May 07, 2022, 10:59 AM
Holidaying in Australia is probably not new to many Singaporeans.
Western Australia, and its capital city Perth, has many exciting activities to offer, many of which are unique to the region.
For example, Western Australia boasts an excellent selection of food and wine. They literally have an event labelled “an extraordinary festival of food & wine”, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Here are some reasons you should consider it for your next trip to Australia.
Perth is nearer than you imagine
One of the reasons Perth should rank higher on your list of Australian holiday destinations is because of its proximity to Singapore.
Perth is only a short 4.5-hour flight away and is nearer to Singapore than popular holiday haunts like South Korea or Japan, which require a flight of around seven hours.
You also save almost three hours of flight time flying to Perth instead of Sydney or Melbourne, which makes a difference on a short weekend getaway.
Have a stroll around Kings Park and Botanic Garden, get some culture in with a trip to the Art Gallery of Western Australia, or head down to Swan River.
Visitors can now also experience the Swan River from a fun and unique perspective, thanks to the introduction of two new water biking tours. Perth Waterbike Adventures, departing from Matilda Bay, and Perth Waterbike Co, departing from South Perth, allow guests to safely pedal and glide across the Swan River, with a range of different tours on offer.
Image from Perth Waterbike Co Instagram
Also complementing the new Swan River offerings is GoGo Active Tours’ new kayaking tours, which paddle along the Swan River and Canning River wetlands.
You can catch an early morning flight to Perth and be there by lunch, making the best use of your leave.
When returning, you can have a leisurely dinner in Perth before taking a flight back and still get enough rest before having to head back to work the next day.
What’s not to like?
Western Australia is huge
In addition, Western Australia is huge. Like, really huge.
The state is around 12 times the size of the UK and casually bigger than the entirety of Western Europe.
With a population of only 2.5 million, social distancing would be a breeze if you’re on holiday to Western Australia.
Perth itself is not densely populated, at least compared to many major cities worldwide, so you will be able to explore freely without having to fear huge crowds everywhere.
Fremantle is just a stone’s throw from Perth
And if you choose to venture outside of Perth (and there are many reasons why you should), the whole region is your socially-distanced oyster.
You can go on a winery tour in Swan Valley and spend your day nibbling on light bites while sampling various local wines.
Image via Swan Valley Wine.
For history buffs, you can visit Fremantle, a port city that’s less than a 30-minute drive away from Perth.
Image from unsplash
It’s the location where some of the first settlers to Western Australia arrived in the 1800s, and the immigrants that soon followed shaped the city into an art and cultural centre.
The city's highlights include the Fremantle markets, which takes place every weekend, and a tour of the Fremantle Prison, which is the largest convict-built structure in Western Australia.
You can also take the metro from Perth to Fremantle directly, making it easy to head there for a day trip.
Wine and food
As mentioned above, Western Australia is also ideal for those looking for good wine and food.
Renowned chef and restaurateur Will Meyrick opened Will St. in Oct. 2021.
The man behind restaurants in Bali like Sarong and Mama San set up the 120-person bar and restaurant to let diners experience everything from “a curated collection” of traditional Asian share dishes to fun bar snacks.
They have also introduced their own collection of gin and rice lager.
If festivals are more your thing, The Gourmet Escape, a multi-day “culinary extravaganza”, has got you covered.
The culinary event will take place across Western Australia’s most renowned regions, including Perth, Rottnest Island, Swan Valley and the Margaret River Region.
Margaret River is home to over 200 vineyards and produces over 20 per cent of Australia’s premium wine.
The event has also seen culinary heavyweights such as David Chang, Nigella Lawson, and Marco Pierre White join in the experience.
Image from Gourmet Escape
Home to a literal desert
When most people think of visiting a desert and perhaps riding a camel into the sunset, places like Egypt or Morocco often come to mind.
However, a third of Australia is effectively a desert, meaning the closest desert experience for Singaporeans is actually in Western Australia.
The Pinnacles Desert is one of the region’s most visited natural attractions and is a mere two-hour drive away from Perth.
The Pinnacles are natural limestone structures formed around 30,000 years ago, after the sea receded and coastal winds removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars exposed to the elements.
Once you’ve arrived in the desert, there are plenty of activities you can do.
You can go sandboarding…
Image via Klook
Ride an ATV across the sand…
Image via Viator
Seek out quokkas in Rottnest Island
If you’re still not convinced to visit Western Australia, perhaps coming face-to-face with the happiest creatures on Earth will change your mind.
The perpetually-smiling quokkas are a kind of marsupial that is native to Western Australia. Although they are pretty rare on the mainland, you’re guaranteed to see one on Rottnest Island, which is a short ferry ride from either Fremantle or Perth.
When I visited Rottnest island, it was as if I was transported to the world of Pokémon (if there was only one breed of Pokémon), with everyone in sight scrambling to catch a glimpse of the much-loved quokka.
Of course, we weren’t allowed to actually catch any, although selfies with the adorable creatures were completely acceptable.
Tip: Bring a selfie stick if you’re keen to take a selfie with a quokka. It’s way easier than trying to get the perfect angle with your arms outstretched while lying on the ground.
If your wanderlust has not been satisfied since last year, perhaps it’s time to start researching on the various sights and attractions available in Western Australia now that border restrictions have been lifted.
This sponsored article by Tourism Western Australia made the writer wish he could take a quokka selfie right now.
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