Australia is home to hundreds of thousands of species of animals, and no trip Down Under would be complete without meeting some of these wonderful creatures. And in Perth, there is no shortage of places you can go to do so.
Caversham Wildlife Park
Owned and run by the Caversham family for over 30 years, the Caversham Wildlife Park is known for their interactive experiences with the more than 2,000 animals spread out across the property. And even better, all these experiences and more are part of the standard ticket price, so you won’t have to think twice about doing them.
You can meet with koalas, cuddle wombats, feed kangaroos yourselves, and catch a performance of their Farm Show and get a sense of true blue Aussie farm life. Throughout all these encounters, strike up a conversation with the keepers, who are passionate about their charges and happy to talk to you about them. However you end up spending your time here, you can be sure it’ll be an experience you won’t forget.
Address: 233B Drumpellier Dr, Whiteman WA 6068, Australia
Opening hours: Daily from 9:30am to 4pm
AQWA - The Aquarium of Western Australia
The Great Barrier Reef might be on the other side of the continent, but you can still marvel at the largest living coral reef exhibit in the world, and all that Australia has to offer in marine wildlife, in the Aquarium of Western Australia. Also home to the longest underwater tunnel in Australia, AQWA is a fantastic place to see all manner of fish, sharks, shellfish and more.
The aquarium also offers several experiences that allow visitors to get a more up close and personal encounters with the animals, from taking a glass-bottomed boat across the aquarium to snorkelling or diving with the sharks, going for a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium to their Dine Beneath the Sea event. With such a wide range of options, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Address: 91 Southside Dr, Hillarys WA 6025, Australia
Opening hours: Daily from 9am to 4pm
Penguin Island
Penguin Island is named for the colony of little penguins who call the island their home. Open every day from 15th September to early June, visitors to the island have the opportunity to encounter the wildlife in many ways, from the 500-strong pelican colony to rare Australian sea lions, as well as the little penguins for whom the island was named. Head on over to the Discovery Centre on the island for a chance to feed the penguins!
Make the most of your trip with a walk through the island’s nature trails, or snorkelling along the coast - you might just get even closer to the animals! Before leaving, enjoy a picnic on the island as you watch the sunset over the horizon.
Rottnest Island
Just a half-hour ferry ride away from Fremantle, 18km off the coast of Western Australia lies Rottnest Island, known to locals as Rotto. The island is an A-class reserve, which is the highest level of protection afforded to public land in Australia. Rotto is home to an abundance of flora and fauna, including its most famous native, the quokkas.
Most animals shy away from humans, but due to the fact that the island’s quokka colony doesn’t have any natural or introduced predators, these adorable, almost cat-like marsupials are very friendly and are happy to take a photo with you. However, as they are protected, it is illegal to touch quokkas, so bring a selfie-stick with you to take the best photos. It’s also illegal to feed them, so be careful if you’re bringing snacks to the island.
Whale watching
And speaking of Rotto, be sure to occasionally turn away from the island’s natives, towards the sea, and you might just catch a pod of whales, either migrating to birthing grounds or coming back with calves in tow.
In April, humpback and southern right whales pass by Rotto on their way up from the Antarctic, to feeding and birthing grounds in the warmer Indian Ocean. And from late August to November in the spring, they pass by Rotto once again, bringing their young back to their icy home.
If you’d rather get closer to the whales, there is no shortage of whale watching tours around Perth from May to December, ranging from a boarding simple ferry ride to sailing in a luxurious catamaran. Whale Watch Western Australia, in particular, are so confident that you’ll see whales on their tour, that they’ll give you a free return trip if you don’t.
With so many possibilities at your fingertips, there’s no way you can’t experience Australia’s animals while you’re in Perth.
