Text and photographs by Donald Kuok

My first impression of Perth was the toll-free drive along Tokins Highway, unlike Melbourne.

The capital city of Western Australia is one beautiful city, with an excellent summer and a lovely climate.

We drove slightly up north to Hillary's Boat Harbour and down South to Busselton Beach. Recommended by many travellers, Busselton has a beautiful beach and the longest jetty, a definite must-see when you are in Western Australia.

Clear waters and blue skies - that's all you need for a great day out at the beach.

Slightly more than an hour's drive away whilst heading back to Perth is the city of Mandurah. My family was simply amazed and impressed with the living surroundings in Mandurah. There you can find nice big houses, wetlands and a relatively sparse population.

Back in Perth, we found really good food at North Bridge, like the Vietnamese restaurant Viet Hoa which is situated along the main road.

The owner of Sparrow - a small, cozy Indonesian Restaurant - testifies that he offers the cheapest food one can find in Perth, home cooked, and without MSG (Monosodium glutamate). True enough, the total cost of a dinner for six adults and two toddlers cost less than AU$40 (S$50.72).

If you love branded goods at 'factory outlet' prices, you could head to Habortown.

My spouse bought a nice Cotton On top for my son at only AU$5 (S$6.34), authentic and uncut label. Spend a few hours going through the racks of clothes and shoes, and you will be sure to find you own 'treasures'.

If shopping is not your cup of tea, drive up to King's Park and take a walk along the Swan River, or do a day of farm stay.

Feed the kangaroos at the Cavasham Wildlife Park! But be sure to do it early in the morning, otherwise when the kangaroos get really full, you won't have a chance to feed them.

We did a one night farm stay at Bindoon, which is just an hour's drive away from Perth. It's a kid's paradise there - children get the opportunity to sit in a tractor, ride and feed a horse (not a pony), and get up close and personal with lambs and sheep.

For those who need some holiday schooling in mathematics, they can count the chicken eggs and check out the fruits in the orchard.

The farm owner, who used to stay in Singapore, cooks an excellent, mouth-watering curry, and his homemade mushroom soup is just as heavenly tasting!

Avid photographers will enjoy a visit to The University of Western Australia (UWA) for its beautiful architecture. The campus, which was established in 1911, sits picturesquely beside Matilda Bay and is just a stone's throw away from King's Park.

After visiting the UWA, head down to the nearby Subiaco Market and savour delicious, freshly-made croissants baked by Italians. On weekends, the market sells a large produce of fresh fruits, with prices that are generally lower than at Fremantle Market.

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Donald Kuok loves to travel, having been to more than 20 cities across Asia and Australasia. He also spent more than five years in New Zealand. Even though his wife Irene Cheong had been to Perth some 10 years ago, she enjoyed the trip nevertheless, as the city had undergone many changes since then.