Perth is the most beautiful city of Western Australia (it’s not that difficult to receive this award since there are not many cities in WA!) and voted as one of the world’s most liveable cities with an enviable lifestyle.
Perth has Mediterranean style climate: summers are hot and dry (temperature average 30°), the hottest month is February; winters are cool and wet (temperature average 18°), the coolest months are July and August.
Moving around Perth it’s easy: there are even free CAT buses, blue, yellow, green and red line around the Perth CBD. You can also use the regular buses, trains and ferries to explore Perth, Fremantle and surrounding areas. If you plan to stay for a long period it’s convenient to get the TRANSPERTH CARD: it costs 10$, you get 10% off from every trip and you can link this card to your credit card so you don’t need to worry about recharging it; otherwise you can purchase the train ticket directly at the train station machine and for the bus buy the ticket directly on board.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN PERTH
There is plenty to see and do in Perth. Let’s start:
1.    The Perth Mint (adult 28$/ child 8$) : one of the most popular tourist destinations. It’s home to the multi-award-winning Gold Exhibition. Curiosity: it was built from limestone quarried from Rottnest Island.

2.    The Bell Tower (adult 14$/child 9$) : located at Barrack Square (not too far from Elisabeth Quay), overlooking the picturesque Swan River is one of the Perth’s most unique tourist attractions. It is an icon of Perth for its historical importance.
If you have time and money to spend, you can take a ferry from Elizabeth Quay with the ‘Little Ferry Company’ (price start from 12$ for 1 stop to 32$ for a Day Pass) and go to the new entertainment complex On The Point, Optus Stadium and Claisebrook Cove in East Perth.

3.    Perth Cultural Centre (PCC) : positioned between Perth’s central city and inner-city districts, it is a vibrant and attractive drawcard for Perth residents and visitors as well, where the arts, cultures, knowledge, events and community come together. It is really interesting to visit it.

4.    Perth Zoo (adult 27$/child 13$): it is a place where you immerse yourself in the Aussie outback but also have Asia’s stunning rainforest and Africa’s wild savannah. With over 1400 animals and some of the most beautiful gardens in Western Australia, a visit to the zoo is a must if you are interested in animals.

5.    Yagan Square: opened in March 2018, it is the newest development in the vibrant city of Perth. It is a place to meet, enjoy live music, relax and eat. The design of this square reflects the natural landscape of WA with a strong Aboriginal narrative that runs through the square.

6.    Kings Park and Botanic Garden (free) : it has a remarkable expanse of unique bushland and tranquil parkland. It is said to be the largest city park in the world at 400.6 hectares. It was originally called ‘The Perth Park’ in 1895, but the name was changed to ‘Kings Park’ in 1901 to mark the accession of King Edward VII to the British throne.
From the park, you can have fantastic views of the city and Swang River. You can also stop at the Aboriginal Art Gallery where you can find art and craft. Kings Park is also nice just to sit on the comfortable grass and have a picnic with friends and enjoy the day.
Perth offers many restaurants, pubs (especially in Northbridge area), bars (our favourite is The Globe), night markets, cafes, theatres and exhibitions.
The city is also surrounded by several ‘urban’ villages such as Subiaco, Leederville and Mt Lawley, all offering a different inner-city view.

AROUND PERTH
If you love the beach-life then you don’t have to miss:
•    Cottesloe: nice beach, drink a beer at Cottesloe Beach Hotel (CBH) and don’t miss the Sunday sesh at the Ocean Beach Hotel (OBH).
•    Port Beach: nice beach and a perfect place for a cold beer with a nice view is "Coast Port Beach".
•    Swanbourne: the beach is not the best but you should have lunch at the Shorehouse.
•    Scarborough: the sea is perfect to surf and it’s one of our favourite beaches because of the night market on Thursday night during the summer period from 5 pm. It is a little bit difficult to reach it if you don’t have a car since it will take you more than an hour by bus, but it’s absolutely worth it! You can find so many stalls with food and art and craft, live music and Dj.
•    The last but not the least is FREMANTLE: for this historic port town, we have many things to say since it’s been our beloved home for 7 months here in Australia (please have a look to this article for further info SEE ARTICLE).
Other 2 beautiful places to discover not too far from Perth are :
1.    Wave Rock (entry ticket per vehicle $12): it is located 296 km (184 mi) east-southeast of Perth. We left in the afternoon and we slept in a rest area close by and then we reached the rock in the early morning. The "wave" is about 15 m (49 ft) high and around 110 m (360 ft) long. It forms the north side of a solitary hill, which is known as "Hyden Rock". The landscape is really nice and suggestive. It’s the first time that we see such a particular rock formation with such a beautiful range of colours.  
Wave Rock has cultural significance to Ballardong people. Local tribes indeed believed that the rock was a creation of the Rainbow Serpent, and it was created in her wake by dragging her swollen body over the land after she had consumed all of the water in the land. We suggest to go there if you plan to go to South Australia or in the outback but it’s not really worth it to do a return trip from Perth because it takes many hours and it’s not the best rock formation of the area. Nevertheless, we do not regret going there because it was a warm-up for our west-coast trip .
2.    Pinnacle Desert (entry ticket per vehicle $13): it is located roughly 200 kilometres north of Perth between Cervantes and Jurien Bay. These natural limestone structures, some standing as high as five metres, were formed approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the sea receded and left deposits of seashells. Over time, coastal winds removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars exposed to the elements.
Once there you can visit the Information Centre to get further information: there are different walks to do between the pillars or you can choose to drive the car inside the park (of course unpaved road but easy to drive). We decided just to drive in for 15 min. and take some pictures. It was once again something different to see but nothing amazing for us.
Perth is really the perfect city where to stay: it has got beautiful weather almost all year round, amazing beaches close by and a relaxed lifestyle. We are really glad to have chosen to spend 7 months of our life in this amazing city.