Perth, Australia is famous for being the world’s most isolated city as it is surrounded by the Australian outback on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. The city’s isolation from the world doesn’t mean that it is being left behind by the times.

Perth is a modern city with a population of over 2 million people and the central business district is a reflection that Perth is keeping up with the times. Perth is a beautiful city with modern building that combine with the waterfront setting to make a truly attractive skyline which I will feature later.

Two elements of CBDs that I enjoy are pedestrian bridges and unique sculpture. Perth has both of these and they are shown in the photo below.

Sculptures

Many cities have unique sculptures but one of Perth’s sculptures is also so large that it has become an identifying feature for the Perth skyline. This sculpture is nine (9) stories high and is known as “Spanda”. The sculpture is a series of six white nested arches that are exactly the same shape but expand in size. The thickness of each arch tapers as it rises from the ground and is thinnest at the apex of the arch.

Another unique sculpture in the Perth CBD is a five meter tall aluminum sculpture titled “First Contact” which represents the arrival of the European settles to Perth.

The Swan Bell Tower

I am a big fan of modern architectural buildings and one of the most unusual buildings that I have seen is the Swan Bell Tower. The tower is located along the Swan River and consists of a set of 18 bells hang in an 82.5 meter high copper and glass tower. The bells are the original bells of the parish church of Buckingham Palace in Trafalgar Square, London.

At night the tower lights up in rings of lights and becomes a notable building of the Perth Skyline.

Elizabeth Quay Bridge

The Elizabeth Quay Bridge is a 110 meter long pedestrian and cycling bridge that provides access across the inlet of the Swan River. The bridge has an elongated s-shaped eucalyptus wood deck that is supported from a pair of leaning steel arches. At night time the bridge lights up with changing color lights which I will show in a future post featuring the bridge.

After Dark

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is watching multi-colored light shows. Some places have fountain shows or bridges that change colors but in Perth it is the Council House building that is illuminated by 22,000 LED technicolor lights

Just outside the building is a park with sculptures of kangaroos. I photographed the Council House light show with the kangaroo sculptures in the foreground which gives the building an instant identity as being in Australia.

The Dust on My Shoes

Perth is located between the Australian outback and the Indian Ocean. Because of its location, many of the things to do in Perth involve nature and wildlife but the city has plenty to offer that the other cities do in Australia.

The Perth CBD has all of the elements that I enjoy when visiting a new city. The city is modern, it has interesting urban art, stylish pedestrian bridges, modern architectural buildings and colorful light shows at night.

Don’t overlook Perth when planning your trip to Australia!

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