Perth

On a first visit, the Perth CBD between the Swan River and the railway is the most convenient base. Perth Station is the main stop for the Airport Line and the suburban train network, and you can walk to Elizabeth Quay and the edge of Kings Park. Northbridge sits just across the railway to the north and suits nightlife. It has bars, late-night places to eat and the Perth Cultural Centre, where the state museum and art gallery are, but weekends can be noisy. Fremantle, at the mouth of the Swan, is a better fit if you want a smaller town with heritage streets, markets and Rottnest ferries. The Fremantle line connects it to the city. Families and anyone who wants the beach close by often choose Cottesloe or Scarborough on the ocean coast, though the city centre is further away. For a short stopover, Redcliffe and nearby Belmont are next to the airport and have a station on the Airport Line.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden covers about 400 hectares on Mount Eliza. From there you can look across the Swan River and the city skyline, and the gardens grow Western Australian native plants. Rottnest Island is reached by ferry. Private cars are not allowed there, so people get around by bike past bays and quokkas. In Fremantle, Fremantle Prison is World Heritage-listed as one of the Australian Convict Sites, and the West End nearby keeps its 19th-century port streetscape. Cottesloe Beach faces west over the Indian Ocean, so sunsets are a big draw. In the Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge, WA Museum Boola Bardip covers the state's natural history and Aboriginal cultures. Upstream from Guildford in the north-east, the Swan Valley is a wine and food area. A longer day trip north takes you to the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park, where limestone pillars rise out of yellow sand.

Perth Airport lies about 17 km east of the city centre. The quickest way into town is Transperth's Airport Line. At Terminals 1 and 2, a covered walkway leads to Airport Central station, and trains reach Perth Station in about 18 minutes. They run about every 12 minutes at peak times and every 15 minutes during the rest of the day. If you arrive at Terminals 3 or 4, take Transperth bus route 292 to Redcliffe station and catch the Airport Line there. The Airport Line continues through the city to Subiaco and Claremont, so many western suburbs need no change of train. By taxi or rideshare, the drive into the CBD takes roughly 20 minutes when traffic is light. Transperth runs the city's trains, buses and ferries. Suburban lines from Perth Station serve Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah, Midland and Armadale. A Transperth ferry crosses the river from Elizabeth Quay to Mends Street in South Perth.

Perth has a Mediterranean climate. Summer (December to February) is hot and mostly dry. Daytime highs are usually around 30°C and heatwaves can go above 40°C. On many afternoons a south-westerly sea breeze, known locally as the Fremantle Doctor, cools the coast. Winter (June to August) is mild and wet, with highs around 18–19°C and nights near 8°C. Most of the year's rain falls between May and August. Spring (September to November) is wildflower season, and Kings Park holds its festival in September. Autumn (March to May) is usually settled and warm, which suits beach days and the Swan Valley. The summer school holidays around Christmas and January bring the biggest crowds to Rottnest and the beaches. Fringe World runs from January into February, and the Perth Festival takes place in February and March.

• Get a SmartRider card for Transperth trains, buses and ferries. You tap on and off with it.
• Australia uses Type I plugs, which have two angled flat pins, at 230 V.
• Tipping is not expected in Western Australia, although some people leave a little extra for good restaurant service.
• At patrolled beaches, swim between the red-and-yellow flags, and wear strong sunscreen because the UV is intense even on mild days.
• On Rottnest Island, do not touch or feed the quokkas. They are a protected species.
• Western Australia does not use daylight saving, so Perth stays on AWST (UTC+8) all year.