48 hours in Perth

WHY GO NOW?

WHY GO NOW?

The southern hemisphere spring, between now and November, is the ideal time to visit Western Australia's capital. Settled in the 1800s on the banks of the Swan River, Perth and its metropolitan area are now home to four out of five inhabitants of this huge state. The city has lovely parks, a beautiful river and plenty of great bars and restaurants. Most of all Perth is a city that celebrates the outdoors, the sporting life and the water. If you're going for the rugby, be there between 11-19 October - otherwise you might want to avoid these dates as accommodation prices will soar and services will be stretched.

BEAM DOWN

We have the technology, in the form of the Airbus A340-500, to fly non-stop from the UK to Perth, but so far no airline has chosen to launch services. Instead, you will need to change planes in Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur or Dubai. Perth can also be a stop over on a Round the World ticket, or combined with (for example) Sydney and Cairns on certain return tickets to Australia. Perth airport has two separate terminals: the international terminal is 16km from the city centre and the domestic terminal is in the same direction but 11km from the centre. The Airport-City shuttle (00 61 8 9475 2999) has pick-up and drop-off points located near most of Perth's main accommodation areas; the fare from the international terminal is $13 (£5.80). A taxi costs around $28 (£12.40).

GET YOUR BEARINGS

The Swan River expands as it snakes inland from Fremantle, on the Indian Ocean. The centre of Perth is a grid of streets north of Perth Water. The city's Visitor Centre , on the corner of Forrest Place and Wellington Street, is open 8.30am-6pm Monday-Friday, 8.30am-noon on Saturdays (00 61 8 9483 1111; www.westernaustralia.net). The excellent buses, trains and ferries of Transperth (00 61 8 9428 1900; www.transperth.wa.gov.au) offer free rides within the "central business district"; outside this area, fares go up from $1.30 depending on the amount of zones travelled. A DayRider pass costs $7.50 (£3.30) and can be used after 9am weekdays, or anytime at weekends. The 20-minute train ride between Perth Station and Fremantle runs every 15 minutes.

CHECK IN

In the centre of Perth, the Duxton at 1 St George's Terrace (00 61 8 9261 8000; www.duxton.com) has 306 beautifully appointed rooms, a bar, restaurant, gym and outdoor pool. Also centrally located is the vast, modern-roomed Rydges Hotel on the corner of Hay and King Streets (00 61 8 9263 1800; www.rydges.com). Decor is mostly earth tones and ultramodern furnishings of chrome, glass and black leather. Sullivan's at 166 Mounts Bay Road (00 61 8 9321 8022; www.sullivans.com.au) is a 69-room family run hotel on land adjoining Kings Park. There's an outdoor pool, and bikes are offered free for guests' use. Perth has many options for backpackers: for example Aberdeen Lodge at 79-81 Aberdeen Street (00 61 8 9227 6137; via www.allbackpackers.com.au/perth.htm) in the lively suburb of Northbridge. Dorm beds start at $15 (£7), and private rooms at $30 (£13) for a single and $38 (£17) for a double.

TAKE A RIDE

The best way to appreciate Perth is from the river. The cheapest and quickest trip on the water is the 10-15 minute public ferry from Barrack Street Jetty across the Swan River to South Perth ($1.30/50p). Head for Sir James Mitchell Park on the foreshore. There are lots of benches and grassed areas and magnificent views of the city skyline across the river with the Bell Tower and Barrack Square in the foreground and Kings Park beyond.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

Centrally located, the King Street Café at 44 King Street (00 61 8 9321 4476) has long been a favourite, particularly for cakes and pastries. Or look for a branch of either Hans Café (for good cheap Asian food) or Dome Cafés (for coffee and sandwiches).

TAKE A HIKE

Start at the Barrack Street Jetty on the Swan River and take the Esplanade to the north across Riverside Drive. To your right are the Supreme Court Gardens, and beyond the Supreme Court itself. It is possible to visit the old Georgian-style courthouse, next door to the Supreme Court, which is one of Perth's oldest buildings (built 1836). Continue on St George's Terrace and turn left on Victoria Avenue. On the hill ahead of you is St Mary's Cathedral . Take Murray Street back to Barrack Street then turn right. After crossing the railway lines you'll come to the Perth Cultural Centre on the other side of which is the suburb of Northbridge.

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

Within the confines of the Perth Cultural Centre is the Western Australian Museum (00 61 8 9427 2700; www.museum.wa.gov.au), which traces the state's history; it opens 9.30am-5pm daily. Adjacent is the impressive Art Gallery of Western Australia (00 61 89492 6600; www.artgallery.wa.gov.au), open 10am-5pm daily, admission is free. Depending on whether you think it's a form of culture or torture, you might want to check if there's a game on at the WACA , Perth's well-known cricket ground (00 61 8 9265 7222; www.waca.com.au). Tickets are usually available at the gate on the day except for the biggest games.

WINDOW SHOPPING

There are no shortage of shops selling toy kangaroos, koalas and the like, most made in Asia. To buy some authentic, locally made arts and crafts go to Craftwest at 357 Murray Street (00 61 8 9226 2161; www.craftwest.com.au) or head for the markets: there are two in the suburb of Subiaco, which is the other side of Kings Park from the centre. Station Street Markets are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5.30pm. Pavilion Markets (Rokeby Road and Roberts Road) are open 10am-9pm on Thursday and Friday, 10am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Even better are the Fremantle Markets, open 10am-5pm from Friday to Sunday.

AN APERITIF

Suburbs such as Northbridge and Subiaco are awash with cafés and bars. In the centre, though, try Box Deli , 918 Hay Street (00 61 8 9322 6744; closed Sunday), a popular bar/restaurant with the city's most stylish loos.

DINNER WITH THE LOCALS

Viet Hoa at 349 William Street, Northbridge (00 61 8 9328 2127) is unpretentious but draws crowds for delicious - and reasonably priced - Vietnamese dishes. In the city centre you'll find stunning views and food to match at the swanky C Restaurant which revolves around the 33rd floor of St. Martin's Tower in St. George's Terrace (00 61 8 9220 8333; www.crestaurant.com.au).

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

Originally constructed by Benedictine monks in the 1860s (the Murray Street end) but with additions (the sanctuary and transepts at the eastern end) from the 1920s, Perth's most famous religious building is the gothic style St Mary's Cathedral in Victoria Square (00 61 8 9223 1350). The church is open to the public 6am-6pm. Five services are held on Sundays starting at 7.30am. Opposite is the pretty Convent of Mercy.

OUT TO BRUNCH

Head for the coast, and hit the seaside before the hottest part of the day. The Blue Duck Café (00 61 8 9385 2499; www.blueduck.com.au) is set on dunes overlooking North Cottesloe Beach, and offers a choice of three buffet breakfasts from 7am on weekends - prices start at $15 (£6.70). From the city centre, the 72 Transperth bus serves Cottlesloe. Fremantle's institution is Gino's Café, 1-5 South Terrace (00 61 8 9336 1464): there are staples (bacon and eggs on toast, muesli, fresh fruit and croissants), and original creations such as scrambled eggs with prosciutto, tomato, herbs and cheese. Or perhaps caramelised banana double-cream pancakes appeal.

A WALK IN THE PARK

In a burst of great forward-thinking, Kings Park , one of Perth's jewels, was created in 1872. This wondrous area consists of 400 hectares overlooking the city on Mount Eliza. Over 267 park hectares, though, remain native bushland and there are many lookouts, BBQ and picnic facilities, and enough walking and cycle tracks to enable you to get away from it all. The park's website (www.kpbg.wa.gov.au) has details of free guided walks. The park also contains the Botanic Garden and a brand new (it opened last month) Lottery Federation Walkway, a 620 metre-long steel elevated path through the treetops with lookouts and interpretive signs. For more information call 00 61 8 9480 3600.

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

"Three trips in one" are offered on the Tourist Trifecta (www.perthtram.com.au): a tour of Perth by tram, a Captain Cook Swan River cruise and a tour of the port city of Fremantle, also by tram. The total price for this is $60 (£27) and children can go for half price. You can book by calling their 24 hour reservation line, 00 61 8 9322 2006.

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