The Best Sight in Perth, Western Australia

Background Illustration for Sights

Because of its relative colonial youth, Perth has an advantage over most other capital cities in that it was laid out with foresight. Streets were planned so that pedestrian traffic could flow smoothly from one avenue to the next, and this compact city remains easy to negotiate on foot. Many points of interest are in the downtown area close to the banks of the Swan River, while shopping arcades and pedestrian malls are a short stroll away.

The city center (CBD, or Central Business District), a pleasant blend of old and new, runs along Perth's major business thoroughfare, St. Georges Terrace, as well as on parallel Hay and Murray streets.

AQWA: The Aquarium of Western Australia

Hillarys

Huge, colorful aquariums filled with some 400 different species of local sea creatures—including sharks that are 13 feet long—from along the 12,000 km (7,456 miles) of Western Australia's variable coastline are the fascinating draws of this boutique aquarium in northern Perth. Sharp-toothed sharks, stingrays, turtles, and schools of fish swim overhead as you take the moving walkway beneath a transparent acrylic tunnel. You can even do a guided snorkel or scuba dive with the sharks; bookings are essential. Perhaps most interesting is the change in habitats and species as you move from colder, southern waters to the tropics of Western Australia's north. AQWA boasts one of the largest living coral reef displays in the world—check it out from above and then below in the underwater gallery. Other highlights include the rare sea dragons and DANGERzone, featuring a deadly lineup of sea creatures.

Age minimums apply for some activities.

91 Southside Dr., Perth, WA, 6025, Australia
08-9447–7500
Sight Details
From A$19

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