Perth - the home of the quokka!

I am an Aussie Specialist which means that I am certified by Tourism Australia to have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help plan your perfect Australian holiday. I am always keen to keep up to date with all things Australia, so when Tourism Australia invited me to attend Corroborree West 2019 to catch up with like-minded Aussie Specialists meeting lots of the country's best suppliers and a chance to explore a small part of Australia in more detail - I jumped at the chance!

Corroborree was a chance to 'speed-network' with over 100 of Australia's key hoteliers, tour operators, excursion suppliers and more over a jam-packed three days in Perth! We then split into smaller groups to explore different parts of this vast and amazing country. My group got to explore Coolangatta, Byron Bay and Sydney and you can catch up with how I got on there in my next blog.

A lot of people will choose Sydney for their arrival into Australia, but there are a lot of reasons to consider Perth as a starting point. Not only is it on the West coast of Australia and so has a shorter flying time, you have a choice of airlines to take you there. Flying from Manchester, Singapore Airlines has a direct flight into Singapore on the lovely A350 aircraft that connects seamlessly with their onwards flight to Perth. Flying from London, Qantas has a direct flight.

Once in Perth, you are spoilt for choice on accommodation. With the recent boom in new hotels, there are some amazingly good prices on fabulous hotels and something for everyone. I can help find the prefect bed for you.

I arrived in Perth with a couple of days to explore this fabulous city. It is a vibrant and cosmopolitan place with lots to see and do whilst able to maintain a laid-back and spacious feel. With an amazing array of coffee shops, bars and restaurants, street art and shopping, beaches and hidden lanes...you certainly won’t run out of things to do in Perth. We stayed at the lovely Grand Hyatt, on the banks of the Swan River and a short stroll into the city.

A highlight was the day spent exploring Rottnest Island (by bicycle, foot and coach) and the obligatory selfie-taking with the quokkas (like Hugh Jackman). This amazing island is a short boat trip away and would be a great place to stay for a few days if you have time. We took the boat from Barrack Street Jetty in Perth which included a great Swan River tour and we sailed back to Freemantle to have a wander around this beautiful historic town and then sipped wine as the sun set.

I would recommend a trip to the fabulous Kings Park - one of the world’s largest and most beautiful inner-city parks - there’s something for everyone with walking trails, botanical gardens, natural bushland, wildlife and even Segway riding. The views are simply stunning.

During our trip around the city we visited the Perth Mint to view the world’s largest gold coin, visited Willie Creek to watch a pearl harvesting demo and had a fabulous guided walking tour around the city centre.

Looking for great food and excellent wine? You are in the right place and are spoilt for choice with a huge array of restaurants and bars to fit all tastes and budget. During our 6 nights in Perth we got to sample the very best Perth had to offer and visited vineyards, beaches and river-side bistros.

I can highly recommend putting Perth on your 'to visit' list when in Australia and I can help maximise your time in Perth and tailor-make your trip based around what you like to do and see. I can book tickets, recommend dining options and help with all kinds of tours and can tailor-make your perfect Perth visit.