PERTH CITY GUIDE
ASTONISHING NATURAL BEAUTY COLLIDES WITH A SLICK URBAN SCENE IN THE SUN- SOAKED CAPITAL OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
OUT & ABOUT
Just being near two of Perth’s natural icons – KINGS PARK and COTTESLOE BEACH – slows the breath and relaxes the mind. Visit both to understand the locals’ love for nature within the metropolis.
EAT STREETS
Northbridge’s WILLIAM STREET is Perth’s tastiest strip – try SHADOW BAR’s WINE (shadowwinebar.com.au) European fare, BIVOUAC CANTEEN & BAR (bivouac.com.au) for Middle Eastern fare, and SAUMA (sauma.com.au) for Indian ‘tapas’.
STAY & PLAY
Affordable
ALEX HOTEL could well be the city’s most stylish boutique haunt. alexhotel.com.au
Moderate
QT PERTH is a sophisticated newcomer with personality and style. qthotelsandresorts.com/perth
Luxe
COMO THE TREASURY offers world-class luxury and service. comohotels.com
THE ABSOLUTE MUST- DOS
Before Perth existed, the grounds on which it stands were hunting and gathering lands for the area’s Indigenous people, THE NOONGAR. Walter McGuire, an elder, is able to strip away the glass and steel of the built environment to reveal Perth’s past dating back tens of thousands of years. As he leads a 1.5-hour walking tour around the new waterfront development, ELIZABETH QUAY, he points out sacred sites, traditional camping grounds and forgotten lake systems. gocultural.com.au/our-tours
THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE
SPLASH OUT ON A DEGUSTATION DINNER THAT ENCAPSULATES THE ESSENCE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA ON EVERY PLATE. WILDFLOWER (wildflowerperth.com.au) IS A REFINED ROOFTOP RESTAURANT CAPTURING NATIVE FLAVORS THROUGH THE USE OF DISTINCT INGREDIENTS – MANY OF THEM FORAGED BY HAND.
INSIDER’S SECRET
Only recently have rooftops become a ‘thing’ in Perth – surprising, given its blissful climate. For cocktails and glam, head to QT’s (qthotelsandresorts.com) 18th-floor glass lookout; for dirty martinis and hipster-style mess hall tables, track down the laneway leading to MECHANICS INSTITUTE BAR (mechanicsinstitutebar.com.au); alternately, take the car park elevator to ROOFTOP MOVIES (rooftopmovies.com.au) on level six and be drawn into a kitsch world of AstroTurf, bean bags and palm trees.