Perth, Fremantle and Rottnest Island are great destinations with their own unique attractions.  To me, Perth is just another capital city, with the usual kind of city attractions such as an aquarium, Kings Park, a Zoo, Museums and a Mint.  Everything is relatively close by.  Fremantle has more museums including a good Maritime museum and an excellent tour of the old Fremantle Prison.  Fremantle has more of a relaxed 'olden days' atmosphere than the city.  You can catch a ferry from Fremantle or Perth to Rottnest Island.

The Fremantle Prison is not used anymore, but has amazing stories going back to the old days when Australia was full of outlaws and convicts!  Here the history of Western Australia will jump out and you'll soon realise that things have changed a lot in the past 150 years.  'Moondyne Joe' who grew up in the UK was sentenced to prison in Western Australia for stealing bread, meat and cheese.  He got quite a name for himself after numerous escape attempts, and has gone down in history and folklore with the likes of Ned Kelley.  At Fremantle prison you can see his old prison cell and hear his story.

Rottnest Island is very popular for its beaches, holiday atmosphere, bike riding, snorkeling and history.  Book ahead if you want to stay overnight.  When you arrive you can get around the island on foot, bike or a bus service that circles continuously around the island.  Rotto is about 10km long and 5km wide.  You can collect a map in the town center that shows where everything is.  If you have snorkel gear, bring it along to have a look at the underwater world.  Just be careful of any currents and make sure someone is looking out for you.  The little Quokka's seem to be just about everywhere and many are quite tame.

Perth skyline from Kings Park

Highlights for me were:

- Snorkeling at Rottnest Island

- Tour of  Freemantle Prison.

Negatives.

- One way streets in Freemantle are confusing.

- Parking tickets required everywhere in Freemantle, you are constantly buying a new one.