Footy is the major sport in Perth, so get into the spirit and cheer on either of the local teams, the West Coast Eagles or the Fremantle Dockers, at weekly AFL games at Subiaco Oval. Games are so popular that they often sell out well in advance, so plan to purchase your tickets a couple of weeks before the game.

In a country as sun-and-sand-crazy as Australia, Perth makes a legitimate claim as having the best beaches. Cottesloe Beach is Perth’s most famous, with a shaded grassy knoll and plenty of sunseekers in the sand. The only nude beach in Perth is Swanbourne, and it’s perfect for sunbathing with its steep sandy shoreline, secluded from the nearby beaches. The current on all of Perth’s beaches is quite strong as they’re all on the open ocean, so swim only in the designated areas when a lifeguard is on duty.

You’re never far from the wilderness in Perth. It’s possible to see semi-wild kangaroos right in the city center. Visit Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park and you’ll find lots of kangaroos grazing and hopping about. The Park is actually a natural bushland cemetery with no monuments to leave the area in as open and natural a state as possible. The kangaroos certainly enjoy it.

Take a drive outside of the city to see some of the region’s fascinating and beautiful natural rock formations. Wave Rock, near Hyden east of Perth is a giant rock formation that looks like a large breaking wave. To the north, visit Cervantes, a formation of thousands of limestone pillars rising out of yellow sand in the middle of the Pinnacles Desert.