Perth is the capital of Western Australia and is the city most blessed by pleasant weather and sunny days in the entire country. While the city itself has many attractions, there are also many amazing places that you can visit on a day trip from Perth. This page shares four of the places I enjoyed most during my stay in Perth.
1. Fremantle – A historical town with pretty colonial buildings
Fremantle is a major Australian port city in Western Australia. The town, which is surrounded by beautiful beached, is renowned for its well-preserved 19th-century buildings. Located a 40-min train ride from Perth, you en enjoy a full day strolling its streets with their pretty colonial buildings, visiting historic places, cafe/brewery hopping, shopping at local markets where you will find local souvenirs, etc.
During your time there, don’t miss Fremantle Town Hall, located in the center of the town. It was opened in 1887 and is still in use today. After periods of maintenance, it retains its Victorian Gothic style of classical architecture. Fremantle Market is another tourist destination. The building dates back to 1897 and currently features around 150 stalls. You’ll find not only local fresh fruits and vegetables, but also interesting local crafts. In front of the market, on weekends, musicians, acrobats, jugglers, and comedians attract the attention of people on the streets.
2. Rottneat Island – Immerse yourself in beautiful nature and sunshine
Rottnest Island is another popular destination from Perth, especially for wildlife lovers. The entire island is just amazing. The ocean shines a turquoise color, the white beaches just go on and on. You’ll encounter the cutest creatures, Quokkas!
While some people choose to spend a few days on the island, I only had one day, so chose to cycle. It was a really pleasant ride. The road is well designed for cyclists to enjoy the wonderful views all along the coastline!
Another amazing view on the island, but one that seems to be mentioned less in guidebooks, is the red-, pink- and orange-colored salt lakes.
It’s not hard to spot quokkas along your way either! If there’s some bush and you see many small, stone-like poos, you’ve got a 100% chance of meeting some quokkas.
3. The Pinnacles desert – A stunning view formed millions of years ago
The Pinnacles are natural limestone formations located in Nambung National Park, which is approximately 190 km from Perth. It’s a full one-day trip, but it’s worthwhile. It’s definitely unique, with stunning view of the yellow limestone pillars up to 3.5 meters high in an array of shapes, all standing on the orange sand.
The park is huge. As you walk around, you’ll notice the landscape changes slightly depending on the area.
4. Wave Rock – Another different natural art form
Wave Rock is a natural rock formation in the shape of a huge ocean wave. It’s 340 km south-east of Perth, and is a one-day trip. Standing at 15 meters high and 110 meters long, the rock is colored with gray and brown stripes, which is due to the interaction of an alga and a fungus.
The landscape on the way to Wave Rock is also amazing. The Wheatbelt region contains a number of salt lakes, formed by the extremely low drainage profile of the land and where evaporation is excessive. At a glance, it appears to be dead land, but it’s actually fascinating to observe that it’s home to plenty plenty of unique plants, creating an interesting landscape.
Don’t forget to enjoy the beautiful city of Perth during your stay
In between day trips, make sure you also find time to explore and enjoy the city of Perth. My favorite thing was to walking along the Swan River at dawn.
I also liked sitting in one of the city’s churches and listening to the silence. I felt like I could spend a whole afternoon watching the sunlight entering the building.
You can also go for an afternoon walk in and around the CBD. It contains many pretty and historic building, where you’ll discover several signs of the city’s past.
