Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PEEL REGION
Taking in swaths of jarrah forest, historic towns and the increasingly glitzy coastal resort of
Mandurah, the Peel region can easily be tackled as a day trip from Perth or as the first stop-
ping point of a longer expedition down the South Western Hwy (Rte 1).
As you enter the Peel, you'll pass out of Wadjuk country and into that of their fellow
Noongar neighbours, the Pinjarup (or Binjareb) people.
HEADING SOUTH
The fastest and simplest route south from central Perth is to jump on the Kwinana Fwy. Rather than visiting Rock-
ingham and the Peel region as separate day trips, you could turn them into a 220km loop: Perth-Rockingham-
Mandurah-Pinjarra-Dwellingup- Jarrahdale-Perth. A good overnight stop is Mandurah.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Mandurah
POP 68,300
Shrugging off its fusty retirement-haven image, Mandurah has made concerted efforts to
reinvent itself as an upmarket beach resort, taking advantage of its new train link to Perth's
public-transport network. And, although its linked set of redeveloped 'precincts' and 'quar-
ters' may sound a little pretentious, the overall effect is actually pretty cool. You can
wander along the waterfront from the Ocean Marina (boats, cafes and the Dolphin Quay in-
door market), past the Venetian Canals (glitzy apartments linked by Venetianish sandstone
bridges), through the Boardwalk and Cultural Precinct (more eateries, visitor centre,
cinema, arts centre) to the Bridge Quarter (still more restaurants and bars). At the time of
writing the local debate was whether to continue development of Mandurah's shiny new
image, or refocus on the city's more laidback and authentic past. Watch this space.
The bridge spans the Mandurah Estuary, which sits between the ocean and the large body
of water known as the Peel Inlet. It's one of the best places in the region for fishing, crab-
bing, prawning (March and April) and dolphin spotting.
1
Sights & Activities
