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13 Extraordinary Things To Do in East Perth 2023

East Perth is a beautiful inner suburb of Perth, close to the CBD. Being locals, we’ve found lots of things to do in East Perth, especially as David worked in the area for many years.

Situated close to the Swan River, East Perth was primarily an industrial area and the location of the East Perth rail yards, gas works, and power station. Today it is home to city professionals in apartments and double-storey residences with cafes and restaurants occupying Claisebrook Village.

This post may contain affiliate links (of companies I book through). This means I may receive a small commission if you book through them. You can read the disclaimer for more information.

Things To Do in East Perth

🤩 To Book Tours Direct with the Tour Operators , click the links in the box below

Gloucester Park

Gloucester Park is home to the Gloucester Park Trots. Horse trotting, or harness racing as it’s sometimes called, consist of horses pulling a two-wheeled cart called a spider (or sulky) occupied by the jockey. Trotting started in Western Australia in 1910 and this course was subsequently built in 1929.

Every Friday night, you can see the best horses in WA race for a share in some of the richest metropolitan stake money in Australasia.

There are three eateries to choose from:

• The Beau Rivage Restaurant is on the top level of the JP Stratton Grandstand and offers views of the entire racecourse and Swan River. A great choice for a night out with a Seafood Buffet and the option to include a beverage package. The private bar and TOTE facilities means you don’t have to leave the restaurant to place bets.
• Steelo’s, on the ground floor, has a private deck for outdoor dining, bar, and TOTE facilities. They offer a pub-like menu, which includes kid’s meals.
• JP’s Bar has three giant screens showing the best world live sport plus pint specials and pizza. 

We’re not “gamblers” and rarely expose our children to gambling. However, we have taken them to the Gloucester Park Trots a couple of times, both on their dedicated Family Firework Nights. It’s a fun-filled night with kid’s entertainment including an animal farm, face painting, and a bouncy castle with a firework finale.

If you are in Perth for New Year’s Eve, Gloucester Park is a fun option. We went with friends and dined at The Beau Rivage, with the drinks package of course, and celebrated the new year with a firework display.

Admission prices can be found on the Gloucester Park website .

The Perth Mint , in Hay Street, is Australia’s official bullion mint, built in the 19th century to refine gold brought in from the Gold Rush. It’s a popular tourist attraction where you can take a tour and buy souvenirs including Australian coins, gold, silver and platinum. The mint is housed in a grand heritage building, one of Western Australia’s oldest heritage sites.

The Perth Mint holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest gold bullion coin . In 2011, the Australian Kangaroo One Tonne Gold Coin was cast, weighing 1,012 kg, and measuring 80cm in diameter and 13cm thick. The coin is made from bullion with a purity of 99.99 per cent and was worth around A$64 million in 2019.

I recommend taking the tour where you will see a live gold pour in the original 1899 melting house and learn about gold and the Australian gold rush. The one-hour tour offers a great insight into the history of the goldrush era as well as modern coin making. You get to view the Kangaroo One Tonne Gold Coin, handle more than $700,000 worth of gold bullion, and see molten gold being poured to form a solid gold bar. There’s a spectacular collection of natural nuggets, including Newmont’s Normandy Nugget, the second largest gold nugget in existence, which weighs 25.5 kg.

The Perth Mint Shop is in the Mint’s original gold receiving room where you will find valuable gold, silver, and platinum coins, gold nuggets, stunning jewellery, precious stones, and an exclusive range of gifts and souvenirs.

If you are going to take the Hop On Hop Off Bus around Perth, you can buy a multi ticket here that combines the bus with the Perth Mint Tour .

Whipper Snapper Distillery

Whipper Snapper Distillery features Perth’s first ever premium whiskey made from 100% locally sourced West Australian ingredients. Perth’s first urban distillery crafts some of Perth’s finest whiskeys, all made on site.

They offer various tours including a tour of production, the distilling process, and tastings. You can view and book their tours on the Whipper Snapper Distillery site .

Queens Gardens

Queens Gardens, named after Queen Victoria in honour of her Diamond Jubilee, were opened in 1899. This park offers a peaceful oasis with manicured gardens, flower beds, and lakes full of water lilies (the lakes are the old clay mines). It’s an ideal place for a picnic, to read a book, or take a stroll, and is a popular place for weddings.

The Peter Pan statue is a replica of the same statue in London’s Kensington Gardens and was produced by the sculptor of the original statue, Sir George Frampton, and signed by Sir J.M.Barrie, Peter Pan’s creator.

The bench in Queens Gardens was thought to be the original bench from the movie Notting Hill and had a plaque stating this. However, it has since been proved to be false and the plaque has been removed.

The site was previously used for horse racing and later as a clay mine and brickworks. The bricks made here between 1860 and 1890 feature in some of Perth’s most prominent buildings, including The Perth Town Hall, Barracks Arch, and the Cloisters Building. During this time, the park was known as East Perth Clayfields Reserve.

East Perth Cemeteries

My family always point out local cemeteries when we visit a new place as they know I find them fascinating. I’m intrigued about the people and their history, and it helps me get a real feel for the town.

East Perth Cemeteries was the first burial grounds established for the Swan River Colony in 1829, becoming an early colonial era cemetery. The first acknowledged burial was John Mitchell on 6th January 1830 (aged 22) and the grounds continued to be the main burial ground for the Perth area until April 1899, when burials commenced at Karrakatta Cemetery.

Unfortunately, due to the loss of many headstones and no burial register kept by either the Church Wardens or the caretakers of the Cemeteries, only 800 out of the approximate 10,000 graves have been identified. These 800 graves, however, are now conserved by the National Trust, and offer a special way to explore Perth’s early years. The headstones tell stories of courage, heroism, illness, and achievement and are of a highly significant historic value.

In the middle of the cemeteries, you can see St Bartholomew’s, a Gothic Chapel built in 1871. This mortuary chapel, designed by colonial architect Richard Roach Jewell, became a parish church in 1888. Despite times of neglect, it is still a consecrated church, used for regular church services, weddings, and other religious events.

Perth East Foreshore and City Segway Tour

This 90-minute Segway tour will take you along the picturesque eastern foreshore of the Swan River where you’ll get away from the tourist area to discover Perth’s hidden gems. The knowledgeable guides will tell you about Perth’s new colony in the 1800’s and stories of Western Australia’s gold rush era.

At the time of writing, Get Your Guide were offering the tour for the same price as direct but with free cancellation . However, if you want a Family Pass (2 adults & 2 children), it’s cheaper to book direct .

See prices with Get Your Guide here .

Optus Stadium

Perth’s much needed “new” stadium was opened in January 2018 and was voted the Most Beautiful Sports Facility in the World in the Prix Versailles 2019 international architecture awards. Optus Stadium, as it’s known by naming rights sponsorship, is owned by the Western Australian State Government, and operated by VenuesLive.

The stadium is located on the Burswood Peninsula with views of the beautiful Swan River and Perth city. The multi-purpose stadium can seat 60,000 and hosts a variety of sports and entertainment events, including Australian Football League, International and Big Bash League cricket, soccer, rugby league and union, plus concerts. Perth’s two AFL teams (West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers) moved their home games here from Subiaco Oval and Perth Scorchers now play here instead of at the WACA.

There are over fifty food and drink outlets at Optus Stadium and The Camfield, a large microbrewery, is part of the area surrounding the stadium which includes the nature playgrounds in the Chevron Parkland, the BHP Boardwalk and Amphitheatre, picnic, and barbeque areas.

A good way to see the stadium is by taking the 90-minute Optus Stadium Guided Tour where you will experience the inner sanctum with change-room, locker room, and coaches’ room access. The tour includes viewing sports memorabilia showing WA’s rich sporting history along the way. You can book the tour here .

Matagarup Bridge Zip & Climb

The Matagarup Bridge was opened to the public in July 2018 providing access between East Perth and Burswood. The 370m suspension pedestrian bridge quickly became a Perth icon, and you can see it lit up in different colours to support major local, state, and international events.

Matagarup, meaning a place where the river is only leg deep, allowing it to be crossed, is the name given by traditional land owners to the area around Heirisson Island. The flowing arches represent the Wagyl, a water-serpent of great importance to local Noongar culture, and a pair of swans.

You are now able to climb and zip line from Matagarup Bridge .

Matagarup Mini Golf

A new mini golf course has opened in Perth on the banks of the Swan River. You will find it between the Matagarup Zip+Climb and The Camfield Pub. The 18-hole course also has a licensed cafe and the first nine holes are fully accessible, providing wheelchairs and prams access to half the course.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Matagarup Mini Golf, Perth (@matagarupminigolf)

The Windan Bridge Loop

One of our favourite walks, or bike rides, is the Windan Bridge Loop , a 6.2 km trail running beside the Swan River and over Windan Bridge and The Causeway.

Windan Bridge was named after the wife of Yellagonga, a chief of the Mooro people, who was buried around this area.

There are a few stops you can make along the route including Heirisson Island where you may see Western Grey kangaroos, which can be found in the southern enclosure of the island (best sighted at dusk or dawn). If you have children, they will love Chevron Parklands, which has a fun playground, and you can view Burswood Park’s Heritage Sculpture Trail, a collection of over a dozen bronze sculptures designed by artists Joan & Charles Smith.

St Mary’s Cathedral

St Mary’s Cathedral was originally built in 1865 and has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth for over 150 years. The gothic cathedral has undergone three extensions throughout its life. The biggest began in 1926, and was only completed in 2009, making it the longest single construction project in Western Australia’s history. 

The cathedral is located at the top of a hill in East Perth, at the centre of Victoria Square, and is the most impressive place of worship in Western Australia.

It is open for prayer and quiet reflection every day. 

Girls School Cinema

The old Perth Girls School building, built in the 1930s, operated as a school for thirty years and then as a Police centre for fifty years. It is now home to live performances, a cinema, delicious food, and a bar. You can book tickets and view what’s on here .

Wellington Square – Moort-ak Waadiny

Wellington Square has had a A$17.5 million upgrade to include a new intergenerational playground and a place of reflection to commemorate the Stolen Generations. The playground features nature play, a skate park, a flying fox, embankment slides, a pump track, waterplay and climbing towers, and basketball courts. 

The Burswood Peninsula

The Burswood Peninsula is home to some of Western Australia’s biggest tourist attractions, including Crown Perth, Optus Stadium, the Camfield, Belmont Park Racecourse and the State Tennis Centre.

Burswood was originally developed as two separate entities – Burswood Island, and a part within the suburb of Victoria Park. An English migrant, Henry Camfield, was granted 1,000 acres of land opposite Claisebrook and named the estate after his father’s farm, Burrswood in Kent. The peninsula became Burrswood Island in 1841 when the Burrswood Canal was made to offer a more direct route to Guildford. Camfield let it to tenants until he sold it in 1871. The current spelling of Burswood was a result of a misspelling on the signs at the train station, built as part of the Perth to Armadale line in the 1890s.

WA’s first golf course was built on Burswood Island in 1895, but closed in 2013 to make way for Crown Towers and Optus Stadium. A racecourse was built in 1899 which became the Belmont Park Racecourse.

Burswood Island Complex (now Crown Perth)

The Burswood Island Casino was opened on 30 December 1985 and was the largest casino in Australia and third largest in the world. Burswood Island Hotel opened in October 1987, with the Burswood Convention Centre opening the following month, and on 8 April 1988 the Burswood Island complex had its official opening.

In 2000, a $96 million resort renovation was started followed by a joint venture deal with InterContinental Hotels Group in 2003, rebranding as Burswood InterContinental Hotel. A new, Holiday Inn hotel was constructed next to the Burswood Theatre and in 2004 was rebranded again as Burswood Entertainment Complex due to Publishing and Broadcasting Limited acquiring full control.

Publishing and Broadcasting Limited vested its gaming interests into Crown Limited and the resort became known as Crown Perth in 2011, in line with its sister complex Crown Melbourne. InterContinental Burswood became Crown Metropol Perth and Holiday Inn Perth Burswood was rebranded Crown Promenade . The $568 million six star Crown Towers was opened in December 2016 and is Perth’s largest hotel complex, taking the casino’s hotel capacity to 1,200 rooms.

The Burswood Park has more than 56 hectares of public open space, including grassed areas, shady tree-filled spaces, recreational areas with free barbecues, and the river foreshore and is one of Western Australia’s most popular places. The park features seven lakes, scattered throughout the parkland for visitors to enjoy. You wouldn’t know that it was originally a rubbish tip, and the location of a cement works in the 1940s!

The Heritage sculpture trail is a heritage trail showcasing more than a dozen bronze sculptures and other public works and landmarks, which takes around 45 minutes to complete. The bronze sculptures were designed and produced by artists Joan and Charles Smith and bought between 1989 and 2002. You can download the  Heritage Sculpture Trail map  before visiting.

East Perth Restaurants

Here’s a list of some of my favourite eateries in East Perth:

• The Royal (great pub with views of the Claisebrook Cove)
• Gioia on the River (delicious Italian food with beautiful views over Claisebrook Cove)
• Royal Cambodia (delicious, affordable Cambodian food with a casual atmosphere)
• Wok and Ladle Thai (consistently excellent Thai food in unpretentious surroundings)
• Kinky Lizard Espresso Bar (great coffee and breakfast with a smile)
• Wassup Dog (gourmet hot dogs, homemade sausages, burgers and more in this quirky café)
• Bright Tank Brewing Co (craft beer brewery hidden in a side street)

If you are here on a Saturday morning, visit the East Perth Farmers Market which is filled with organic and ethical produce.

East Perth Accommodation

The Pan Pacific and the Crown Towers are our go-to hotels in East Perth and have stayed in both numerous times. The Pan Pacific has an affordable Club Lounge, and the Crown Towers is more of a luxury hotel stay.

Quest East Perth is a great option for families with kitchen facilities.

The Sebel East Perth offer serviced apartments right on the riverfront at Claisebrook Cove.

Baileys Serviced Apartments offer clean self-catering accommodation.

Fraser Suites Perth features an indoor swimming pool and 24-hour fitness centre.

Ibis Styles East Perth is a modern hotel in a convenient location.

See here for the best Perth Tours

Western Australia Travel Guide

For other ideas on where to visit in Western Australia along with the best things to do, where to stay, how to get around, and other essential information, click on the link below.

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We mainly use  Booking.com  for accommodation as they consistently have the lowest rates with free cancellation on most properties.

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To compare rental car company prices, we use  Discover Cars , an award-winning car rental comparison website. They offer competitive pricing in over 10,000 locations worldwide and are highly rated.

Campervan/RV Rental 🚐

DriveNow is a good resource to compare campervan hire in Western Australia as it includes all the large companies like Britz, Maui, and Jucy as well as smaller ones.

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Cover-More  and Travel Insurance Direct are our preferred travel insurance companies for domestic and international travel. See this Travel Insurance for Australia guide for more information.

If you found this travel guide on things to do in East Perth helpful, please consider booking through one of our links. It won’t cost you anything but will help towards the cost of running this site. Thank you.

Planning Travel itineraries

Experience the romance of the open road on an epic adventure across Western Australia’s captivating landscapes.  

Start in Perth, Australia’s sunniest capital and a thriving cultural hub. The city’s natural attractions and imaginative dining scene make it an idyllic introduction to your trip. 

Head south for dramatic coastlines dotted with welcoming wineries and ocean-side walking trails. Out east, you can immerse yourself in the outback charm of Kalgoorlie (Karlkurla) or journey through seasonal wildflower fields. Up north, the rugged beauty of the Kimberley and the marine wonders of World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef (Nyinggulu) await.  

Western Australia's iconic landscapes can be explored by car over a few days, a few weeks or more – line up your playlist and prepare for an unforgettable adventure.  

Tourism Western Australia acknowledges Aboriginal peoples as the traditional custodians of Western Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal West Australians and honour their continuing connection to Country, culture and community. We recognise and appreciate the invaluable contributions made by First Nations peoples across many generations in shaping Western Australia as a premier destination.

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Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

Perth Travel Guide

Last Updated: July 31, 2023

Located on the west coast (and far from everything), that’s partially understandable. It’s not an easy place to get to.

However, those travelers are missing out. To me, Perth embodies everything that defines Australia: rugged yet sophisticated, modern but rustic, relaxed but bustling.

The city was founded in 1829 by Captain James Stirling as the center of the Swan River Colony. Since then, it has developed into a clean, friendly, beautiful city right on the ocean.

Today, it’s a hub of activity and growth thanks to mining and off-shore oil drilling. It may not be as big or have as many things to do as the places on the east coast but there’s still a lot to do here, from beaches to breweries to great restaurants to museums and day trips around. Perth has a lot to offer anyone who visits — no matter their interests!

This Perth travel guide can help you plan your trip, save money, and make the most of your time in this off-the-radar destination!

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Perth

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Perth

1. Wander Kings Park and Botanic Garden

Kings Park, with its 400 hectares (990 acres) of landscaped gardens and bushland, offers impressive views of the city and river. Walk through the eucalyptus tree canopy, visit Giga Jumulu (the giant boab tree), explore native habitats, and take in the rich bird life. There are also a lot of live events held here too as well as a wildflower festival in September. Admission is free.

2. Enjoy the beaches

Perth has a number of good beaches. Cottesloe Beach (one of the most popular for water activities ) is top of the list. If you’re visiting in March, don’t miss the Sculpture by the Sea Festival right on the beach. Other notable beaches include Swanbourne Beach (nude beach on the north side), City Beach (quieter with great restaurants nearby), Scarborough Beach (great for surfing and easily accessible by public transport), and Trigg Beach (known for its white sand and yes, you guessed it, surfing). These beaches alone are one of the top reasons to visit Australia. Pack your sunglasses and sunscreen and enjoy the waves!

3. Visit Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is the perfect spot for a day trip. In addition to awesome beaches, there’s snorkeling, biking, camping, and plenty of family activities. Avoid “schoolies week” in late November and early December when the island becomes a drinking fest for 18-year-old Aussies. You can also rent a bike and cycle around the island if you don’t want to lounge on the beach. Since COVID, face masks have become mandatory on ferries and public transport to the island. Be sure to do your research and check for the latest updates before traveling. For a full-day guided cycling tour , expect to pay around 120 AUD per person.

4. Go Stargazing in the Pinnacles

Two hours south of Perth are the Pinnacles, limestone formations located within Nambung National Park. One of the most popular activities in the city is to head out on a sunset and stargazing tour. Away from the light pollution of Perth, you’ll have the chance to see an incredible starry sky. After admiring the sunset, use a telescope or astro-binoculars to take in spectacular views of the Milky Way, planets, and the moon. Stargazing tours start from 175 AUD per person and usually include food or drinks.

5. Visit Mandurah Estuary and Peel Inlet

Just one hour south of Perth, Mandurah is a hidden gem perfect for boating, fishing, dolphin watching, and crabbing. Known for its wildlife and wetlands, there is plenty to do and see here. Head to Dolphin Quay at the Mandurah Ocean Marina and stroll the Mandurah Boardwalk. Be sure to check out the Mandurah Crab Festival if you’re in town during March. There are also tens of thousands of birds here to see and admire as you explore. Get Your Guide offers dolphin-watching tours for just 32 AUD.

Other Things to See and Do in Perth

1. take in the history.

The Perth Mint provides a fascinating exhibit about how the notorious goldfields in Western Australia were discovered, including the harshness of those early Gold Rush days (the early gold rushes were in the 1880s and 1890s). They distribute over 18 billion dollars worth of gold and other metals each year and even have a demonstration on how gold bars are made. Tours are available daily. Admission is 19 AUD.

2. See the Art Gallery of Western Australia

This gallery was founded in 1895 and houses the state’s most distinguished art collection. It includes post-World War II works, as well as Indigenous art pieces. There are also rotating exhibitions, so be sure to check the website for the most up-to-date information. Admission is free but donations are accepted.

3. Hang out in Northbridge

Northbridge is the hub of nightlife and is also home to amazing restaurants and clubs. It’s a great place to eat with Chinatown nearby but an even better place to party at night!

4. Have a “Sunday Session”

The Aussie tradition of a “Sunday Session” (Sunday drinking) is at its finest in Perth. Perth’s Sunday Sessions are famous throughout the whole country — people get dressed up like they are going out on a Saturday night.

5. Climb the DNA Tower

From this spiraling staircase (located in Kings Park) you can get a panoramic view of the city as well as the Indian Ocean. It is the highest point in Kings Park, requiring you to walk up 101 stairs before you can take in the view. Bring a camera — the view is worth it!

6. Hike the Bibbulmun Track

Stretching over 950 kilometers (590 miles), this long-distance hiking trail is one of the world’s greatest. It winds through karri and tingle forests, down misty valleys, and along the coast. Trails vary from one day long to several weeks for the whole hike. Cabins are offered along the entire way for pit stops and rest breaks. There are 9 main sections to the trail and it takes most people 6-8 weeks to do the whole thing. Visit their website for tips and info, including a planning guide.

7. Visit Caversham Wildlife Park

Caversham Wildlife Park is a family wildlife park with the largest collection of native wildlife in Western Australia. It’s incredibly interactive and the animals are well cared for. It’s home to dingos, llamas, echidnas, wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, and more. Spanning 2 hectares (5 acres), you can even feed the kangaroos and wallabies! Admission is 32 AUD.

8. Go wine tasting in Margaret River

Margaret River is just three hours south of Perth and is world-famous for its wines and locally produced food. You can explore here on a tour and visit some big names like the Leeuwin Estate Winery and also smaller vineyards. A half-day wine tour costs around 90 AUD. (Though if you can, it’s better to spend a night or two out there so you can relax and enjoy a lot of wine.)

9. Explore Fremantle

Fremantle makes for a great day trip from Perth. It’s only an hour by train and the city has great restaurants, a growing arts scene, a beautiful water area, and nice parks and markets. Make sure to tour the Fremantle Prison, listed as a World Heritage Site, and Little Creatures, one of the best microbreweries in Australia. It costs 5-8 AUD to get there.

For more information on other cities in Australia, check out these guides:

• Alice Springs Travel Guide
• Brisbane Travel Guide
• Broome Travel Guide
• Cairns Travel Guide
• Fraser Island Travel Guide
• Gold Coast Travel Guide
• Melbourne Travel Guide
• Sydney Travel Guide
• Whitsunday Islands Travel Guide

Perth Travel Costs

If you’re traveling with a tent, you can find basic tent plots without electricity for around 15 AUD per night outside the city.

Budget hotel prices – Budget hotel rooms start around 100 AUD. These hotels usually have AC, a private bathroom, free Wi-Fi, and occasionally free breakfast.

On Airbnb, private rooms start at 46 AUD but average closer to 100 AUD. For an entire home or apartment, expect to pay at least 100 AUD but typically closer to 200 AUD.

Food – Food in Australia is diverse, with each region having its own specialities. While you can find cuisine of all types in Perth, popular traditional choices include BBQ meat (especially sausages), meat pies, fish and chips, seafood, and of course the infamous vegemite on toast.

Restaurants in Perth are expensive. Most main dishes at restaurants serving traditional Australian cuisine cost between 25-35 AUD. Grab and go places cost around 12 AUD for sandwiches. Fast food like McDonald’s is around 13 AUD for a combo meal. The best value food is Thai, Chinese, and Indian, where you can get a really filling meal for under 20 AUD.

A beer costs around 10 AUD, a cappuccino or latte costs closer to 5 AUD, and expect to pay around 3 AUD for a bottle of water.

If you cook your meals, expect to pay 75-95 AUD per week for groceries that include pasta, rice, vegetables, and some meat or fish.

Backpacking Perth Suggested Budgets

On a backpacker budget, you can visit Perth for 70 AUD per day. You can get by on this budget if you stay in hostels, cook all of your meals, limit your drinking, use public transportation to get around, and stick to mostly free or cheap activities like walking tours and enjoying nature. If you plan on drinking, add 10-20 AUD to your daily budget.

On a mid-range budget of 200 AUD per day, you can stay in an Airbnb or private hostel room, eat out for most meals, take the occasional Uber, do some day tours (like wine tasting on the Margaret River), and enjoy a few drinks out at the bar.

On a “luxury” budget of 390 AUD per day or more, you can stay in a hotel, eat out for all your meals, rent a car to get around, and do more day trips and tours, including a trip to Rottnest Island. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages – some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in AUD.

Perth Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Perth is one of the most expensive cities in Australia but there are a few ways to save money as a traveler if you know a few little hacks. Here’s how to cut costs in Perth:

• Watch for sales – Airfare to Perth is usually very expensive, which is why so few people are able to visit the city. Jetstar is your best bet so sign up for their newsletter to find deals.
• Stay with a local – Accommodation in Perth is pricey. If you plan ahead, you can usually find a Couchsurfing host . This way, you not only have a place to stay, but you’ll have a local host that can share their insider tips and advice.
• Work for your room – Many hostels offer travelers the chance to work for their accommodation. In exchange for a few hours a day of cleaning, you get a free bed. Commitments vary but most hostels ask you to stay for at least a week.
• Drink Goon (box wine) – Goon is infamous on the Australian backpacker hostel trail. This cheap box of wine is the best way to drink, get a buzz, and save a lot of money at the same time.
• Cook your own meals – The best way to reduce your costs is to cook as many meals as possible. Book a hostel or Airbnb with a kitchen to save money. It’s not glamorous, but it’s cheap!
• Get a SmartRider card – To cut costs on transportation, purchase a SmartRider card from a Transperth Info Center. The initial cost is around 10 AUD but it will help you save money in the long run.
• Take a free walking tour – Volunteers from Visit Perth lead a variety of free walking tours, including an orientation tour and a street art tour. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with the city. Just be sure to tip your guide at the end!
• Save money on rideshares – Uber is cheaper than taxis and is the best way to get around a city if you don’t want to wait for a bus or pay for a taxi.
• Get a reusable water bottle – The tap water in Perth is safe to drink so bring a water bottle to save money and reduce your plastic use. LifeStraw makes reusable bottles that also have built-in filters so you can be sure your water is always safe and clean.

Where to Stay in Perth

Perth has a few budget-friendly hostels to choose from. Here are my suggested places to stay:

• The Shiralee Hostel
• Hostel G Perth
• Britannia on William

How to Get Around Perth

A single-day pass with unlimited travel costs 10 AUD.

There’s also a free bus service (the CAT bus) in the city center and in Fremantle, that drives multiple loops. They stop at many of the city’s attractions and are handy for getting between Perth or Fremantle’s downtown hotels and sights.

With your Smartrider card, you can take the public ferry across the Swan River from Elizabeth Quay Jetty. It leaves every 30 minutes and takes 8 minutes.

You can also take a private ferry to visit Rottnest Island. The Rottnest Express costs 99 AUD while the SeaLink Ferry costs around 90 AUD return.

Trains – Perth’s train system is excellent for getting around the city and beyond, especially into the suburbs. They work alongside the bus system, so you can use your Smartrider card as you would for the buses. Two of the biggest stations are Perth Station and Elizabeth Quay Station, from which you can get just about anywhere.

Bike rental – Since Perth is so sprawled out, renting a bicycle is a great way to get around if you want some freedom and flexibility. However, rentals aren’t cheap — most cost aroud 28 AUD per day.

Taxi – Taxis are crazy expensive here. Prices start at 5.80 AUD and go up around 1.75 AUD per kilometer. Avoid them if you can.

Ridesharing – Uber is available here.

Car rental – If you want to do some exploring around Perth, you can rent a small car for around 75 AUD per day. You don’t need a vehicle for the city though. Just remember that they drive on the left here.

When to Go to Perth

September to the end of November is an excellent time to visit Perth, as winter is transitioning into spring and the city is coming to life. The weather is comfortable, the wildflowers are in bloom, and the skies are clear. Temperatures average between 11-23°C (53-73°F) and there’s very little rainfall.

December through February is Perth’s summer, and the temperature can soar as high as 38°C (100°F)! If you want a beach vacation, however, this is the time to visit. Just be prepared for crowds and higher prices.

June through August is Perth’s winter, which is the low season with chillier temperatures (as low as 8°C/46°F) and lots of rain. It’s the cheapest time to visit, though, as tourists tend to avoid the city this time of year.

How to Stay Safe in Perth

Perth is an incredibly safe place to backpack and travel. Violent crime is rare. Petty theft is also rare, but keep your valuables secure when out and about just to be safe.

Most incidents here tend to occur because visitors are not used to the country’s unique climate and wilderness. Be sure you have plenty of sunscreen and stay as hydrated as possible. Be on the lookout for snakes and spiders, and if you’re bitten, seek immediate care. Furthermore, if you’re swimming, heed the red and yellow flags. Yellow flags indicate swimming conditions may be dangerous; red flags mean the beach is closed.

Solo female travelers are generally feel safe here. However, the standard precautions apply (never leave your drink unattended at the bar, never walk home alone at night intoxicated, etc.). For more information, check out one of the many solo female travel blogs that can help more!

If you’re worried about travel scams, you can read about common travel scams to avoid here . (There aren’t many in the city though.)

If you experience an emergency, dial 000 for assistance.

The most important piece of safety advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Perth Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• Rome2Rio – This website allows you to see how to get from point A to point B the best and cheapest way possible. Just enter your departure and arrival destinations and it will give you all the bus, train, plane, or boat routes that can get you there as well as how much they cost. It’s one of the best transportation websites out there!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!

Australia Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Australia travel and continue planning your trip:

The 7 Best Hotels in Sydney

Where to Stay in Brisbane: The Best Neighborhoods for Your Visit

The 6 Best Hotels in Brisbane

The Best Walking Tours in Melbourne

The Best Walking Tours in Sydney

Where to Stay in Melbourne: The Best Neighborhoods for Your Visit

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East Perth Terminal

Indian pacific.

West Parade, East Perth

Western Australia 6004

Guest Services:  15:00 – 16:00  (Saturday)

Guest Check In:   07:00 – 09:00  (Sunday)

The East Perth Terminal is open daily as it services regional coach and train services, but our staff are only available on train arrival and departure days. (Saturdays and Sundays)

Guests cannot make bookings at the East Perth Terminal. Please do not visit this office for bookings or refunds. Bookings can be made directly with us through this website or or by calling 13 21 47.

The East Perth Terminal is located 5 minutes from the city centre and will cost approximately $15 – $20 by taxi. There is an overpass from the terminal to the local train to the city.

Lost Property

Lost property received at this terminal remains for 1-2 weeks while attempting to contact the owner. If there is no response, the lost property is returned to Adelaide.

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To book this package please call or email [email protected] .

Things to do in East Perth – The Ultimate Guide

East Perth is a tranquil yet vibrant suburb. Bustling with locals and visitors alike! Apart from visiting us at our baby gifts store on Wickham Street , there are lots of other things to do. So if you are planning a trip or even a move? Here’s everything you need to know, and things to do East Perth!

Where Is East Perth?

East Perth is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It’s next to Perth’s central business district.

The suburb is bordered by the Swan River and is located across from Victoria Park. It is also home to Claisebrook and Claisebrook Cove. Needless to say, there are plenty of places where you can get a great waterfront view!

There are lots of opportunities to shop ’til you drop (or just window shop!). There is a healthy mix of small businesses and larger shops. So you can experience the best of both shopping worlds.

My Little Love Heart

If you have a little one of your own or want to buy baby gifts for someone else, come to My Little Love Heart baby shop ! We make stylish, affordable, and practical products for babys.

My Little Love Heart was born out of a love for fashion and a need for quality baby accessories. Our very first product was our organic bandana bibs, which are our bestsellers to this day!

Our catalogue is always growing. We offer bibs, teethers, dummies, muslin wraps, spit-up cloths , feeding sets, and much more!

Fara Couture

Fara Almasi has been in the fashion industry for over 25 years. And has made Royal Street her home with Fara Couture .

Here you can find contemporary, edgy, yet feminine evening gowns and wedding dresses. If you already have a gown but it’s not quite perfect, you can get it altered here, too!

All the dresses are made with love and high-quality fabrics, in a wide range of styles. There are lots of bridal headpieces and accessories available to complete your look!

Child Education Services

While shopping for baby items, you might want to pick up some children’s books. Child Education Services is a specialist children’s bookshop. And can be located in Royal Square, on Royal Street.

Child Education Services has an awesome selection of classics and newer books. Including lesser-known and unique titles. They also have lots of kids’ activities and toys! Be careful visiting with your own little one(s) — they won’t want to leave!

Attractions – Things to do East Perth

The perth mint.

Built in 1899 as a response to the gold rushes, The Perth Mint is still operational today. It is Australia’s official bullion mint and the only refiner of gold.

The Perth Mint is also one of most popular tourist attractions in the area! You can tour the gallery to see the biggest gold coin in the world and a 40-million-year-old gold nugget. As well as watch a live gold pour. You can also buy customisable souvenirs, bullion, jewellery, and precious stones!

Optus Stadium

Although sitting outside the suburb’s limits. The new Optus Stadium is the place to be for all things sports! Also known as Perth Stadium, a variety of major sporting events in the area take place here. There’s cricket, soccer, AFL, rugby, and music concerts.

The stadium itself is surrounded by Stadium Park. This has playgrounds, a boardwalk, an amphitheatre, and picnic areas. You can take a tour to see the inner workings of the stadium, as well as see some rare, WA sports memorabilia.

Heirisson Island

Heirisson Island is a little slice of natural paradise. Located in the Swan River, you’ll find a kangaroo sanctuary, a playground, barbecues, and picnic shelters.

This island is very important to the local Noongar people. Because it’s a crossing point between the two sides of the river. The area is known as Matagarup, meaning “a place where the river is only leg deep, allowing it to be crossed.”

Matagarup Bridge

Speaking of Matagarup, the Matagarup Bridge was opened in 2018. And became one of the most iconic attractions in Western Australia. This pedestrian suspension bridge connects East Perth to Burswood.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can climb up and then zipline back down the bridge! A zip and climb excursion also involves a guided tour and a walk on a glass-floor platform. This is a great opportunity to learn about the area’s history.

Perth City Farm

Perth City Farm is a community farm in the heart of the city, established 28 years ago. It has been encouraging sustainability and community connection ever since!

Here, you can volunteer on the farm, take an interactive tour, and learn skills at workshops. You can also shop for plants, flowers, and gifts throughout the week. As well as browse produce at the Saturday Farmers Market.

East Perth Cemeteries

The East Perth Cemeteries comprise eight cemeteries from the colonial era. Over 10,000 people have been buried here, from aristocracy to peasants.

Though only 800 headstones remain, there’s a lot of history to be discovered. There’s an interactive map, a burial database, as well as an audio trail detailing interesting stories. This is located less than 100 meters from our shop.

Gloucester Park

Harness racing is also known as horse trotting. It’s a horse race that consists of horses pulling a driver in a wheeled cart. At Gloucester Park, you can watch exhilarating harness racing. Featuring some of the best horses and drivers in WA! This a great place to spend the evening. As there are three awesome eateries on-site: Steelo’s, The Beau Rivage, and JP’s Bar.

Parks & Playgrounds

Wellington square.

Wellington Square, also known as Moort-ak Waadiny. Is a newly-upgraded park with an amazing playground.

The playground is called Koolangka Koolangka Waabiny. Which is Whadjuk Noongar for “Children Children’s Playground.” There are tons of activities. Including nature play, a skate park, climbing towers, basketball courts, and embankment slides!

There are also picnic areas and an off-leash dog park on-site. Also, the park has a place of reflection to remember the Stolen Generations.

Langley Park

With stunning waterfront views of the Swan River, there’s no better place to spend an afternoon than Langley Park . Despite being next to one of the busiest streets, it’s a great place to relax and soak up some sun. This park has a small playground and is also the venue for many local events. Check to see if there’s anything cool going on while you’re in town!

Queens Gardens

Located on the site of what used to be a quarry, Queens Gardens was opened in 1899. The lawns are well-manicured and decorated with trees, shrubs, and flowers. The peaceful atmosphere here is unmatched! One of the most well-known features of Queens Gardens is the whimsical Peter Pan statue in the heart of the park. It’s even been signed by the creator of Peter Pan!

Mardalup Park

Mardalup Park used to be an industrial Gas Worksite. And a Noongar camping ground before that. Its name is Noongar for “place of small marsupial.”

This park is near the Matagarup Bridge and is very tranquil, perfect for taking a break when in the area. With a view of the Swan River, you can enjoy the well-maintained parklands, and the fun playground. You can use the barbecue area and exercise equipment too.

Dining & Drinking in East Perth

Want to dine with some stellar waterfront views of the Swan River? The Royal is a bistro and pub on Claisebrook Cove, with a spacious outdoor terrace and indoor area. They have both a dining menu and a bar menu.

The Royal serves some of the best, modern Australian dishes and pub food. Including a mouthwatering Angus burger. They also have a great selection of wine and craft beer!

Wok & Ladle

Wok & Ladle is an unassuming Thai eatery that is one of the best yet most affordable dining options in the area! It’s a cosy, counter-serve restaurant with seating inside and out. Though you can also get takeaway.

Wok & Ladle is a local favourite, serving classic Thai and Asian dishes. Their stir fries and tom yum soup are especially amazing!

On the other end of the spectrum, Blackbird is a European restaurant with a focus on Fresh cuisine. This intimate eatery sits on the edge of Claisebrook Cove, offering great views.

The menu here consists of classic, rustic European food. Though they do put their modern twist on some dishes. The wines here are the standout offering. Although the list is small, they select some of the best local and French labels.

The Point Bar & Grill

Located right on the Swan River, The Point Bar & Grill is an awesome spot for drinks and fancy bar bites. The decor is sophisticated without feeling stuffy. And there are rooftop terraces with stunning views of the river.

The Point offers contemporary Australian cuisine and vast alcohol selections. They have quite a long list of wines, including Champagne, cocktails, and sherries. They’ve got beer, too, of course!

In the mood for some Italian food? Maruzzella is new on the scene but has already become a go-to Italian restaurant in the area. This family-owned eatery served authentic Italian dishes passed down through the generations.

Anything on the menu makes a great choice for lunch or dinner but the star of the show is their Napoli-style pizza. It’s made with homemade yeast, as well as tomatoes from San Marzano in Italy.

East Perth Cafés

Kinky lizard espresso bar.

Kinky Lizard is a coffeehouse that boasts some of the best breakfast, lunch, and coffee in the area. The atmosphere here is warm and cosy, with some outdoor seating beside the indoor area.

They’ve got a large, varied menu and everything is good! Consider trying the popcorn chicken benedict. The classic English breakfast, or the duck and noodle salad. Enjoy your meal with a cup of their house-blend coffee — a great way to start your day!

If the name didn’t catch your attention, the food definitely will! Wassup Dog serves homemade, gourmet hot dogs and burgers. This quirky eatery started out as a hot dog cart and has evolved into a café/bistro.

Besides their hot dogs (which include vegan options). Wassup Dog also has an all-day breakfast menu. And a mouthwatering dessert menu, including cronuts!

Right on the edge of Claisebrook Cove, you’ll find a lowkey yet amazing café. Toast is a great spot for a waterfront breakfast or lunch, with its cruisy decor and outdoor seating.

The star of the menu is, of course, their artisan toast. Available in a range of different types, though their sourdough is especially great. They also serve awesome toasties, crepes, omelettes, and more!

Accommodation

If you’re from out of town and planning a trip, the first thing you’ll need is a place to stay! East Perth has lots of accommodation options to choose from. You’ll find that most are located on Adelaide Terrace.

Pan Pacific

For a five-star hotel experience, Pan Pacific Perth is one of your best options. This hotel has the most luxurious guest rooms and suites of all hotels in East Perth.

Pan Pacific houses four acclaimed restaurants, including the Peruvian restaurant UMA. On-site, you’ll find a 24-hour gym and an outdoor heated pool, as well.

Hyatt Regency

Down the street from Pan Pacific, you’ll find Hyatt Regency Perth. As a tried-and-true Hyatt hotel, you know you’ll get the luxury you expect.

The hotel is located with great views of the Swan River. It has a whole host of amenities and services. There’s a sauna, in-room spa services, an outdoor heated pool, and a tennis court. They also offer childcare and babysitting services!

Fraser Suites

Serviced apartments, or aparthotels, are growing in popularity. It makes sense; they combine the luxury of a hotel with the comfort of your own home!

Fraser Suites Perth is one of the most highly-rated aparthotels in East Perth. They offer contemporary one and two-bedroom suites with kitchens. There’s also an on-site restaurant that’s popular even with non-guests!

Quest East Perth

Another option in serviced apartments is Quest East Perth . This luxury aparthotel offers one and two-bedroom apartments. With kitchens and laundry facilities. They also have studios with kitchenettes.

There is no on-site restaurant, though this aparthotel is located near many eateries. Quest East Perth offers a pantry shopping service. This is where you can have groceries delivered right to your suite.

Perth City Backpackers Hostel

If hostels are more your style, East Perth has those too! Perth City Backpackers Hostel is very centrally located.

You can have a private room here or stay in a shared room of 4, 6, or 18 beds. There are secure storage lockers, a kitchen, laundry facilities, a private courtyard and all-day hot showers. They also offer free breakfast!

Downtown Backpackers

Located on Bennett Street . They offer a home away from home. With a kitchen, gathering rooms and safe spaces. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, everyone heads out for a few drinks.

Real Estate & Apartments

Is this area looking like somewhere you could call home? You’re not alone in your thinking! It is one of the state’s fastest-growing suburbs.

Buying and renting in Perth isn’t cheap, though it is not as costly as other major urban centres in Australia. Nonetheless, prices have been increasing. As they have pretty much everywhere in Australia.

Properties don’t stay on the market very long. If you see something that looks right for you. Make careful consideration but also prepare to act fast.

The process of deciding on a place and then actually buying/renting is tricky anywhere in the world. Realestate.com, REIWA , and The West Classifieds are great starting points.

Realestate.com and REIWA also each have a handy tool. This can show you current and historical median prices. This is helpful for both buying and renting, so you know what you should expect. They use different data sets so the prices don’t exactly match up but they give you a good idea.

Getting Around

Public transport.

East Perth, and the city as a whole, has a very robust public transport system. Transperth is the entity in charge of all public transport services in the city.

Perth has a Free Transit Zone (FTZ) where all public transport is free. This zone includes East Perth! For venturing outside of the FTZ, you’ll want to get a SmartRider card . You top it up with credit and can use it for all Transperth services. It’s very convenient and cheap.

The train system has six train lines. There are two main train stations in the Perth area: the East Perth Train Station and the main Perth Station.

The CBD bus system is known as the Central Area Transit, so the buses are called CAT buses. Their designs live up to their name, as they often have cats painted onto the side! Both the yellow and red Cats service East Perth. The East Perth Bus Terminal is next to the East Perth Train Station.

Everything in East Perth is compact. The land is very flat, too — a perfect formula for a walkable suburb! This, combined with the CAT bus system means you won’t need a car to see most sites. But if you do there are a few choices.

Car Rentals

Renting a car during your visit can make it much easier to get around the city and state. There are several car rental agencies in the area. With No Birds Bayswater and Aries Car Rental being two reputable ones.

Car parks and kerbside parking bays are all around. Most attract a fee between $4 and $25, depending on the time of day and how long you stay.

Some are free during certain hours. At the official City of Perth (CPP) car parks , parking is free after 6pm!

You can also get free on-street parking for an hour on Hay Street and Royal Street. All you need is to get a ticket from a ticket machine and display it on your dash. If you are visiting us during the week you will have to pay for parking on Wickham Street. On Saturday it is free!

Rideshare Services

Rideshare services make getting around East Perth a breeze! There are quite a few that operate in the city, including Uber, Ola, and Didi.

Schools & Daycares

Daycare & early learning.

It won’t be hard to find a good daycare or early learning centre in or around the area. Goodstart Early Learning is located in East Perth. While Buttercup Childcare is nearby in Highgate.

For an enriching option, consider Bilingual by Five , which teaches English and Mandarin! This is located in the City of Perth.

Although there are no primary schools. There are two well-known Catholic schools. T he all-boys Trinity College and its sister school, Mercedes College . The latter is actually the oldest secondary school in Perth; it was founded in 1846!

For vocational and technical training, the North Metropolitan TAFE is your top choice. They offer many courses including business, hospitality, fashion, engineering, and everything in between!

Hospitals, Doctors, and Dentists

Royal Perth Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in WA and it’s located next to East Perth! It’s an adult hospital with over 400 beds. Despite its age, the theatres are kept up-to-date.

As for paediatric hospitals, Perth Children’s Hospital is the place to go. It is in Nedlands.

There are many general practitioners and quite a few medical clinics in the area. East Perth Medical Centre is in the heart of the suburb, with a focus on travel medicine. Central City Medical Centre is in the city but its services are more comprehensive.

For all your dental needs, there is a range of options. East Perth Dental Centre and Mendelsohn Dental Perth are a few options. On the western edge of East Perth is the Perth Central Dental Centre . 

Post Office

Expecting mail or want to send a postcard? The suburb has a dedicated Australia Post post office. This is the East Perth Post Shop on Hay Street.

Students and book lovers rejoice. The City of Perth Library is the closest to the heart of town. Located right on the western edge of East Perth, along Hay Street. The Red CAT bus stops outside.

Stadium Fitness and Fairgains are two of the best gyms in the area where you can workout on your own or with a trainer. Both offer transparent monthly fees rather than lock-in contracts.

If you’d like to learn boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, or muay thai, Guardians Gym teaches all the above. Including kids’ classes. For yoga and pilates (as well as coffee), head to Urban Om !

Sports Hire

You don’t need your own sports gear to go on an adventure!

For biking trips, head over to About Bike Hire , located by the Swan River. There, you can rent electric bikes, off-road bikes, tandems, children’s bikes, and more. You can also rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.

Hairdressers & Barbers

Whether you need a quick trim or a total makeover. Plenty of hair salons and barbershops will get the job done.

Fatty Arbuckles Hair Artistry & Lather Lounge on East Parade has been making sure the local residents look their best for over 20 years.

The newer Salon Republic on Hay Street offers plenty of services for both men and women. For a barbershop, East Perth Barber Shop on Bennett Street is one of the most popular with locals!

The suburb is governed by two local governments: the City of Perth and the City of Vincent . Both also govern other suburbs in and around the central business district.

The City of Perth has eight councillors, one Lord Mayor, and one Deputy Lord Mayor . As of the time of writing (January 2023), the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth is Basil Zempilas.

The City of Vincent is set up very similarly to the City of Perth but with a Mayor instead of Lord Mayor and no deputy. As of January 2023, the Mayor of the City of Vincent is Emma Cole.

Community Groups

There are some community groups to support businesses and residents in the area. The East Perth Community Group (EPCG) helps with growth and development in the suburb.

East Perth Local has an active Facebook group . This caters to residents and businesses alike. And is run by the East Perth Community Group.

Redevelopments

Formerly an overly-industrial suburb riddled with urban blight. The area has become much more livable over the decades. The area’s redevelopment is the largest inner-city redevelopment project in WA!

Most of the individual projects. Old and new, revolve around making the area greener, safer, and more community-focused.

Two major projects are the redevelopment of East Perth Power Station and Perth Girls’ School. The Perth girls school will be located next to My Little Love Heart .

Power Station

East Perth Power Station powered the Perth Metropolitan Area from 1913 until its closure in the ’80s. There have been talks of redeveloping the power station ever since.

Now, the plan is finally in motion to transform it into a “pedestrian-friendly precinct.” It will have “residential, recreational, commercial, and tourism opportunities.”

Work began in 2022, with clean-up and infrastructure relocation. This first phase is expected to end in 2024, after which new infrastructure can start to be built.

Perth Girls’ School

Another heritage site that is expecting a facelift is Perth Girls’ School . Quite a bit of progress has already been made. With restoration, planning, and excavation already done.

One major aspect of the redevelopment is residential. The finished project is expected to have over 700 apartments! The school building itself will contain commercial, office, and community spaces. This includes a supermarket, restaurants, and an art gallery.

Sporting Teams

East perth football club.

Also known as the Royals, East Perth Football Club plays in the WAFL. And is currently based at the Leederville Oval.

It was formed in 1902 and was originally known as the Union Football Club. Including their first win in 1919, the club has won 17 premierships! As of the end of the 2022 season, their most recent one was in 2002.

East Perth Eagles

The East Perth Eagles are the local basketball club, playing in the NBL1 West. They are based out of the Herb Graham Recreation Centre.

After its founding in 1989, the club struggled for two decades. Everything began to turn around in the 2010s. At first, the women’s team and then the men’s team started setting winning records. In 2014, the Eagles men’s team won the club’s first championship!

I hope this article has helped you navigate around East Perth. If you have any questions or feel like we have missed an important service, please get in touch.

This article was written by Jacqueline Samaroo. Jacqueline is a mother of 3 and a trained teacher with almost two decades of teaching experience under her belt. She has been operating professionally as a freelance writer for over eight years. During this time, she has written on a wide array of lifestyle themes.

The article has been  peer-reviewed by Luisa Figueroa  who is a mother of one and owner of My Little Love Heart.

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Perfect Perth Itinerary for 3, 5 or 7 Days

By: Author Amanda OBrien

Posted on Last updated: 01/03/2024

Wondering how many days to spend in Perth? This is always a hard question to answer. Perth is like a mini Australia in many ways – It has wine, wildlife, beaches, great food and nature in all its glory.

Ideally, visit Perth for at least three days. Even better visit for five days. Or visit for seven days and add in some of Perth’s biggest and best day trips (like a Rottnest Island Day Trip ) whilst still sleeping in the same boutique hotel every night.

My Perth itinerary covers several options. I have suggestions on what to do in 4 days in Perth, a Perth itinerary 5 days and a 7 days in Perth Australia option.

You can then move activities around between the different days as works best for your planned Perth travel itinerary.

Things to Book Before You Leave Home Few things are more frustrating on vacation than missing out on that amazing hotel or tour because it is sold out. Here are our top things to book before your vacation. 🐨 Most Popular Tours in Perth: 1. Rottnest Island – my top pick – don’t miss visiting this beautiful island 2. Dive with Sharks – this one has limited spots so booking is key 3. Pinnacles and Swan Valley Wine Trip – jaw-dropping natural beauty + great Aussie wine 4. See Perth on a Segway Tour – the most fun way to zip around Perth 🛏️ Where to Stay in Perth : 1. The Como Treasury – Perth’s most stylish hotel in the heart of downtown 2. QT Perth – the quirky style choice also downtown 3. The Alex Northbridge – sleek modern design 4. The Hougoumont Fremantle – boutique hotel made from sea containers

Perth Itinerary: How to get to Perth and get around

Perth is located on the southwest coast of Western Australia on the Swan River. Remember that Australia is big and a flight from sydney to Perth takes five hours (although it is usually much faster on the way back due to winds).

Perth has an international airport and most major airlines fly to Perth after a stopover in Asia.

There was considerable publicity of late when Qantas announced a direct flight from London to Perth taking 16 1/2 hours. I personally have not taken this flight yet but Australian friends have and all have been very positive about the flight and particularly that they felt their jet lag was much better than normal.

⇒ Flights to Perth

Perth has free CAT buses within the city centre. There is a train line that runs through Perth and the suburbs including popular Fremantle. And there is Uber.

But if you are staying in Perth for longer than a couple of days then I would highly recommend hiring a car . Perth is a very easy city to drive around and there is generally loads of parking.

If you are from a big city, you may find the frequency of Perth public transport a little frustrating. Also, this is a sprawling city, so the locals will be driving most places!  

Getting a Visa for Australia

Unless you have New Zealand citizenship, you will need to get a visa for Australia. However, the good news is that the online visa for Australia is a quick and easy process!

The entire online process only takes about 5 minutes. The most requested type of visa is the eVisitor which can be used for business or tourist purposes. The eVistor covers multiple entries over 12 months and stays of up to 3 months.

If your nationality doesn’t fit the criteria for the eVisitor then you can apply for an ETA visa (Electronic Travel Authority). This option is slightly more expensive whilst providing the same access as the eVisitor.

And there is a separate process if you are looking for a working holiday visa for Australia.

Perth Itinerary Day 1 – Explore the best of Perth

There is plenty to see and do in the heart of Perth itself. A great way to kick off a stay in Perth is to head to the beautiful Cottesloe Beach for a quick swim and breakfast. Cottesloe Beach is halfway between Perth and Fremantle.

Cottesloe Beach is loved by both locals and tourists with its stunning white sands and relaxed feel. Loads of cafes line its main street but I highly recommend heading to Il Lido . I enjoyed eating at Il Lido so much that I went their twice on my last trip to Perth!

One of the best ways to learn about Perth and to get a feel for its CBD is to take a tour. I took the Coffee, Culture and Art tour with local company Two Feet and a Heartbeat where I learned that the Perth city centre has been rejuvenated in the last 15 years.

You will get a chance to see the lovely kangaroo sculptures in Stirling Gardens, see the local street art and visit waterfront development Elizabeth Quay – all whilst learning the history of Perth.

In the afternoon head to Perth’s Kings Park . King’s Park is bigger than Central Park and could possibly be the biggest botanic garden in a city in the world at over 400 hectares! This beautiful park also has some stunning views of the city of Perth as well as the Swan River.

The park has several cafes and restaurants and a fantastic gift shop with lots of stunning local contemporary art and crafts.

Insider Tip – Have a local show you around Perth There are few better ways to explore a city than having a local to show you around. That’s why I was really keen to try out local tour company Two Feet and a Heartbeat and I wasn’t disappointed! In addition to the Coffee Culture and Art tour which I took they have some great food tours like Eat Drink Walk Perth and the well-named Fromage ! AND if you give them the code BOUTIQUE Two Feet and a Heartbeat will give you a 10% discount!

Day 2 – Visit Rottnest Island

Lovely little Rottnest Island is just 18kms from the center of Perth. It is one of my favorite day trips in the world and loved by locals as much as tourists. It is almost an Australian landmark.

There are no cars on Rottnest Island and it has 20 bays, 63 beaches and 45 kilometres of cycling paths. Artefacts pre-dating 6,500 years have been found on Rottnest Island so it appears that the Aboriginals were also big fans!

Organised Tour Options

It is very easy to travel to and around Rottnest Island independently but it does involve multiple bookings of ferry tickets and bike hire, figuring out ferry schedules and where and when to eat etc.

If you would prefer to have all of the administration taken care of for you but want to explore the island on a bike on your own the day trip to Rottnest from Fremantle or Perth does all of this and will pick you up and drop you back at your hotel.

If you would like to explore Rottnest Island from the water than this Rottnest by Sea day tour is perfect. Your boat leaves Fremantle and then it explores Rottnest Island by pulling into different bays and beaches across the day.

For those who are keen to snorkel and dive the waters of Rottnest Island this Snorkel and Sail Catamaran Adventure is perfect.

⇒ Book Your Rottnest Island Day Trip Now

How to get to Rottnest Island

The best ferry for you will depend on where you are staying. If you are staying in North Perth, then Hillary’s Boat Harbour is a good place to catch the ferry to Rottnest Island. However, there are only a few ferries for a Rottnest Island day trip from Hillary’s each day and they take 45 minutes.

The fastest route for a Rottnest Island one-day trip is from Fremantle at either B-shed or North Fremantle. This route takes 35 minutes. B-shed has a nice coffee place as well as somewhere for snacks – but I was told that the Rottnest Island bakery was much better and to save room in my stomach!

Travel Expert Tip – Book Your Rottnest Island Ferry at least 24 hours in advance Rottnest Island is one of the most popular things to do in Perth for both visitors and locals. Tickets sell out fast, particularly in the summer. Book your ticket ahead of time to avoid disappointment and long queues.

Top 3 Things to Do on Rottnest Island

1. hire a bike.

Rottnest Island has 45 km of cycling paths and to me, this is the best way to explore the island. I would recommend pre-booking your bike hire. It is possible to pre-book both your bike hire and ferry tickets together or hire an e-bike .

Or you can pre- book your bike hire with Pedal and Flipper and just pick it up when you arrive (Pedal and Flipper is about a 5-minute walk from where the ferry drops you on Rottnest Island).

2. Swim and Sunbathe

Rottnest Island has 63 beaches and 20 bays! And pretty much all of them are ready for swimmers and sunbathers!

The beaches in the North tend to be a bit more sheltered whereas some of those in the south are beautiful but quite rugged. Pinky’s Beach and the Basin are two of the most popular beaches. They are both lovely and nice and close to Thomson Bay!

I highly recommend the beautiful Little Salmon Bay. It is a bit farther away from Thomson Bay so not as busy and it is also a great spot for snorkelling. Geordie Bay and Parakeet Bay are also spectacular.

3. Get a Quokka Selfie

The Quokka looks like a little kangaroo and is native to Rottnest Island. The first recorded European visitor to Rottnest Island, William de Vlamingn, gave the island its name Rotte Nest (meaning rat’s nest) after he mistook the quokkas for rats.

It is no wonder that Quokkas are known as the world’s happiest animals – they live on Rottnest Island! The quokkas roam free across Rottnest Island but seem to like spending a lot of time around the bakery and then the Rottnest Hotel from late afternoon.

Rottnest Island is highly encouraging of the Quokka selfie phenomenon, even providing full details of how to get the best Quokka selfie! However, the Quokkas are wild animals so don’t touch them and don’t feed them (all very Gremlins like!!).

It is best to sit and wait and let them come to you. They are friendly little fellows and there are loads of them (between 10,000 and 12,000) so as long as you have a bit of time you are unlikely to be unsuccessful when it comes to acquiring a Quokka selfie!

⇒ Heading to Sydney? Check out my posts on the best Barangaroo Restaurants , the perfect Sydney Itinerary , a day trip to Watsons Bay Sydney and the best weekend getaways from Sydney .

Where to Eat on Rottnest Island

The majority of places to eat on Rottnest Island are clustered around the main village which is at the ferry station. There are lots of food options across a range of prices.

The most famous spot is the Rottnest Bakery . Locals love this iconic bakery. When you’re ready for a glass of wine or a terrific meal head to Hotel Rottnest .

If you’re interested in staying the night on Rottnest Island, check out its boutique hotel!  Discovery Glamping Resort features 83 glamping tents across categories from standard (56 square meters) to deluxe (98 square meters). Deluxe tends to feature walk-in wardrobes and double vanities and some have uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean.

All of the tents have en suites and a furnished deck. The tents are made from sustainable materials and were designed to keep cool so there is no air conditioning.

⇒ Excited about Rottnest Island? It is perhaps my favourite thing to do in Perth! Read more about it in my full post on The Perfect Rottnest Island Day Trip .

Perth Itinerary Day 3: Visit Fremantle

Fremantle is Western Australia’s chief port and is just 25 minutes west of Perth. Founded in 1829 it is still home to many streets which are virtually unchanged since the mid 19th century. Many of these streets are now home to some fantastic restaurants, shops and bars.

Things to do in Fremantle:

• Get some nice photos down at the Fishing Boat harbor and if it’s the right time of day enjoy some fish and chips by the water.
• Take an underground Tunnels Tour or Torchlight tour at Fremantle Prison
• Take a tram ride through Fremantle.
• Visit the fantastic Fremantle Markets . The market is full of interesting local suppliers selling their arts and crafts as well as some tasty food pop-ups. Fremantle Market is a great place to find a unique souvenir – check out Stunned Emu Designs.
• Take a Segway Tour around the streets of Fremantle as well as its port.
• Go shopping in the West End of Fremantle
• Enjoy a cocktail at Bathers Beach House
• Have a meal at the fantastic Bread in Common – handmade, locally sourced and just delicious in a stylish modern industrial setting.
• Tuck into some Italian food at the Iconic Gino’s
• Enjoy a beer and a tour at popular local brewery Little Creatures

You might enjoy reading my Tasmania Itinerary.

Perth Itinerary Days 4 & 5: Enjoy some of Perth’s close day trips

Got 5 days in Perth? Here is a Perth 5 day itinerary I think you’ll like.

Visit Caversham Wildlife Park

Lovely Caversham Wildlife Park is a fantastic place to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s unique wildlife! Caversham is about a 20-minute drive from the center of Perth. There are public transport options but they are all pretty painful so I highly recommend driving to Caversham Wildlife Park Perth!

Caversham is actually a private wildlife park – a family from Perth owns it and receives no government funding. This means that it is often more interactive than similar parks in Australia.

The park is divided into six sections and there are a number of daily activities. Do try to plan your visit around the timings of the daily activities which are all listed on the Caversham Wildlife website.

For me, the highlight was meeting the koalas! There are generally four sessions of meet the koalas each day. Handlers bring out the koalas. Visitors are then invited one by one to have some time with the koalas and are able to stroke their backs. I loved doing this!

Meet the Wombat and friends is another daily session that runs four times a day. A wombat is a uniquely Australian marsupial. He is not as cute as a koala (what is??) but definitely worth checking out! Again, the wombat is held by someone from the park and it is possible to sit next to the wombat.

The friends include other typically Australian forms of wildlife like cockatoos, snakes, quokkas and possums.

Feeding the kangaroos is open all day! There are quite a few kangaroos and wallabies at Caversham Wildlife Park. Food is freely available to give them and then hopefully a good photograph!

The morning is the best time as the kangaroos and the wallabies are up and about. Don’t visit on a warm afternoon as I did; they were lounging under the trees in the shade and weren’t terribly interested in anything!  

Go Wine Tasting in the Swan Valley

Only 30 30-minute drive from Perth is the beautiful Swan Valley. It is filled with rolling hills, wildflowers, walking trails, some great restaurants and most importantly some great wineries!

The Swan Valley has a Mediterranean-style climate plus rich soil and access to water from the Swan River, all of which make for some fantastic wine. Key varietals are Verdelho, Chenin Blanc, Petit Verdot and Shiraz. The area is also known for excellent sparkling and fortified wines.

With a first vintage in 1834, the Swan Valley is the second oldest wine region in Australia (New South Wales’ Hunter Valley is the oldest). The climate is similar to that of Greece, Croatia and southern Spain. Indeed, many of the Swan Valley vineyards were started by families from southern Europe.

Of course, the best way to visit a wine region is without a car! I can highly recommend d’Vine Wine Tours . Breanna and Ewen, the owners of this small company, are both born and bred in Perth. Both of them have extensive backgrounds in hospitality – and extensive personal experience with the wines of the Swan Valley!

I took their full day Swan Valley Wine tour. It was very well organised with a well-signed central pick up point in the Perth CBD. We then visited several wineries in the Swan Valley – and everyone on the tour received a 20% discount on any wines purchased! That is the same discount as the staff!

d’Vine also runs wine tours to the Bickley Valley, a special TGIF tour to kick off the weekend plus a special Sunday half-day tour.

Special Offer for Readers of The Boutique Adventurer The fab team at d’Vine Wine Tours are offering readers of The Boutique Adventurer a 5% discount on all of their tours! Just use the code TBA5OFF when you book !

And don’t leave without a visit to the Margaret River Chocolate Factory – if you can’t get down to Margaret River enjoy the best of its chocolate at this huge store and factory!

They have some outstanding ice cream, light lunches and chocolate Quokkas!

Head to the Perth Hills

The Perth Hills provides a charming country Australia experience within just 45 minutes of the center of Perth. It is home to a whopping 8 National Parks, including Bibbulmun and lots of other walking and cycling trails.

This area is also home to some great restaurants and wineries. The Perth Hills is known for having some fantastic apples and is home to two great Cider Houses – Naked Apple and Core Cider . Both serve meals and make for a lovely day out.

If possible, time your trip to the Perth Hills on a Sunday to attend the Kalamunda Farmer’s Market in the Central Mall. And on the first Saturday of every month, the full Kalamunda Village Market with over 150 stalls is held in the Central Mall.

Day 6: Eat your way around Perth’s suburbs

So far this itinerary for Perth has only had one day in actual Perth! So let’s spend a day exploring more of what Perth has on offer – based on its fabulous food! Mix and match from my list below to plan a perfect foodie day!

• Head to Northbridge for Dim Sum. Northbridge is a thriving dining and nightlife area just north of the CBD. It is home to various cuisines but does lean towards Asian and Italian. I highly recommend Juicy Bao Bao – don’t miss their wontons in homemade spicy sauce.
• Have fish and chips with the black Swans on Matilda Bay. Lovely Matilda Bay is just outside the Perth CBD and a natural Swan River bay. It is home to many photogenic and rather pushy black swans and some great fish and chips – check out the Bayside Kitchen. Matilda Bay is also very close to the renowned Perth Instagram spot the Blue Boatshed .
• Enjoy brunch with a view in Peppermint Grove. This high-end Perth suburb has some more very photogenic boatsheds as well as the fantastic Freshwaters restaurant. Order your brunch inside and then take a seat on the lovely deck and look out over the swan river.
• Go shopping and have coffee in Subiaco. Subiaco is inner-city cool Perth style. It all happens on Rokeby Road which is home to cute boutiques and high-end shops plus loads of cafes and wine bars. Enjoy a toasted sandwich Australian style at the Jaffle Shack.
• Have lunch by the seaside in Trigg. North of the center of Perth, Trigg Island beach is home to one of Perth’s surf breaks. And the lovely Island Market restaurant where you can dine on modern Australian cuisine whilst watching the waves.

Perth 7 Days Itinerary: Take a Big Day Trip

With a Perth 7 day itinerary it is possible to include one of the fantastic day trips Perth has on offer.

Margaret River

I love Margaret River !! I first visited this beautiful region in Australia over 20 years ago and fell in love with it! Margaret River has forests, beautiful coastline, farmland galore and some of Australia’s best wineries.

The region is deserving of its own dedicated trip but if you don’t have the time or the inclination to move from your boutique hotel take a Margaret River day trip.

Margaret River is a 3-hour drive from Perth and as it is all about the wineries, I highly recommend you take a tour for this Perth day trip! Avoid six hours in the car by flying down to Margaret River and then hopping on a coach for a 5-hour tour of the region’s wineries.

Or combine the wineries with a visit to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and Mammoth Caves. Or visit the lovely towns of Busselton and Yallingup as well as Margaret Rivers’ famous wineries.

⇒ Book Your Margaret River Day Trip Now

The Pinnacles Desert

The Pinnacles Desert is 200km north of Perth which is about a 2 hour drive from Perth. The desert covers an area of about 190 hectares and is home to thousands of limestone Pinnacles, some of which are up to five metres high.

These extraordinary structures are over 25,000 years old, formed after the sea receded and left deposits of sea shells. The surrounding sand was moved by coastal winds over time, leaving the pinnacles exposed to the elements.

There are many options for day tours to the Pinnacles. The visit is normally combined with either a visit to Yanchep National Park to see koalas and kangaroos, or with Caversham Wildlife Park and the Swan Valley in one big day or head to the Pinnacles in the evening for some amazing stargazing.

⇒ Book your Pinnacles Tour

Or if you have a bit more time why not drive north to Exmouth , gateway town to Ningaloo?

⇒ Planning a trip to Melbourne? Read about the Best Place to Stay in Melbourne , where to have a fantastic Melbourne Brunch , 18 brilliant places to watch the sunset in Melbourne , and 2 of Melbourne’s best side-trips: The Mornington Peninsula and Daylesford . And don’t forget Melbourne is very close to the wonderful Tasmania .

Things to know before you go to Perth

⇒ Perth is a long way away from the East Coast of Australia. It is a five-hour flight from Sydney to Perth. Yes, really!

⇒Don’t forget that unless you are a citizen of New Zealand you will need to get the online Visa for Australia . And there is a separate online process if you are looking for an Australian working holiday visa.

⇒ Perth doesn’t observe any daylight savings time eg it is the same time all year round. It’s time zone is Western Standard Time (WST) which is GMT +8.

⇒ Wifi is easily accessible in Perth. Most hotels, restaurants etc will have free wifi. The Perth CBD, Northbridge and East Perth all have the free “Perth Wifi” which visitors can access.

⇒ Australia has a rather uncommon 230V electricity system and is type 1. Most likely you will need an adaptor.

⇒ I do love a Hop on Hop off bus to get a feel for a city! Check out the Perth Hop On Hop Off Bus.  And Fremantle also has a Hop On Hop Off bus.

Boutique Hotels in Perth

Perth has some fantastic boutique hotels! Indeed, it is hard to choose amongst all of the great options – and they also tend to be very good value for accommodation of this standard.

1. Como The Treasury CBD

My favourite is Como the Treasury . The Victorian era building and former barracks were restored to reveal high ceilings, cornices, and balconies that were then styled with a modern touch.

This is a very special hotel with a unique feel. It has 48 guest rooms, one of the hottest restaurants in Perth (Wildflower, a glassed-in building on the rooftop featuring a traditional Aboriginal-style seasonal menu), a Como Shambhala spa and connected bars that allow you to take your glass of wine all through the hotel! And it is located literally in the heart of the city.

⇒ Check Prices and Availability for Como The Treasury

2. QT Hotel Perth CBD

I love the QT hotels , which are across Australia and New Zealand! Yes, they are a chain but they are a small chain. QT Hotels tend to have great inner-city locations, eclectic and stylish designs and great bars and restaurants.

Perth’s QT hotel is more of the same with a fab rooftop bar and a great Italian restaurant, Santini Grill.

⇒ Check Prices and Availability for the QT Hotel Perth

3. The Alex Hotel Northbridge

The Alex Hotel is located in quirky Northbridge, one of Perth’s inner-city suburbs and home to some of its most interesting and edgy restaurants and bars. Check out The Shadow Wine Bar and use one of their bikes to head down to Cottesloe Beach.

⇒ Check Prices and Availability for The Alex Hotel

4. The Hougoumont Fremantle

The Hougoumont is in lovely little Fremantle, one of Perth’s most happening areas and the kick off point for several Rottnest Island ferries. This hotel was actually built using shipping container construction methods!

This stylish and quirky hotel offers wine and cheese tastings every evening as well as tea and toast in the morning – from the fantastic Bread in Common Bakery in Fremantle.

Check Prices and Availability for The Hougoumont Fremantle

Planning a trip to Queensland? Check out my posts on the top 15 Brisbane Boutique Hotels and my Gold Coast Itinerary .

Perth, of course, uses Australian dollars. ATMs are easily available and most restaurants, tourist attractions etc not only take credit cards they will have touch payment. You may need cash for some smaller restaurants and shops but it will be infrequent.

When to Visit Perth

Summers are warm and dry in Perth and winters are long, cool and wet. Summer is between December and February and the average temperature is 30 degrees. However, Perth is known for the cool wind blowing in most evenings (called the Fremantle Doctor), making sleeping easier.

Autumn is March to May and temperatures average around the mid 20s. Winter is from June to August and isn’t the best time to visit. Spring starts in September and is a great time to visit as is Autumn, in my opinion.

Who Paid for What in this Post

This is a sponsored post. However, I covered all of the tourism costs associated with writing this post eg flights, tours etc. And as always my opinions are my own.

The post does contain affiliate links. This means if you click through on some of the links and end up making a purchase I will receive a small commission. This will not affect the price that you pay. I just wanted to make sure that you knew this.

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Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.

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Siobhan Fitzgerald

Friday 30th of September 2022

Great Post.Visiting Perth next month.Thank you

Amanda OBrien

Thanks Siobhan! Hope you have a great trip

Saturday 25th of April 2020

This looks amazing! I have never been to Australia, let alone Perth, but I would love to go!

I would love to visit Perth! I am dreaming about meeting the quokkas since many years! And I want to see this little blue house too, so photogenic!

Katja | placesandnotes

Oh Perth looks like such a nice place, definitely saving this post for later. I loved Australia but I was only on the east coast and to the central Aus. Next time the west coast for sure :) Thanks for sharing

Visited Australia 4 years ago, although didn't made it to Perth and the west coast. Thanks, now I have at least an ideas what to do in Perth :)

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Middle East Crisis U.S. Won’t Suspend Aid, for Now, to Israeli Unit Accused of Abuses

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• Israeli police detaining protesters during a demonstration by Israeli and American rabbis near the Erez crossing into Gaza. Reuters
• Palestinian children waiting for a water supply tank in Rafah, southern Gaza. Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• Damage in the area of Nabatieh, southern Lebanon. Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu, via Getty Images
• Walking past posters in Tel Aviv of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
• Hanging around the apparent remains of a ballistic missile near the southern Israeli city of Arad. Amir Cohen/Reuters
• Palestinians on a hot day at a beach west of Deir al Balah in southern Gaza. Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock

Follow live news updates on the crisis in the Middle East .

Blinken says the U.S. could take action if Israel fails to hold its troops accountable.

The Biden administration, which has been under pressure for its support of Israel’s war in Gaza, will not withhold military aid from a troubled military unit accused of human rights violations in the West Bank, so long as Israel continues with steps to hold the members of the unit accountable.

In an undated letter, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken told the House speaker, Mike Johnson, that the United States was working with Israel to address charges against the unit, the Netzah Yehuda battalion. Though the letter did not mention the battalion’s name, a U.S. official confirmed that Mr. Blinken was referring to Netzah Yehuda, which has been investigated for crimes in the West Bank predating the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack that set off the war in Gaza.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate diplomacy, said that the Biden administration could still take action against Netzah Yehuda if it concludes that Israel has not taken sufficient steps to hold its members to account.

The letter, obtained by The New York Times, said the State Department had determined that Netzah Yehuda had committed “gross human rights violations” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

U.S. officials had reached similar findings about two other Israeli military units and two civilian units, the letter said, but in those cases the Biden administration had decided not to withhold military aid because Israel was already acting to “bring to justice” culpable service members.

Mr. Blinken assured Mr. Johnson in the letter, reported earlier by ABC News , that the United States “will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance, and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress.”

Under federal statutes commonly known as the Leahy law , the U.S. government must deny aid to foreign military units found to have committed gross violations of human rights without accountability. The law allows for the targeting of individual units without cutting off entire foreign militaries.

It was not clear what practical effect any such move might have, given that funding of specific Israeli units is hard to track, and it is unclear whether the units mentioned in the letter receive American training or equipment.

Still, the news last week that U.S. officials were considering withholding aid from Israeli military units for abuses prompted a furious response from Israel and from Mr. Johnson, a strong supporter of the current Israeli government. Mr. Johnson said this week that he had called the White House in protest and had received an assurance in writing that none of the billions in additional U.S. aid to Israel approved by Congress this week would be affected.

The Biden administration has faced growing calls to restrict American aid to Israel over its military offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks in October. President Biden so far has declined to place conditions on U.S. aid over Israel’s devastating tactics in the Gaza war, though he has taken several steps in response to violence by Israelis in the West Bank, including placing sanctions against several Israeli settlers for what the U.S. has called “extremist” acts of violence against Palestinians.

In his letter to the Republican House speaker, Mr. Blinken said that two Israeli battalions and “civilian authority units,” none of which he named, had committed human rights abuses but that he had “determined that the Israeli government has conducted effective remediation of the units involved.” He defined remediation as a process in which a foreign government takes “effective steps to bring to justice the responsible members of the unit.”

In the case of Netzah Yehuda, which he did not cite by name, he said that “there has not been effective remediation to date” but that the Israeli government “has presented new information regarding the status of the unit, and we will engage on identifying a path to effective remediation for this unit.”

Mr. Blinken is planning to travel to Israel next week for meetings with Israeli leaders to discuss efforts to free hostages from Gaza and an impending Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, an Israeli official said on Friday. It was not immediately clear whether he would discuss Netzah Yehuda. Mr. Blinken has discussed the matter by phone with senior Israeli officials in recent days.

Under the terms of a 10-year security agreement that the United States and Israel reached in 2016, the United States must consult with Israeli officials before placing restrictions on security assistance. That consultation is ongoing, according to the U.S. official.

Netzah Yehuda, which was created to accommodate the religious practices of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, has been repeatedly accused of mistreating Palestinians.

In January 2022, according to witnesses, its soldiers bound and gagged a 78-year-old Palestinian American who died of a heart attack while in military custody. An investigation concluded that the two soldiers who bound the man thought he was sleeping. The soldiers faced disciplinary action but no criminal charges were brought.

The unit was transferred in 2022 from the West Bank to the Golan Heights in northern Israel, according to Mr. Blinken’s letter.

Mr. Blinken added that no other Israeli units had been found culpable of rights violations under the Leahy Law and that the administration’s deliberations “will have no impact on our support for Israel’s ability to defend itself against Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah or other threats.”

— Michael Crowley reporting from Washington

Blinken will make another wartime trip to Israel.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will visit Israel next week, an Israeli official said on Friday, as talks on a cease-fire deal that would allow for the release of hostages held in Gaza appear stalled and tensions have risen between Israel and the United States over the war.

The Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter, said talks with Mr. Blinken would center on hostages and an impending Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Mr. Blinken last visited Israel in March, when he warned that its plans to invade Rafah , where more than a million displaced people are sheltering, would pose severe risks to civilians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with those plans, saying that such an operation is necessary to eliminate Hamas battalions in the city.

Still, the Biden administration has stuck by Israel as mediators have failed to broker even a temporary cease-fire in Gaza that would give Palestinians some respite and allow for the release of hostages abducted in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel .

The United States has proposed a deal through Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries in which Hamas would release 40 of the most vulnerable hostages in exchange for a six-week truce and the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on Thursday on condition of anonymity under official ground rules put the blame solely on Hamas for blocking the deal.

The official said that while Israel had signaled it would accept those terms, the response from Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader hiding underground in Gaza, had been “totally nonconstructive.” Hamas has since signaled that it is not completely rejecting the deal and is willing to sit down again, the official said, adding that the United States and its partners would test that in coming days.

President Biden and the leaders of 17 other nations called on Hamas on Thursday to release all the hostages in a joint statement that appeared intended to send the message that the world is not entirely against Israel and that Hamas is the main impediment to ending the war.

Peter Baker contributed reporting from Washington.

— Patrick Kingsley reporting from Jerusalem

Israel fires into Lebanon after a deadly Hezbollah missile strike.

An Israeli man was killed in an anti-tank missile attack from Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Friday, the latest in a growing string of civilian casualties on both sides of Israel’s northern border as tit-for-tat strikes intensify with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah .

The Israeli military said in a statement that the man had been carrying out “infrastructure work” when two anti-tank missiles were fired late Thursday into the area of Har Dov in northern Israel, a disputed sliver of land where Israel, Lebanon and Syria meet. Also known as the Shebaa Farms, the area is claimed by Lebanon but occupied by Israel, and has long been a crucible for violence.

Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful regional proxy , described the overnight attack as an “ambush,” claiming that two vehicles had been destroyed in a combined missile, artillery and rocket assault on an Israeli military base in the area. The Israeli military statement did not say whether a base had been hit.

Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, identified the man killed as Sharif Suwayed, 35, and said that his truck had been hit while he was working to improve defenses at a military base, modifications that were being carried out at night to protect against Hezbollah attacks. The Israeli military was investigating, the broadcaster reported.

Israeli forces responded by striking Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, among them a weapon storage facility and military compound, according to a military statement. Lebanese state media reported on Friday that multiple towns had been targeted by heavy Israeli bombardment, damaging dozens of houses. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, the heaviest between the sides in nearly two decades, has shown no sign of subsiding. Israeli strikes inside Lebanon have begun to creep deeper into the country’s interior, though the hostilities for now have been confined largely to areas along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

In Israel, 19 soldiers and civilians have been killed in the recent violence, which began after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel in support of the deadly Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.

More than 70 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, along with roughly 270 Hezbollah fighters, the group has said, a figure that exceeds its losses in the 2006 war with Israel .

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, said this week that its strikes had eliminated half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern Lebanon, although experts expressed skepticism about that claim . They also have cast doubt on whether targeted killings of commanders could achieve Israel’s goal of pushing Hezbollah farther from the border, reducing the threat of attacks and allowing the tens of thousands of Israeli civilians displaced by the fighting to return to their homes.

Patrick Kingsley contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

— Euan Ward Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon

A baby born in Gaza after her mother was killed in an Israeli strike dies less than a week later.

A baby who was delivered through an emergency cesarean section after her mother was killed in an Israeli strike died on Thursday, a relative said, less than a week after news of her birth brought a glimmer of hope to war-torn Gaza.

The baby, who was born prematurely after a strike in southern Gaza that also killed her father and sister, suffered respiratory problems, and doctors were unable to save her, said her uncle, Rami al-Sheikh.

“I buried her in her father’s grave,” he said in a phone interview on Friday.

The mother, Sabreen al-Sakani, was killed along with her husband, Shukri, and their 3-year-old daughter, Malak, when an Israeli strike hit their home in the city of Rafah shortly before midnight last Saturday. Rescue crews took the bodies to the Emirati Hospital in Rafah, where doctors performed a cesarean section on Ms. al-Sakani, who was 30 weeks pregnant.

The girls’ uncle said that Malak had wanted to name her little sister Rouh, the Arabic word for soul. The extended family decided instead to name her after her mother, Sabreen.

Sabreen weighed just three pounds at birth, said Dr. Mohammed Salama, head of the neonatal intensive care unit at Emirati Hospital. Her birth was captured on video by a journalist from the Reuters news agency, who filmed doctors providing artificial respiration to her after she emerged, pale and limp, from her mother.

Instead of a name, doctors initially wrote, “The baby of the martyr Sabreen al-Sakani” on a piece of tape across her chest.

“The baby was delivered into a tragic situation,” Dr. Salama told Reuters, adding, “Even if this baby survives, she was born an orphan.”

— Hiba Yazbek Reporting from Jerusalem

Drone attack kills 4 workers in an Iraqi gas field, but no one claims responsibility.

A drone attack on a large gas field in Iraq’s Kurdistan region killed four workers and plunged much of eastern Kurdistan into darkness because it relies on gas to fuel its electrical plants, according to a Kurdistan regional government spokesman.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. While Iranian-backed armed groups have bases in the area, there are many competing interests in Kurdistan, leaving it unclear whether the attacks are part of the larger regional fight between Iran and Israel, which has intensified during the war in Gaza.

The Kurdistan region’s president, Nechirvan Barzani, condemned the attack and called on the government in Baghdad to investigate. “These attacks endanger the peace and stability of the country,” Mr. Barzani said, adding, “The representatives of the Iraqi federal government must do their duty to prevent these attacks and find the perpetrators from any side and punish them according to the law.”

Iraq’s joint command in Baghdad issued a statement calling the attack “sabotage,” confirming that a drone was used. The statement said Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani had ordered an investigation.

Friday’s drone attack was the second so far this year on the Khor Mor field in Sulaymaniyah Province. The last one, in January, did not inflict casualties.

“Four Yemeni workers have been killed, and the field has been severely damaged, which will cause electricity shortages,” said Peshawa Hawramani, a spokesman for the Kurdistan regional government.

Almost a million people in Sulaymaniyah Province were left without power, along with thousands more in adjacent provinces. It took about 24 hours to restore electricity after the last attack, but because the damage was greater this time, Kurdish authorities said it could take longer. While hospitals and security services have large generators, many ordinary residents have access only to limited power from shared generators.

Claims of responsibility were never made for previous attacks on the gas field, which is operated by Dana Gas, based in the United Arab Emirates, and a related company, Crescent Petroleum.

While the drone attack could stem from the regional conflict between Iran and Israel, there are other tensions in the region — between internal Iraqi factions and between Baghdad and Kurdistan. There has been a multiyear effort by the Iraqi federal government in Baghdad and the courts to reduce the Kurdistan region’s control over its natural resources.

At the same time, there is tension between Iran and Iraq over any efforts by Iraq to expand domestic gas production. Iran sells about $4 billion of gas to Iraq each year because Iraq does not have enough gas to fuel its electricity plants. Kurdistan and the Iraqi government had been discussing expansion of the Khor Mor field.

Kamil Kakol contributed reporting from Sulaymaniyah Province, Iraq .

— Alissa J. Rubin Reporting from Baghdad

Rabbis are arrested near the Gaza-Israel border at a rally to highlight starvation.

Police arrest group of rabbis and activists near gaza, the israeli police arrested rabbis and peace activists near the border with gaza..

[singing] You can arrest us, but we’re going to walk slowly, our way towards the crossing.

Seven rabbis and peace activists were arrested on Friday near the border with Gaza after they tried to take food supplies into the territory, according to two participants and the campaign group that organized the effort.

The detainees were among a group of roughly 30 rabbis and activists from Israel and the United States who were stopped by police officers as they tried to reach the Erez crossing, a major transit point between Israel and northern Gaza.

Organized by Rabbis for Ceasefire, a peace movement based in the United States, the effort was intended to build support for a truce and to highlight rising reports of starvation in Gaza . A global authority on food security, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, has predicted an imminent famine in northern Gaza, the area of the territory closest to Erez.

The protest was timed to coincide with the week of Passover , a Jewish festival that celebrates the biblical story of the liberation of Jews from slavery in ancient Egypt.

“We were making the point that Jewish liberation is bound up with Palestinian liberation, that we want freedom for all,” said Toba Spitzer, a rabbi from Boston who attended the protest but was not arrested.

The group had tried to drive into Gaza with a pickup truck carrying half a ton of rice and flour but was stopped roughly a third of a mile from the border, Rabbi Spitzer said. The effort was largely symbolic and the organizers expected it to fail given the restrictions along the border; the supplies will now be donated to needy Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Rabbi Spitzer said.

The Israeli police did not respond to requests for comment.

The author Ayelet Waldman of Berkeley, Calif., was among those arrested, her husband, the author Michael Chabon, said on Instagram .

There are widespread food shortages in Gaza. Israeli restrictions on where convoys can enter the strip, Israeli bombardment and widespread damage to roads, the collapse of Gazan agriculture, and a breakdown in law and order have all made it harder to distribute aid safely.

Aid groups and United Nations officials have accused Israel of systematically limiting aid delivery. Israel denies the assertion, blaming the shortages on logistical failures by aid groups, and has recently increased the number of trucks entering the strip.

Israeli officials say that the Erez crossing, which was primarily used for pedestrian traffic before the war, is difficult to use for aid delivery because it lacks the right infrastructure and was also badly damaged during the Hamas-led raid on Israel in October.

A majority of Jewish Israelis oppose the delivery of more aid to Gaza, according to a poll conducted in February by the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based research group.

Israeli protesters regularly gather at another crossing point farther south, trying to block aid convoys entering Gaza .

— Patrick Kingsley and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad Reporting from Jerusalem and from Haifa, Israel

The U.S. Army has begun work on a floating pier to move aid from ships into Gaza, the Pentagon says.

Army engineers on Thursday began construction of a floating pier and causeway for humanitarian aid off the coast of Gaza, which, when completed, could help relief workers deliver as many as two million meals a day for the enclave’s residents, Defense Department officials said.

The construction on the “initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea” means that the project’s timing is in line with what Pentagon officials had predicted, Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Defense Department’s press secretary, said. The construction is meant to allow humanitarian aid to bypass Israeli restrictions on land convoys into the besieged strip.

General Ryder said that defense officials expected the project, ordered up by President Biden early last month, to be completed early next month. The facility is meant to include an offshore platform to transfer aid from ships, and a floating pier to bring the aid to shore.

Aid organizations have welcomed the plan, which will be an addition to the airdrops of humanitarian supplies that the U.S. military has been conducting over Gaza. But aid workers say, and defense officials have acknowledged, that the maritime project is not an adequate substitute for land convoys. Such aid convoys fell sharply when the war began more than six months ago and have only partly recovered .

Some U.S. military officials have also privately expressed security concerns about the project, and General Ryder said that the military was looking into a mortar attack on Wednesday that caused minimal damage in the area where some pier work is supposed to be done. However, he said, U.S. forces had not started moving anything into the area at the time of the mortar attacks.

The floating pier is being built alongside an Army ship off the Gaza coast. Army ships are large, lumbering vessels, so they have armed escorts, particularly as they get within range of Gaza’s coast, defense officials have said.

The United Nations says famine is likely to set in within Gaza by the end of May.

Aid workers have described bottlenecks for aid at border crossings because of lengthy inspections of trucks, limited crossing hours and protests by Israelis, and they have highlighted the difficulty of distributing aid inside Gaza. Israeli officials have denied that they are hampering the flow of aid, saying the United Nations and aid groups are responsible for any backlogs.

Senior Biden administration and military officials detailed a complex plan in a Pentagon call with reporters on Thursday afternoon, explaining how the pier and causeway are being put together, and how it is supposed to work. Army engineers are constructing the facility aboard Navy ships in the eastern Mediterranean. One official said that the “at-sea assembly of key pieces” of the pier began on Thursday.

Biden officials are insistent that the Pentagon can carry out aid deliveries through the floating pier without putting American boots on the ground in Gaza. Officials described a complicated shuttle system, through which aid would be loaded onto Navy ships in Cyprus and transported to a causeway — a floating platform — at sea.

The Pentagon’s military acronym for the project is J-Lots, for Joint Logistics Over the Shore.

The causeway at sea is different from the floating pier where the aid will be offloaded into Gaza. An engineering unit with the Israeli military will anchor the floating pier to the Gaza shore, a senior military official told reporters in the Pentagon call.

Shuttle boats run by aid organizations, the United Nations or other countries are then expected to transport the aid to the floating pier, where it is to be loaded onto trucks driven by “a third party,” the official said. He declined to identify the third party.

The official said that Israel was dedicating a brigade to provide security for the American troops and aid workers working on the pier.

The operation is expected to bring in enough aid for around 90 trucks a day, a number that will increase to 150 trucks a day when the system reaches full operating capacity, the official said.

— Helene Cooper Reporting from Washington

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Dubai plans to move its busy international airport to a $35 billion new facility within 10 years

This artist’s rendering provided by the government of Dubai shows plans for Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion, its ruler said Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Dubai government via AP)

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central on Friday, April 26, 2024. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion, its ruler said Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

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Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion, its ruler said Sunday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s announcement marks the latest chapter in the rebound of its long-haul carrier Emirates after the coronavirus pandemic grounded international travel. Plans have been on the books for years to move the operations of the airport known as DXB to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central which had also been delayed by the repercussions of the sheikhdom’s 2009 economic crisis.

“We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn,” Sheikh Mohammed said in an online statement. “Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub and its new global center.”

The announcement included computer-rendered images of curving, white terminal reminiscent of the traditional Bedouin tents of the Arabian Peninsula. The airport will include five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, the announcement said. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport.

The financial health of the carrier Emirates has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide and the wider economic health of this city-state. Dubai and the airline rebounded quickly from the pandemic by pushing forward with tourism even as some countries more slowly came out of their pandemic crouch.

The number of passengers flying through DXB surged last year beyond its total for 2019 with 86.9 million passengers. Its 2019 annual traffic was 86.3 million passengers. The airport had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 — its busiest-ever year before the pandemic, while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022.

Earlier in February, Dubai announced its best-ever tourism numbers, saying it hosted 17.15 million international overnight visitors in 2023. Average hotel occupancy stood at around 77%. Its boom-and-bust real estate market remains on a hot streak , nearing all-time high valuations.

But as those passenger numbers skyrocketed, it again put new pressure on the capacity of DXB, which remains constrained on all sides by residential neighborhoods and two major highways.

Al Maktoum International Airport, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) away from DXB, opened in 2010 with one terminal. It served as a parking lot for Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic and slowly has come back to life with cargo and private flights in the time since. It also hosts the biennial Dubai Air Show and has a vast, empty desert in which to expand.

The announcement by Sheikh Mohammed noted Dubai’s plans to expand further south. Already, its nearby Expo 2020 site has been offering homes for buyers.

“As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow,” Dubai’s ruler said. “It will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors.”

However, financial pressures have halted the move in the past. Dubai’s 2009 financial crisis, brought on by the Great Recession, forced Abu Dhabi to provide the city-state with a $20 billion bailout.

Meanwhile, the city-state is still trying to recover after the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the UAE , which disrupted flights and commerce for days.

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Politics latest: Key voter on Humza Yousaf's future will make proposals to 'help him out of a tight corner'

Ash Regan, who is the Alba Party's sole MSP and potentially the deciding vote in a no-confidence motion in Mr Yousaf, is expected to meet with the first minister.

Sunday 28 April 2024 11:15, UK

• Sunak refuses to rule out July general election
• Watch in full: Trevor Phillips interviews the prime minister
• Key voter on Yousaf's future will make proposals to 'help him out of a tight corner'
• Connor Gillies:  First minister must reset relations with very people he's burned bridges with
• Salmond asked Alastair Campbell to negotiate on behalf of Scotland if it gained independence
• Explained: How did we get here - and what happens next?
• Tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction
• Sam Coates explains why the local elections matter
• Live reporting by Brad Young

By Trevor Phillips, presenter

I've known Rishi Sunak slightly for almost a decade, having first met him after he penned a thoughtful, comprehensive, well-received report on Britain's minority communities, which I'd say is still the best of its kind.

Sitting down to interview him in a state-of-the-art defence facility this week, I could still see the same energetic, likeable problem solver that I met back then, even if he's now surrounded by the prime ministerial cavalcade of aides, security and media.

That Peloton and fasting regime are clearly doing their job. He's keen to show his detailed grasp of the situation, whether that's welfare reform, defence or migration. It's easy to see why he shone in Silicon Valley and thrived in the Treasury.

However, in the political world he chose, there's a downside to being highly intelligent, disciplined, and super-focused on delivery, as they might say in California.

He betrays frustration with what he - not wholly unjustifiably - sees as a media obsession with polls and presentation.

Unfortunately, as Enoch Powell once pointed out, a politician who complains about journalists is like a sailor who doesn't much fancy being at sea.

He rightly points out that it's his job to make hard choices - for example, funding the defence budget even if it's at the expense of schools and hospitals.

But a political leader should also know that what follows is an even harder job: to cajole the electorate into supporting that choice - and the voters aren't always governed by the logic of the computer.

Read on here...

Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has said her party will not be changing its mind about supporting the upcoming motion of no confidence in First Minister Humza Yousaf.

Ms Slater said they would vote in favour of the motion on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show,

"I cannot imagine anything at this point that could change that position.

"This was a spectacular breach of trust."

She was asked if policy offers from Mr Yousaf ahead of the vote could persuade them to abstain.

“[The Bute House Agreement] was based on mutual trust and respect. I do have trust and respect for many of my SNP colleagues," she said.

"But Humza Yousaf himself has broken that and he needs to face the consequences."

Policing minister Chris Philp said he was posing a "rhetorical question" after he appeared to ask whether Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were different countries.

The MP for Croydon South said he was struggling to hear when he was asked about the government's new law on deporting some asylum seekers to Rwanda by a Question Time audience member.

He told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: "I was struggling a little bit to hear the question.

"When I put that point to him I was asking that as a clearly rhetorical question rather than a substantive question, as I think any fair-minded listener would conclude."

What did he say on Question Time?

The audience member, from Congo, pointed out there has been a long history of violent conflict with neighbouring country Rwanda.

He asked Mr Philp: "Had my family members come from Goma [a city on the country's border] on a crossing right now, would they then be sent back to the country they are supposedly warring – Rwanda? Does that make any sense to you?"

Mr Philp replied: "No, I think there's an exclusion on people from Rwanda being sent to Rwanda."

After the audience member objected that his parents were not from Rwanda, the Conservative MP appeared to ask: "Well, I mean, Rwanda is a different country to Congo, isn't it?

"It's a different country?" he said, followed by laughter from some audience members.

Rishi Sunak was quizzed over the local and general elections, the Rwanda Scheme and defence spending today on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

If you missed it, here's your chance to catch up on all the key moments - or watch the interview in full.

• The prime minister tried to manage expectations for Thursday, saying: "Local elections are always difficult for incumbent parties";
• Asylum seekers travelling across the land border to Ireland was a sign the Rwanda scheme was working as a deterrent, he said;
• Despite being asked several times, Mr Sunak refused to rule out a July general election;
• He declined to comment on polling and, when asked if he would have any regrets should the Conservative Party lose, Mr Sunak said: "You're again focused on all this personality stuff."

A little earlier this morning, Rishi Sunak told Sky News that the movement of migrants from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland showed his Rwanda scheme was working as a deterrent.

But the Irish government is to consider legislative proposals next week on returning asylum seekers back to the UK who have travelled across the land border.

Justice minister Helen McEntee will also meet Home Secretary James Cleverly next week, after saying the number of migrants crossing the border was now "higher than 80%".

"I'll have emergency legislation at cabinet this week to make sure that we can effectively return people to the UK," she told RTE.

Ms McEntee added Brexit was responsible for the UK seeing an increase in people seeking asylum.

A spokesman for Irish premier Simon Harris said he is "very clear about the importance of protecting the integrity" of Ireland's migration system.

"Ireland has a rules-based system that must always be applied firmly and fairly.

"In that context, the Taoiseach has asked the minister for justice to bring proposals to Cabinet next week to amend existing law regarding the designation of safe 'third countries' and allowing the return of inadmissible international protection applicants to the UK."

Alex Salmond asked Alastair Campbell to negotiate on behalf of Scotland with the UK government in the event it voted for independence in 2014, Mr Campbell tells Sky News.

The proposal was made when the pair were in Scotland ahead of the referendum, making tributes to Tony Benn, the former Number 10 communications director says.

"If Scotland had become independent, then that would have been a massive, massive thing for the country, so I would have been very happy to do that.

"I would want people who weren't necessarily pro-indpendence to be part of that team."

As Humza Yousaf fights to maintain leadership of Scotland, the Alba Party's Alex Salmond joins Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

Meanwhile, Ash Regan, the Alba Party's sole MP and potentially the deciding vote in a no-confidence motion in Mr Yousaf, is expected to meet with the first minister.

Ms Regan will "make a set of reasonable proposals to help him out of a very tight corner", says Mr Salmond.

"Scotland is lucky that somebody like Ash Regan is in that position."

Independence forces should be "cooperating together to try and get independence back as a priority in Scottish society".

Asked if an agreement can be reached with the SNP, Mr Salmond says Mr Yousaf is "in a very difficult position" but he will be in a "listening mode".

"He wouldn't have sacked the Greens from his administration unless he wanted a significant change in direction," says Mr Salmond.

"One possible outcome of this political crisis is there might be a Scottish election."

Earlier this week, Labour pledged to nationalise the railway system.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting says the plan is a "reflection of the failure of privatised rail and the absence of competition".

If you bring the franchises back into public ownership as they come up, the profits can be reinvested into better services and fairs, argues Mr Streeting.

"There is already enormous public ownership of our railways, but they are owned by French, German, Dutch and Italian taxpayers, and our profits go into their countries."

"It's time that we had public ownership of our railways so we can reinvest."

Trevor Phillips continues to put questions to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting.

He is about Keir Starmer's pledge to maintain the triple lock, with Phillips raising statistics showing median wealth for those in their early 60s was nearly nine times higher than those in their early 30s.

"I don't buy into that intergenerational conflict argument. We need to give pensioners the reassurance to know that as they have planned for retirement... that Labour will protect the triple lock."

Wes Streeting is asked about the possibility of a July election, which the prime minister has refused to rule out.

The shadow health secretary says: "He should get on with it. We are not just ready, we are, as with the rest of the country, fed up of waiting."

People are "crying out for an opportunity to deliver their verdict on this government and vote for change", he says.

"That's why the prime minister bottled an election earlier this year, that's why he's bottled it now, and that's why he will have to be taken out of Downing Street by his fingernails."

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What would Trump’s Israel-Gaza policy be if he were re-elected?

The ex-president unambiguously favored Israel while in office but recent statements have been inconsistent and evasive

At a windy rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, Donald Trump began his hour-long address by sending prayers and support to Israel as it withstood Iran’s aerial assault.

“They’re under attack right now,” the former president and presumptive Republican nominee said. “That’s because we show great weakness.”

Trump, who often describes himself as the “ best friend that Israel has ever had ”, blamed Tehran’s bombardment – and the entire bloody crisis – on Joe Biden, claiming it “would not have happened” if he had been president.

Yet moments later, he appeared to agree with his supporters when they began chanting “Genocide Joe” – a term more commonly invoked by activists protesting against Biden’s abiding support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians and pushed the territory to the brink of famine .

“They’re not wrong,” the former president said, as he stepped away from the lectern and let them chant. (His campaign did not respond to a request for clarification on the remark.)

More than six months into the ruinous Middle East conflict, amid fears of a wider regional war, Trump has offered plenty of criticism – of Biden, his successor and all-but-certain rival for the White House, and of Benjamin Netanyahu , the Israeli prime minister – but few details on what he might have done differently.

Trump’s relative silence leaves major questions about how he would act if he were to inherit the conflict in January.

His campaign did not directly respond to a list of policy questions, among them whether he supports a ceasefire, how he would handle hostage negotiations, whether there are any circumstances under which he would consider conditioning aid to Israel and whether he supports a two-state solution, an idea some of his former advisers categorically reject.

Yet in his muddled commentary, observers see the same motivations that shaped his first-term foreign policy: personal grievance and political opportunism, as discontent with Biden’s management of the conflict threatens to hurt the president’s re-election bid.

Trump v Netanyahu

When Trump was president, he forged a close, mutually beneficial relationship with Netanyahu. But his feelings for the prime minister reportedly soured after Netanyahu congratulated Biden on his 2020 election victory, which Trump baselessly claims to have won.

Days after the deadly Hamas attack on 7 October, Trump criticized Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence for failing to anticipate and stop the invasion. He also referred to Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon that Israel has been clashing with on its northern border, as “very smart”.

The former president’s rebuke of Netanyahu , as his country reeled from what the prime minister said was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, drew unusually sharp denunciations from fellow Republicans, including many of his challengers for the party’s presidential nomination.

Trump quickly retreated, writing on his social media platform that he stood with Netanyahu and Israel. Hours later, he posted again , declaring in a video: “I kept Israel safe, remember that. I kept Israel safe. Nobody else will, nobody else can.”

Since then, as public perceptions of the war shift amid a soaring Palestinian death toll and a deepening humanitarian crisis, Trump has surprised some of his allies on the right by exhorting Israel to “ finish up your war ”.

“Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support,” Trump said in a March interview with the conservative Israeli publication Israel Hayom . “You have to finish up, you have to get the job done. And you have to get on to peace.”

Asked in a later interview with the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt whether his comments had been misconstrued, Trump again implored Israel to “get it over with”, warning that the country was “absolutely losing the PR war”. Biden has similarly expressed concern that Israel’s tactics in Gaza are hurting its international standing.

“Let’s get back to peace and stop killing people,” Trump told Hewitt.

Calling for peace, but little regard for Palestinians

Trump has not outlined how he believes peace might be achieved or what he envisions for the region after the conflict ends. When pressed on his position, Trump mostly repeats his claim that the war wouldn’t have happened if he were in power.

“I just think Trump is delusional on this point,” John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, said in a recent appearance on CNN. “It’s a point that nobody can refute or confirm one way or the other. He doesn’t have any idea what to do in the Middle East in this situation.”

Playing critic, rather than prospective commander-in-chief, has seemingly worked in Trump’s favor: voters gave him far better marks than Biden on his handling of foreign conflicts as president, according to an April New York Times and Siena College survey .

And by mostly remaining on the sidelines, some analysts say, he is better positioned to exploit the deep division in the Democratic coalition over Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza war, one of the president’s biggest perceived vulnerabilities before the election.

Aaron David Miller, who served for two decades as a state department analyst, negotiator and adviser on Middle East issues for both Democratic and Republican administrations, said a future Trump administration was unlikely to show much sympathy to the Palestinian cause.

“He could care less, frankly, about how the Israelis are treating the Palestinians,” said Miller, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“Forget any kind of rehabilitation or reconstruction for Gaza,” he added, unless rebuilding the territory was a condition for achieving “some historic something” in the region, such as a normalization of ties between Israeli and Saudi Arabia.

In statements since the war began, Trump has promised, if elected, to cut off all US aid to Palestinians and urged other nations to follow suit if he returns to the Oval Office.

The former president also pledged to bar refugees from Gaza under an expansion of his first-term travel ban on Muslim-majority countries; expel immigrants who sympathize with Hamas ; revoke the visas of foreign students deemed “anti-American” or “antisemitic”; and impose “strong ideological screening” to keep out foreign nationals who “want to abolish Israel”.

Trump’s pitch to Jewish voters

In a statement, Trump’s campaign accused Biden and Democrats of supporting Israel’s enemies and said leftwing criticism of Netanyahu’s government was pushing American Jews into the former president’s camp.

“Jewish Americans are realizing that the Democrat party has turned into a full-blown anti-Israel, antisemitic, pro-terrorist cabal, and that’s why more and more Jewish Americans are supporting President Trump,” said a campaign spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt.

But Trump’s outreach to Jewish voters, a wide majority of whom tend to support Democrats, has faced accusations of antisemitism.

Earlier this month, Trump told reporters in Georgia that “any Jewish person that votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined”. In a March interview with his former aide Sebastian Gorka, Trump claimed that any Jewish American who backs the Democrats “hates their religion” and “everything about Israel”.

The comments, which echoed previous statements he has made, were widely condemned for invoking an antisemitic trope that Jewish citizens hold “dual loyalty” to both the US and Israel.

But Trump has also honed a sharp-edged pitch aimed at evangelical Christians, a crucial part of his base whose fierce support of Israel has helped shape Republican foreign policy.

Casting himself as the great protector of the world’s only Jewish state, Trump vowed in an October speech to “ defend western civilization from the barbarians and savages and fascists that you see now trying to do harm to our beautiful Israel”.

Lessons from Trump’s presidency

Though Trump has sent mixed signals about his views of the war, his policies as president unambiguously favored Israel.

During his presidency, Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, in a reversal of longstanding US policy. He also slashed funding to the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees and closed the Palestinians’ diplomatic mission in Washington.

In 2018, he withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal , a move cheered by Republicans and Netanyahu. The following year, the Trump administration again broke with decades of precedent to declare that the US no longer considered Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law. The Biden administration reversed this policy in February.

Late in his presidency, Trump unveiled a Middle East “peace” plan that granted most of Israel’s long-held demands, ensuring its swift rejection by Palestinian leaders.

The former president’s biggest accomplishment in the region was the so-called Abraham accords, clinched in 2020, which normalized diplomatic relations among Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In remarks to Jewish donors and activists, Trump claimed he had been on the verge of bringing Iran into the deal, even though he spent much of his presidency antagonizing Tehran , most notably by ordering the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

While Israel and Iran appear to have pulled back from the brink of a spiraling regional war, tensions in the region remain high. Meanwhile, Trump has been isolated in a New York courtroom, where the former president faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal trials.

Israel and a second Trump term

Trump has yet to provide any substantive details on how he views the role of the US in resolving the current conflict, and his campaign did not respond to questions about his postwar plans for Gaza or whether he supported a two-state solution.

But recent comments from Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner , both of whom helped set his first-term Middle East policy, reflect Netanyahu’s rightwing, nationalist vision for the region.

Friedman recently unveiled a proposal for Israel to annex the West Bank based on the country’s biblical claims to the occupied land. In an interview last month, Trump did not say whether he supported the plan but said he planned to meet with Friedman to discuss it. (His campaign declined to say whether the meeting had taken place.)

In a February interview with the Middle East Initiative at Harvard University , Kushner, a real estate scion married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, said Gaza’s “waterfront property” could be “very valuable”. He also suggested Israel could move civilians out of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, to Israel’s Negev desert while Israeli forces “finish the job” there. Asked about fears that Palestinians who flee Gaza may not be allowed to return, he said: “I am not sure there is much left of Gaza at this point.”

At another point, Kushner described proposals to give the Palestinians their own state as a “super bad idea” that “would essentially be rewarding an act of terror”.

Miller recalled a 2017 conversation with Kushner in which Kushner outlined three key pillars of Trump’s Middle East policy that Miller believes would extend to a second term.

They were, according to Miller, to make it “impossible” for an Israeli prime minister to say no to Trump, develop “strategic partnerships” with the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia; and to create a “whole new paradigm for how to deal with the Palestinian issue”.

If Trump returns to the White House next year, Miller expects little change in his approach: “I think that his foreign policy will continue to be chaotic, transactional and opportunistic.”

Biden v Trump: What’s in store for the US and the world?

On Thursday 2 May, 3-4.15pm ET, join Tania Branigan, David Smith, Mehdi Hasan and Tara Setmayer for the inside track on the people, the ideas and the events that might shape the US election campaign. Book tickets here or at theguardian.live

• Donald Trump
• US foreign policy
• Palestinian territories
• Benjamin Netanyahu
• Middle East and north Africa
• Jared Kushner

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Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region .

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival . (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded ). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948 .

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars , killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “ famine-like conditions. ” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave .

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians , including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons , funds aid packages , and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 . Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip .