Street Art | Postcards From Here and There

4 Days in Perth

Perth in Western Australia may well be regarded as the worlds most isolated city which makes all the more reason for making the most of a visit here. It has so much to offer and is such a chilled and relaxed place that you should aim for at least a four day visit and maybe longer if you have the time. This gives you time to not only explore the city itself but also to get out and explore the wider city region. Here’s what we managed to do in four days, its a fairly relaxed itinerary and is by no means exhaustive, there is plenty more to see and do if you have the time or different interests. Whatever you choose to do you won’t be disappointed, Perth is a truly wonderful place and I can’t wait to go back there.

TAKE A WALKING TOUR

I always try to do a walking tour soon after arriving in a city. You get the benefit of local knowledge and in many places you have a choice of tours to suit your particular interests. Two Feet & a Heartbeat undertake a two hour tour of the Central Business District that includes historic buildings, alleys and lane ways, street art and concludes with a welcoming cold beer in Yagan Square. Tours are around two hours in duration, start times and frequency depends on the particular tour you choose.

KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN

A visit to Kings Park is a must for a perfect view of the city below you. you can walk there in around 45 minutes from the CBD including a climb of the 242 steps of Jacobs Ladder depending on the route you choose. For the less energetic you can catch a bus (935) from St Georges Terrace right to the park and what’s more its free and fairly frequent. As well as the perfect viewing point you will find an information centre, café and the botanic gardens of Western Australia which are well worth a visit.

ROTTNEST ISLAND

Rottnest island sits in the ocean 11Km west of Fremantle. It make for a perfect day trip from Perth and is a very popular destination in the summer months. We booked a trip with Rottnest Express which included bike hire so we could explore the whole island during our visit. Ferries leave Elizabeth Quay early in the morning for a very pleasant cruise along the Swan River to Fremantle where it collects the remainder of its passengers.

Collect your bike as you disembark at the ferry terminal on Rottnest, its very busy close to the terminal but once you get a short distance away you will almost have the road to yourselves.The highlight of any trip is a viewing of Quokkas, small marsupials that can only be found in a small number of locations in Western Australia.

You can return to the terminal for a late afternoon sailing back to Perth, arriving just in time for pre dinner drinks.

FREMANTLE.

The quickest and easiest way to get to Fremantle, at the mouth of the Swan River, from Perth is by train. Trains depart from the main Railway station every 15 minutes, more frequently at rush hour, and the journey takes 30 minutes. You will need at least a full day as there is much to see and do including Fremantle Prison where there are numerous tour options to choose from, Fremantle Markets, Little Creatures Brewery and a whole range of fascinating shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. Its even more chilled and relaxed than Perth and a visit is a must for anyone visiting the area.

SWAN VALLEY WINE TOUR

The Swan Valley wine region is just a short drive north East of Perth and makes for an excellent day out of the city. There are a number of companies that offer day trips which have hotel pick ups and drop offs in the CBD. We chose Out and About Wine Tours, visiting five wineries (Lancaster, Sandalford, Windy Creek, Sittella and Heaford Glen), Elmars micro Brewery and The Margaret River Chocolate Company. Lunch was provided overlooking the vineyards at Sittella. Tours depart fro the city at 10am and return at 5pm.

CRUISE ON THE SWAN RIVER A cruise on the Swan River is a lovely relaxing activity and a great way to get a slightly different perspective of the area. You can take a dedicated cruise with one of the operators from Elizabeth Quay or combine your cruise with another activity. The trip to Rottnest Island includes a cruise downstream to Fremantle and it is possible to cruise up stream as part of the Swan Valley wine experience. Either way its a delightful thing to do.

SEE SOME STREET ART Perth is regarded as the second best city for street art in Australia after Melbourne. I love street art and seek it out wherever I go as the street art scene can tell you an awful lot about a place. Hunting out street art can be time consuming but in Perth you get to see some fine examples on the CBD walking tour with Two Feet and a Heartbeat, especially in the area of Grand Lane.

TRY SOME CRAFT BEER AND NATURAL WINE There are so many options in and around the city its difficult to know where to start. In the CBD the State Building on Barrack Street is a good place to start. Here you will find Petition, a superb craft beer bar. With 18 beers available on tap and many more available by bottle you really are spoilt for choice, what’s more the list on tap changes rteqularly. We arrived late on a Sunday afternoon and there was live music and a lovely atmosphere. What more could you ask for.

In the same building is The Wine Merchant which has a very impressive wine list with bottles on the shelves for you to browse and select, if you prefer just a glass they have about 20 available at any one time. Wines of While is a small wine bar located on William Street in Northbridge. All the wines here are made with minimum intervention and no nasty chemicals. The list is eclectic and fascinating, a real gem and not to be missed by lovers of natural wine. further afield in Fremantle is Little Creatures Brewery and Taproom, great for a c old beer or two after a day spent sight seeing before catching the train back into Perth.

Melbourne Street Art 2

In a previous post I looked at the street art in the area close to Hozier Lane. While wandering around the city, either on a walking tour or independently, I came across other works but sadly didn’t always record the location. To complete the review of the street art in the CBD I thought I’d post the photographs anyway.

Street artist Sunfigo has a number of tape works, such as this lion head, across the city.

48 Hours in Melbourne

Melbourne is one of the worlds greatest cities and is a must for anyone visiting Australia. The problem for many visitors is how to make the most of what may only be a short stay as part of a bigger trip to the country. On. this trip we had two full days to try and get to grips with what is a big city. Our decision was to concentrate on the Central Business District and leave areas such as Fitzroy, Collingwood and St Kilda to another visit, (yes we do hope to be back soon).

Day 1

Breakfast. Coffee is like a religion in Melbourne and the expectation is that every cup will be excellent, bad coffee is not an option. As a result coffee shops try to serve top quality every time. Hash Speciality Coffee at 113 Hardware Street not only serves superb coffee but the breakfasts are somewhat special also. Try the Granola, you won’t be disappointed.

Take the Melbourne Sights free walking tour from I’m Free Walking tours. The tour starts at 10.30 everyday from the steps at the front of the State Library of Victoria. The tour lasts three hours and you tip the guide what you think the tour is worth. It’s a gentle walk with a local guide who is engaging and informative. The tour includes Melbourne Gaol, laneways and arcades, Federation square and finishes on the south bank of the river with superb views of the Melbourne skyline.

From the Southbank its just a short walk back to Degraves Street or Centre Place where you will find numerous and inexpensive options for lunch. Its a busy and bustling places and a great place to people watch as you relax over a cold beer.

For the afternoon head back to Federation Square for a quick look around before going to the Ian Potter Gallery at the National Gallery of Victoria. Here you will find some excellent examples of indigenous art and it is an excellent place to spend a couple of hours.

From the gallery head out to Birrarung Marr. A newly created park on the northern bank of the Yarra River.close to Federation Square. The park is designed over three terraces all of which are linked by an inclined bridge. The park acts as a focal point and supports events such as the Australian Open. The lower level by the river provides for an relaxing stroll and an opportunity to see life on Melbournes famous river.

If you still have the stamina for more sights head back to the Victoria State Library. You can catch a tram as all trams in the designated area of the CBD are free. I’m Free Walking Tours offer a further tour at 6pm every day in the summer months (3pm in the winter). The Culture Capital Tour lasts 90 minutes examines Melbourne’s hidden laneways and culture. Expect to see some very fine street art, learn about coffee culture and discover some out of the way, hidden bars. The tour finishes at AC/DC Lane.

This just gives time for a quick pre dinner drink at the Garden State Hotel (101 Flinders Lane) before heading off to Chin Chin (125 Flinders Lane) for dinner. Chin Chin has become a Melbourne institution and it is always busy. We joined the line outside and were found a table inside 15 minutes. The cuisine is Australian/Thai fusion and the cooking and service are superb. Not necessarily the cheapest but worth every penny. I can’t recommend it enough.

Day 2

With a hotel close by on Little La Trobe Street it was always going to be an easy call to go back to Hardware Street and this time breakfast at the very popular Hardware Society. One of the best breakfasts I have ever had and the coffee was superb, I enjoyed it so much I had to have another!

Having started two walking tours outside its doors today is time to pay a visit inside the State Library of Victoria. This really is an amazing space and is so much more than what most people perceive a library to be. You can see the bushranger Ned Kelly’s suit of armour in the Victoria Gallery but it is the La Trobe reading room which is the jewel in the crown. With its fantastic domed roof and galleries it is a must do in my opinion.

Head on down to the river or catch a tram and make your way across to the Royal Botanic Gardens on the south bank. An oasis of calm and tranquility in a busy city. A fine place to spend an hour, even if you just lie on the grass and look up up at the blue sky.

For the afternoon we joined the Street Art Walking Tour. The tour Starts at 1.30 each day from outside the Museum of the Moving Image on Flinders Street and lasts around three hours visiting places such as Hozier Lane, AC/DC Lane, Duckboard Place and Union Lane. Tours are led by a street artist to give you a personal perspective of the art on view. Melbourne is famous for its street art and this tour lets you see its best up close.

If craft beer or whiskey is your thing then there is no better place than the Boiler Maker House at 209-211 Lonsdale Street. With over 500 whiskeys on offer and some great craft beers its an excellent choice to start the evening. Bar staff are knowledgeable and will help you to choose. The beers were so good I had two or possibly three!

For dinner head to Little Bourke Street where you have three excellent choices all close together. The choices are unapologetically Italian. Tipo 00 (361 Little Bourke Street) is always busy and can be difficult to get a table but is well worth trying. If it proves to be difficult just try its sister restaurant Ostreia Ilaria (367 Little Bourke Street). We had some rather fine octopus here and the deserts were fab. Across the street is +39 Pizzeria where you will find some rather fine traditional thin crust pizzas with the most generous toppings.