I’ve never been on a flight for 5 hours where, after landing, I’m still in Australia. I’m on limited time and flying this far for just one (free) day in Perth feels a little silly. Such is the vastness of our land down under that flying from Sydney to Perth is close to the same effort as Sydney to Manila. Flight paths out of Sydney usually bank vigorously to create skewed flightpaths that aggressively head north towards Asia or any other latitude that delivers us from our isolated southern continent but not this time…
It’s one straight 3,280km line horizontal line across Australia from East to West.
I had the equivalent of a day to explore the city so, I thought I’d share what I chose to do as I feel it gave me a great feel for the city in the short time I had.
So, I flew across the deserted plains of the Australian outback interspersed by ocean as we crossed the great Australian bight and touched down in Perth, 3 hours in credit thanks to the time difference. It’s my first time on the West Coast of Australia, let alone Perth and I’m looking forward to exploring a place so unknown to me.
As soon as I touch down I’m curious. Curious to see the sunset into the ocean. Coming from the East Coast, we only ever see the sunrise from the ocean which is normally at such an early hour, I’m never awake to see it. I’ve stumbled across most Sydney sunsets by accident after pulling all-nighters or when on my way to the airport for an early flight. So, to see the sunset into the ocean and at a sociable time of the day, is something novel for most Australians.
Scarborough Beach
For this sunset experience, I head to Scarborough Beach. A short 20-minute cab ride to Scarborough from the CBD will set you back about $25 and deliver you into a golden glow of diffused sunlight. You can watch the sun slip into the ocean to the soundtrack of music from the bars, clubs and pubs that line The Esplanade.
Along the main strip, there’s everything from sports bars and chic clubs with DJs spinning sunset beats to burger joints and take away fish ‘n chips joints. The choice of where to have a cold drink is truly overwhelming. For something more laid back, you can head to The Sandbar, which is a grand corner pub offering live music, pub fare and even bottomless drink sessions on Saturdays. If you’re after something more upbeat, you can join the crowds at The Lookout which pumps house music to the setting sun in sophisticated beach-side ambience.
The best place to watch the sunset is ‘Sunset Hill. This luscious mound is the bright green grassy hill in the middle of all the activity. Here you can get some great photos of the setting sun with silhouetted figures in the grassy foreground. It’s also just a great place to sit and people watch.
Once you’ve had your fill of vivid orange-magenta ocean sunsets, it’s time to head back to Perth CBD.
Perth CBD
The CBD is easy to navigate on foot and if you’re not much of a walker, the Perth ‘CAT’ (Central Area Transit) bus network is free which makes one day in Perth feel like longer with the vastness of the city you can cover in a short time. Use the route map and jump on any bus with a black cat on it… It’s that easy.
Perth city is an eclectic blend of old colonial architecture with modern-day rooftop bars, high-rise buildings, plazas, big old pubs and cool, hidden laneways bustling with restaurants.
For great cocktails, start at The Aviary rooftop bar. Here you can sit in the large open rooftop beer garden and watch the activity of people below on William Street. You can then wander further up William and down any of the adjoining CBD streets such as Hay or Murray Street for plenty of other bars from old Colonial style pubs to Asian-style sophisticated establishments and interesting laneway bars.
Similar to Melbourne, Perth’s laneways offer many surprises. Criss-crossing between the main roads in the evening, you’ll stumble across old, warmly-lit laneways adorned with Chinese lanterns, fairy-lights and more. These laneways offer eclectic food options from quality, cheap Thai at ‘FIFTEEN’ in Shafto Lane to high-end restaurants and other rooftop bars like Prince Lane Bar which, funnily enough, is in Prince Lane.
Wherever you decide to wander, you can’t go wrong. So, If you only have one day in Perth then just explore on foot and make sure you don’t miss the subtle laneways that run like veins through the main city grid.
Elizabeth Quay
If you’re into night photography, or just like exploring cities at night, don’t miss Elizabeth Quay. A short walk to the South edge of the city will have you by the water amongst stunning sculptures, light shows and interesting architecture lit up in neon light.
Start at the ‘Spanda’ sculpture and make sure you get a selfie in the middle of the giant expanding rings lit up at night. From here, walk over to the BHP Water Park, which will dazzle you with pulsating fountains lit up in bright colours. Sit and watch for a while as it cycles through many scenes from tall jets of water to clouds of fine colourful mist.
After the water park and with a face damp with fine fountain mist, follow the neon-lit path up to Elizabeth Quay Bridge. The bridge boasts modern architecture with two giant arcs that change colour. This is also a great spot to look back and get a photo of the Perth city skyline and the colourful reflections in the harbour.
Once you’ve snapped the perfect photo, you can keep following the path around in a loop that will join you back at the Spanda. If you’re hungry or thirsty, you can relax at the unique Island Brew House which overlooks the water in a classic rotunda-style brick brewery house.
So, with all of this, we’re probably running out of time for one day in Perth but if you want to get out of the CBD, you can do so on foot by heading to Northbridge.
Northbridge
Northbridge is an interesting, old suburb full of great Asian restaurants and quirky bars. You can try everything from Khmer to Vietnamese here. It’s also got a great vibe and just wandering along Lake Street will offer you everything from American-styled pubs like the Mustang Bar to upscale evening and nightspots like the Geisha Bar.
Now, I said Northbridge has everything and I really mean it… you can stop-in for drinks and mini-golf at the Holey Moley Golf Club or try more beers than you can possibly handle at the Northbridge Brewing Company. The choices are as diverse as they are endless.
I loved my time in the west and realise that (obviously) one day in Perth is not nearly enough. I can’t wait to return again to experience more of what Australia’s largest West Coast city has to offer but, until then, this experience should give you a great taste of what Perth has to offer.
