Attractions Nearby Perth, Day Trips and Excursions

(Perth, Western Australia - WA, Australia)

If you feel that you have exhausted all of the attractions that Perth has to offer, or are simply looking for a change of scenery, then do consider planning some day trips and exploring just a smidgen of Western Australia's additional offerings. The sunny and tranquil location of Rottnest Island is an ideal excursion from central Perth, being easily reached by either a pleasant and scenic cruise down Swan River, or across from nearby Fremantle.

One of the main attractions at nearby Rockingham is the offshore Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, where small groups of visitors have the opportunity to snorkel and interact with friendly wild bottlenose dolphins. On the north coast of Perth you will find Yanchep, Guilderton and Lancelin - which feature a number of good spots for windsurfing. Further choices include outings to the Darling Range and the Avon Valley, where the towns of Toodyay and York are worth looking out for.

Rottnest Island

Address: Rottnest Island Visitor Centre, Thomson Bay, Fremantle, Western Australia (WA), Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9372 9752
With peaceful sandy beaches, rocky coves and beautiful surroundings, Rottnest Island makes for a popular excursion for holidaying tourists.

The best way to travel around the island is by bicycle, as cars are not actually allowed here and although buses are available, the bus service on Rottnest is minimal. Bicycle tours of the island cover around 26 km / 16 miles and last around three hours or longer. Travelling around by bicycle is simple and the main road circles the entire island, providing many spectacular and quite picturesque views of the surrounding area.

Amongst the top attractions on Rottnest Island is the local colony of 'quokkas', a small creature resembling a wallaby. These charming animals are marsupials and are particularly concentrated around Government House and Herschell Lake. The following places of interest are also of note:

• Bickley Bay - with a wreckage of ships that have come to rest on the coastline of Rottnest Island
• West End - the westernmost point, also filled with unfortunate shipwrecks
• Parakeet Bay - an enchanting bay area with rocky inlets
• Rottnest Museum - celebrating the island's past convict history
• Oliver Hill Railway - covering around 6 km / 3.5 miles and travelling to the Rottnest Island Gun Batteries

Rockingham

Address: Rockingham Tourist Centre, 43 Kent Street, Rockingham, Western Australia (WA), Australia
Tel: +61 (08) 9592 3464
Rockingham is located around 47 km / 30 miles to the south of Perth city centre and was founded in 1872 as a main port. This charming seaside town is full of nostalgia and is within easy reach by car or bus.

Visitors to Rockingham will discover a number of popular Dolphin Tours around the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, where you can take a boat trip and see wild dolphins leaping about and playing. The dolphin boat tours depart from the jetty on Palm Beach and also from Perth itself. Other highlights include:

• Penguin and Seal Island Cruises - with guided tours of nearby Penguin Island
• Capricorn Kayaks - kayaking tours around the islands between October to April
• Marapana Wildlife World - popular with children, who can feed many of the native animals by hand

Fremantle

Address: Town Hall, Kings Square, Fremantle, Western Australia (WA), Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9431 7878
Fremantle is one of the most stunning areas of Western Australia and this region is just 19 km / 12 miles to the south-west of Perth city centre. The busy city of Fremantle has completely reinvented itself over the years and was first founded by settlers in 1829, at the newly constructed Swan River Colony.

The South Terrace is amongst the principal tourist magnets and is known locally as the 'Fremantle Cappuccino Strip', since it features numerous street cafés. Fremantle also boasts many historic areas, particularly between Phillimore Street and Marine Terrace in the West End, with a number of important heritage buildings. Other attractions in the Fremantle area include:

• Arthur's Head - a historic row of cottages built to house employees of the Customs Department
• The J-Shed - housing the workshop of Greg James, one of the nations leading artists
• Kidogo Arthouse - a gallery and arts centre displaying works by former owner Joan Campbell
• Crocodile Park - home to around 200 salt and freshwater crocodiles with regular feedings
• Fremantle Museum - celebrating the convict past of the Fremantle area
• Fremantle Market - numerous market stalls housed in Victorian buildings
• Fremantle Prison - the state's oldest prison which was decommissioned in 1991
• High Street Mall - in the centre of Fremantle business district
• Moores Building - a large exhibition and performance venue
• Round House - the state's oldest surviving structure, dating back to 1831
• Western Australia Maritime Museum - providing a glimpse into the nautical past of this area

York

Address: 105 Avon Terrace, York, Western Australia (WA), Australia
Tel: +61 (08) 9641 1301
Situated around 90 km / 61 miles to the east of central Perth, York is a particularly interesting and historic town. The town lies in the glorious Avon Valley and is centred around its main street, the Avon Terrace, which has been restored and includes many of the original features present during the 1890s gold rush. Visiting York is almost like stepping back in time and this is such an important town that it is actually protected by the Australian National Trust.

York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia and was founded in 1831, just two years after the Swan River Colony, and is easy to explore either on foot or bicycle. Full of things to see and do, local attractions include:

• York Motor Museum - home to over 100 classic vintage cars and motorcycles
• Settler's House - a romantic guesthouse with four-poster beds
• Old York Gaol and Courthouse - including a main law court and prison
• Residency Museum - housing York's historic artefacts and important documents
• Holy Trinity Church - completed in 1854, featuring stunning architecture and striking stained-glass windows
• Suspension Bridge - spanning the Avon Valley, built in 1906
• Gwambygine Park - with a viewing tower and superb picnic facilities
• Skydive Express - one of Western Australia's main skydiving centres

Useful Tourist Information Centres

Here is a list of many of the tourist information centres throughout Western Australia:

• Albany Visitor Centre
  Address: Old Railway Station, Proudlove Parade, Albany, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9841 1088
• Armadale Tourist Information Centre
  Address: 40 Jull Street, Armadale, Perth Hills, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9497 3543
• Balingup Tourist Information
  Address: South West Highway, Balingup , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9764 1818
• Beverly Tourist Information Centre
  Address: 139 Vincent Street, Beverley, Heartlands,, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9646 1555
• Bridgetown Greenbushes Tourist Information Centre
  Address: 154 Hampton Street, Bridgetown , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9761 1740
• Broome Tourist and Visitor Centre
  Address: Great Northern Highway, Broome, Kimberly, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9192 2222 Fax: (08) 9192 2063
• Bunbury Tourist Information
  Address: Carmody Place, Bunbury, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9721 7922
• Busselton Tourist Bureau
  Address: Civic Centre Complex, Busselton , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9752 1091
• Collie Visitors' Centre
  Address: 156 Throssell Street, Collie, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9734 2051
• Denmark Visitor Centre
  Address: Strickland Street, Denmark, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9848 2055
• Derby Tourist Bureau
  Address: 2 Clarendon Street, Derby , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9191 1426
• Dunsborough Tourist Bureau
  Address: Naturaliste Terrace, Dunsborough , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9755 3299
• Dwellingup Visitors' Information Centre
  Address: Marrinup Street, Dwellingup, Peel, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9538 1108
• Fitzroy Crossing Tourist Bureau
  Address: Great Northern Highway, Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9191 5355
• Geraldton Visitor Centre
  Address: Chapman Road, Geraldton, Midwest,, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9921 3999
• Harvey Visitors' Centre
  Address: South West Highway, Harvey, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9729 1122
• Kalgoorlie Boulder Visitor Centre
  Address: 250 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, Goldfields, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9021 1966
• Kojonup Visitor Centre
  Address: 143 Albany Highway, Kojonup , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (08) 9831 0500
• Manjimup Tourist Bureau
  Address: Edward Street, Manjimup , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9771 1831
• Merredin and District Visitor Centre
  Address: Barrack Street, Merredin , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9041 1668
• Morawa Tourist Information Centre
  Address: 34 Winfield Street, Morawa , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9971 1421
• Pemberton Tourist Bureau
  Address: Brockman Street, Pemberton , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9776 1133
• Serpendtime Jarrahdale Visitor Centre
  Address: South West Highway, Jarrahdale, Perth Hills, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9525 9999
• Swan Valley Visitor Centre
  Address: Historic Guildford Courthouse, Corner of Meadow and Swan Streets, Guildford, Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0) 8 9379 9400
• Walpole Nornalup Visitors' Centre
  Address: Pioneer Cottage, South Coast Highway, Walpole , Western Australia
  Tel: +61 (0)8 9840 1111

Other specific tourist attractions within reach of Perth and worth a visit include:

Araluen Botanic Park

Address: Croyden Road, Roleystone, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9496 1171

Bibra Lake

Address: North Lake Road, Bibra Lake, Fremantle, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9334 0333

Cape Peron

Address: Cape Peron Road, Cape Peron, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9334 0333

Kings Square

Address: William Street, Fremantle, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9431 7878

Maalia Mia

Address: 8991 West Swan Road, Henley Brook, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9296 0704

Marmion Marine Park

Address: West Coast Highway, Sunset Coast, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9448 5705

Ngilgi Cave

Address: Caves Road, Yallingup, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9775 2152

Penguin Island

Address: Mersey Point, Shoalwater, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9592 3464

Pinjarra

Address: Pinjarra Tourist Centre, Pinjarra, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9531 1438

Toodyay

Address: Toodyay Tourist Centre, Toodyay, Perth, Western Australia
Tel: +61 (0)8 9574 2435