Perth is the capital of Western Australia. Perth is a very vibrant and modern city situated on the Swan River and only a few kilometres from the beaches, Perth enjoys a Mediterranean climate with more hours of sunshine than any other Australian capital.

The beautiful city of Perth overlooks the vast and tranquil waters of the Swan River, which flows down from the Darling Ranges. Perth has a series of gardens, parks and reserves. Kings Park, just a short walk from the city centre is a bush parkland with views of the city and the river. The 400-hectare parkland is situated around the green slopes Mt Eliza and is a dramatic contrast with Perth's skyline and the distant blue hills of the Darling Ranges.

Perth was founded in 1829 and grew very slowly until the 1850’s when convicts were shipped to the city to alleviate the labour shortage. Many of the buildings in Perth were built from the hands of convicts including Perth’s Town Hall and Government House. In recent times, the mineral wealth of Western Australia has helped Perth grow and spread into suburbs.

The bustling seaport of Fremantle lies 19km south west of Perth where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean. Fremantle offers a rich fabric of Australian heritage, a lively arts and crafts scene, sophisticated cafes and restaurants and a vibrant multicultural scene. A visit to the town of Fremantle will definitely be a highlight of your trip to Western Australia if you leave enough time to explore the town and soak up the atmosphere.

Approximately 20km off the coast is the sandy island of Rottnest Island, which the locals call ‘Rotto’. Its crystal clear beaches and bays are perfect for swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing, windsurfing, boating and fishing. There are no cars on the island so transportation is by foot or bicycle. The island is only 11km long and a maximum of 5km across.

The state of Western Australia is the biggest state in Australia and therefore will have the biggest climate changes throughout the state. There is three main climatic zones in the state, which are Tropical, Semi-Arid and Mediterranean.

The tropical zone is found in the north of the state where the climate is characterised by the Dry and the Wet seasons. This area is known for monsoonal rains during the wet season with the occasional cyclone hitting the region about once every 1-2 years. The Semi-Arid zone is in the central part of the state where the area is mostly covered by deserts. The south of the state is the Mediterranean zone, where there is little rainfall in the summer and the winds are hot and dry except with the occassional afternoon coastal sea breeze. Winter brings the southern region cold fronts and low pressure zones which brings rainfall for the agricultural regions.