Perth, Australia

[Scott Walker]

It appears I will have to be in Perth for 3 days early June 2014 & likely will stay another 2 weeks to make a bit of a vacation out of it.
Which would be better for weather, last 2 weeks of May or first 2 weeks of June, or will it make much difference.

Looking for a location in Western Oz to call home for a couple of weeks.
Something close to the ocean, small town, and located within a 3-4 hour drive of cool places to see.

Stuff we enjoy doing, diving, snorkeling, sailing, surfing, hiking, mountain biking.
Not sure if I will be packing the 8x10 but the RB 67 will be coming along for sure.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Scott Walker]

Not sure how I managed to get this in the wrong thread but I will ask to have it moved

[Tim Meisburger]

Go south! I loved it there. Definately take the 8x10, as you can easily rent a car, if you are comfortable driving on the wrong side of the road (its not difficult, as the steering is on the right). We dove Busselton Pier (and the aquarium in Perth), but if you are there at the right time you can go north and dive with whale sharks. Along the south coast to Albany is wine country.

Man, I love that place, and would retire there if I could.

[David Swinnard]

Can't help you with a quiet place to stay - we stayed at the downtown Perth YHA. But, if you have a car and the time you HAVE TO see the "Pinnacles". North of Perth by a couple of hours. The colours, yellow rocks and sand, and blue skies with a few clouds are worth the trip - even for B/W.

I didn't have any film cameras along (due to serious luggage restraints dictated by a later portion of the trip). The Pinnacles were a major highlight of our three weeks in Australia (Tasmania, as a whole, another)

[polyglot]

Go north! ;) Seriously though, Cervantes is beautiful and you should absolutely go see The Pinnacles (https://www.google.com.au/search?q=pinnacles+cervantes&tbm=isch); be there before dawn.

Busselton and that surrounding area is nice, but it's not (IMHO) particularly distinctive or anything that you won't see in a whole bunch of other places around the world. It's also a total tourist-trap around Margaret River.

May/June weather is fickle; early is (probably) slightly better. Expect cool mornings and clear afternoons or all-day windy downpours. More south = more rain.

You could reasonably use Perth as a base (e.g Fremantle or a cheap/boring suburb) and take daytrips (Toodyay, the Upper Swan wine region, Mundaring) and the occasional 1-2 night trip (Cervantes, Busselton) from there. Perth is actually pretty centrally located for the things worth seeing. Perth and Fremantle are also pretty photogenic in their own right.

You sound fit, so hire a bike in the CBD or at Fremantle. Perth-Fremantle-Upper Swan-Perth is about 150km with dedicated bike-paths for 90% of it and makes a really cool daytrip if your legs are good. Or cut it into halves for more-civilised days and plenty of time to spend lunching at either end.

[DaveS]

I live in Perth.

The coast between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Augusta is pretty special. Cliffs, rocks, beaches, massive waves and forest just back from the beach. The region is geared for tourists but is hardly a "trap". Plenty of ways to keep away from the crowds especially that time of year. Weather can be cold windy and wet can also be dry, crisp and clear. May will be better weather. Days will also be a bit longer but you won't have to get up too early for dawn light.

The south coast around Denmark and Albany is also lovely. The Porongorups, near Denmark are also worth a look.

[Scott Walker]

Looks like there will be lots to keep us entertained close to Perth but the city is way too big for my liking.
Need to find somewhere under 10,000 people with a few good pubs :)
I think I will contact the West Australian Mountain Bike Association as well before we go to get some ideas for trails and where to rent good gear.

[polyglot]

You might like to stay in one of the outer towns then, like Mundaring. It's basically low mountains there and I assume there are mountain bike trails around there; I'm a road-biker though, so I don't know. Mundaring Weir is worth a look. You'd be close enough to Perth to go to all the surrounding sites without being stuck in suburbia or a city.

There are heaps of southern coastal towns that fit your requirements small+pub requirements. The southern coast is IMHO better than the western coast, but it's a lot further to travel.

You still have to start in Cervantes though ;)