The trip past rows of millionaires’ riverside homes takes just under an hour

The trip past rows of millionaires’ riverside homes takes just under an hour, for a one-way fare of A$16 (£6.50). You can return in half-an-hour by rail for A$3 (£1.20).MUST EATThe yachting haven of Fremantle has been transformed into the coffee capital of Western Australia (though it is fair to say there were few other contenders). South Terrace is known as the cappuccino strip because of the large number of caf?along it. But Little Creatures, on the newly replenished waterfront, is a more intriguing option. It was one of the boatsheds used while Fremantle hosted the America’s Cup, and has become a microbrewery where the tank-to-glass distance is less than three metres. The food is good, too.Back in Perth, Northbridge is the place to aim for exotic, good-value food. The concept of Old Shanghai has been imported direct from Singapore (as close to fly from as Sydney).

It is a hawker-style eating market on James Street, in which a dozen competing cuisines from Malaysian to Mexican compete on price and quality.For a more sophisticated meal, try Viet Hoa at 349 William Street (00 61 8 9328 2127) which celebrates the simplicity and seduction of well-prepared Vietnamese food.MUST BUYFor anyone arriving in Perth at the start of an Australian adventure, Perth is an excellent place to stock up on books and maps. For the best selection you should venture out to the Map and Chart Shop at 14 Collie St in Fremantle (00 61 8 9335 8665). While in Fremantle, explore the town’s markets, which open 10am-5pm from Friday to Sunday. You can have your palm read or buy T-shirts reading “When I married Mr Right, I didn’t realise his first name was Always”.INTO THE NIGHTJames Street in Northbridge is the entertainment hub of Western Australia, which means if you can’t have a good time here, there’s not another opportunity for 3,000km.

On the corner of William Street stands the Brass Monkey, a century-old pub that will confirm your best hopes or worst suspicions about the rough-and-ready nature of Australian nightlife.. Thanks to its size and climatic variety, Australia is truly a year-round destination The southern hemisphere seasons are the opposite of our own. Right now the southern part of the mainland is emerging from spring into early summer. In January, Tasmania will be at its best, and by March the leaves in Victoria and New South Wales will be turning.