The Sunday Times May 22, 2022 15Water bikes at
Rottnest Island
and, main,
Cottesloe Beachcountry, but it maintains its small-town
credentials.
The vineyards to the south and
untrammelled beaches give it a relaxed,
quirky vibe. It also has a fabulous music
and arts scene; the comedian Tim
Minchin and members of the psychedelic
rock band Tame Impala grew up here.
During my teens it was all beach bonfires
and house parties; a quiet suburbia I
wanted to escape. In the pandemic it
was a haven, with easily enough nightlife
and experiences to keep me entertained
during a three-month stay.
Rottnest Island has always been one
of Perth’s biggest draws, a sinewy slice
of paradise seven miles long by three
miles wide and a 30-minute ferry ride
from Fremantle Harbour. The past two
years have seen fun additions here,
including the chance to tour the island
by water bike — a contraption that looks
like a gym bike mounted on a kayak-
shaped inflatable (aquaplayrottnest.
com.au; from £20). I started by going
around in circles but eventually mastered
the machine with the help of Haylee, our
instructor, who patiently re-explained the
mechanics so I could join two others in
the group already speeding off ahead.
Approach Rottnest by ferry and you
can’t miss the newly developed Hotel
Rottnest, with its buzzing bar and pool
hugging the coast. But I was relieved toNorthbridge, is a good central base. Even
here you’re not far from the outdoors,
with its red jarrah-wood floorboards
and wallpaper featuring red-tailed black
cockatoos bringing a local flavour. If you
are not staying, the squid-ink risotto and
the 18th-floor rooftop bar, with 360-
degree views, are worth stopping for
(B&B doubles from £175; qthotels.com).
While the overground train can get you
to Perth’s main spots, to see it all a car, or
at least an Uber account, is a must. Each
neighbourhood has its highlights, but if
you want to meet the locals, Leederville’s
bowls club is the place for chatting over
cheap beer and pop-up food stalls; buy
a drink and play for free (leederville
sportingclub.com.au).
As I was preparing to leave
Western Australia to return
to the UK in February,
venues were popping
up and preparing for
Fringe World, one of
the largest fringe arts
festivals. I watched a
drag and burlesque show
with a distinct feeling of
being in the world’s bunker.
“We are in the safest place on
the planet right now,” the MC said, to
cheers from the audience. Of course
without international performers or
visitors it was a different affair, but this
celebration of art made me hopeful for
the world beyond the pandemic. Perth
is a window into my past and future, and
being here was a reminder of what we’ve
all been fighting for: getting our lives back
so that we can enjoy simple pleasures.
I’m pretty sure Rottnest’s grinning
quokkas would agree.Poppy Damon was a guest of Tourism
Western Australia (westernaustralia.
com). Fifteen nights’ room only from
£4,570pp, including flights and transfers
(audleytravel.com). Luxe Island Seafood
Cruise from £185pp (rottnestcruises.com)find the island otherwise unchanged:
families still cycle from beach to beach,
self-catering is the norm and the quokkas
are still willing to pose for selfies.
On the mainland Perth has changed,
though, and Boola Bardip, the
extraordinary state museum, is
particularly impressive (free; visit
museum.wa.gov.au). Boola Bardip
translates from the Noongar Aboriginal
language as “many stories”, and the
museum takes in the natural beauty of
Western Australia in imaginative ways,
including a film that merges information
about the Milky Way and indigenous tales.
The city has also embraced wellness
experiences such as “tree bathing” —
an opportunity to meditate and
relieve stress by observing
nature (from £68; mindful
forestbathing.com.au). I
joined a three-hour walk
at Kings Park and Botanic
Garden, facing the Swan
River; my guide, Belinda,
was dressed in the Aussie
version of a Stetson hat and
gumboots. It wasn’t about
aimlessly meandering through
the greenery: I scrunched leaves
for the smells as a form of aromatherapy
and drank herbal tea in the shade.
I admit I balked at being asked to
introduce myself to a tree, but even this
cynic found inner peace while resting
a hand on a 100ft-tall lemon-scented
eucalyptus, likely to have been planted
in the 1940s. It was a grounding moment
after two years of chaos.
I took sanctuary too at the
uncrowded Olympic-length outdoor
pool in Claremont, in the west of the
city, but Perth’s beaches also beckoned.
Cottesloe is always my top choice, not
just for its buttermilk sands and teahouse
café, but also for the reassurance of the
beach’s shark net.
The QT Perth hotel, right by the State
Theatre Centre and the nightlife ofCottesloe is my
favourite beach,
not least for its
reassuring
shark netTREK THE CAPE TO CAPE TRACK
The Cape to Cape Track is
arguably Australia’s greatest
long-distance trail, above.
It slinks along 80 miles of
coastline in Western Australia,
from capes Naturaliste to
Leeuwin. This is where the
Indian and Southern oceans
bash heads, so expect
spectacular surf breaks as well
as rest breaks on deserted
beaches. At other times soaring
karri forests will provide some
shade and vertiginous sea cliffs
a welcome breeze. Spend four
days hiking in a small guided
group and a day canoeing
down the minty perfection of
Margaret River before a final
two nights of five-star R&R at
the award-winning Cape Lodge
country-house hotel.
Details Seven nights from
£5,675pp, including flights,
car hire, some meals and
tours (lightfoottravel.com)CRUISE THE KIMBERLEY COAST
The Kimberley is like a parallel
universe, with blindingly white
beaches, Tiffany-blue oceans
and wind-whipped orange
boulders. You’ll marvel at the
ethereal rock art at Freshwater
Cove, see Mitchell Falls by
helicopter and take Zodiac
expeditions into serene gorges
and mangrove forests. And then
there’s your cruise ship: both
exo (slang for excellent) and exy
(expensive), featuring 92
contemporary suites with
private balconies, an infinity
pool, a spa, below right, two
restaurants and the Blue Eye
— a multisensory underwater
lounge with portholes looking
out on the marine life and
projections across its walls from
three underwater cameras.
Details Twelve nights’ full board
from £12,499pp, including
flights and excursions
(abercrombiekent.co.uk)DIVE ON AUSTRALIA’S BEST REEF
Great Barrier Reef? Nah, mate
— it’s all about Ningaloo these
days. This ribbon of reef runs for
186 miles along the coast from
Exmouth to Red Bluff, and is
home to more than 300 coral
and nearly 500 fish species.
In fact it is so rich in wildlife that
you’ll get blasé about bumping
into turtles and manta rays.
Split your time between Perth;
Sal Salis, an eco-chic tented
camp a few feet from a pristine
Exmouth beach; and the Shore
Thing, a catamaran with cabins
whose captain tracks the
wildlife; you might even get to
dive with humpback whales.
Details Ten nights from
£4,995pp, including flights,
car hire and most meals
(turquoiseholidays.co.uk)WILDLIFE AND WINE DOWN SOUTH
You can’t miss out on the wines
of the Margaret River region,
but it would be a shame not to
explore further along the coast
too. So drive to Esperance,
a remote seaside resort thatpunches well above its weight
in wow factor — in a country
where choosing the best
beach is a bit of a Ronaldo-or-
Messi argument, Lucky Bay
usually comes out tops here
because you sunbathe
alongside kangaroos. There’s
also time for a stop in Albany,
a historic maritime town
where you can visit old jails
and taverns, whaling ships and
the original settlers’ cottages.
Details Fourteen nights’
B&B from £3,590pp,
including flights and car
hire (audleytravel.com)OUTBACK ROAD TRIP UP NORTH
The open road and motorhome
is a match made in heaven,
and the barbie area of an
Outback campground is a
great place to swap tales. This
road trip takes in the Pinnacles
Desert, with its otherworldly
limestone formations, as well
as Kalbarri for spectacular cliff
walks, Monkey Mia, where you
can swim with wild dolphins,
and Geraldton, the wildflower
capital, in full bloom between
July and October. By the time
you sling on your last rock
lobster you’ll be talking like
Crocodile Dundee.
Details Fourteen nights from
£2,629pp, including flights,
11 days’ motorhome hire and
some meals (trailfinders.com)
Susan d’Arcy5
OTHER WAYS TO SEE
WESTERN AUSTRALIAMICHAEL WILLIS, RANDOM LIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY; KRISTINA LINDBERG, ALLAN BAXTER/GETTY IMAGES; ROTTNEST ISLAND AUTHORITY