Australia – Perth

From the Northern Territory to the Western Territory, from 90F degrees to 50F degrees, from a laid-back environment to a bustling city and all in the matter of a few hours, plus an hour and a half time change. Perth is the capital city of western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. Perth is also one of the more expensive cities to visit due to its being one of the most isolated major cities in the world.

We are staying in the COMO The Treasury, which is rather an unusual name for a hotel. It is located in the historic State Buildings in the center of Perth with only 48 contemporary rooms and suites. I agonized over making the decision to stay here as I could not get a clear sense of the hotel and rooms, even with pictures and it being included in the Amex platinum program. Am I ever glad I finally went ahead and made the reservation! The hotel and room were spectacular even before being upgraded to a suite!

COMO The Treasury, beautiful building and hallways

To see as much of the area as possible in one day, we went on an all-day organized tour of the Margaret River area leaving at 7:30 a.m. After a long ride (2+ hours) and several stops, we visited the Woody Nook Wines vineyard and tasting room. We sipped a sauvignon blanc, a rose, a shiraz and the Nooky Delight, a ruby style port. We loved the name of the port and the bottle label!

Following lunch at the Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co. (the Australians have a way with names), we visited a cave and then Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. The Lighthouse is the tallest on mainland Australia and on the most south-westerly point on the mainland of the Australian Continent. It opened in 1895. As might be expected, the wind was ferocious. After a stop in the charming-looking town of Margaret River, it started pouring rain, so our visit was cut short!. Then it was back to Perth, finally arriving back at the hotel just before 9:00 pm.

Having had a very full day Tuesday, we slowed it down Wednesday starting with a later leisurely breakfast. Then we walked down to the Bell Tower and all around Elizabeth Quay. We learned that the average depth of the water is only about 9 feet, which then accounted for the flat-bottomed boats we were noticing, Downtown Perth is vibrant with lots of activity, business and tourist. One of the surprises in our exploring was a passage way that led to all kinds of shops.

Before dinner our last night in Perth we went bar hopping! Finding the bars was the challenge as they were in basement-type areas of buildings with minimal signage. All the locals knew the spots, but we had to do some sleuthing to find these spots. Our first stop was Bar Lafayette, and our second stop was Foxtrot Unicorn.

After an early breakfast at Post in the hotel, it was off to the Perth airport for our onward flight but not before an hour’s delay! Eventually we boarded and we were on our way.