Perth Hills Western Australia
The hills to the east of Perth are a great place to visit and soak up the Australian landscape. Rising above the coastal plain, Perth Hills provides welcome change of landscape from the flat urban environment to more undulating mountain range style.
At a Glance
Visitors can enjoy panoramic views across Perth. The trees are taller here, with many local reservoirs, lakes and streams. Local townships have charming character with colonial and federation style historical buildings and art galleries to explore.
The best way to book Perth Hills
Where is Perth Hills?
Perth Hills is 20 kilometres east of Perth.
The Perth hills sit to the east of the Perth city centre and overlook much of the Perth metropolitan area in the South West of Western Australia. The Perth Hills are elevated between 10 and 70 metres above the Perth coastal plain and is collectively known as the Darling Ranges. Train lines run to the foothills at Midland and Armadale and road access is very good on the Great Eastern Highway. One of the best ways to get around Perth is to hire a car from Perth Airport.
Things to see in Perth Hills
Araluen Botanic Park
This spectacular garden park is open daily from 9am to 6pm. There is nothing else like it in Western Australia. Hectares of breathtakingly beautiful landscaped gardens undalate through hills and valleys, featuring lakes, streams and waterfalls. The annual Tulip displays is one of the best in Australia. Also featuring native Australian trees and bushland, you can spend a whole day viewing the variety of flora on offer. Internationally acclaimed for its display of Camellias and Roses.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Serpentine Falls
The spectacular Serpentine Falls are situated within the Serpentine National Park and are the perfect spot got a picnic or barbeque. Take the walking trail to Baldwin’s Bluff where spectacular views of the Serpentine Falls and much of the park can be viewed from the summit of this walk. There are also views over the coastal plain to the ocean and the Perth skyline. Accessible to wheelchairs and prams you can visit the lower and upper rock pools to the spectacular Falls which are surrounded by beautiful Australian bushland.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Cohunu Koala Park
Located on fourteen hectares of natural Australian bushland just 40 minutes from Perth city centre. Hand feed many of the free range animals. Have fun chatting with the talking parrots and see plenty of native Australian wildlife including dingoes, kangaroos, emus and the koalas. There is an internal railway through the park. Take the chance to hold a Koala in Australia and have a souvenir photo taken of the occasion.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Mundaring Weir
The most famous dam in Western Australia, located 39 kilometres from Perth, supplying much of Perth's drinking water. The dam crosses the Helena River in a picturesque area of the Darling Scarp featuring undulating hills and surrounded by native Australian forest and bushland. The Bibbulmun Track is a walking trail extending all the way to Albany on Western Australia's south coast and crosses Mundaring Weir on it's south side. Great views of Lake C.Y.O'Connor can be seen from the Dam wall and surrounding lookout points which are open to visitors.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Noble Falls Estate & The Wild Goose Cafe
The Wild Goose is a New Tourist Venue that has just opened in the hills of Western Australia last October, situated 15 minutes out of the Swan Valley along Toodyay Rd. Our Estate really has to be seen to be believed. Its rustic beauty is a sight to behold. Taking 6 years to erect the Estate has quickly become the place to be, booking out most weekends since The Wild Goose has been operational. View more detailsImage © Noble Falls Estate & The Wild Goose Cafe
What's the weather like?
Perth is Australia's sunniest Capital City with over eight hours of sunlight every day. With warm Summers and cool, wet Winters the seasons follow a Southern Hemisphere climate. In Summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 31°C with an average minimum temperature of 19°C. In Winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 16°C with an average minimum temperature of 9°C. The hills of Perth receive about another quarter of extra rainfall due to the elevated landform. Being further from the coast, temperatures can feel slightly warmer with the Easterly winds that reach the hills first and the delayed time for the daily sea breeze.
Get to know Perth Hills history
The city of Perth was founded by Captain James Stirling in 1829. Not long after, settlement of the fertile Perth Hills began, first explored by Engisgn Robert Dale. Kelmscott was declared a town in 1830. The City Of Armadale was established in 1894 and the town of Mundaring was gazetted in 1898, the same year as the construction of the dam which assisted significant growth of the Perth Hills. The Mundaring Weir was raised in 1951 for extra capacity.
Looking for visitor and tourist information, maps and brochures, booking assistance and local expert tips in Perth Hills? Check out the Perth Hills Armadale Visitor Centre!