Perth

Bell Tower

Perth Mint

It was a beautiful sunny 28 degrees - perfect for a taking in the sights of Perth. We drove to Kings Park and then bought a ticket for the City Sightseeing double decker bus which you can hop on and off at various locations. We thought it would be a novel way for the kids to enjoy the city attractions. There were lots of building projects underway including a new entertainment centre, underground railway and residential development. Our first stop was Barrack Square on the river which is also where the ferry terminals are located. The very modern Bell Tower contains bells dating from the 16th century from London's St Martin-in-the-Fields church. The bells were given to the people of Western Australia to commemorate Australia's bicentenary in 1988. There were great views from the 6th floor and the kids enjoyed watching a group who were practising playing. We went for a walk along the esplanade and caught the bus to the Perth Mint where we did a tour to watch a gold pouring demonstration and discover the value of our weight in gold. The mint was founded as a colonial branch of Britain's Royal Mint in June 1899 to refine gold discovered in WAs eastern goldfields and turn it into sovereigns. Today it produces precious metal and commemorative coins. After completing the city tour which took us out to the Burswood Entertainment Complex and other various points of interest we went back to Kings Park and did the Tree-Top walkway and botanic gardens. We all think Perth is a very impressive city. It has a very laid back atmosphere and the pristine parklands are amazing.