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The words ‘city’ and ‘nature’ don’t often go hand-in-hand but in this case they certainly do – Perth is truly a city for nature lovers. Visitors enjoy all the draws of the city whilst being able to lie on a beach, hike in native bush, snorkel over coral reefs, fish in the Indian Ocean and spot whales all within half an hour from their hotel rooms. We’ve picked our top getting-back-to-nature experiences which are all a hop, skip and a jump from Perth’s Central Business District.
Swim with dolphins
Just off the coast of Rockingham (around 30 minutes north of Perth’s CBD) lies the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, which teems with marine life including seals, penguins and dolphins. Rockingham Wild Encounters offers the chance to swim with the dolphins in their natural habitat. The dolphins aren’t trained as this is a totally wild experience (which makes it all the more special and thrilling), but luckily dolphins are extremely gentle and playful creatures and your guide will ensure both you and the animals stay safe.
Island life on Rottnest
Just a 20 minute boat ride from Fremantle, Rottnest Island (or ‘Rotto’ as it’s locally called) is the city’s playground. An A-class nature reserve it enjoys a protected status which has allowed it to remain wonderfully unspoilt, offering the visitor turquoise waters, coral reefs, pristine beaches and an abundance of native Western Australian flora and fauna, including a thriving colony of quokkas.
Have a whale of a time
If you’re lucky enough to be in the city between September and December, hopping on a boat to search for whales is a must. As part of their annual migration along the Western Australian coastline, humpback and southern right whales can be spotted in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and seeing one of these giants of the sea up close is unforgettably thrilling.
Parklife
As the largest inner-city park in the world, King’s Park is Perth’s lung. Lounge on the well-manicured lawns with a picnic and enjoy great views over the city skyline and the Swan River snaking its way up from the port of Fremantle. Feeling more active than that? The park’s 1,000 acres of land, including parkland, botanic gardens and native bush, should more than satisfy you.
Life’s a beach
Perth arguably has the best, most numerous and most varied beaches in close proximity out of any city in Australia. Possibly the best for nature lovers is Trigg Beach which, although popular with surfers, features a lovely area at the northern end called Mettams Pool. Backed by vegetated bluffs which are home to a number of sea birds, it has great bird-watching opportunities and its wide reef is excellent for snorkelling. If you’d rather stay on land, bottle nosed dolphins are often spotted in the calm waters off northern end of the beach and the Trigg Bushland Coastal Nature Reserve provides great opportunities to hike through native coastal bush.
And after a day in the great outdoors, there’s nothing like a slap-up meal, a chilled glass of a Margaret River white and if you are still up head down to the Crown Perth Hotel and Casino for a spot of entertainment and a great night of fun
