Elizabeth Quay is a new development in the heart of Perth by the Swan River, built with the intention of bringing the Esplanade area to life. Although blessed with a gorgeous setting on the river and popular with recreational cyclists, walkers and joggers, the area round the river front has been in many respects an underutilised resource for the city. Now backed with state funds (at times controversially but I’m not a politician so don’t intend to get involved in that debate!), the ambitious project features boardwalks, cafes and restaurants. Excellent transport links by both train and river are designed to connect it with the city centre hub and the suburbs.
View of Perth from the riverside bridge at Elizabeth Quay
Elizabeth Quay was only officially opened at the end of January this year to coincide with the Perth International Arts Festival and Perth Fringe Festival. Having heard excellent reports from friends, we decided we should go down and check it out for ourselves. We’ve tended to only use public transport when we’ve been travelling abroad, but now we’re making a concerted effort to use the buses and trains more, especially when going into town. Getting off at the newly renamed Elizabeth Quay station (formerly Esplanade station), we found ourselves right by the Quay itself.
Basically it’s a circular quay and we took a promenade around it admiring the views of the Swan River on one side and the impressive Perth City Centre on the other. You haven’t been able to get such spectacular views of the city before without heading up to Kings Park or across the Swan to South Perth – the new development really opens the city up and showcases its superb riverside situation.
I should add it’s very much a work in progress. Only the walkways are complete and there is still a lot of building work going on. The water play area is currently closed owing to health and hygiene safety concerns (there have been suggestions to set up showers for patrons to use prior to entering the water zone!).
A distinct lack of water at the water play area!
Most of the cafes and eateries are still under construction and work will probably continue until 2108 according to some estimates. However finding refreshments is not a problem. The adjacent Barrack Street jetty area (next to the Bell Tower) has several cafes and watering holes and you are only a matter of minutes from Perth’s main thoroughfare (and business and shopping centre), St Georges Terrace.
There was an attractive walk down by the river where you could watch the boats coming and going from the small man-made harbour.
The best vantage point in our opinion was from the arched bridge – here you can enjoy a wonderful vista of central Perth.
If you’re heading off to the Perth Zoo, the river ferry across the Swan now departs from Elizabeth Quay. The ferries down to Fremantle or up to the Swan Valley still go from nearby Barrack Street.
After our walk round we headed off to find lunch at nearby Barrack Street – more about that next week!
View of the Bell Tower from Elizabeth Quay
Talking of walks, Restless Jo has some wonderful ideas for walks around the globe in her weekly Monday Walks
Copyright © 2016 Rosemary Thomas Le Chic En Rose. All rights reserved
Le Chic En Rose 
We thought this was a lovely part of your city, Rosemary. Love the funky bridge. The water park was working when we were there with several kids having great fun. Hope it doesn’t take too long for the whole concept to be completed.
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Thanks Ruth – glad you got to see it when you were over here! The bridge is so cool isn’t it – that was our favourite bit. Yes the water park was closed down a couple of weeks back – they are worried about the health aspects of it though there is a big water fountain in Forrest Chase in the city centre that kids jump in and out of all the time so really can’t see the difference! Hopefully it will reopen soon! It will be wonderful when they get all the attractions completed – we just went over to Barrack Street for lunch and had a great meal overlooking the river 🙂
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Wow – I love the look of the whole place Rosemary – those tall buildings glinting against the blue sky are just fabulous. What an exciting place to be able to visit, I’d love to be able to go back again and again and see how it changes. Sounds like there will be loads of great new restaurants and eateries to try out while it develops and grows too.
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Yes we were really impressed Joy as this is just the beginning really. I know that many cafes and restaurants have “booked” places in the new quayside area once it is complete. The Perth skyline is wonderful by day with the blue skies and also by night when it is all lit up. The location of the new quay is fabulous and we’ll be making many visits there in the years to come with family and friends!
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I’m pinching this for Monday, if that’s alright with you, Rosemay? That opening photo is fabulous and I love your bridge sequence too. 🙂 Wonderful to have such open space so near to the city. I think I’d love it there.
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Hi Jo yes of course it is – thanks for thinking of me! I was actually going to send you the link to include too so great minds think alike. I will add the link to your Monday Walks page at the bottom of the post so other people can check out the rest of the walks. Am glad you like the opening photo – I thought it came out well too. Yes we are very lucky here to have these spaces so close to the heart of the city – everything is so close and well connected now with the transport links. The area down near the river wasn’t crowded at all and we enjoyed seeing the boats come and go plus took advantage of the refreshing breeze. Have a lovely weekend and look forward to your Monday Walk as always 🙂
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Thanks, sweetheart! 🙂 It’s a quiet weekend here but I have the feeling I should be doing lots of stuff in preparation for the 2 ‘youngsters’ being home at Easter. Have a lovely time yourself!
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You’re very welcome Jo! Will be lovely to have your family with you at Easter! Am just heading out the door to a fundraising night at a Vietnamese restaurant so will check out your Monday Walk either late tonight or tomorrow (8 hours ahead of you here!). Have a lovely week! 🙂
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This reminds me of Brooklyn Bridge Park and how much they’ve transformed the area down by the Hudson River. Lots of park space, and a water park as well. Not as many restaurants, but funky food carts throughout. The bridge here looks awesome! I’m sure by 2018 it will look spectacular.
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I always love seeing the Brooklyn Bridge area in movies and television programmes! The park must be a wonderful resource too – I wonder if that was the model for the Perth one?! There are some food carts down by Elizabeth Quay too though as I say the plan is for more cafes and restaurants (and some apartments). The bridge is awesome – it was our favourite bit such great views!
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I think this is where my son gets the ferry to, what a fab way to get to work! Looks like it will be a lovely place once finished.
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Yes it would be Jude – the best way to get to Perth from South Perth as the ferries criss cross the river regularly. What a great way to get to work!! Monsieur LC’s office is in one of the buildings overlooking the quay (it’s in the 2nd photo) – he can wander down to the quay at lunchtime if he ever has the time! Its going to be fabulous when it’s all finished – they have really done wonders with Perth City Centre so different from the days when we first got here (1990)! 🙂
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Beautiful cityscape, very well captured… 🙂
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Thanks Drake – glad you like the photo the new quay really opens up the cityscape! 🙂
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