Scarborough

The Perth beachside suburb of Scarborough, about 12km west of the CBD, is one of the city"s more desirable addresses. On Perth's Sunset Coast, it is one of the city"s most popular beaches where wide expanses of golden sand are washed by the pristine waters of the Indian Ocean.

The beach is patrolled in the summer months and there are grassy areas and picnic gazebos so you don"t need to get sand in your sandwiches! Beach activities here include swimming, surfing and bodyboarding. When the so-called &dbquo;Fremantle Doctor&dbquo; blows in the afternoon, windsurfing and kite surfing come into their own. There are regular surfing events held at the beach.

The Observation City precinct in Scarborough contains accommodation, a variety of shops and weekend markets.

A heritage walk links Scarborough Beach with the more northerly Trigg Beach. At Trigg Beach there are rock pools and an off-shore island, popular with anglers. Trigg Bushland Reserve contains a significant pocket of remnant coastal vegetation.

Between Scarborough and the city lies Herdsman Lake, an important wetland wildlife sanctuary. It is an open water haven in times of drought and many migratory birds can be seen here. There is an education centre, viewing centre, playground and walking and cycling tracks.

Rottnest Island, home to those mini kangaroo-like creatures called quokkas, lies about 20km off the coast. Take a ferry and explore this scenic island for a day - or several.

Things to do:

Beach activities - swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, windsurfing, kite surfing

Observation City - accommodation, shops, markets

Heritage walk - from Scarborough Beach to Trigg Beach

In the area:

Trigg - rock pools, island, bushland reserve

Herdsman Lake - wetland wildlife sanctuary

Rottnest Island - quokkas, scenery, beaches