When family & friends visit, we’ll help you be the tour guide

WA is the fastest-growing State in the country, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. One new person has been arriving to settle here about every six minutes. And when family and friends come to visit this summer holiday, lots of new West Australians will expected to be instant tour guides. And in our Travel supplement today, we have 35 suggestions for keeping everyone happy. This phenomenon of visiting friends and relatives is a big segment of travel worldwide. In the travel industry it’s simply known as “VFR”. “VFR arrivals are forecast to reach above their pre-pandemic level in 2024, then trend higher over the forecast horizon to reach 3.7 million arrivals in 2028,” says Tourism Research Australia’s report, Tourism Forecasts for Australia 2023 to 2028. Look out. Here come those visitors. But help is at hand. . . 10 HIGHLIGHTS BREAKFAST BY THE RIVER You have two choices here. Matilda Bay has lots of trees for shade, but South Perth would be just as good. There aren’t as many trees, but you can hire Funcats (mini catamarans) and take to the water. Or there’s a lovely long pathway for a walk along the shoreline. Either way, get up and out early, pack a picnic breakfast, and take in that magnificent view of the city skyline. If bacon and eggs is more your thing, you can cook up a storm at the free barbecues at either site. SWAN RIVER CRUISE Forget wine cruises and dinner cruises — we’re talking the basic Captain Cook Cruises, two hours and 45 minutes Swan River cruise. The Captain Cook cruise leaves from Barrack Street Jetty at Elizabeth Quay in Perth and takes in the sights between our City of Light and Fremantle, before returning. Guests see the Bell Tower, restored Swan Brewery, Kings Park, Royal Perth Yacht Club, riverside mansions and then the inner harbour — all with a (dare I say “surprisingly”) good commentary for the duration of the cruise. There are refreshments on board. The cruise leaves Barrack Street at 11.15am and 2.15pm. It is $60 for adults, $55 for concessions and students, $39 for children aged 4-12, and free for those younger. A “family” ticket for two adults and two children is $160. HIRE A PEOPLE MOVER We all quite quickly become “specialists” in our own little corner of the world. And when it comes to driving visiting friends and family around, I find its great to be in one comfortable vehicle, so everyone is involved in the same chat, hearing the same stories. My trick is to hire a people mover — and my choice is always the Kia Carnival, with sliding doors either side. It’s so much better than being in two cars (and a lot easier and less expensive to park). FREMANTLE’S WEST END We like to think of Fremantle’s West End as Western Australia’s answer to Paris. This historic precinct, with its more than 250 heritage-listed buildings, boasts the highest concentration of heritage architecture in the State, with many of its structures dating back to the 1890s. Stroll down High Street, with popular stops and unique homewares and jewellery. For a bite to eat, High on 55 (open Monday-Friday from 8am-2.30pm) serves up the best laksa in town, while Common Bakery tempts with its pastries and baked goods. For a well-deserved drink, visit Freo’s famous pirate bar, Darling Darling, for a tipple or two, or head to the rooftop bar at The National Hotel. It’s the perfect spot for a sunset drink with an epic view. SEE AUSTRALIA II If you asked us for one single moment that sums up the West Australian attitude, it was the 12m yacht Australia II crossing the line off Newport, Rhode Island, to win the America’s Cup. Remember, the US had held it for 132 years — it was the biggest win in sporting history. Being in a remote place helps to “wire in” the ability to look after yourself and innovate — and Australia II, built by Steve Ward in The Boat Shed in Cottesloe (yes, it’s now that quality shop) had a winged keel, cleverly within the rules. It is still a thrill to me that we got the actual yacht back, and Australia II is in the WA Maritime Museum in Victoria Quay, Fremantle. The museum is open daily from 9.30am-5pm, and general admission is $15 for adults, $10 for concessions, and free for under-15s. The modern story of WA started from the sea, and all of that story unfolds at the museum. SMALL VENUES Freo’s Patio Bar is all about good times and good vibes. It serves up local lo-fi wines, delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, and its has Swan Draught on tap and a decent selection of craft brews too. Our go-to when it comes to food here? The meatballs in sugo, with a side of the fresh, pillowy focaccia — it’s so darn good. What’s more, there’s often trendy music spinning in the background at Patio, and the outdoor courtyard is the perfect spot for a summery afternoon in Freo. Another small bar with a big vibe is Kokomo’s Livid Skate Cafe that celebrates skate culture, photography and local artists. Here, you can grab a delicious coffee, toastie, wrap or bagel, often served with a side of live local music on the in-house stage. And as the sun sets, Kokomo’s transforms into a relaxed small bar, serving up rustic charcuterie boards, cocktails, beer and wine from a hand-picked selection of West Aussie producers. Ode to Sirens is another favourite venue of ours, playing plays vinyl records from the moment it opens to the moment it shuts. Housed in the historic P&O building on High Street, it’s all about good music and warm hospitality. The Greek-inspired menu and selection of local wines make it a place you’ll want to return to again and again. CAVERSHAM WILDLIFE PARK The amazing Caversham Wildlife Park, in Whiteman Park, is sure to be a big hit with overseas visitors. They can get up close with Australia’s cute native animals including koalas, wallabies and birds — AND there are also daily farm shows that include Aussie bushcraft such as billy-swinging and whip-cracking. JARRAHDALE TAVERN It’s Australiana at its best, with a wide veranda, a beer garden and children’s playground, just outside the historic timber town of Jarrahdale, 45 minutes south-east of Perth. Grab a burger, curry, fish and chips or chicken salad. There are options for all tastes. While you’re out this way, check out the 1872 Heritage Railway Trail, which follows the historic timber tramway. There are two sections — a 9.8km walk and a 4km loop — with picnic spots among wandoo bushland overlooking the Darling Scarp and valley. Just remember to bring water because you’ll work up a sweat. ROTTNEST ISLAND Head to Rottnest Island for a day trip. Rotto’s our favourite “overseas destination” and your visitors are sure to love the beaches, relaxed island atmosphere, and of course, those friendly quokkas. The best way to get around Rotto is on a bike. A loop of the island is about 22km and can be done in three to five hours, depending on how many stops you make at the bays along the way. Alternatively, see the island on a bus tour. There’s a shuttle bus that connects Thomson Bay, Geordie Bay and Kingstown, and you can do a full island loop and hop on and off whenever you like on the Island Explorer bus. Alternatively, you can join the Bayseeker Island Tour for a two-hour tour with commentary about the island’s nature and history. Of course, no visit to Rotto is complete without a visit to the bakery in the settlement or, if you prefer, a beachside lunch at Thomson Bay or Pinky Beach. The ferry across from Fremantle takes about half an hour, or about 45 minutes from Hillarys. There are several daily connections. DWELLINGUP DAY OUT A day out in the forest. I’m off down South Western Highway (south of Armadale), then turning east at North Dandalup on to Del Park Road to Dwellingup. The road takes us up the Darling Scarp and through jarrah forest — and Dwellingup is only 70km from Armadale, so none of this is daunting. This timber town is busier than it used to be, as walking and bike trails come together here, but it still has charm and a good pub and visitor centre. Head down to Lane Poole Reserve (you can take the dog), to swim in the Murray River. Dwellingup Adventures hires out canoes and mountain bikes, and there’s Trees Adventure for zipliners. Take a picnic, bathers and anything that floats. If you want to make it a short stay, there’s camping (spots have to be pre-booked online at parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au) and cottage, cabin and other accommodation. + Read the full list of 35 suggestions in today’s Travel Special Edition. And there’s the full versions of these 12 highlights. + And also in Travel, there’s a link to our free two-week, day-by-day itinerary.