Understand
Perth is based around the Swan River on a flat coastal plain down from the Darling ranges. The many relatively uncrowded beaches along the Perth coastline also help define the lifestyle; Perth is laid-back, quiet and quite safe.
OrientationThe centre of the Perth metropolitan area is the
Perth CBD located on the Swan River around 10 km inland. The CBD is the premier business and shopping centre, and together with the adjacent Northbridge, the entertainment centre as well.
The CBD is about 1 km North-South but 2 km East-West and is centred on the pedestrianised
Forrest Place. In or adjacent to Forrest Place you will find the General Post Office (GPO - open Monday - Friday 9-5 and Saturday 9-12), the Tourist Information Centre, Perth Train Station and the Forrest Chase shopping centre including Myer Department store.
The main East-West streets are Wellington Street (northern boundary), Murray and Hay Streets (which become pedestrianised shopping malls in the centre), St Georges Terrace/Adelaide Terrace and Riverside Drive (which runs along the Swan River and forms the southern boundary of the CBD). The main northbound street is Barrack Street which runs along the eastern end of the central shopping district and the main southbound street is William Street to the west.
HistoryThe site now known as Perth, was home to the indigenous
Nyoongar tribe with evidence of their ancestors stretching back 40,000 years.
British settlers established a free settler colony in 1829 as part of the Swan River Colony. From 1850, an influx of convicts boosted the size of the colony and their labour helped shape the early architecture of the city. The discovery of gold in the 1890's triggered a boom which, with subsequent mineral discoveries, has been key to the city's economy. As capital of the state Western Australia, Perth joined the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
ClimatePositioned on the south west of the continent, the city experiences a
mediterranean climate with wet (used to be wet anyway!!) , mild winters (June to August; daily maximums around 18C) and hot, dry summers (December to January; daily maximums around 30C). The best times to visit are during spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May).
Eat
One of the drawbacks of Perth is the
lack of late night dining. Very few places will serve food after 10pm at night, with the notable exception of some excellent out-of-the-way Asian eateries and the other cafes in
Northbridge such as The Moon late nite cafe.
There are a lot of restaurants in
Northbridge just across the railway line north of the CBD. Mainly Southern European (Greek, Italian etc) and Asian (especially Indonesian and Vietnamese) restaurants. The
seafood restaurants are also recommended. Northbridge gets very busy Friday and Saturday night.
Fremantle is a good option for getting out. It's easy to get to by train and has enough restaurants, bars and coffee shops to keep you well fed and watered.
South Tce has a coffee strip that is popular from the morning and on through the day; about the...
