Your eyes will be surprised with the sight of Perth which is also known as the city of lights. It is the capital and largest city in the state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000 people and it is located in the South West Division of Western Australia, between the Indian Ocean and a low coastal escarpment known as the Darling Range. Shortly after the establishment of the port settlement of Fremantle, Perth was founded on 12 June 1829 by Captain James Sterling as the political centre of the Swan River Colony. As the business and administration centre for the resource-rich state, Perth has grown consistently faster than the national average.

You may have asked yourself that why Perth is called City of Lights? There is actually an interesting story behind it. In 1972, the city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth on Friendship 7. The city repeated the act as Glenn passed overhead on the Space Shuttle in 1998 and since then it has been know as city of light. Perth is tied for eighth place in The Economist's 2011 list of the World's Most Liveable Cities. For many people, Perth is the most remote city on earth and the population of metropolitan Perth is greater than the combined populations of the rest of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia. Perth sprawls along on a flat coastal plain, centred along the Swan River and bounded by the Darling Scarp to the east and the Indian Ocean coastline in the west. The numerous uncrowned beaches along the Perth coastline define the lifestyle of as laid-back, quiet and safe.

The climate here is also quite favourable. Perth receives moderate though highly seasonal rainfall, making it the fourth wettest Australian capital city after Darwin, Sydney and Brisbane. Summers are generally hot and dry, lasting from December to late March, with February generally being the hottest month of the year, while winters are relatively cool and wet, making Perth a classic example of a Mediterranean climate. Winters are relatively cool and wet, with most of Perth's annual rainfall falling between May and September.

Although Western Australia has several public holidays they are unlikely to cause much inconvenience to your travels. Shops are still open, public transport still runs and the sky is yet blue. Larger shops and shopping centres, pubs and restaurants are closed on holidays but smaller convenience stores and some fast food chains keep their doors open for the tourists.

Perth is home to four public universities: the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University, and Edith Cowan University. There is also one private university, the University of Notre Dame. The University of Western Australia, which was founded in 1911 is renowned as one of Australia's leading research institutions and is a member of the Group of Eight.

Curtin University which was founded in 1966 is rapidly growing in research reputation and is the only Western Australian University to produce PhD recipients of the AINSE gold medal. Murdoch University was established in the 1970s, and is Australia's largest campus in geographical area necessary to accommodate Western Australia's only veterinary school. Edith Cowan University was established in the early 1990s from the existing Western Australian College of Advanced Education (WACAE) which itself was formed in the 1970s from the existing Teachers Colleges at Claremont, Churchlands, and Mount Lawley and The University of Notre Dame Australia was established in 1990 as a Catholic university with its lead campus in Fremantle and a large campus in Sydney.

If you are planning to visit Perth, spring (Sep-Nov) and autumn (Mar-May) are ideal seasons to do so. Spring is perhaps the best time to see the sights as after a decent winter's rainfall, the famous wildflowers around Kings Park and the Avon Valley bloom splendidly. Beach-goers from colder climes might find the summer months too hot, so it is perhaps best to visit during March-April or October-November.

This video will denonstrate the attractions of Perth: