Killian Hickey from Mallow in Co Cork originally went to Australia as a backpacker to explore and travel, but liked it “too much”. “Eight years later, I am still here,” he says.
Where is the first place you always bring people to when they visit Perth?
Scarborough Beach has recently been redeveloped, and it has something for everyone. A beautiful beach with surfing, swimming and fantastic parks, bars and restaurants. It is one of the best places on the west coast of Australia to watch the sun set with friends.
The top three things to do there, that don’t cost money, are ...
Kings Park and Botanic Gardens is the best spot to view of the city from. It’s a mixture of grassland, botanical gardens and bushland located next to the Central Business District (CBD), and is perfect for a lunchtime stroll, morning run or relaxing picnic.
Fremantle Markets are a Perth institution. It is like the English Market back home in Cork, with more than 150 shops for crafts, fashions, antiques and oddities to browse as well as great food and produce to try samples of also.
Visit any of the national parks. Whether it is hiking, swimming, cycling or taking in the natural beauty and wildlife, there are plenty of parks near and far and there is always somewhere new to discover.
Where do you recommend for a great meal that gives a flavour of Perth?
Try Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle. Delicious pizzas, meats, fish and vegetable dishes are complimented by excellent in-house beers and local wines all within the walls of a brewery on the waters’ edge. It’s got it all. Great atmosphere for sunset dining also.
Where is the best place to get a sense of Perth's place in history?
Fremantle again. Now a vibrant tourist area with many bars, cafés and restaurants, it is full of historical attractions including Fremantle Prison, a Unesco World Heritage Site that I would highly recommend taking a tour of. When you explore the history of the area, it’s hard to go far without hearing of the experiences and influence of the Irish who were here at the time. In 1897, famous Meath native and engineer C Y O’Connor was responsible for the deepening the harbour. This made Fremantle the serviceable port for commercial shipping and transport that it still is today.
What should visitors save room in their suitcase for after a visit to Perth?
After bringing over some Barry’s Tea bags to keep us stocked up over here, the empty space on the homeward leg could be used to bring home some of the great wines, cheeses and chocolate that are all produced in the nearby Swan Valley wine region.
If you’d like to share your little black book of places to visit where you live overseas, please email your answers to the five questions above to abroad@irishtimes.com, including a brief description of what you do there and a photograph of yourself. We would love to hear from you.
