6 best places to discover Perth outdoor fun

Australia and OceaniaPerthSports and Recreation

Perth, Western Australia Outdoor Activities

Get outside and discover the beauty of Perth with these six open-air adventures. From its iconic beaches, to a landscape of limestone towers, there’s no end to the outdoor fun in West Australia’s capital, so book your Perth hotel and starting exploring.

 

Kings Park and Botanic Garden

King's Park, Perth

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Larger than New York’s Central Park, and located right in the middle of Perth, this park boasts walking trails, treetop bridges and playgrounds to keep you occupied for hours. However, it’s the botanic gardens, nestled right in its heart that makes this park truly unmissable. With its wealth of more than 3,000 plants indigenous to Western Australia, this garden is open year-round and is free to enter. While it would take a week to explore every nook and cranny, make sure your visit includes walking the Lotterywest Federation Walkway with its glass and steel bridge that snakes through the canopy of the surrounding eucalyptus trees.

 

Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island, Perth

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Jump on a ferry and discover paradise just 90 minutes from Perth on Rottnest Island. Though it’s famous for the quokka, often dubbed “the world’s happiest animal,” there’s more to Rottnest than these fury little marsupials. This car-free island is the perfect place to hire a bike and explore 20 white-sand bays, or ask the local Island Explorer bus driver to drop you off where the excellent surfing conditions are most perfect that day. At only 7 miles long and 3 miles wide, it’s easy to make your way around Rottnest Island in a single, wonderful day.

 

Perth’s beaches

Cottesloe Beach, Perth

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With more than 265 days of sunshine each year and 19 beaches in the city alone, it’s little wonder that Perth’s residents love to hit the beach. No visit to Perth would be complete without a dip in the turquoise water at Cottesloe Beach, by far the city’s most loved stretch of sand. However, make sure you also get out and explore others, such as Mettams Pool for its snorkeling, Trigg for its family-friendly facilities, or North Beach for its rock pools.

 

Coral Coast

Coral Coast, Perth

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Located two hours north of Perth, the Coral Coast is more than 680 miles long and is famous for its jaw-dropping scenery that includes some of the best surf beaches in the world. However, it’s Ningaloo, the world’s largest fringing coral reef, that is the real jewel in its crown. Stretching 161 miles, the reef offers a variety of snorkeling, fishing, and diving experiences. While seeing many of Coral Coast’s more popular locations will take more than a day, you can easily see the southern end of this impressive region on a day trip from Perth. Make sure your adventure includes a stop at Cervantes, a laid-back beach town famous for its just-caught lobster restaurants, especially from the legendary Lobster Shack.

 

Margaret River

Boranup Karri Forest, Pertha

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It may have a reputation for being one of the world’s premier wine growing regions, but Margaret River is also home to some some incredible surf beaches, including legendary Surfers Point and Hamlin Bay, where on a still day you can feed wild stingrays in the shallows. Located three and a half hours away from Perth, Margaret River also boasts the Boranup Karri Forest, home to a vast population of soaring karri trees, one of the tallest varieties in the world. Make sure your visit includes a stop at Boranup Lookout for unrivalled views across the forest and stretching down to the turquoise waters of Hamelin Bay. If you love adventure sports, there are a number of tour operators offering everything from kayaking trips to caving expeditions. Try organising a tour through your Perth hotel or head to the visitor centre.

 

The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles, Perth, Western Australia

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For a landscape unlike any other, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything to beat the Pinnacles. Part of the Nambung National Park, and close to Cervantes, here you can spend a day exploring thousands of giant limestone spires that jut out of the desert. Located two hours north of Perth, this surreal environment is easy to access by car, and you can spend an entire day exploring the trails that wind through the limestone pillars. And the destination offers more than just the pillars: The Pinnacles is also home to a large population of wild emus, Australia’s famous flightless bird.

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