14 January 2025
4 minutes
Trade the city skyline for quokkas, frozen waves, and wines worth writing home about. Perth's backyard is where the magic really happens.
14 January 2025
4 minutes
Perth is a city of big skies, golden beaches, and unfiltered sunshine all year round. The locals are friendly, the food is exceptional, the wine world-class, and all of that Perthy goodness is known to spill out well beyond the city limits.
Venture even half an hour out of the city and you'll get a sense of what Western Australia is all about. Here are the best day trips from Perth for anyone with working tastebuds and a sense of wonder.
Rottnest Island, known to the Whadjuk Noongar people for thousands of years as Wadjemup, is the quintessential Perth getaway - not including “Rotty” would be like a sausage roll without sauce, gold hot pants with no Kylie. Pointless.
A short ferry ride from buzzy Fremantle, this car-free island is a real-deal paradise of turquoise bays, powdery beaches, and salt lakes. Quokkas, the island's cheery and highly photogenic marsupials may be the main drawn but there's more to Rottnest than its furry ambassadors.
Cycle along the Wadjemup Bidi, a network of trails weaving along hidden coves, coastal cliffs and the mind-bending pink salt lakes. Snorkelers can explore busy reefs at Little Salmon Bay, while history buffs can get into the island's military heritage, including the Oliver Hill Battery and its World War II-era artillery.
While the Margaret River region gets a lot of attention, Swan Valley is Western Australia's oldest wine region and maybe even better when it comes to amazing things to put in your mouth.
Just a stone's throw from Perth, the rolling green hills are awash with farms, vineyards and orchards heaving with produce to make meals you'll remember for the rest of your life. Start with a guided tour of the historic Mandoon Estate, famous to those in the know for old vines and fine wines. Do not leave without a bottle of their Swan Valley grenache.
Mosey over to the next winery, the multi-award winning Sandalford holdings for a tour, a tasting, a bottle of their Prendiville Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and a long lunch. The light on this 1840s estate has a gold dust quality that filters dreamily through vines as you gorge on Western Australian snapper, meaty oysters and Shark Bay bugs.
Finally, head to a boutique vineyard like Ugly Duckling Wines for one final afternoon tasting. This little wine farm may have a laid back outdoor area with live music and unfussy food, but don't let the vibe fool you - it punches well above its weight when it comes to a sparkling chardonnay.
In the delightfully named Wheatbelt region, Wave Rock, is a natural marvel shaped over millennia by wind and water. Known as Katter Kich by the traditional custodians of the land, this 15-meter-high granite formation resembles a giant frozen wave, making it one of Instagram's most coveted cycloramas.
Beyond aesthetics, Katter Kich was a hyper-significant place for the Noongar people, a landmark for one of the most important trade routes in the state. The Noongar still tell stories of the Rainbow Serpent creating Wave Rock by dragging her swollen body over the land.
Wave Rock tours from Perth are a bit of an investment at nearly four hours drive time each way, it's well worth an early start. Along with the Wave, you can see Hippo's Yawn, a quirky formation named for, you guessed it, a resemblance to a yawning hippopotamus. You can also find the magnificent Mulka's Cave, where ancient rock art that's pegged to be around 3,000 years old tells stories of the land's history.
Nearby is the Lake Magic pool, a man-made salt swimming hole, turquoise oasis in the middle of the scrubland. The high saline content means you can float weightlessly while you consider that endless blue sky.
This two-for-one is a hot contender for best day trips from Perth, especially if one of your key indicators is a huge amount of seafaring fauna. Mandurah, with its network of canals and estuaries, is Western Australia's second largest city and Australia's dolphin capital. If you've ever known the disappointment of one of those dolphin watching tours where the main guests never show up, then the flipper friendly Peel-Harvey Estuary and Dawesville Cut is for you.
Home to more than 130 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins, the coastline and waterways draw hundreds more throughout the year. Jump on a cruise to see these playful creatures, or just take a walk along the shorelines and keep your peepers peeled.
A short ferry ride away Penguin Island is not only home to Australia's largest colony of adorable 'little' penguins (seriously, that's what they're called), it's also one of the only places in Australia to watch sea lions basking. The island also offers excellent snorkeling, pristine beaches, and lush nature trails.
The Pinnacles Desert, in Nambung National Park, feels like stepping onto another planet, or into a Dalí painting. Thousands of limestone spiers rise from the golden sands, and it's easy to see why it's been a sacred place for Nyoongar women for millions of years.
Even if you've been to the surreal site in the past it will never look the same, the desert and coastal winds moving sand dunes are constantly rearranging the steeples. The origins of the shapes are a mystery, and when the Dutch explored this corner of Western Australia in 1650 they thought they'd found remains of a lost city.
Whether you take the self-drive loop or walk the desert trails, The Pinnacles are best explored at sunrise or sunset when the changing light casts long shadows, adding to the visual drama.
Once you're completely wonder-worn, the nearby fishing town of Cervantes can give you both a taste of coastal life, and some excellent fresh cray at The Lobster Shack.
Perth is famous for its contrasts, it's where a glass and steel city melts into idyllic lagoons - but hit the Great Western Highway for a day and you'll get to see the real diversity of the region. Just always remember to pack a water bottle and a sense of adventure.
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