Peaceful, Picturesque Perth
A ten-day visit to this west Australian city
Our plane from Sydney to Perth landed shortly after 3 pm on a Saturday. The five-hour trip was uneventful save the cries of a handful of kids seated within earshot and an unappetizing toasted cheese sandwich. En route, the landscape below was vast and barren; at times I could spot moving dots on a highway below, but signs of life were few and far between.
It wasn’t exactly hustling and bustling at the airport either. I was stunned to see my brother waiting at the gate for us; anyone can go through security at this domestic terminal. We seemed to be the only arriving plane as the place was practically empty.
Over the course of ten days, I found Perth to be a low-key, chill city, period. I seldom heard honks or sirens and never witnessed any angst or impatience. The downtown streets seemed void of liveliness in comparison to Sydney.
The only time I got frazzled was when motorbikes casually but dangerously passed in between cars on the freeway. It happened numerous times. They’re insanely close to two vehicles moving at 100km/hr. Lunacy!
The city itself is located on the banks of the Swan River, 10 kilometers inland from the Indian Ocean. There are plenty of places to enjoy the water whether it’s river or seaside. The only downfall is the wind. We dined right on the water for my brother’s 61st celebration and our umbrella suddenly buckled under an intense gust and fell — slowly — across the table. Remarkably no one got hurt and nothing was broken!
I’m sure in the thick of summer when the temperature soars to +40, the wind is a blessing.
My brother lives in Madora Bay which is 70km from downtown Perth. A typical trend of many large cities is the lure to farther-flung quarters to affordably build dream homes. His build is beautiful, and a mere 10-minute walk from the beach, some gorgeous sunsets, and the promise of snakes!
For the record, I haven’t seen one single serpent since being in Aussie. I’m not at all upset!
Consequently, we spent a helluva lot of time in the car as we explored Fremantle, the Sandalford and Millbrook wineries, the downtown core, and Mandurah to the south.
My 85-year-old Dad is presently struggling with sciatica, so any lengthy walks were out of the question. We did a lot of our sightseeing by car, and ended up doing 1200 kilometres in the ten days we were there!
My brother took the scenic routes where possible, but driving the ocean shoreline between Mandurah and Perth is thwarted because of industries, the container port — there were always at least five ships waiting in the distance to offload — and a large naval base.
Regardless, there are certainly plenty of gorgeous beaches to wander and swim in. Mind the sand though; it gets scorching hot in no time.
We decided to see downtown Perth using the Hop on, Hop off bus service since the river cruise only operated from Thursday to Sunday when we already had other activities planned.
Most evident — and common worldwide — was the mix of new buildings amongst the beautiful historical ones as we meandered the streets. His Majesty’s theatre was dwarfed by the Rio Tinto high rise, one of the three big Mining Company buildings in the downtown core. BHP — Broken Hill Propriety — and South 32 are the other two, all seemingly competing for bragging rights for the highest building!
It was also a thrill to catch a glimpse of the WACA, the West Australian Cricket Ground. I was a bit disappointed I had just missed out on a match and surprised it was smack bang in the middle of the city.
We took a peek at the newest museum, The Boola Bardip, which only opened in November. Again, the blend of old with new architecture was prominent. It is one of six museums in the Perth area, and, unfortunately, the only one we had time for. The permanent exhibitions portray the ‘rich cultural and natural history’ of the state and people of Western Australia.
Mandurah is a fascinating place with an estuary reportedly twice the size of Sydney harbour and some spectacular apartments and homes on the extensive canals. It was like modern-day Venice.
The highlight was dolphin spotting; they habituate the estuary every day, particularly in the late afternoon. I was thrilled to have one appear right in front of where I was standing, so you can imagine how ecstatic I was when two more joined the spectacle — and a pelican too!
It was also a treat to taste wines and dine in a couple of the best vineyards in the region. The expansive grounds at Sandalford had hosted an Andrea Bocelli concert a month ago.
Millbrook winery was my favourite; I swear it was the best meal I had eaten in my whole life. No wonder they received the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award for 2022.
Although I am not a big fan of red wines, mainly because my wayward stomach protests, their 2020 Estate Shiraz Viognier is divine!
Watch out for a future story on all the fantastic food experiences I had while on vacation…
What was very apparent was how dry the ground is. Parched would be a better word — and summer has just begun. A carelessly discarded cigarette butt or a lightning strike will be disastrous for the region.
Tropical blooms would suddenly appear in the middle of nowhere! I’ve taken oodles of photos, often from the car and which also warrant a separate story, but here is a teaser.
The jacaranda trees are quite spectacular with their purple hue. Throw in a pristine blue sky and a Greek orthodox church to make for a wonderful shot.
We managed to catch a few sunsets over the Indian Ocean. It was the perfect way to end busy sightseeing and food-filled days!
Aside from being with family, the next best thing was meeting and getting to know my brother’s two Groodles, Dixie and Louie. They were delighted to have four extra people to demand attention from. I’ve never been around dogs for any length of time and admit to being quite smitten with these two human-like creatures!
More stories to come on them as well…
All in all, ten days flew by and we didn’t get a chance to do everything. Rottnest Island, The Margaret River, and Fremantle in more depth will have to wait for next time.
I’m now back in Sydney and unfortunately already on the countdown to heading back to snow and minus something degrees.
Why do the days escape so quickly when you’re having fun?