After exploring Australia’s iconic cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Tasmania, our next stop was Perth, the vibrant city on the west coast. This trip also marked our first overseas self-drive adventure, and thankfully, everything went smoothly.
Perth’s weather was refreshingly cool, perfect for exploring, from scenic spots and local markets to indulging in a bit of shopping. We started each day early and wound down early each night, enjoying the slower pace of travel.
The sun, however, was intense, and my cap and sunglasses quickly became daily essentials. Next time, though, I might switch out Busselton for a stay in Dunsborough, which feels a little more charming and more to my style than Busselton which is too laid-back for me.
Accommodations :
Pensione Hotel Perth : Great CBD location and attentive service, except for one subtle incident of bias.
Busselton Gale Street Motel & Villas : Great location, warm service, and free parking right outside the unit. A few pesky flies made an appearance. Somehow, the motel/villa oddly reminded me of The Psycho-Bates Motel office by Alfred Hitchcock. Nothing creepy though.
Esplanade Hotel Fremantle : Decent renovated old hotel in a good area but not one I’d choose again.
Car Rental :
No birds : Highly recommend this car rental! We drove a Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid SUV which was smooth and efficient. Do add on the damage waiver, GPS, and airport shuttle for extra convenience.
Day 1 : Pick up car at No Birds | Lunch at Orah Cafe | DFO Perth | Pensione Hotel Perth | Dinner at Hoodburger | Dessert at San Churros, followed by Yo-Chi
Day 2 : Breakfast at Deli Gabe | Crawley Edge Boatshed (Blue Boat House) | Kings Park and Botanic Garden | Lunch at Hifumiya Udon Noodle House | Takeaway apple strudels at Corica Pastries | Forrest Chase, Myer Perth, Hay Street Mall, Enex | Elizabeth Quay and Elizabeth Quay Bridge | Dinner at Long Chim
Day 3 : Breakfast at Padbury's Cafe Restaurant | Swan Valley | Margaret River Chocolate Factory | Windarra Honey | The House of Honey & The Sticky Spoon Cafe | Lunch at Taylors In The Valley | Mondo Nougat | Morish Nuts Factory Outlet | Whistler's Chocolate Company & Cafe | Midland Gate | Dinner at Soul Origin
Day 4 : Breakfast at Punjara Bakery | Origins Market Busselton | Lunch at The Crooked Carrot | Busselton Jetty | Busselton Central | Busselton Gale Street Motel & Villas | Dinner at The Goose
Day 5 : Breakfast at The Good Egg | Castle Rock | Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse | Injidup Natural Spa | Lunch at the Cape Lavender | The Moonhaven | Seven Seas Tea | Esplanade Hotel Fremantle | Dinner at Portorosa Restaurant
Day 6 : Takeaway breakfast at Pelican Croissanterie | Rainbow Sea Container (The Cotainbow by Marcus Canning) | Lunch at Fremantle Market | Fremantle | Tourist Wheel Fremantle | Dinner at Kallis Fishmarket Cafe
Day 7 : E Shed Market | Breakfast at Birue Cafe | Watertown Brand Outlet | Lunch at Betty Burger | Dinner at Cicerello's Fremantle
Day 8 : Breakfast at Best Wishes Coffee | Westfield Carousel | Lunch at Soul Origin | Return car at No Birds
Beauty Shopping :
Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, David Jones, Myer and the random pharmacies along the way.
Hacks :
- Look out for 50% discount for beauty products in COLES supermarket.
- Compare prices among the different pharmacies.
- Competitive pricing which is worth checking out at Fremantle Central Pharmacy
Food Recommendations :
When it comes to food, Perth truly didn’t disappoint. We started our mornings right with freshly baked bagels from Deli Gabe, hearty breakfasts at The Good Egg, and perfectly crisp, buttery croissants from Pelican Croissanteri. On slower mornings, Birue Cafe was our go-to for something light yet comforting, the kind of simple breakfast that gently eases you into the day.
For lunch, Hifumiya Udon Noodle House won us over with its fresh, handmade udon that had just the right chew, while Taylors In The Valley served one of the most flavourful brunches of the trip where every bite was worth the drive.
We couldn’t leave without indulging our sweet tooth at Cape Lavender, where the lavender mousse cake and ice cream were absolutely divine. And to round off the evenings, Portorosa Restaurant delivered the perfect comfort food with wood-fired pizza containing smoky, crisp edges that ended our days on a delicious note.
Skincare Routine :
Here's what I have brought for my Perth trip. Captured this shot after I came home, so some of the products were emptied and thrown.
Day Routine : Cleanse with Bioderma Sensibio Lait, Mist with Dear Klairs Daily Skin Hydrating Water Toner, apply L'occitane Immortelle Reset Serum, Jumiso Snail Mucin 88 Peptide Facial Cream and Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm Eye Cream.
My 5 pronged sun protection for the face : Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Stick SPF 50 > P.Calm Water Barrier Sun Cream > Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF40 PA+++ > La Roche-Posay UVIDEA Anthelios Melt-In Tinted Cream > The Odbo Sunblock Pact
( Would be perfect to add in a sunscreen mist for UV protection on the go )
Dust RMS Beauty “UN” Powder to mattify my face, add Judydoll Blush Powder #44 for a pop of colour on the cheeks, highlight with Kahi Multi Balm and finally apply First Aid Beauty Ultra Lip Balm, followed by Melixir Vegan Lip Butter
Body Sunscreen : Coco & Eve Body Sunscreen SPF 50+
Night Routine : Remove face makeup with Dermalogica Precleanse, cleanse with Bioderma Sensibio Lait, mask with Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask and layer with Keana Nadeshiko Rice Mask ( replace with Pixi Rose Remedy Mask when I used up the rice sheet mask ) before following up with Petitfee Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch.
Mist with Dear Klairs Daily Skin Hydrating Water Toner ( decanted into a mist bottle ) which can also double up as a lotion mask ( using thin cotton pads ), apply By Wishtrend Propolis Energy Calming Ampoule ( if skin is red ), L'occitane Immortelle Reset Serum, L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Youth Cream and Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm Eye Cream.
Haircare : Cleanse with PHS Pro Shampoo Stem C+ Calming Shampoo, condition with Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner every night. Mist with Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner and apply Nature's Organic Sense Argan Crystal Oil every morning.
In hindsight, I wish I had packed more hydrating products and a stronger sunscreen ( I used to plan my skincare first, pre-covid days ). In the hectic weeks leading up to the vacation, I was juggling multiple responsibilities, which left less time for careful planning.
The dry climate and strong UV rays in Perth were harsh on my skin and I had to swap my P.Calm Water Barrier Sun Cream for the Cancer Council Ultra Sensitive Kids SPF 50+ I picked up locally as it offered much better protection under the blazing sun.
As for my haircare, I am pleased to report that my hair stayed healthy, smooth, and noticeably less frizzy with the products I brought along, so that was a win.
Here's my beauty haul from the trip.
MooGoo Milk Body Wash 1L AUD29.99 (down from AUD34.70)
Cape Lavender Bath & Shower Gel AUD18.90
Ovidio Hand Cream AUD10.39 (down from AUD14.99)
Lucas Papaw Ointment 25ml AUD7.50
Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil 15ml AUD4.79 (down from AUD7.99)
Burts Bee Vanilla Bean Lipbalm AUD4.99 (down from 7.49)
Moonhaven Lip Balm
MooGoo Tingling Honey Lip Balm AUD4.95
Pixi Skintreats Milky Remedy Mask AUD19.99 - TKMaxx
Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay AUD25.50 (25% off AUD34) - Myer
The Inkey List Healthy Skin Set (Oat Cleansing Balm, Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Omega Water Cream) AUD33 - Sephora
Peace Out Retinol Eye Stick AUD51 - Sephora
Cancer Council Ultra Sensitive Kids SPF50+ AUD26.95
Cancer Council Ultra Sensitive Kids SPF50+ AUD12 - COLES
Cancer Council Nourishing BB Cream SPF50+ AUD11.10 - Woolsworth
Cancer Council Ultra Roll-On Sunscreen SPF50+ AUD5.50 - COLES
Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Sunscreen Mist AUD14.90 ( down from AUD16.95)
Bondi Sands Thirsty Skin Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum AUD15.99
Endota Organics Intense Moisture Mask AUD37.50 (25% off AUD50) - Myer
Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask AUD30 (down from AUD50) - David Jones
Antipodes Flora Probiotic Skin-Rescue Hyaluronic Mask AUD30 (down from AUD50) - David Jones
Dr Lewinns Collagen Eye Mask AUD4.97 (down from AUD10.49)
Dr Lewinns Hyaluronic Acid & Caffeine Eye Mask AUD7.47 (down from AUD15.99)
Dr. Lewinns Vitamin C+ Fision Glowplex Glow Serum AUD29.97 (down from AUD59.95)
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