Australia

                                             Australia 

Image 1: View from Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth 

August 2017 

Perth, Australia 

Australia is always a good idea whenever you're unsure of which destination to head to next on your travel list. This time, it was a small treat from my parents since I was stressing out for my final year (at the time) and was in desperate need for a retreat away from my workload. Honestly, my family has been to Australia countless of times, yet we always come back again for some odd reason - but this time we decided to see what Western Australia has to offer. 

So, it was just my parents and I for this trip since my siblings were all mostly busy. Located roughly 5 hours away from Malaysia by plane, Perth is the capital and the largest city of Western Australia. If I could describe Perth in one word it would be "mellow", just because of its naturally calm environment, low-rise buildings, homey residential areas and friendly people. Not overpopulated yet has enough facilities for comfort - in fact an ideal place to settle down for parents' who want to raise their children or even retirees. 

Image 2: Arriving Perth CBD, Perth  

Image 3: City of Perth Library & History Centre, Perth

Due to major turbulence during our flight to get here, we did not manage to get much sleep hence we were really tired when we arrived Perth. However, we still managed to cover some interesting places on our first day despite being exhausted and sleep deprived. As soon as we landed and checked in our hotel (which was conveniently located within Perth CBD, we decided to take a stroll around town - browsing our way through some retail outlets, restaurants and attractions.

Image 4: Hay Street Mall, Perth

Since it was winter in Australia at that time, we were just in time to experience the City of Perth Winter Arts Season. Launched in 2014, the Winter Arts Season is a festival set to deliver a diverse mix of exhibitions and performances from up and coming young artists to well-established renowned arts organisations. Some interesting highlights include the WA Opera, The Magic Flute and the grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir. 

Image 5: London Court Cafe, Perth

Located at the very famous London Court (a three and four level open-roofed shopping arcade) in Hay Street, London Court Cafe is the perfect spot if you're a brunch kind of person. Here, I had the Vegetarian Breakfast and a cup of hot cafe latte that tasted amazing on a chilly day (Winter in Perth had an average lowest temperature of 9 degrees and highest temperature of 19 degrees). 

If you're into Jamie Oliver's recipes and his shows, then you should definitely dine-in at his outlet in perth - "Jamie's Italian." Also located in Perth CBD, "Jamie's Italian" is a relaxed Italian chain with a rustic menu and an antipasti bar. The restaurant is also the home to their only pizza oven where you can try any of your favourite-flavored pizza all customised to your taste and preference!

Image 6: Jamie's Italian, Perth CBD

Moving on to Day 2 in Perth, we decided to visit one of Perth's highlight and distinctive spots - Kings Park and Botanic Garden. Known to be the jewel in the city's crown, Kings Park is one of the largest inner city parks in the world! The park is visited by over 6 million people a year. With its stunning location, King's Park overlooks the Perth City and the calming blue waters of the Swan River. Most importantly, King's Park showcases the wide variety of Western Australia's flora and fauna and is a popular place for walks, picnics and even ceremonial and cultural events. 

The Western Australia's Botanic Garden covers almost two thirds of King's Park. It is a natural bushland containing 80 bird species and 319 species of native plants. The area is a balance between open recreational space and beautifully landscaped gardens. For most Western Australian's, Kings Park and Botanic Garden is a place for relaxation, inspiration, recreation and wonder. 

Image 7: Western Australian Botanic Garden Guide Map, Perth 

Image 8: View for Botanic Garden, Perth

And now Day 3, we decided to explore the outskirts of Perth so we took the train to Fremantle, another popular spot for tourists when they happen to be in the city. All trains departing to Fremantle, depart from Perth Station. There are several timings that you can choose according to your availability and preference but it is highly recommend that you take one of the earlier trains so that you can make full use of your time at Fremantle (that is if you're not planning to spend the night there - like us). The journey by train from Perth Station to Fremantle takes about half an hour. 

Image 9: Perth Station, Perth

Fremantle is a port city in Western Australia thats part of the Perth metropolitan area. Fremantle is know to be a dynamic mix of art and alternative types. Here, you can see busker,s a wide collection of art and music floats, vintage shops, cozy cafes and trendy bars that fills its streets. One of its main highlight for me was definitely the Fremantle Markets. 

Fremantle Markets is Western Australia's ultimate market experience featuring over 150 stalls. If you're looking for unique or hand-made goods, then this is definitely the place for you! The market is also a food heaven where you can find just about any type of food that you're craving for - fresh vegetables, brewed coffee, premium cakes and so much more. 

       

               Image 10: Fremantle Markets, Fremantle 

        

           Image 11: Hot Cafe Latte, Fremantle Markets, Fremantle

Another recommended attraction to visit while you're at Fremantle is the Fremantle Prison. Western Australia's only World Heritage listed building is a former Australian Prison built by convicts in the 1850s. For 136 years, the prison was used as a place for incarceration before being decommissioned as an operating maximum security gaol in 1991. 

Here, you can experience various day-time tours or even attempt the "Torchlight Tour" where you'd get to explore the darker side of Fremantle's History (Disclaimer: The Torchlight Tour is not one for the faint-hearted). Sadly, I did not take any pictures during my tour to the Fremantle Prison. The tour I took was the Prison Tour Package: Convict Prison & True Crime which was priced at RM92 per adult. 

For more tour packages you can visit their official website: 

https://fremantleprison.com.au

Image 12: Breakfast @ @ DuoTone, Perth

Image 13: The Perth Mint, Perth

Onto Day 4 - One of my favourite and very informative attraction that I really enjoyed - The Perth Mint. The Perth Mint is a premiere tourist destination which will give its visitors insight on the wonders of gold, its magic and allure through its unique combination of attractions, live demonstrations and exhibitions. One of the highlights of the tour is definitely the live demonstration on "Melting The Gold" which was very informative and entertaining to watch. The tour that I took was the Tour & Gold Pour priced at RM54 per adult. 

For more info and tour packages you can visit their official website: 

http://www.perthmint.com 

Image 14: Chocolate Gold Coin, The Perth Mint, Perth

All in all, Perth was a very relaxing vacation - a destination to visit if you're looking for an escape from traffic jams, busy crowds and long queues.