ice Age, a trifling
12,000 years
ago. Today, the
sandy islands
of Rottnest,
Garden
and Carnac
sit several
kilometres
off the coast
of Western
Australia.
Miles from Everywhere
Perth is a wealthy oasis of beaches and parkland, perched
in between the Indian Ocean and the desert. The locals
like to say that they live in the most far-flung major city on
Earth. In reality, that honour goes to Honolulu, the capital of
Hawaii. Perth is a close second, however. It takes two days
of non-stop driving to reach the eastern cities of Sydney and
Melbourne, or four hours in a plane. With that much outback
between them, perhaps it’s no wonder that Perth is in a
different time zone to the rest of Australia.