This was one of my most anticipating trip for 2016, and it was
my first time to this beautiful country.
I booked the ticket way in advance in June 2015 with AirasiaX for only MYR478.08 return! To cut down on
cost, I’ve persuaded my friend Kairo to travel together.
Initially, when I bought the tickets, I have friends telling
me that Perth has not many things to do and Australia is a very expensive
country. At that point of time, I thought this trip was all along a bad idea, BUT I've challenged myself
to put together a budget itinerary!
*For Malaysian travelling to Australia you will be needing an ETA Visa. The application can be made through tour agencies. I reckon to apply
here. The visa is only around MYR20, and the agency is reliable.
So, here you go - My 4 days 3 nights in Perth, Australia less than MYR2300.00 (all included)!
Day 1
Perth International
Airport > Caversham Wildlife Park > Fremantle Markets > Cottesloe
Beach
We boarded D7236 on the 0005H flight direct to Perth from
KLIA2. We opted for the
Skybus to the airport from KL Sentral.
Tips: Booking
online is cheaper compared to buying at the booth. We arrived in Perth Airport
Terminal 1 at 0510H - Perth and Malaysia has the same time zone (GMT+8). Upon arrival, we immediately grabbed a
copy of Hello Perth pamphlet and purchased a local sim card. There are 2 telco outlets right
in front of the international arrival hall – Vodafone & Optus. We chose Optus because, for AUD10, we have unlimited calls and 500MB of mobile data/day.
Tips: Pack a bath towel with you when travelling to Perth because there are
shower rooms in the airport! At least you can freshen up after the 5 hours
flight.
 |
| Arriving Perth at around 0500H LT. |
 |
| Optus is a great choice to purchase a local sim. |
 |
| Hot, windy and sunny in Perth. Walking to the rented car booth. |
Before the trip, we’ve rented a car with Budget. The 4
days rental was only MYR535.15. I found it cheaper to book with
AirAsia because
it gives you an option from different car rental agencies. There are super convenient filter options. The car rental parking bay is quite a
walking distance from the terminal, so get ready for a long walk.
 |
| The Toyota Corolla rented out by Budget. |
To be honest, we were expecting a very cheap and economical
car (as per booked), but we were given a brand new Toyota Corolla with only 18,000km mileage. It
was beyond our expectation!
Waze was a lifesaver. This app was our navigation buddy in Perth. Trust me without Waze, we will be lost!
Activities that can be done in CWP:
- Feed the kangaroos – these kangaroos are at the
kangaroo walk-through. Feeding time is from 0900H – 1715H.
- Visit Molly’s Farm – there are shows daily at
1000H, 1300H & 1500H.
- Meet the koalas – visitors can get up
close with the koala and even allowed to pat one. Timing are from
1000H – 1300H & 1430H – 1630H.
- Meet the wombats and friends – the visitor can learn and get close to some common Australian species and allowed to pat a wombat. Timing are at 1100H, 1400H & 1545H.
Tips: The suggested time to spend at CWP is 3 hours (max). Foods
are expensive here so pack your meals and you can skip the souvenir shop here.
At almost 1200H it was time for us to check-in. For this
trip, I did our accommodation booking via
Airbnb. This website/application is
a very cheap way to look for a place to stay in very expensive countries such
as Australia. The best thing about Airbnb is it allows you to stay in the host’s
house and allows you to live like the locals.
We’ve booked a cosy room with Dave – The Artist House
situated in Yokine. The location is very centralized and very close to Perth
CBD. The host, Dave was very kind and the hospitality was EXCELLENT!
 |
| The place at Dave's. Top: The bedroom. Centre: The toilet. Below: The balcony with a single bed. |
After a good rest, we drove off to the Fremantle Markets.
Fremantle is a 25-minute drive from our place and this port city is a must-visit whenever you are in Western Australia. Fremantle is renowned for its
well-preserved architectural heritage, including convict-built colonial-era
buildings, an old jetty and port and prisons; presenting a variety and unity of
historic buildings and streetscapes. I would suggest to spend the whole day here as there are plenty of things to do and see.
 |
| At Fremantle Markets. |
We ended our day by watching the sunset at Cottesloe Beach.
We were so chilly and cold because we underestimated the weather.
Tips: March
is the start of fall, please do pack up a sweater or coat as it can get very
chilly at night.
 |
| Sunset at the Fremantle Harbour. |
 |
| Sunset at Cottesloe Beach. |
 |
| Just enjoying the white sand, cool breeze and the sunset. |
Before calling it a day, we stopped by Woolworth (3 mins
drive from Dave’s) to get some groceries. Besides Woolworth, Coles is also a
good place to shop for groceries in Australia.
Tips: It is always advisable to
prepare your own meal when travelling provided if the place you are staying has a
kitchen. This is a good practice as it helps you save tremendously on your travel
budget. Since Dave’s place has a pretty big kitchen we cooked and prepared our
meals every day. Dining out is not an option.
 |
| Woolworth - the best place to shop for cheap groceries. |
Day 2
The Pinnacles >
Lancelin Sand Dunes > Bell Tower > St. Mary’s Cathedral > Hay Street
 |
| On the way to The Pinnacles. Cool signage and can only be found in Australia. |
We departed Dave’s place at 0700H and drove off to our first
stop – The Pinnacles. The Pinnacles are limestone formations within Nambung
National Park, near the town of Cervantes, and it is a 2 ½ hours’ drive from
Perth City via the Indian Ocean Highway. The only options to get here is either
by driving yourself or going on tour buses. There is no public
transportation! Entrance fee is
AUD12 / vehicle and visitors can drive their vehicles
inside The Pinnacles. Most blogs mentioned the best time to visit will be at dawn
and at dusk but we arrived around 0930H and by then it was scorching hot. BOO!
 |
| Vehicles are permitted to enter the desert. |
 |
| Just beautiful! |
Do not miss out the opportunity to visit the interactive centre
at The Pinnacles to give you a history of the place and how the limestone were
formed. I highly would recommend to
visit the centre first and then only explore The Pinnacles.
 |
| The interactive centre at The Pinnacles. |
Our next stop was a 1 ½ hours’ drive to the small town of
Lancelin. This place is well-known for its sand dunes. Upon arrival, we could
see the sand dunes from afar. We tried using Waze but it did not lead us to the
sand dunes instead it brought us to a residential area. We found a small narrow
road near the residential area and it led us to the sand dunes. Trust me there
was no proper signage to the sand dunes and it was all based on your instinct
by the end of the day.
Fun Fact: Lancelin Sand Dunes are the biggest in Western
Australia.
 |
| Lancelin Town. |
 |
| Lancelin Sand Dunes. |
Things to do at Lancelin Sand Dunes:
- Sandboarding.
- Hit the sand in a dirt bike or four-wheel drive.
- Photography – panoramic outlook over Lancelin, surrounding
farmland, sandhills and coastline.
The best time to visit this place would be at dawn and dusk.
We only spend around half an hour here before stopping by at Lancelin for a
quick rest and lunch.
At around 1230H, we headed back to Perth City for a city tour. We parked our
car near Barrack Square and walked to our first stop - The Bell Tower / Swan Bell Tower.
Tips: Parking in Perth is a bit costly and most of the machine only accepts coins. So,
make sure you are ready with change.
 |
| The Bell Tower. |
 |
| Perth City from the Bell Tower. |
To be honest, I was expecting the tower to be like a skyscraper
but we were shocked it was only 6 floors high! Entrance fee is AUD14 but you
can get AUD5 off by using the coupons in the Hello Perth Pamphlet. There are a
set of 18 bells hanging in this specially built 82.5 metres tower. I would
suggest to head straight to the 6th floor and take in the panoramic
view of the Swan River. Then slowly make your way down to the ground floor to
the souvenirs shop.
We had coffee at this nice café facing the Swan River before
making our way to the CBD. Next, we walked to St. Mary’s Cathedral located at
Victoria Square. There are 3 phases of completion for this church where the
first phase was completed in 1865. This church was only reopened in 2009.
Tips:
A must visit but optional.
 |
| St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth. |
Later, we headed to Hay Street. This street is where the
shopping district is situated in Perth CBD. Not much things offered and luckily there is Target. We spend the whole evening here and had an early dinner at McDonald's.
Tips: Shops in
Perth close mostly by 1700H and opens at 1000H. If your trip to Perth
is only concentrated in the CBD, detail planning is a must.
 |
| A walk-in Perth CBD. |
 |
| Hay Street. |
We ended the day with another shopping spree at Woolworth
(the only shop still open after 1800H).
Day 3
Mt. Brown lookout
> Township of York > Corrigin Dog Cemetery > Hippo’s Yawn > Wave Rock
The day started early as we need to travel far to accomplish
what we had planned for our third-day adventure. Distance travelled was almost 700km and we were on the road
for almost 9 hours.
We were back on the road and our next stop was Corrigin Dog
Cemetry in the Shire of Corrigin. The road along the way was straight, quiet and
empty. Not many cars can be seen. It took us around 1 ½ hours to get to the cemetery.
Why is this place a must-visit? This cemetery is one of a kind
and worth visit. Never have I heard nor seen a cemetery dedicated to animals.
It was established in 1974 and there are almost 90 tombstones for men best
friend. Take time to read the tombstones which were created, designed and
maintained by a local resident.
Tips: Beware of flies. There are gazillion of
it there.
 |
| Corrigin Dog Cemetery. |
We then continued our journey to the Shire of Hyden for our
highlight of the day. On the road, time was 1 ½ hours before arriving the
Hippo’s Yawn. There is a parking spot in front of the rock formation. No
payment is needed. The rocks resemblance to a yawning hippo has given it its
name. Climb through the throat of Hippo’s Yawn and be sure to catch the
interesting shot on camera.
 |
| The Hippo's Yawn. |
After a whole session of photo shooting, we walked almost 25
minutes to the Wave Rock. Once again there are lots of flies.
Tips: It is highly
advisable to have an insect repellent or a netting to cover your face.
 |
| Kairo and I walking to the Wave Rock. |
We departed around 1400H and only arrived Yokine around
1800H. Tips: Fuel price varies in Australia. The outback has higher pricing
per litre if compared to the city. We ended the night with a last-minute
shopping spree at Woolworth on Made in Australia items.
Day 4
Eshed Market >
Perth International Airport
 |
| Having our breakfast at the balcony. |
It time to say goodbye to Perth. As usual, we packed last minute and before that, we
had a great homemade breakfast at Dave’s. We bit goodbye to Dave and headed to the EShed Market in Fremantle for souvenirs shopping.
Tips: EShed Market only opens from
Friday to
Sunday, 0900H – 1700H. The place is a good stop point for Australian
souvenirs.
 |
| Best place to shop for souvenirs in Perth. Eshed Markets, Fremantle. |
Two highly recommended shops:
- MEGABES Products – owned by a Singaporean.
- Aussin – owned by an Indonesian family.
 |
| Megabes Products. |
 |
| Aussin. |
Attached below is our budget and click
here for itinerary.
TOTAL PER PAX
MYR1,224.92 + MYR1,049.95 =
MYR2,274.88
*We've spent a lot on souvenirs and if we exclude the souvenirs the budget should be around MYR1600 only!
Pre-booked
No.
|
Details
|
Price (RM)
|
1.
|
Flight tickets/pax AirasiaX return to Perth
|
960.16
|
2.
|
Add ons – Luggage, food
|
288.00
|
3.
|
Airbnb
|
505.56
|
4.
|
Car rental
|
535.15
|
5.
|
ETA Visa – Kairo’s visa is free
|
21.00
|
6.
|
Add ons - Insurance
|
100.00
|
7.
|
Skybus
|
39.96
|
GRAND TOTAL
|
2,449.83
|
PER PAX
|
1,224.92
|
Spending during the trip
No.
|
Details
|
Price (AUD)
|
Day 1
|
1.
|
Local Sims
|
20.00
|
2.
|
Drink
|
4.00
|
3.
|
Caversham Entrance Fee
|
54.00
|
4.
|
Muffin
|
4.50
|
5.
|
Souvenirs
|
5.00
|
6.
|
Lunch
|
30.90
|
7.
|
Parking - Fremantle
|
3.00
|
8.
|
Souvenirs
|
27.95
|
9.
|
Groceries at Woolworth
|
22.30
|
Total
|
171.65
|
Day 2
|
1.
|
The Pinnacles Entrance Fee
|
12.00
|
2.
|
Souvenir
|
4.50
|
3.
|
Parking – Barrack Square
|
15.90
|
4.
|
Bell Tower Entrance Fee
|
18.00
|
5.
|
Coffee at Café Paz
|
5.50
|
6.
|
Souvenirs at Target
|
29.00
|
7.
|
Dinner at McDonald’s
|
20.30
|
8.
|
Fuel (1st)
|
37.50
|
9.
|
Groceries and souvenirs at Woolworth
|
87.40
|
Total
|
230.10
|
Day 3
|
1.
|
Souvenir + Drink
|
8.10
|
2.
|
Fuel (2nd)
|
18.15
|
3.
|
Fuel (3rd)
|
35.00
|
4.
|
Groceries and souvenirs at Woolworth
|
76.05
|
Total
|
137.30
|
Day 4
|
1.
|
Parking – Fremantle
|
2.50
|
2.
|
Souvenirs at the EShed Markets
|
113.20
|
3.
|
Fuel (4th)
|
6.80
|
4.
|
Snacks
|
15.40
|
5.
|
Souvenir
|
14.95
|
Total
|
152.85
|
GRAND TOTAL
|
691.90
|
PER PAX
|
345.95
|
MYR
|
1,049.95
|
*Exchange rate quoted from 15th Feb 2016 AUD1.00 =
MYR3.035
