Perth City

Perth itself is a very compact but beautiful city as it's situated right on the sparkling Swan and Canning Rivers.

The city centre has a fair share of concrete and glass skyscrapers which dominate the skyline but also has a hand ful of lovely 19th century buildings and facades which have remained from it's early days as the Swan River Colony (see A Brief History of Perth and Western Ausralia).

People first notice the skyline and then the picturesque riverside setting with the well manicured lawns and cycle paths along the riverbanks. Adding to this is the close proximity of Kings Park that can be seen up above the city on an escarpment.

The city has a stunning natural environment which only gets better with the beaches of the Indian Ocean, the Perth Hills and the historic port of Fremantle being nearby.

Free CAT buses encircle the city enabling you to hop on and off to your heart's content. There are different coloured CAT buses for different routes and the service is excellent.

Take a CAT bus from the city down to Barrack Street Jetty where you can see the Swan Bell Tower which contains the bells of St Martin's-in-the-Fields in London which were given to WA in 1988 by the British Government.

The Perth Mint, which is Australia's oldest operating mint is also worth a look. Here you can mint your own coins and watch gold pours.

Other places to see whilst you're in the city are the Museum of Western Australia and The Art Gallery of Western Australia.

London Court is worth a look too as it is completely different to the rest of the city centre. This is a street built in Elizabethan style that links Hay Street with St George's Terrace so it's a useful shortcut to the Terrace from the main shops if nothing else!