A glimpse from our trip
One from our own Australia archive — Brisbane's skyline across the water.
We flew into Perth from Singapore as part of a huge around-the-world trip with friends — a couple of nights in the world's most geographically isolated major city, a private taxi driver for a personal city tour, and a gentle introduction to the vastness of Australia before the East Coast, Uluru and everything else that was to come.
Perth was where our Australian chapter began — flying in from Singapore, the first stop on Australian soil as part of a huge around the world trip with friends. A couple of nights in the most geographically isolated major city on earth was the gentle way to ease into Australia before the big-hitting adventures further east.
We hired a private taxi driver who gave us a personal city tour of Perth and its surrounds — a really lovely way to get oriented in a city that spreads out over such a wide area. Being driven around by someone who actually knew the city made it an easy, relaxed introduction.
Our impression was that Perth was pleasant, clean and sunny, although it felt a little quieter and less characterful to us than some of the places that came later. As a first Australian stop, though, it was an easy way to settle into the trip.
One of the largest inner-city parks in the world, with sweeping views over the Swan River and the Perth skyline.
The famous Indian Ocean beach — pristine white sand and one of the best sunset spots in Western Australia.
The historic port town just south of Perth — beautiful colonial architecture, markets and a distinct character.
A short ferry from Fremantle — home to the famously photogenic quokkas and gorgeous beaches.
Western Australia's oldest wine region, an easy day trip from central Perth.
The waterfront precinct in the city centre — bars, restaurants and the modern face of Perth.
Rottnest Island, Fremantle tours, Swan Valley wine tastings and more:
Disclosure: If you book through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Perth was where our Australian adventure began. Get a feel for Western Australia's capital with Drive From Home, then jump into the Perth virtual drive and explore the city from the road.
Common questions
What to pack for Australia
A few useful essentials for an Australia adventure — especially for sun, heat and long travel days.
Disclosure: These are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
This is just one stop on the huge Australian adventure. See how it all connects — the East Coast, the Red Centre, the reef, the cities and everything in between.
Affiliate disclosure: if you book through our links we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. We only share links we think may be useful when planning your trip.
Our Queensland travels gave us two completely different sides of Australia: Brisbane, built around its river and subtropical city life, and Daydream Island in the Whitsundays — beaches, wildlife and proper tropical-island scenery.
One from our own Australia archive — Brisbane's skyline across the water.
Brisbane's river is one of the things that gives the city its identity. South Bank is the obvious place to slow down, walk the riverside and enjoy the subtropical feel of Queensland without having to leave the centre.
The river winds through the heart of the city and makes riverside walking and ferries part of the Brisbane experience.
Parklands, restaurants and cultural attractions sit directly across the river from the CBD.
Brisbane doesn't need to be attacked with a massive checklist. The centre, riverfront and South Bank can be combined comfortably, with the City Botanic Gardens adding another green space close to the CBD.
It also works naturally as a gateway to more of south-east Queensland, which is why it fits so well into a wider Australian itinerary rather than feeling like an isolated city break.
After the city, Daydream Island gave us the tropical Australia we'd imagined — island views, beaches, wildlife and the blue water of the Whitsundays. These are all from our own trip.
One trip, two very different Queensland memories: Brisbane gave us the city; Daydream Island gave us the tropical escape.
Brisbane is in the Drive From Home collection, so you can explore the city virtually before a trip or revisit it afterwards.
Browse current Brisbane activities and day trips below. These are planning ideas and don't imply that we personally took the exact experiences displayed.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Brisbane was one chapter in a much bigger Australia adventure.
We flew into Perth from Singapore as part of a huge around-the-world trip with friends — a couple of nights in the world's most geographically isolated major city, a private taxi driver for a personal city tour, and a gentle introduction to the vastness of Australia before the East Coast, Uluru and everything else that was to come.
Perth was where our Australian chapter began — flying in from Singapore, the first stop on Australian soil as part of a huge around the world trip with friends. A couple of nights in the most geographically isolated major city on earth was the gentle way to ease into Australia before the big-hitting adventures further east.
We hired a private taxi driver who gave us a personal city tour of Perth and its surrounds — a really lovely way to get oriented in a city that spreads out over such a wide area. Being driven around by someone who actually knew the city made it an easy, relaxed introduction.
Our impression was that Perth was pleasant, clean and sunny, although it felt a little quieter and less characterful to us than some of the places that came later. As a first Australian stop, though, it was an easy way to settle into the trip.
One of the largest inner-city parks in the world, with sweeping views over the Swan River and the Perth skyline.
The famous Indian Ocean beach — pristine white sand and one of the best sunset spots in Western Australia.
The historic port town just south of Perth — beautiful colonial architecture, markets and a distinct character.
A short ferry from Fremantle — home to the famously photogenic quokkas and gorgeous beaches.
Western Australia's oldest wine region, an easy day trip from central Perth.
The waterfront precinct in the city centre — bars, restaurants and the modern face of Perth.
Rottnest Island, Fremantle tours, Swan Valley wine tastings and more:
Disclosure: If you book through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Perth was where our Australian adventure began. Get a feel for Western Australia's capital with Drive From Home, then jump into the Perth virtual drive and explore the city from the road.
Common questions
What to pack for Australia
A few useful essentials for an Australia adventure — especially for sun, heat and long travel days.
Disclosure: These are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
This is just one stop on the huge Australian adventure. See how it all connects — the East Coast, the Red Centre, the reef, the cities and everything in between.
Affiliate disclosure: if you book through our links we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. We only share links we think may be useful when planning your trip.