Western Australia Sights

Swan Bells. Perth’s most recognizable landmark is also one of the world’s largest musical instruments—a glass bell tower designed to recall the city’s ship-building past. Perched like a swan on the river’s shores, the tower houses 12 bells cast in 14th-century England and given to Perth on Australia’s bicentenary in 1988. The bells have commemorated everything from Britain’s 1588 victory over the Spanish Armada to the more recent 9/11 attacks. The bells now ring Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and on weekends from noon to 1pm. Bell demonstrations are given Wednesday and Friday from 11:30am to 12:30pm. (Barrack Sq., at the river end of Barrack St. Take the blue CAT to stop 19. ☎08 9218 8183; www.swanbells.com.au. Open daily 10am-4:30pm. $10; under 15, seniors, and students $7.)

Aquarium Of Western Australia. Leafy sea dragons, saltwater crocodiles, and eight kinds of sharks live at AQWA, where visitors walk through an underwater tunnel surrounded by fish from all of Western Australia’s diverse seascapes. Watch divers feed the sharks by hand (daily 1pm and 3pm) or interact with squid and stingrays in the discovery pools. Those 18 and older can book ahead to dive or snorkel with the sharks, turtles, and stingrays off the coast. (North of Perth along the Mitchell Fwy. at Hillary’s Harbour, off the Hepburn Ave. exit. Take the Joondalup train to Warwick, then bus #423 to Hillary’s. ☎08 9447 7500; www.aqwa.com.au. Open daily 10am-5pm. $26, concessions $19. Dive/snorkel $125, additional $25-40 for gear.)

Perth Zoo. Missed the chuditches and diblers in Fitzgerald River National Park? Want to see the quokkas that gave Rottnest (“Rat’s nest,” in Dutch) Island its name? If you won’t be seeing these Aussie animals in their natural habitats, the Perth Zoo is an essential stop. An Australian bushwalk leads you past koalas and echidnas, and leaves nothing but a “stay on the path” sign between you and the kangaroos. The reptile exhibit lets you safely see some of the region’s most dangerous natives, and the new orangutan treetop walk places you right next to these gentle giants. (20 Labouchere Rd. in South Perth. Take the blue CAT to the jetty and then ferry across the river for $1.20, or take bus #30 or 31 from the Wellington St. Bus Station. 24hr. infoline ☎9474 3551; www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au. Free walking tour daily 11am. Open daily 9am-5pm. $18, children $9, under 4 free.)

Perth Mint. Several million dollars worth of gold lies just beyond your fingers at this historic mint, which is Australia’s biggest gold refinery. The world’s largest display of gold bars moved here from Singapore in 2004. Marvel at molten gold, and then relax outside over traditional tea ($20) in the posh Tea Garden. (310 Hay St., East Perth. Take the red CAT to stop 3 or 11. ☎08 9421 7223. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 9am-1pm. Gold pours 10am-4pm, guided heritage walk 9:30am-3:30pm; both on the hr. $15, concessions $13. Tea Garden ☎08 9421 7205. Open M-F 10am-4pm.)

Kings Park. Perched atop Mt. Eliza just west of the city, Kings Park offers spectacular views of Perth and the Swan River. Larger than New York’s Central Park, it contains a War Memorial, Botanic Gardens featuring over 1000 plant species, and the DNA tower, with views of Rottnest Island. Free guided walks (1-3hr.) depart from the karri log opposite the War Memorial daily at 10am and 2pm. Don’t miss the Lotterywest Federation Walkway, a raised boardwalk through the trees and an arched, glass-sided bridge with gorgeous river views at its peak. (20min. walk west from the CBD up St. Georges Terr., or take the #37 bus free to Fraser Ave., #39 on weekends. Free parking. Info center ☎08 9480 3600; www.bgpa.wa.gov.au. Open daily 9:30am-4pm. Gardens open daily 9am-4pm; treetop walk 9am-5pm.)

Beaches. Perth’s beaches are easily accessible from the city, yet far enough away to make you forget that they’re there. Families flock to Cottesloe Beach (on the Fremantle line) for swimming and mild surf, and Swanbourne Beach is a perennial favorite. (Bus #102 towards Cottesloe, or a 2km walk from the Swanbourne stop on the Fremantle train.) City Beach is a great swimming spot. (Bus #81, 84, or 85 from the stop in front of Hobnobs on Wellington St.) Scarborough has bigger surfing waves and crowds of twentysomethings. (Bus #400 from Wellington St. Station.) The best surfing is through the tubes at Trigg Beach, just north of Scarborough; the waves here can get a bit rough. (Joondalup train to Warwick, then bus #423.)

Cultural Centre. The Perth Cultural Centre packs several good museums, performance centers, and the state library into one block. The Art Gallery of Western Australia has collections of modern and classical Australian art, including Aboriginal carvings, and hosts international exhibits. (☎08 9492 6600; www.artgallery.wa.gov.au. Open daily 10am-5pm. Free, except for special exhibitions. Free guided tours available.) The Perth Institute of the Contemporary Arts (PICA) houses hit-or-miss multimedia exhibits, and the art ranges from the very intriguing to baffling at best. Pick up a booklet of events or call for schedules. (☎08 9227 6144. Open Tu-Su 11am-6pm. Gallery free, performance prices vary.) The Western Australian Museum showcases the state’s natural history. Don’t miss “diamonds to dinosaurs” and the Aboriginal exhibits. (☎08 9427 2700; www.museum.wa.gov.au. Open daily 9:30am-5pm. Suggested donation $2.) The Blue Room provides a great venue for local theater. Productions range from classic plays to more experimental pieces by local playwrights. (☎08 9227 7005; www.pacs.org.au. $22.)

Earth, Sea, And Sky.  Captain Cook Cruises, Pier 3 Barrack Sq. , runs a variety of tours, including a wine cruise ($135, YHA/VIP/NOMADS $130), a Fremantle explorer cruise ($38/34), and the “Zoocrooz” ($46/40) to Perth Zoo. (☎08 9325 3341; www.captaincookcruises.com.au.) Malibu City Dive has diving tours to Rottnest Island , noted for its unique coral and fish; the company also offers a four-day scuba certification class. (126 Barrack St. ☎08 9225 7555; www.rottnestdiving.com.au. Rottnest trips including equipment start at $150, without equipment $105; scuba certification class $395.) Nearby Western Australia Dive Centre offers cheaper certification courses, with the option of completing the 4-day course over 2 weekends. (37 Barrack St. ☎08 9202 1999. Weekday course $305. 2-weekend course $325.) Planet Perth has several trips, including wine tours (from $55) and trips to Broome (from $1235); Exmouth (from $640); Monkey Mia (YHA/VIP/NOMADS/students $495); and Swan Valley. (☎08 9225 6622; www.planettours.com.au.) Western XPosure offers comparable tours (☎08 9371 3695; www.westernxposure.com.au. Broome from $1299. Exmouth incl. Pinnacles from $625.) For Pinnacles tours (see Nambung National Park), popular options are Australian Pinnacle Tours (☎08 9417 5555; www.pinnacletours.com.au. Daytrip to Pinnacles from $139) or the Planet Perth option (from $125) .