Think “Australia” and you probably envision opera house, kangaroos, scorched desert, and Men at Work. But how about Fremantle prison, quokkas, balmy Mediterranean climate, and AC/DC? Yes, the legendary AC/DC hails from Perth, and all those other things are true as well.

At best, this Western Australia city, often called the country’s best-kept secret, might conjure up some vague association with sailing. In 1983, the Royal Perth Yacht club, under captain Alan Bond, outraced the New York Yacht Club in the defense of the America’s Cup—the world’s most grueling and intense sailing race—in Newport, Rhode Island.

The next defense, four years later in the working-class Perth suburb of Fremantle, was the first outside of the U.S. in the Cup’s 136-year history, and it solidified Perth’s reputation as a sailing powerhouse. Well, that’s a good place to start. We’ll get to quokkas later.

Sunny Days and Waterways

Perthies are an active bunch, and it’s no wonder, with the abundance of sunny days, waterways, and white-sand beaches.

Fremantle (“Freo” to locals), faces the Indian Ocean and is the summer home of the “Fremantle Doctor”—a cooling afternoon sea breeze that might help explain  the city’s distinction the center of the sailing universe in Perth.

Escapade Ecotours offers sailing tours around Fremantle and Perth waters; watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean from a sailboat while having a glass of wine is a favorite Perth activity. If you’d rather captain your own boat, and don’t yet belong to the Royal Perth Yacht Club, Escapade rents boats as well. Sailing up the Swan River offers unbeatable views of the Perth skyline.

To mix your sailing with some shopping and starfish-gazing, head for Hillary’s, a suburb north of Perth. Hillary’s has a good-sized marina and yacht club, and shops, restaurants and cafes along the Sorrento Quay Boardwalk; don’t miss the Aquarium of Western Australia.

Landlubbers, take note: You can participate in Perth’s active sailing life by watching Royal Perth Yacht Club Saturday races on the Swan River. Meanwhile, in Fremantle, the Maritime Museum of Western Australia has three sites: an architecturally inspiring main building with exhibits devoted to the Indian Ocean, fishing and the Swan River; the Shipwreck Galleries, which is the Southern Hemisphere’s foremost maritime archeology museum; and the decommissioned submarine Ovens which features daily tours.

The late actor Heath Ledger said poetry was like surfing for him, and he needed some of each every day. After the Perth native’s 2008 death, his family held a private wake at Cottesloe Beach (“Cott Beach” to locals) a white sandy beach known for its towering shade pine trees, terraced lawns and quaint town with rollicking pubs.

Friends and family gathered at the old-time Indiana Tea Rooms there, which sits up above the Surf Life Saving Club. The Tea Rooms are now known just as Indiana’s, and offer Continental breakfasts, an all-day bistro menu, and drop-dead sunset views.

Cottesloe is ideal for snorkeling and swimming, and at its Sunday sessions in which locals crowd along beachside pubs to listen to music and hang out with friends.

Local surfers also flock to Trigg (which has the most challenging waves), Brighton and Leighton Beaches. Check www.perthperth.com for surfing and sailing information. For just lazing on the beach or people-watching, Floreat Beach has a coffee kiosk, long stretches of pristine white sand, and a sweet little park.

Dark Nights

Perth is known as “The City of Lights,” a title that is rooted in how dark the area is. Got that? As the only major city in a state that takes up a full third of Australia, Perth is perhaps the most isolated city on the planet. In 1962, when American astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth in the space capsule Friendship 7, Perthies decided to turn on the lights. All of them. At once. Hence, its unexpected nickname. When Glenn duplicated his mission in 1998, Perth’s lights again flashed a welcome.

But when you get out of town, there’s no doubt about it: it’s dark at night. An hour north of Perth is Gingin Observatory, which boasts the largest  telescope with public access in the Southern Hemisphere. Gingin’s location and the skies above it—among the world’s darkest—afford one of the more intriguing views of the Milky Way. Aboriginal astronomers spotted shapes in the dark areas between the stars, which informed the “dream time” stories they passed on. Today, Aboriginal presenters at the observatory explain their version of the night skies to visitors.

Fremantle Prison was built in the 1850s by British convicts who were brought to this part of Australia to colonize it.  Still incarcerating prisoners until 20 years ago, the prison today offers tours that highlight the country’s convict history. Check out the maze of tunnels 60 feet below ground via a boat tour, and if you’re feeling especially brave, take a torchlight tour at night.

Drinking (And Maybe Some Eating)

Perth’s laid-back, hip populace makes for plenty of good dining and drinking spots, and the city’s ideal climate usually translates into outdoor seating.

Though Swan is perhaps the best known brewery in Western Australia, Little Creatures has got to be one of the coolest. Created on the Fremantle waterfront 10 years ago in an old boat shed (which housed a crocodile farm in the interim), Little Creatures has a working brewery, art gallery, indoor and outdoor dining (pizzas are sublime), and even  movie nights and live music with up-and-coming bands.

Western Australia produces about 3 percent of the country’s wines, but more than 25 percent of Australia’s premium wines. Must Wine Bar, in the Highgate area of Perth, features some of the most stellar on its award-winning, 500-bottle list. What’s better is that the bar and bistro food is just as impressive (potato gnocchi with braised rabbit is a favorite), and the vibe is casual, with a neighborhood friendliness. Check out the intimate Champagne lounge upstairs, where 24 Champagnes are available by the glass.

Deville’s Pad is only open Thursday through Saturday evenings, but it makes good use of the time. The kitschy cocktail bar with the Barbarella-inspired décor features rockabilly bands and a burlesque show. Put on your party clothes for this one.

Meat pies. They’re just what they sound like: individual little pies with flaky pastry crust stuffed with meat. Ingredients range from classic beef and cheese to chicken, duck and curries. The best ones, locals say, can be held easily and eaten from one hand “to save one hand for your beer.” Meat pie shops abound all over Perth, but Miami Bakehouse in Mandurah is one of the top choices.

Perthies are as passionate about their coffee as they are their locally brewed beer and the prize-winning Margaret River region wines. Freemantle has an entire row of espresso shops, but locals say the very best coffee of all is downtown at Velvet, on King Street. Bookcaffe in Swanbourne is small, but has a great selection of books and a café where the friendly staff will let you sit (inside or out on the sidewalk) as long as you want, sipping coffee and reading.

Shop ‘Til You Drop, Mate

Just west of the city center, Subiaco is one of Perth’s coolest neighborhood/suburbs. Settled in 1851 by Benedictine monks from Subiaco, Italy, “Subi” has a great selection of eclectic shops, food, and nightlife crowding its European-looking streets.

Every weekend, the Subiaco Pavilion hosts a market in a restored warehouse featuring local fashion designers and artists. Meanwhile, The Colonnade has shops stocked with Versace and Cavalli, as well as edgy local designers.

B Kind Organic Beauty Bar carries a collection of the best organic and ethical skin care and beauty supplies in the world, and also carries locally made lines.

The Subiaco Hotel (referred to as the Subi Hotel, of course) is reportedly the most happening spot in town. Bianca’s Bar has pool tables, live music and sports on plasma screens. The hotel’s other, more upscale bar is the aptly-named Cocktail Bar.

Two other bars of note in Subiaco are Sapphire Bar and Llama Bar, both lounge-y spots with DJs and dancing.

One of Perth’s most lauded fine-dining spots, in the leafy Shenton Park area of Subiaco is Star Anise, which has gained international acclaim for its innovative Australian/Asian cuisine, using local produce.

Boucla is another hit. Open for breakfast and lunch, the tiny café is jammed to the hilt with tapestries, mosaics, tableware and other gifts for sale. Owner Despina decorated with her native island of Kastelorizo, Greece, in mind and lovingly serves such treats as spanakopita (spinach pie) and baklava.

Hanging With the Natives

At close to a thousand acres, King’s Park and Botanic Garden is the largest urban park in the world, and Western Australia’s most popular tourist attraction. Boasting a breathtaking view of the Swan River, and the City of Perth beyond, King’s Park also features untouched bushland (with hundreds of species of native plants and 80 bird species) and walks among the treetops.

While there are dozens of tours and activities available, one of the best is Greg Nannup’s Indigenous Tour. Nannup, whose Aboriginal ancestors lived in the area for centuries, will show you how indigenous people used the native plants and trees for food and medicine. (Peppermint, it turns out, is the world’s best natural cough remedy.) Contact Greg at: dabakarn @ eftel.net.au

While this one is somewhat on the brochure, it’s worth noting. Fremantle favorite son (and now deceased) Bon Scott, front man for AC/DC, has inspired the Highway to Hell tour. Highlights include stops at a brass statue of the diminutive singer, Scott’s grave, a 20-foot tall rendering of the star painted under a Fremantle bridge (“as if he’s staring at the very house he grew up in,” said one tour leader”), and of course, plenty of AC/DC sing-alongs on the bus.

Rottnest Island, a short boat trip from Fremantle is known for its lack of cars (bikes are available to rent), its beautiful beaches, and … quokkas. There are 12,000 of the cat-sized marsupials on the island, and nowhere else in the world. An early Dutch explorer  thought the scampering critters were rats, hence the name “Rott nest.” Have lunch at Aristos waterfront restaurant (the seafood will make you swoon) and you may just be joined by some friendly and curious quokkas.

For more information about visiting Australia, check out:

• Australia & New Zealand Travel
• Travel Australia: Jobs for Backpackers and Budget Travelers
• Vivid Sydney Festival
• Destination Sydney: Exploring the Surry Hills Neighborhood
• Video: Australia Travel, Off the Brochure

By Jamie Stringfellow for PeterGreenberg.com