barossa is within an hour of adelaide to the north mcclaren vale wine region is within 45 minutes to the south coonawarra is a few hours drive south clare valley is a few hours drive north all 4 are world class wine regions
me too.....I've always wanted to go to Australia...and now that I know someone that lives there...I plan on going as soon as I can find a decent job that actually gives me vacation time... any ideas guys?
Perth shouldn't be all doom and gloom. There must be something good about the city since they've been given a Super 12 rugby franchise that's going to start playing next year.
Alright thx Smeg.....Adelaide is looking pretty nice right now....will have to include it. Can't wait to try the local Outback Steakhouse
if you're including Perth in your itinerary, then you might as well enjoy the place - I grew up there and to be fair, there aren't necessarily obvious "must-do" things like Sydney's Blue Mountains or the Barossa in SA (which is really really nice I gotta say )... I'd say most of us just hang out at the beach and eat some seafood.... but since you're in Perth - check out these places: - Fremantle is the "port" part of Perth - a great place to have a beer with an ocean view; and if you're up for fresh seafood, you'd have to eat at Kailis Bros (get your fish n chips from the counter and eat it in front of the harbour). Its also a great club scene with live music in most bars at night. Theres a great site with the live music events ... maybe not as good as Jeff's band but whaddya going to do downunder? http://www.sunsetevents.com.au/ - Beaches - so many to choose from - Cottesloe and Scarborough are the most visited but really, the whole of Perth's coastline is one big beach - if you want a great breakfast, there's a cafe called the Indiana Tearoom - a buit pricey but the view is AMAZING. Coudn't find a link but there are a couple of pics on the web eg http://www.pbase.com/mdejong/image/33318733 Of course, you could always just eat with the locals at the Blue Duck down the road for a bigger and better breakfast with the same view - Northbridge has lots of clubs and lounges with some brilliant restaurants --> most people have to try some chilli mussels at Mamma Mia's restaurant and wash it down with some spaghetti carbonara). Although that's now being overshadowed by the more trendy cafes/pubs/lounges (can't they just decide on one name for it all? ) in Beaufort St in Mount Lawley. One of the bars called the Luxe has a bartender that won an international bartending competition (translation: cocktails for US$10). Visit at your wallet's peril.... - Claremont and Subiaco are more for your out-of-town shopping and cafe scene lifestyle (and if you're hungry at 3 in the morning there's always the ever-present 24-hour Oriel cafe). - if you're spending a little more time in Perth, then you might want to rent a car and drive down to Margaret River, which is the equivalent of Adelaide's Barossa. Lots of wineries, cheese and one place even makes home-made chocolate. Oh, and if you surf, the beach at Margaret River is home to one of the biggest surf contests in the world - there is some pretty scary surf. A couple more things if you have time - Kings Park in the middle of the city is brilliant to cycle around and there's a classy restaurant called Frasers with the Perth night view. http://www.frasersrestaurant.com.au/docs/home/index.aspx Its not Tetsuyas - but its not US$100 pp either ... And the usual shopping in the city and the suburban malls ... but its the same as any other city in that respect... Enjoy Perth!
if steakhouses are your thing then kingleys at woolloomooloo (a suburb in sydney) is very good plus they serve little creatures beer* there (hard to find in sydney). they've got a website at http://www.steak.com.au the three major beaches in sydney are bondi, balmoral, and palm beach. bondi is the most famous, balmoral beach the most picturesque, palm beach is the main beach in the northern beaches area. if you head off to melbourne and wine is your thing then there's the gippsland area wine country where the elusive bass phillip pinot noirs are found. well at least the bass phillip winery/vineyard is located there. *beer: vb (victoria bitter), fosters, xxxx, it's all crap. in general you can't go too wrong with the tasmanian beers.
Hey MoretF thanks for all the recommendations.....those pics of the Tearoom with the sunset look unreal.....why on earth did you leave Perth and where are you living now?? I've already been looking forward to checking out Northbridge and Kings Park. And am planning to make a daytrip to Rottnest Island, as well. Also, I want to ask how the water is at Cottesloe beach for swimming.....meaning how many months out of the year is it warm enough?
I was only joking about the Outback Steakhouse! But I am definitely up for trying out this Kingleys place. Am also going to search out this bass philip pinot, as pinot is my favorite! And will stick to strictly the tasmanian brews while I'm there. Many thanks for the suggestions....I feel like all the Rocket fans Down Under are on the trip with me as my personal tour guides
MoretF, I grew up and Perth and I currently live in Perth, and that is a pretty good summary you have out together - (complete with hyperlinks no less). pippendagimp, I think you would enjoy Perth, but it is quite a bit of extra travel. A lot of the attractions that MoretF talked about were the beaches, and unless you have a 5mm wetsuit, I don't think you will be doing much swimming. The weather is a bit of mixed bag at this time of year as well. I don't want to put you off - you will still have a great time. Other things to do when you are here would include:- - Swan River wine cruise - Go to one of the yacht clubs and offer to crew for twilight sailing-- Go to Rottnest Island (20 min boat ride from Perth) Email me if you would like more info.
No worries - perth is a gorgeous place but almost everyone I know feels the need to go "walkabout" and head out for the far blue yonder ie outta Perth - I'm in Europe right now (like a million other Aussies).... but only for a while before I head back down under Timezone here makes it lot easier to keep up with NBA games... As davo mentioned, Cott Beach is cold - damn cold! Its like that even in the summer - its a current coming all the way from the Antarctic that keeps it cold even in the summer, but to be fair - if you're going in winter I'd stay away from the water and just hang out at the cafe. If you really want to get into the water, scuba diving is pretty popular here - many many MANY dive shops in Northbridge/Fremantle. If you're really into scuba....There's a place called Exmouth (its a 3 hour plane flight I believe?) where you can dive with whale sharks around August or so....
