Perth is about as far away from Brisbane as New York is from Los Angeles – both in terms of distance and time zones. Just as people travelling to NYC don’t often go to LA, visitors to the Gold Coast (Brisbane), Melbourne or Sydney usually give Perth a miss.
But it was different for us, because our destinations were New Zealand and Tasmania, both involving long-haul flights from our home base. So, we decided to stop over at Perth, just to break up the long trip a little bit.
And we are glad we did!!
We had just one day at this beautiful city, and we decided to make the most of it. Here is how.
Our hotel was close to the Swan River and we started our day by walking to the Elizabeth Quay.
Walk to Elizabeth Quay
This riverside zone is truly an asset to this city with options for a stroll, a bike ride, a ferry trip or a quick bite and drink.
A stroll from Elizabeth Quay and across the artistic bridge gives panoramic views of the river in different perspectives. The whole place looks quite impressive with boats, benches, fountains at different levels, and we just sat there and took in the beauty of the place. There are more view points across the bridge on the small island it connects to – great place to sit on a bench and enjoy the views with an ice cream!
Admire the Bell Tower
You could walk in the opposite direction from Elizabeth Quay to the famous Bell Tower. Also known as Swan Bells, the tower houses 14th century bells and an observation deck and is worth checking out.
We walked along the Riverside drive from Bell Tower to the green Langley Park. It is a peaceful walk with less people around, and views of the river with gulls flying here and there. Langley Park has expansive lawns, a small playground and a riverfront walkway.
Visit the amazing Perth Zoo
We love zoos and when we found out that a zoo is just across the river, we jumped at the idea.
A short ride (just 5 minutes) on a ferry operated by Transperth across the Swan River from Elizabeth Quay to South Perth takes you to Mends Street Jetty. The Perth Zoo is just a 500 m walk from the Jetty via shops and restaurants.
We were pleasantly surprised to see quite a large zoo with over 1,500 animals and some beautiful gardens. Apart from Australian wildlife such as koalas, emus and kangaroos, there were African rhinoceros, giraffe and elephants, plus pandas and orangutans too! There were keeper presentations, and many places to eat and drink.
We had to rush back to take the ferry across back to Elizabeth Quay to get to the famous Kings Park. There were convenient Blue CAT buses from the Transperth bus station (a short walking distance from the quay) operating frequently to Kings Park.
Enjoy Kings Park and Botanic Gardens
Kings Park is a very large inner-city park and botanic garden, with over 3,000 species of unique flora and fauna. It is definitely a must for nature lovers. Its location on top of a hill provides amazing panoramic views of the Swan River and Perth city skyline. You can also get a bird’s eye view of the winding roads, lakes, and green patches in this city.
Kings Park also has a memorial and a cenotaph to Western Australian service men and women who died in World War I and World War II.
A shuttle bus service makes it easy to move around within this huge park. Coffee shops, restaurants and gift shops are conveniently located. There are several bushland trails and walks and many well-manicured gardens here.
You could spend a whole day in Kings Park.
Take the convenient Perth Explorer: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
If you have more than a day, this is a great way to get around Perth. You can get on and off where you like as per your interests. The starting bus stop is close to the Elizabeth Quay.
After spending a fun day at this awesome city, we returned to our hotel to take our flight to Melbourne the next morning.
Australia has the most amazing zoos! I’ll definitely be referencing this guide for when I visit!
Sounds like a lovely and relaxing day trip!
The Perth Zoo would be on the top of my list during a day in Perth! I would love to see a kangaroo and koala.
This looks like a fun way to spend the day. And the zoo is perfect for families with kiddos!
A white kangaroo? I was in Brisbane recently so the image that Perth is as far away as NYC to LA was amazing. Australia is such a huge country.
Perth was one spot we missed on our first visit to Australia. But it would definitely be on our plans for a return visit. A hop-on-hop-off bus is always a favourite of ours to get a good overview of a new city. I love all the sights along the waterfront. And would want to spend some relaxing time at Kings Park.
I’m planning to visit Australia sometime soon to meet a friend and I’m considering heading to Perth directly instead of Sydney. So thanks for this article. Sitting on the quay in the sunny Perth and having some icecream watching the views sounds perfect! Usually traveling with my kiddo, we wouldn’t miss the zoo at all!
I hate long flights – so whenever possible I try to do a stopover. The Botanical garden and the Zoo look like two relaxing stopover destinations to me. You could stroll around and just take everything in. The waterfront looks lovely too.
Your journey to Perth, Australia, sounds simply amazing! Perth Zoo is a wildlife treasure trove, and I can only imagine how exciting it would be to see all of the beautiful species up close. The Kings Park and Botanic Gardens are wonderful sanctuaries in the city. The lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and panoramic views of Perth’s skyline all contribute to the area’s tranquil and alluring ambiance. Your travel enthusiasm is inspiring, and I can’t wait to hear about your future trips!
I’ve always wanted to visit Perth. But as you said, like any other visitor to Australia, I only made it to Melbourne and Sydney. What made me want to visit Perth is Kings Park with its big trees and Elizabeth Quay. Hopefully one day I will make it a reality.
The Hop On Hop Off bus sounds like a good way to see Perth. I would like to spend more time at King’s Park though. The Botanical Gardens sound like a must see place. I am sure Elizabeth Quay looks equally beautiful around twilight with its lights and the sun setting over the waters. I can imagine those 14th century bells ringing as well.
I grew up in Perth and it’s always lovely to see when people cover this city as a travel spot! Thanks for sharing all your recommendations!
It looks like you have spent a great day in Perth, enjoying the many outdoors attractions. The Elizabeth Quay looks like a very pleasant walk, same as the King’s Park. I like the panorama of the city from there. Interesting that you chose to go to the zoo. I can imagine it’s a nice way to relax between flights, enjoying the cuteness of the animals. The zoo must be massive, with 1500 animals in there.
You are absolutely right – it seems that Perth is unfairly overlooked. If I ever get there, I would definitely visit Elizabeth Quay and its bell tower. The zoo would also be on my list : as the native animals to Australia are all so very interesting. Thanks for the reminder to not miss out on a visit to Perth.
We actually visited Perth a few years ago and we had a wonderful experience. The Perth Zoo is definitely a must-visit. The kids were so amazed seeing the African rhinos and the koalas which are so cute.
I haven’t been to Australia yet since it’s such a long flight from Europe. However, I assume it’s on every traveller’s list and consequently also on mine. Perth looks like a great place to visit. Since I’m not driving, I probably had to stick to big cities, anyway. Also, the hop on hop off bus is a great option.