Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 9 . PERTH & WESTERN AUSTRALIA
to The Brass Monkey, 209 William St. at James Street, Northbridge (& 08/
9227 9596). Downstairs are several bars including a wine bar serving gourmet
pizzas, and a beer garden. Wednesday through Saturday head upstairs to the
Glasshouse for live entertainment, including the Laugh Resort comedy club
from 8pm Wednesdays for a A$10 (US$6.50) cover. In Subiaco, suits flock to
the “Subi,” also known as the Subiaco Hotel, 465 Hay St. at Rokeby Road,
Subiaco (& 08/9381 3069), a popular historic pub with a stylish cafe, great
cocktails, and live jazz on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Metropolis Concert Club, 146 Roe St., Northbridge (& 08/9228 0500), is
a huge complex of dance floors and bars over several levels. It’s open Friday from
9pm and Saturday from 8pm, until very late. If your dancing ’til 6am days are
over but you still know how to hit the dance floor, hit it at Margeaux’s, a nightclub
popular with the over-30s crowd, located in the Parmelia Hilton, 14 Mill
St. (& 08/9215 2000). It opens Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9pm
until 3:30am.
THE CASINO A 2,300-seat theater that hosts major international stars is
located in the Burswood International Resort Casino, on the Great Eastern
Highway just over the river (& 08/9362 7646 for information, or call BOCS
for bookings—see above). Live bands, disco, cabaret performers, or karaoke play
nightly in the Cabaret Nightclub free, and there are nine restaurants and six bars
within the complex. On the main gaming floor are 88 tables and 1,300 computerized
gaming machines. Some of the Casino’s most popular games include
roulette, blackjack, and two-up. There’s also a VIP players’ room and a Keno
Lounge. Except for Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Anzac Day, the casino is
open 24 hours. Dress code is “neat and tidy” with smarter standards required
after 7pm. The Casino is open to everyone over the age of 18. It’s about a A$13
(US$8.45) cab ride from the city, or you can take a train to Burswood station.
2 Side Trips from Perth
ROTTNEST ISLAND: GETTING FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE
FISHES
19km (12 miles) W of Perth
The delightful wildlife reserve of Rottnest Island just off the Perth coast is
like the city’s own Great Barrier Reef in miniature. Its jewel-bright turquoise
waters, warm currents, rocky coves, and many sheltered beaches harbor coral
reefs and 360 kinds of fish that make for fabulous snorkeling. You may spot
humpback whales from September to December, and dolphins surfing the waves
anytime. The island is also home to 10,000 quokkas, cute otter-like marsupials
that reach up to your knees. A wonderful thing about Rottnest is that it’s carfree.
Everyone gets around by bike (or bus, if you tire of pedaling). The island is
11km (7 miles) long and 4.5km (3 miles) across at its widest point.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Boat Torque Cruises (& 08/9221 5888) and Oceanic
Cruises (& 08/9325 1191) operate services at least three times a day from Perth
(trip time: about 1 hr. 45 min.), and four to seven times a day from Fremantle
(trip time: about 25 min.). The Rottnest Express ferry (& 08/9335 6406)
runs four or five times a day from Fremantle only. Round-trip fares from Perth
average about A$60 (US$39), or about A$40 (US$26) from Fremantle. Boat
Torque and Oceanic pick you up free from most Perth and Fremantle hotels.