Western Australia beautiful sights and luxurious food and wines
Amazing views and culinary delights in Western Australia
The setting sun over Perth, with a view of the Matagarup Bridge on the right, from The Crystal Club, located on the 15th floor of Crown Towers, Western Australia
A dream-like adventure in Western Australia
My awesome dream-like adventure began when I stepped off the plane in Perth, Western Australia.
Stirling Gardens, Perth’s oldest, is a green oasis offering a multitude of flora
I was struck by the wonder of having flown for just under seven hours and then landing in the exact same time zone as when I had left Hong Kong.
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It was an absolute marvel to see the plane’s route on the live flight map, taking a direct path due south to Perth. I literally dropped down into Western Australia!
Perth Station
Arriving with an invitation to “Leave the everyday behind, get away from the well-known and well-trodden and reconnect with something unspoilt in Western Australia.”
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The itinerary provided by Tourism Western Australia included stops from Perth and the Perth Hills to the Margaret River region, to sightsee and taste fine foods paired with the region’s award-winning wines.
Crown Towers located on the Burswood Peninsula, facing the Swan River
The ultimate event on our schedule was a gala to announce and celebrate The World’s 50 Best Vineyards 2025.
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I stayed at the Crown Towers for the first two nights of my trip. The hotel was ideally located on the Burswood Peninsula, facing the Swan River and next to Stadium Park.
Optus Stadium
A short walk along the waterfront park led to the picturesque Matagarup suspension pedestrian bridge and Optus Stadium.
Matagarup Bridge’s organic and elegant profile resembles ribbons and is a design masterpiece, an innovative engineering feat.
Matagarup Bridge spans the Swan River
The landmark spans the Swan River and was built to connect East Perth and the Burswood Peninsula.
Matagarup suspension pedestrian bridge
At night, the bridge is lit with LED lights, making the structure even more striking. From the outdoor terrace of the Crystal Club on the fifteenth floor of the Crown Towers, the bridge looms impressively against the stunning panoramic view of the city as the sun sets.
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A guided walking tour of Perth was the perfect way to learn about the city’s history and development. Adie Chapman, our guide from Oh Hey WA, regaled us with the facts and tales of Perth’s settlement.
Elizabeth Quay, Perth
The finding and extraction of natural resources has dominated Perth’s economic fortunes.
Supreme Court of Western Australia, Perth
The importance of this industry was evident in the branded buildings in the city’s centre, with names such as BHP, Rio Tinto, and Chevron, all companies involved in mining and energy.
State Buildings, Perth, Western Australia
The city has grown significantly in the past decade, and newly built structures share space with classic architecture such as the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the refurbished and restored State Buildings.
Perth’s oldest green oasis is Stirling Gardens
Stirling Gardens, Perth’s oldest, is a green oasis offering a multitude of flora, including the kangaroo paw, a native plant from southwest Western Australia, famous for its furry, claw-shaped flowers that resemble a kangaroo’s paw.
Kangaroo paw, a native plant at Stirling Gardens, Perth
Throughout the tour, public and street art colourfully adorned surfaces and spaces. A huge street art mural by Ketones 6000 (@ketones6000) was impressive for its sheer size, covering the whole side of a building.
Street art mural by Ketones6000, Perth, Western Australia
A bronze statue titled “The Mob” Kangaroos on the Terrace, at Supreme Court Gardens, was a fun photo opportunity with replicas of Australia’s famous marsupials.
A bronze statue of Australia’s famous marsupial, titled “The Mob” Kangaroos on the Terrace, at Supreme Court Gardens
A set of towering green cactus-like sculptures titled Grow Your Own, across from Perth Station, added a comical, whimsical interruption to the urbanised landscape.
Green cactus-like sculptures titled Grow Your Own (2011), across from Perth Station
The tour to Perth Hills began with a stop at Lake Leschenaultia in Chidlow. The lake is an easy forty-five-minute drive from the city to this quiet recreation area.
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A gentle and flat two-kilometre walk around the lake to see the native trees, wildflowers and ducks takes less than an hour.
Lake Leschenaultia, in the scenic bushland of Perth Hills
The lake’s rest area offers The Flackyard, an innovative restaurant offering unique flavours of bush foods and beverages.
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Operated by Nik and Em Flack, co-owners who have teamed up to create a menu infused with local ingredients and bush foods.
Sugar cane, bottle brush gel with green ant, part of the Bush Tucker Board at The Flackyard
Their multi-course degustation menus start with a bush tucker board. I had a taste of their many samples, and my favourites were the sugar cane with bottle brush gel with green ants and the fish skin crackers, enthusiastically prepared by Nik.
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Em prepared accompanying non-alcoholic beverages, and among the many sweet and savoury cocktails she concocted, the Sky Chai, made with anise myrtle, quandong, dandelion root, vanilla, cinnamon myrtle, nutmeg, damiana, chicory, cardamom and cloves, infused macadamia milk, was a warm and most soothing treat.
Warm and herby Sky Chai on offer at The Flackyard
The personal passion for culinary innovation, the commitment to remaining truly connected to the regional offerings and circumstances of the native land, and a sincere reverence for the Aboriginal peoples as the traditional custodians of Western Australia, exemplified by Nik and Em at the Flackyard, were everyday observations at all the businesses I visited.
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Meeting people who were striving to pioneer something unique and who loved what they did was so very refreshing and invigorating.
Zinfandel 2015 at Lion Mill Vineyards
At Lion Mill Vineyards, I met Gavin Blair, who told me how he gave up his corporate job, left city life, and bought this small property so his family could live and work together on the land in the countryside.
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As he poured his award-winning Zinfandel and offered tastings of his small production wines, he beamed with pride.
Their passion for culinary innovation is so refreshing and invigorating
I saw the same fervour and dogged determination at Beelu Forest Distilling Company.
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While Nenad Djurdjevic detailed how the purest mineral-rich Saprock filtered water creates the distinct profile of his gin, he was glowing with satisfaction as he went on to tell of the multiple trials and tribulations of perfecting a formulation for his black coffee flavoured liqueur and the cooperation he gained from neighbours who supply the local lemons for their delicious Limoncello.
Black coffee flavoured liqueur and Limoncello made at Beelu Forest Distilling Company
Eric and Lucy Radicce of La Fattoria told of their resolve and vision to create a unique destination that stays true to its Sicilian heritage of good food, wine, and family.
Vermentino 2022 at La Fattoria
Their planting and cultivation of ancient Italian varietals such as Fiano, Montepulciano and Vermentino is part of their desire to maintain those traditions.
The lush vineyards of La Fattoria, Perth Hills
Opening their home to guests to relax and linger over a long lunch called Nonna’s Family Table, with Italian-inspired, locally sourced, seasonal produce, is their family’s tribute to Eric’s nonna.
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A lunch and a tour of the Amaroo Retreat & Spa showed that luxurious getaways are readily available in the surrounds of the Perth Hills.
Semi dehydrated Carnarvon tomatoes and Landsdale strawberries, La Delizia Latticini stracciatella, shiso, at Amaroo Retreat & Spa
The facility looked utterly inviting and sumptuous. Their lunch menu was fabulously light and healthy – precisely what is expected from a spa retreat.
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On my third day, I travelled to the Margaret River region. This renowned wine-growing area of Australia is well known to me, as I have had many lovely wines from there, and I welcomed the opportunity to see and learn about this region in person.
Pullman Bunker Bay Resort & Spa
My accommodation for my two-night stay was at the Pullman Bunker Bay Resort & Spa. The hotel’s location was spectacular.
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Alongside the pounding surf and aquamarine blue waters of Bunker Bay, it is secluded enough that you don’t hear any traffic. Mornings, songbirds awakened me; evenings, I was shone upon by twinkling starlight.
The beach at Pullman Bunker Bay Resort & Spa
For sightseeing, the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and a short walk along the Cape to Cape Track offered a brief overview of the region’s unique features.
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The story and history of the lighthouse provided context for its construction to warn ships off the treacherous Cape coastline.
Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse along the Cape to Cape Track, Western Australia
Dozens of shipwreck attests to the need for this beacon of light.
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The natural wonder at Ngilgi Cave showed how the land was uniquely formed. It is one of over 100 limestone caves in the region that formed within the last two million years.
Ngilgi Cave, Western Australia
Wind, water and time exposed caverns, and water drips left behind crystals that formed into beautiful shapes. Descending into the cave was breathtaking, with haunting echoes like those in a large, vaulted cathedral.
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Margaret River is the jewel in Western Australia’s culinary crown. Home to 220 wineries, 100 cellar doors (tasting rooms), and award-winning restaurants with vineyards, I anticipated innovative cuisine and flavours.
Vineyards in Margaret River
My expectations were well exceeded!
At Hay Shed Hill, in the Wilyabrup Valley, their rustico restaurant served delectable tapas paired with their single-vineyard wines.
Abroholos Island Scallops, pears, and house duck jamon, paired with 2024 Hay Shed Hill Block 6 Chardonnay at rustico at Hay Shed Hill
The 2024 Hay Shed Hill Block 6 Chardonnay was offered with plates of scallops, rock lobster, and octopus.
Their 2021 Hay Shed Hill Nebbiolo was served with crispy pork belly and sherry cream mushrooms.
Crispy pork belly at rustico at Hay Shed Hill
The notes and subtle nuances of the wines were ideally suited to this Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Confit of fennel with ricotta and sugar snap pea at Masseria Restaurant
Italian inspiration was on show at Masseria Restaurant. Named after a masseria, a fortified farmhouse commonly found on estates in the Italian region of Puglia, the restaurant unveiled casual Italian-Mediterranean cuisine with a distinctive Australian twist, featuring locally sourced produce.
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A wide selection of their à la carte menu included chunky focaccia bread, classic meatballs, arancini, fennel confit, and a meaty sirloin on the bone. My meal was paired with a Negroni made with sparkling wine.
Voyager Estate in Margaret River
The grand Voyager Estate was the perfect finale for my visit to Margaret River. An expansive property, the estate has its own rose and kitchen gardens, ideal for photo opportunities and leisurely strolls.
One of the original Margaret River wine estates is a signature destination for culinary enthusiasts.
Seared scallops at the Voyager Estate
Their dining rooms are stunningly decorated, reminiscent of old European castles and chateaus. A wine pairing with lunch was thoughtfully and thoroughly detailed, with exceptional service and efficiency.
The stunning dining room at Voyager Estate
Their 2020 Sparkling Chenin Blanc presented a wonderful aperitif to our meal.
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A superb sparkling rose in a remarkable pale garnet tone was delicate to the eyes and palette.
A superb sparkling rose at Voyager Estate
A stop in Fremantle, on the way back to Perth Airport, reminded me that Australia is a land of many immigrants who brought their traditions and flavours to their new home.
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At a stop for dinner at Emily Taylor Bar & Kitchen, Asian flavours are blended with those from the West.
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The lobster and manjimup truffle dumplings were a new twist on the classic Cantonese har gow dumpling of dim sum menus.
Lobster and manjimup truffle dumplings with a passion fruit Negroni cocktail at Emily Taylor, Fremantle
A passion fruit Negroni fused new flavours, creating an innovation on a classic cocktail.
Back in Hong Kong, recalling the trip, I conclude that Western Australia is a place of natural wonders, supernatural contrasts and rare experiences; a truly dreamlike place to explore.
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It is a wonderful place for discovering destination treasures, best enjoyed with an adventurous band of merry mates, like the one I had the opportunity to travel with.
Text and photos Cammy Yiu
