Things to Do in Perth – The Changing Face of Western Australia’s Underrated City

The things to do in Perth, Australia, include culinary and artistic enterprises and heritage regeneration, helping to overturn its reputation as a boring city. 

Perth’s injection of culinary and artistic enterprise and heritage regeneration has allowed it to shed its ‘boring’ status and become a go-to state capital in Australia and a gateway to Western Australia. 

It is misunderstood because it remains largely unknown, largely because it is often overlooked in favour of those heading to Melbourne and Sydney to begin their Australian adventures. With major developments only two decades in the making, Perth’s attractions don’t live up to Melbourne’s or Sydney’s, and that’s okay.

Perth has been stirring up its own unique image over the past few years, emerging as a cool urban city escape. Australia’s Sunniest City (so-called as it has more hours of sunshine than any other in the country) welcomed me with a little rain, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for what has come to be listed as one of the world’s most livable cities. You’ll quickly see in Perth that many things have granted it this accolade.

There’s a Sunset Coast of 19 beaches, including the much-loved Cottesloe and Scarborough. Take a ferry to the isle getaway of Rottnest Island, home to the adorable and infamous Quokka residents. The city’s fringes delicately harbour one of the world’s largest inner-city parks – the Kings Park and Botanic Garden. Perth’s neighbourhoods are continually expanding the urban cool and artistic offering while working to reconcile the social, spiritual, cultural, and historical significance of its Aboriginal heritage with its modern growth.

Ready to see Perth differently? This guide shows you how. 

Things to Do in Perth City Centre 

Regeneration & Aboriginal Reconciliation

No city trip is complete without exploring its many and sometimes juxtaposed neighbourhoods, which is always my highlight – the subcultures that exist within an urban sprawl.

Locals will eagerly share their favourite places and tell you what to do in Perth, with Fremantle and Leederville topping the list. Maps are readily available for individual areas, eager to show off their cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and artistic murals and outlets.

The Perth Central Business District (CBD) may be just a standard corporate high-rise hub, which looks great from the air and the opposite side of the river in its steel-and-glass glory, but what is woven around it marks an interesting focus on regeneration.

One of the main things to do in Perth is to witness its heritage in reconstruction.

Perth’s State Buildings, in particular, are the former government holdings once known as the Lands, Titles and Treasury buildings. After a hefty investment for the regeneration of these 140-year-old icons, they were lovingly restored as repurposed spaces for public use.

What could have been lost has been put to good use, with boutique hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, independent coffee shops and retail outlets where you can shop local from master chocolatiers to clothing designers.

Aside from the wine bar and shop, and the craft beer from across Australia that chills next to the Gin and Tonic on tap, it was an afternoon well spent at the city’s famed Petition Kitchen. Here, you dine in an iconic landmark while sampling some of the best local produce, from seafood to seasoned fresh vegetables.

Elizabeth Quay is a $2.6 billion waterfront development project designed to create a large outdoor space that reconnects the city with the Swan River. This includes a huge promenade and the development of open squares.

It will complement the 400-hectare Kings Park and Botanic Garden, which overlooks the city and is classified as one of the world’s largest inner-city gardens. Like the garden, of which two-thirds are preserved as national bushland with native trails, Elizabeth Quay marks an important step towards the reconciliation of Aboriginal native rights of the Nyungar people.

Walter from Go Cultural Tours – a descendant of several Aboriginal tribal clans in the southwest region of Western Australia – provided a firsthand Aboriginal perspective on the traditional owners of this land.

This Aboriginal tour in Perth begins with a traditional welcome to the land of the Whadjuk people and stories of ancient Nyungar life, where you learn that the city’s major roads and highways pass over old hunting grounds, lakes, and sacred sites that have existed for over 50,000 years.

It’s important to remember that Perth is not as new as one might like to think and to pay respect to the sacred land upon which you and the city stand.

Perth’s Trendy and Emerging Neighbourhoods

Northbridge and Leederville are the two inner-city neighbourhoods with the most interest. 

Northbridge, located just behind the CBD, is the more youthful and playful area of central Perth. Not only home to Perth’s Cultural Centre (including art galleries, a state library and a theatre), its unkempt streets and street-art filled laneways are filled with tasty treats and arty rendezvous spots, reminding me a lot of Melbourne.

There’s a hole in the wall cafe scene, one of which is home to the Museum of Perth (the smallest museum in the city) and people making simple eats like toasties incredibly hip (sample the cheesy-grilled choices of Toastface Grillah for proof).

Our introduction to Perth’s evolving food and drink scene was with a local foodie, Laura Moseley. There are diners, international food outlets, secret bars and a mini Chinatown full of budget dumpling houses – venues we otherwise would not have found on our own or thought to have hopped between so easily. The evening ended with sampling the city’s best ice cream at Chicho Gelato.

A local who wanted to highlight the more ‘outer-boroughs’ of Perth introduced Leederville to me. The younger, design hub of Leederville thrives on the artistic regeneration of its self-proclaimed “immigrant nostalgia architecture,” built on layers of Italian, Chinese, Jewish, Greek, and Macedonian heritage. The graffiti is cheekier, the coffee shops are filled with young minds and bohemian youth, and the area still retains an offbeat atmosphere.

Things to See in Perth With Extra Time

Aside from beach hopping, of which Cottesloe and Scarborough are top choices, those with extra time to spend exploring greater Perth can choose from a number of destinations. 

Perth Hills (45 minutes east of the city) is full of bush trails and national parks, and the oldest Wine Region of Western Australia, known as Swan Valley, is just 25 minutes from the city.

There’s also the southern suburbs of Mandurah and Rockingham – coastal chill areas, the latter of which I spent two days in visiting friends and enjoying the calm of suburban life.

Fremantle – The Stylish Sister City of Perth

20km south of Perth’s city centre, on the banks of the Swan River, you’ll find a 19th-century shipping heritage neighbourhood that repurposed its old spaces and transformed into a cosmopolitan historical port city.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Fremantle. By mixing the charming Gold Rush-era old with the bohemian new, it is the number one hotspot in downtown Perth and deserves its own acclaim.

A great introduction to the history, culture, and quirky corners of the city is with local Rusty Creighton from Two Feet & a Heartbeat, who leads an insightful Fremantle tour.

I learnt that Freo is the place where you dine in reformed dockworkers’ cottages and warehouses, sleep in boutique hotels set in former sea cargo crates and brunch, market stroll and listen to live music in heritage hideouts (the largest collection of such buildings in Western Australia).

Highlights in Fremantle include the grandfather of all markets – Fremantle Market, a 1897 Victorian-era heritage building thathosts the area’s vibrant Friday-Sunday social affair with over 150 stalls. Hone in on the wonderful smells of the fresh produce and flowers and buy everything from souvenirs to antiques.

There’s also the B-Shed Markets in Victoria Quay (where you leave the mainland for Rottnest Island). Here you can shop and dine in a former cargo store that’s been around for nearly 100 years.

Then there is the National Hotel, which was once a shop and later a bank before being converted into a hotel in 1886. After being partially destroyed by fire in 1975, it underwent significant restoration in 2013 and reopened as a modern bar and restaurant, retaining its status as one of Fremantle’s most historically important and beloved buildings.

Rusty also gave us a lowdown on the craft beer scene, which has boomed here, with pubs like Sail and Anchor and Monk Kitchen sitting opposite one another. The star of the show is undoubtedly the Little Creatures Brewery at the Fishing Boat Harbour. This ‘open’ brewery with a visible cellar door has been built within a huge converted boat shed, drawing in the hop-loving crowds and locals sampling their hometown brews.

No artistic hub is complete without the staple supply of coffee houses, a varying choice of good coffee in Fremantle found neatly aligned on the aptly named ‘Cappuccino Strip’, which is on the South Terrace (from Bannister Street to Fremantle Markets).

The local order is a ‘long mac topped up’, if you really want to fit in, with coffee from Dome, Salted Board, Dark Star and Milk Belly Café cited as being some of the best. The top brunch spot is the Attic, whose hip wooden interior and picture-perfect menu perfectly encapsulate the Fremantle spirit.

Day Trips from Perth

Trek the Leeuwin- Naturaliste Ridge

A couple of hours south of Perth is the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge stretching north to south along a peninsula jutting westward into the sea in the southwest corner of Western Australia. This ridge between the capes is home to the Cape-to-Cape Walk through the Margaret River area and the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park.

The track is mostly along the coast, with one or two inward loops to explore the forest and woodland, and takes five to seven days to complete. If short on time, the track is well segmented for selection.

Cape to Cape Walk

To start the Cape-to-Cape walk, you will need to arrange transport from nearby Busselton or via your accommodation. There are campsites along the way, as well as a number of inns and hostels, many of which have guides who can provide more information about the walk and highlight things to look out for along the way.

The ocean has carved out fabulous limestone scenery along the way, with waterfalls and caves. If you are planning to visit during the summer, as I am, a stop at the pristine beaches will certainly be on the agenda.

The Margaret River can be crossed by sandbar, but if it is flowing hard, canoeing is a great option for the braver.  The area is known for its wineries and bountiful, gourmet fresh produce, so rest days provide some great dining experiences if you are taking a longer approach to the walk.  The area also has some great surfing spots, so there is plenty to distract the active walker from the trail.

Visit Yalgorup National Park

Visitors heading to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, which marks the northern end of the track, may wish to spend a day or two in the quiet coastal town of Preston Beach in Yalgorup National Park.

The town is known for its abundance of Western Grey Kangaroos and its views of sand and stars stretching for miles in either direction. Guesthouses give an old-fashioned welcome to visitors, and there is a great oceanfront base for exploring the walking trails of nearby Preston Lake and the national Park swampland.

Planning Your Perth Trip

Visiting Perth dispels misconceptions about a city once considered underdeveloped and in the shadow of other Australian mainstays. Just a few days here is all you need to see it as an emergent hub and a pivotal jumping base from which to explore Western Australia (WA) – one of the most untouched and pristine regions in all of Australia.

READ MORE: Where to Go in Western Australia – The Unknown Side of Oz You Need to See.

Getting to Perth

Flying into any Australian city requires some planning, including stopovers and flight times. Perth might seem easier to access on the west coast, but here are some top tips on minimising jetlag so you can get straight to exploring. 

READ MORE: Qantas Premium Economy A380 Review – Does an Upgrade Help Jetlag When Flying to Australia?

Getting Around Perth and Fremantle

• A CAT bus service (visitfremantle.com.au) and a 25-minute train from Perth. Take a tram tour, or easily explore on foot.
• Perth Luxury Tours specialises in small, private, customised tours, including inner-city, Fremantle, Kings Park, Swan Valley, Pinnacles, and Margaret River.

Further Information on Perth Travel

• Visit the Western Australia tourism website and Visit Perth for city exploration and information on Perth’s surrounding neighbourhoods and sites.

Where to Stay in Perth:

Hotels and Hostels in Perth

• The Alex Hotel in Perth is a creative space right in the very heart of the city and within walking distance to the creative highlights and foodie hangouts.
• There are also many hostels in Perth – in the city centre, alongside ‘backpacker resorts’ and lodges with swimming pools, in popular coastal areas such as Cottesloe and Scarborough Beach.

Hotels and Hostels in Fremantle

• The Hougoumont Hotel Fremantle epitomises ‘affordable luxury’ and is a boutique hotel just five minutes’ walk from the ‘Cappuccino Strip’ and the very centre of everything. Named after the last convict ship that transported convicts to Australia, and situated on Bannister Street, where those new arrivals began a new journey.
• Fremantle YHA Prison is a modern hostel set within the World Heritage-listed former Fremantle Prison, built in the 1850s.