From Perth by Car Hire

• By: Editor
• On: 25/Sep/2008
• In: Australia Travel Tips

Located on the extreme west coast makes Perth one of the most isolated state capitals in the world. Because of this, if you are looking to visit, it is recommended to fly in and get a car to look around. Driving to Perth will take a long time, if you are coming from Adelaide (the nearest other state capital) it will take about 2 days travelling over 2700kms!

A good start to exploring the city might be to visit the Perth Cultural Centre. You will find it next to the Perth Train Station. As the name suggests it is very much the cultural centre of the city and it is home to an art gallery, a museum, the state library and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Something else you could visit while you are in the city is the Perth Mint. Easily found from the city centre by walking out along Hay Street east. This mint is the oldest in Australia and is one of the oldest in the world! It still produces coins, and even some gold bullion still, you can even see the mint in operation. It offers a nice place to get some souvenirs as well, as many of them are made from gold such as pieces of jewellery etc.

Perth Zoo is over one hundred years old, having opened in 1898 and it has been open every day since then! You can get free guided tours at 11am and 1.30pm each day. The zoo currently houses more than 1800 animals of 230 species, which is a big improvement from the 3 animals (2 lions and a tiger) that were present when the zoo first opened. Many of Australia’s native animals are present including the Numbat, a marsupial that is also the national emblem of Western Australia.

There is also Whiteman Park, located on the northern outskirts of the city. This national park is a great place for the kids as they can meet and pet the kangaroos and other animals. There are also a number of attractions for adults as well such as the railway museum.

There is also the Swan Bells, these are located at the foot of Barrack Street and they are one of the few Millennium projects that were finished on time, on budget and are still used for their original purpose! These bells were a gift from the city of London and the city of Perth spent AUS$5 million in building a special bell tower for them. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

If you are around in early November then you might be lucky enough to be in time for the Red Bull Air Race which holds its annual final in Perth every year. Thousands of spectators line the Swan River shore to watch these aerial acrobats fly about at extremely low altitudes

What’s to see in the Perth Area?
Perth has much to offer the curious tourist, both inside and outside of the city.

Heading out of the city one good place to start might be Fremantle. Fremantle started as a separate colony but now the urban areas of Fremantle and Perth have merged which leaves some who regard Fremantle as a suburb of Perth, but you won’t find many in Fremantle that would agree with that assertion. Fremantle lies about 20kms from Perth city centre and it continues to be an important port to this day. It sits overlooking the Indian Ocean and stares across at Durban in South Africa. While there you could visit such attractions as the WA Maritime museum, includes a fine collection of ships such as the winged-keel Australia II, which won the America's Cup; the Fremantle Prison, built by convict labour in the 1850s, closed in 1991 and now reopened as a historic site with a museum (perhaps you could try the ghost tour!); have a walk through the Fremantle markets; take a look at the Round House, the oldest building in WA; or you could simply head for the beach and watch the sunset or go whale watching.

The Darling Scarp is a popular area close by for going on bush walks particularly from September to November (the local springtime when all the flowers are in bloom). The area is a ripple in the landscape caused by the Darling Fault a major geological feature which extends for over 1000kms in Western Australia.

Located off the coast of Fremantle is the island of Rottnest. This was used as an Internment camp during the world wars for German, Austrian and Italian civilians. You can take a cruise to the island and perhaps hire a bike to take a quick tour around.

Australia is also famous for its New World wines, and in the Western Australia you can head out to Margaret River to experience this yourself. You can find this town located about 280 kms to the south of Perth and it is well worth the drive. The Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay is one of the more famous varieties found in this part of the world. In addition to the wine making region you can also find numerous fine beaches.

The Namburg National Park is located about 245 km north of Perth. The park contains the Pinnacles Desert which is filled with thousands of limestone pillars rise out of the yellow sand. While you are there you can try taking one of the walks through the park, or perhaps try some fishing and swimming. The animals you can expect to see while there include the Western Grey Kangaroo, Honey Possums, Emus, Carpet Pythons, White-tailed Black Cockatoos and others.

That’s the end of our quick overview of what you can expect in and around Perth.  If you think you will want to get around by car while in Australia have a look at our Car Hire Perth page and have a look at our competitive rates, if you are coming in from the airport then our Perth International Airport Car Hire page is worth a look. For more ideas for your holiday in Oz why not have a look through our Australia blogs page.

If you have any tips about driving in and around the Perth area feel free to let us know. Just leave your message in the comment box below.