If you're a hobby photographer based in Western Australia, chances are you're based in Perth, like I am ( based completely on a mix of population density statistics, probabilities, and pure speculation ). Perth, in a condensed form. is a nice city, but Western Australia is a big place, and you need to get out and about! Sometimes, this isn't possible; but there is plenty to see right here, in our fair state capital city. Top 10 Lists about the best places to shoot landscape photography in Perth abound on the internet, but I'm not interested in confining it to a specific number. Instead, I will just relate the sum of what I have learned whilst residing here.
This list will mostly mostly concentrate on grand views and the unique details that makes Perth and its surrounds good to photograph. I'm not really interested in architecture, so that won't really be present. Many of these entries will likely be on other lists out on the internet, but I hope to be a bit more specific with my descriptions, and hopefully this list will have some pleasant surprises for you.
Let's get the main event out of the way first: Kings Park
Yes, this should be the first on any list regarding Perth. Not because it's the most obvious, but because it's the best. It provides a timeless view over Perth CBD that is simply stunning, and that's not including the Park itself. Kings Park is vast in size, and is an oasis in the middle of the bustling city. Walking through the area with the Flame of Remembrance & Pool of Reflection and the State War Memorial before dawn is also such a special and surreal experience - so even if you don't go to take some photographs, visit it anyway. Take a book, pack a picnic, have a wander, sit down on the well-kept lawns, enjoy a peaceful moment, and watch the daylight fade over the city while the street lights ignite after sunset. Well, I digress.
Let's look first at views over the city from the Park
The best view in Kings Park is the terraced area behind the State War Memorial. Here, the view over the city, Elizabeth Quay and southern motorway is fantastic, with only a few of the taller trees down the slope threatening to block the vista. A 24mm field of view on your camera will encapsulate the important parts of the scene, whilst a little wider will add the apartment blocks to the west, and a bit more of the Perth hills to the east. Any time of day is fantastic here, as it is suitable for sunrises, sunsets, and the sight of the city at night is also breathtaking. Naturally, out of all, it is most suited for sunrise, and winter is the best time to shoot as the sun will rise behind the CBD, rather than beyond it. Summer is perfectly workable, but your source of sunrise colour is well to the right of the main subject of interest. A short walk to the south brings you to an area of footpath that looks across to the Narrows Bridge and South Perth, however in recent time the trees and shrubbery on the banks here has grown taller, blocking a lot of the view.
I have attempted more sunrises here than I care to count, and although most are forgettable, I have had a couple that have been worth the effort.
Exploring around the general area will yield some fun spots to shoot toward the CBD. Walking just to the south will bring you under the branches of a tree, and it can be fun to frame a shot looking toward the city from here. I'm not sure what type of tree it is, but it is impressive in it's own right.
The grassy area also has some opportunity, with the prominent palm trees neatly framing a vertical shot. This may depend on what time of year you intend to shoot if you want to include the sun in your frame. At the height of summer the sun will be further to the right/south east of the frame, and you may not be able to include it. However, this may be better for dynamic range anyway, and you don't need the sun in the shot for a great photo! As for the grassed area, you can also frame up a shot with the monument included. I have never shot from the actual monument deck itself, and I assume that you are not allowed past the iron fence surrounding it.
There is another viewing platform located further north in the park, a short walk from the State War Memorial. Located directly on top of the Aboriginal Art Gallery, an easy walk and a few steps down will bring you to it. Although I don't rate the view here as being as good or as balanced as from the State War Memorial Terrace, it is still a fine view that is uninterrupted by trees and should be kept in mind while evaluating the best place to shoot over the CBD. The platform itself is quite a nice subject in itself, and the level below will grant some protection from the weather if you happen to want to shoot in the rain. People will often congregate here when trying to shoot a thunderstorm, as it's the only area of shelter if you don't want your camera directly in the weather!
A little further north than this is another small viewing area at the Bali Memorial, framed by some small walls. I have visited this spot out of curiosity only, as the view and perspective of the CBD here is restricted to the point where I find it a little uninteresting, however with some of the plants there a nice composition can be found.
There are other oppotunities elsewhere in the park, and if you're still pursuing a good shot of the CBD, crossing the road through the gumtrees gives a few more options. Looking out across the road and through the trees toward the CBD can give a nice perspective, and even basing yourself in the smaller Queen Victoria Memorial with the four canons can give a really unique view ( recently they seem to have removed these cannons, which is a bit of a shame. I'm not sure whether this removal is permanent or seasonal - however due to the length of time the cannons have now been removed for, I think it may be permanent ). The park benches that are dotted along the footpath can make for a good foreground subject, however getting a good panorama is a little difficult owing to the fact that the road doesn't exactly align with the horizon; however there is not much to be done about this! The trees themselves frame a vertical shot nicely, and I have taken a couple of shots like this that I am rather pleased with. Even the avenue of trees down Fraser Ave is iconic in its own right, and shots taken looking down the avenue or on the grassy area are worth your time.
Okay, that covers the views of the CBD; what else is there to photograph in Kings Park?
There are other things to snap away at inside the Park as well, starting with Fraser Ave itself. The corridor of trees is also iconic, and there are a few different views to explore. I tend to exclude people from my shots if I can ( and during sunrise there usually isn't many people anyway, but the grassy banks are often home to some people enjoying a picnic while watching the sunset, so that can add some atmosphere to your shots.
The War Memorial is also a great subject in its own right, and shots accentuating its symmetry are a favourite of mine. Deeper into summer the sun will rise behind the memorial, and if you like backlit subjects this can be nice. Other things to look for are the shadows from the palm trees after sunrise in the autumn and winter, as well as the late afternoon sun striking it before leaving for the day.
No mention of the War Memorial would be complete without the Pool of Reflection and the Flame of Remembrance.
This can be viewed in either direction, and a view during sunrise is fantastic - especially if the pool is full and there is no wind to sully the reflection in the water. I have taken photos right at the pool itself as well as from up the stairs and along the pathway. If you are standing back along the pathway toward the carpark a longer lens is good to "compress" the scene, and anything from a 50mm through to a 100mm and beyond ( depending on how far back you want to stand ) is good in a vertical orientation. There are a couple of things to note - the first and most irritating is that the scene does not line up perfectly! The entrance to the cirular sitting area, the pathway, the pool, and the monument in the distance are slightly out of alignment, and I have always found this a little unfortunate as you can never get everything perfectly symmetrical. The other thing to note is that the pool will often be emptied in the early morning. The flame will never stop burning, however the pool does lose much of its granduer with the water gone.
A drive down the road deeper into the park will bring you to DNA tower. This provides a view out over the western part of the city, and while it is a grand view, I simply find it uninteresting for landscape photography. Everything is a little too distant, and there are no landmarks of note.
There are also the Water Garden Pavillion as well as the Glass Walkway a bit further to the south. I have yet to fully commit some time here, as they are further down the list of priorities. I have seen some great sunrise photos from the Glass Walkway and intend to look into it further.
If plant photography is your thing, then Kings Park can also provide an astonishing amount of opportunity. The sheer number of different plants cultivated here is incredible, and seasonal flowers often light up the park during certain times of the year. There are also some laneways of the main roads that cross the park, leading through avenues lined with trees and memorial plaques on either side, in remembrance of those who died in service. The roads can be beautiful, and the experience is sobering.
The CBD
I am not an architectural photographer by any stretch, but the CBD is an area which I'd like to do some more photography. There are some rather beautiful buildings, and the glass windows of the skyscrapers give a wonderful reflection. However, it's always sat near the bottom of my priority list. I have taken sunrise shots at the north-western end of St Georges Terrace, but there will be more things to find!
Elizabeth Quay
One of the newer attractions in Perth is Elizabeth Quay. Love or hate the initial idea, the final product has brought some interesting opportunities for photography right under the gaze of the CBD.
The Elizabeth Quay Bridge is an impressive architectural design, and standing on its eastern end while looking north captures a view that includes the bridge and some of the main skyscrapers. Be warned, though; this will require either stitching a panorma or using an extremely wide lens. The bridge by itself is a worthy subject, and being down on the walkway at its southeastern foot gives a good view to the west for a sunset. The statue of Bessie Mabel Rischbieth is also interesting with the CBD in the background, although recently the statue itself has been overshadowed by a rather large umbrella that may be a permanent fixture, more-or-less. The nearby palm-lined pathways and main street of Riverside Drive can also offer a unique view out over the Swan River or toward the CBD.
Mill Point & South Perth
Staying with the theme of good spots to view the CBD, the next best spot would have to be Mill Point, in South Perth. This spot looks across the Swan River, and anywhere from under the Narrows Bridge and further down the shoreline will give good views. This is a great spot for sunrises during winter, when the sun is rising in behind the CBD, but even with the New Years and Australia Day celebrations, this is a great spot to view the fireworks from. There is a carpark up at the foot of the Narrows Bridge, which is a good place to stop in to set up for a sunrise shoot. If the night is calm and there aren't any early-morning rowers out on the River, the surface of the Swan River can be remarkably smooth, giving a very good reflection. I will usually check the weather forecast the previous evening to see if the wind is going to be calm, but you need a sustained period of very low to nil wind speed to get a good reflection. You may find that the main river is cut up with ripples, some of the more sheltered coves along the Mill Point shoreline - especially near the ferry jetty - may still be sheltered enough to offer calm water for reflections.
Heading further south along the river bank, there are a couple of popular spots for photos, with the South Perth Fishing jetty and the Mends St ferry jetty. I haven't taken photos from the Fishing jetty, as I haven't had a decent reflection on the water from here, but I've taken a few snaps at the ferry jetty. The old paddle-wheel ferry is moored here, and it makes for a nice subject with the CBD in the background.
Just south from this is a fascinating sculpture of a sea-shell. It must be fairly recent, as it doesn't even show up on Google Maps satellite view, but it's fun to frame the city through the sculpture.
Heading further south again, there is an observation platform at South Perth Park with a view directly north toward the city. This platform is handy, however it is prone to vibration if other people are coming and going. There is a spot just beside the platform where there are some flat rocks that are instead ideal to shoot from if you are doing long exposures and need a firm base to set a tripod up on. Looking north, you can even get star trails from this spot! Calm days on the Swan are rare, but are fantastic if you can grab one. Even better if you get a good sunrise with it! I'm still trying on that one . . . .
However, let's propose an easier solution to waiting for a calm Swan River . . . using the reflection on a lake instead! There is a nice spot in South Perth at Sir Jame Mitchell Park where an artifial lake gives that opportunity ( at least I'm told it's man-made ). Just beside the carpark is a small lake close to the Swan River. Being closed off from the main river and small in size means that you are much more likely to get a nice reflection; even if a light breeze is present as well. There is a lot of birdlife present, and they do tend to carve up the water as they move, so the reflection won't be perfect - but it will usually be much better than the river! The level of the lake rises and falls with the season, and while the view toward the CBD is a little limited, it's a nice view with a northern perspective. You will need to get low down to take advantage of it, however; and that can get a little muddy. I suggest some suitable footwear that you don't mind getting dirty!
Staying with South Perth a bit longer, there are a number of pedestrian footbridges that span the Mitchell Freeway. The best that I've found is Cale Street footbridge. It is easily accessed from a carpark not far from Cannington Highway intersection, and this footbridge has a nice view looking north toward the CBD, taking in the sweep of the Freeway, some of the Swan River, the Swan Brewery, and the CBD in the distance. Again, a morning with calm waters on the Swan River would be ideal for this spot, but it's a great
viewpoint nonetheless - just remember to leave room for the pedestrians and cyclists to move around you!
Moving even further south, we have Mt Henry Bridge. This where the Freeway crosses the Canning River, and it's a good spot to shoot as the water here will often be a bit more sheltered ( and therefore reflective ) than elsewhere on the Swan River. There is an area to park up underneath the south side of the bridge, and just to the west there is a short jetty and good ( but distant ) views north toward the CBD. This can be lined up nicely with the river banks, but you will need a long lens to make the most of it - I used a 200mm to get enough of the city in frame.
Matilda Bay
Matilda Bay is a peaceful little spot next to the Royal Perth Yacht Club. The parklands here are really nice, and there are a couple of pontoons not far out from the shore with the CBD in the distance. Parking is plentiful enough, and it's an easy walk to the water. This is an ideal spot for a sunrise with the easterly view, and the waters of the bay will often be a little calmer than the rest of the river, meaning that you may get a better reflection here off the water. It is also suitable for both a wide field of view as well as something in the 50mm/normal range. If you wnated to really isolate the CBD with a boat in the foreground, you could go even longer into telephoto focal lengths. I have shot both a sunrise and a sunset here, but if you can get the right conditions it is a worthwhile place to include in your list.
The nearby yacht club and marina is also worth a wander, however I have not taken any worthwhile photos from there.
Crawley Boat Shed, Mounts Bay Road
The Crawley Boat Shed ( otherwise known as the Blue Boat Shed ) is another well-known landmark in the area, and is quite an attractive feature to photograph. The easiest way to get to this spot is to park in the car park off Mounts Bay Road to the north of the shed and walk 10 minutes along the footpath, or find a spot to park on Park Ave or Kings Park Ave and walk down the hill. The Boat Shed is best suited to sunrises, but this can be a tricky proposition! I have attempted well over a dozen sunrise attempts here ( probably 20+ now . . . ), and my results have been mixed - I have never had a properly spectacular sunrise along with a calm river, and I intend to keep trying until I get both at the same time. Like the view from Mill Point, keep an eye on the weather forecast, as although a good reflection from calm waters is not a deal-breaker for your final image, it can massively elevate it to being something incredible and unique. The water in this area of the River seems to be even more susceptible to even the lowest amount of wind, and this will spoil any reflection you may get. The rowers who practice their craft in the early morning also seem to launch from near the University just south of the Boat Shed, and the waves from their boats as well as the powered dingies of their coaches will ruin the reflections.
Most people tend to shoot the boat shed from on the short jetty out to the shed. This is a great spot, and with some long exposures can result in some minimalistic-styled photos. However, I would encourage some creativity; and my personal best shot was from the northern side of the shed, with the sunrise light reflecting on the cloud to the south. The Boat Shed is also a very popular spot, so expect to see plenty of people running up and down the jetty for selfies, and I believe that I've seen at least three "Instagram wedding" groups here, with a "bride and groom" posing for photos while their entourage take photos and fly their drone around. So, be polite, and if the sunrise is going to be a keeper, don't hesitate to ask for a few moments uninterrupted; if my record is anything to go by, a good sunrise here doesn't happen very often.
Jetties
If jetties are your thing, further south on the river is Walter Point Jetty. Here is a small Tee-shaped jetty that has a north-eastern outlook. Here it gazes out over a point in the river that is quite wide, so there is an expansive view from the jetty. It's certainly not that dramatic, but it is nicely framed and illuminated by a lighting pole and has seen many-an-iteration in Black & White.
North Beach Jetty is also very popular, with plenty of photographers either using it as a base to photograph the sunset off, or as a nice subject viewed from the beach below.
Other ones to check out are the Como Beach jetty and Ammo Jetty. Como Beach jetty is unmarked on Google Maps, so I'm not entirely sure that it is the actual name for it. It is located in Como beside Preston Street and Como Beach Bridge. Popular with fishermen, it lines up nicely with an autumn or spring sunset, however this section of the Swan River seems to be even more adverse to calm waters, so a good reflection is going to be quite rare.
Ammo Jetty is much further south at Woodman Point. It is a very popular area with a nearby park and an open beach with calm water. The jetty itself is quite wide, and there is opportunity to photograph it from a bunch of angles. Always popular with fishers, you will usually find a crowd of people trying their luck to snag a fish or two, or just enjoying a peaceful swim.
Another spot that I found interesting is Attadale Reserve, which is a flat grassy area beside the Swan River. It is notable mainly for the sole tree and park bench sitting out in its midst with the CBD far in the distance.
Reabold Hill Lookout
Reabold Hill is part of a very impressive
park located to the northwest of the Perth CBD. The hill has a rather wonderful suprise located at the top; a short walkway to a look-out with an eastern view, and a road leading to a carpark at the top of the hill! No need to walk hundreds of metres to access the lookout. The view from this point is over the rest of the park, and out to the CBD in the distance. During a rather specific time of year the sun will rise from behind the buildings of the CBD, and the lookout at the summit gives you a good view of this. This is in mid-to-late February and mid October.
There are a couple of caveates to keep in mind with this. If you are hoping to catch the sun behind the centre of CBD buildings, you literally only have two optimal days per year for this ( and I can't tell you which ones. The closest I got was on February 24th, although the 23rd would have been better. I'm not sure whether this repeats exactly from year to year ).
The sun moves suprisingly far day to to as to where it rises, and there is not a lot of room to physically move to adjust your position in relation to this. The second caveat is the platform itself. There are trees and bushes growing on the side of the hill that partially block the view, but not enough to cause any major annoyance. The third caveat is that the platform is built above the hill itself, and is highly prone to vibration. The platform is popular with runners and walkers, and anyone walking along any section of it will send vibrations through the steelwork, up your tripod, and into your camera, spoiling the sharpness of the image. If you are shooting with a telephoto lens ( 100mm thru to 300mm+ is usefull in this location, depending on the type of image/composition you are hoping to capture ), then I highly recommend a remote shutter trigger and the use of an electronic shutter.
There is another spot further down the eastern side of the hill, about 50 metres from the carpark down the walkway. There is a small clearing next to a park bench that is more solid ground for setting up a camera and tripod. The viewpoint is lower, but still fantastic, although there are trees that do hamper the view a little more.
14 days separate the first and last photo, showing how much the position of the rising sun changes from the right of the CBD to the left, above the cranes.
Let's talk about the beach
Perth has a massive coastline, and I cannot claim to have visited every beach. Besides, I'm pretty terrible at taking beach photos, anyway. If I have some rocks or an object of interest, then I can manage - and Perth's beaches offer a lot of this. My curent favourite area are the beaches south of Hilarys Boat Harbour and north of Trigg Point; this including Trigg Beach, Hamersley Pool, North Beach, and some in between. Here, the shoreline is a mixture of honeycomb rock, sand, and the type of rock you would normally expect on the shoreline. It can be brutally sharp, but the scoops and divets in the rock are intriguing and wonderful to photograph as the water flows around and through them. I have had the best luck shooting in the northern direction, but this is mostly due to the colour in the clouds being prevalent in the north.
One thing I have found as that the beaches change throughout the year. I'm not sure of the how or why, but the sand levels rise and fall seasonally. I have visited beaches and taken photos of the water spilling through rocks, only to revisit a couple of weeks later to find that the rocks have been completely buried under the rising sand! At some point they are uncovered again, but keep that in mind when scouting for photo spots and vowing to return to an epic rock that may just be buried the next time you visit.
Heading north we come to Burns Beach, which I've been visiting recently to find some fresh compositions. The rock formations here are fantastic, and it's little wonder that it's so popular with photographers! I intend to do more photography here over the next few months, but it's well worth the visit to capture the water moving between or over the rocks.
Heading even further noth, we arrive at Two Rocks. Now I concede that this may not technically be considered as being part of Perth; it's more of its own town than a northern suburb. However, I'm happy to make my own rules on this one and am including it. There are a couple of things to note, and the first is that the beach is aptly named. Beside the marina there are two prominent rocks on an otherwise sandy beach. The larger of the rocks is right beside the marina entrance and is what I would class as being largely unphotogenic, aside from a hole/arch that runs through it. When I visited, it was surrounded with a thick carpet of rotting seaweed, and the smell was oppressive. If this seaweed cleared, then I would probably be a lot more positive about it, but I currently have no interest in revisiting for that rock. The second of the Two Rocks is further down the beach to the south, and is much smaller. Despite this, it also has a small hole through it. With a bit of planning, you could probably catch a setting sun through it! I visited over a couple of days, and the rock was on a bank of flat sand at the edge of the tide, so waves would spill over the bank of sand and make a really nice reflection. This may change with the tides and season, and yes there is still seaweed present on the surrounding beach, but it is a nice spot to visit for a sunset.
Further to the south is an area of beach with a carpark simply known as "The Spot". A short walk to the south past the prominent outcrop of rocks brings you to the Alex T. Brown shipwreck. There isn't much remaining of this shipwreck aside from some beams with metal studs poking out. If the sand retreats you may be treated to a bit more of the wreck, but it is a nice spot to visit purely out of its relative isolation and generally as a curiosity.
If you're just after a regular beach, then take your pick; they're everywhere here, and usually pretty accessible. Cottesloe Beach is one of the more famous options, and the Indiana Cottesloe building is iconic in Western Australian seaside photos ( for now, it may be removed at some point ). A photo from the southern side of the beach looking back at the building is as WA postcard perfect as it gets, and either a midday crowded beach or a late afternoon golden-hour shot will capture the spirit of West Aussie living nicely.
If we head south, there is another landmark down at the C.Y O'Conner Reserve, on North Coogee Beach. This spot on the beach is an easy walk from a car park off Robb Road, just north of the old Fremantle Power Station building. Here lies the partial wreck of the SS Wyola, which is an old tug boat that was scrapped at the nearby jetty and the remains were sunk here. Some of the boats hull is still visible, and the rusting remains can make for a very nice subject in a photo.
Just to the south, if the tide is down ( as is the level of sand ) you will find the remnants of an old jetty. The low pilings poke out of the sand in twin lines, and it can be fun to capture photos of the waves moving around and through the pilings.
Hilarys Boat Harbour
Hilarys Boat Harbour and Marina is another favourite place of mine to visit. I just love the atmosphere here, with cafes and restaurants, people fishing off the banks of the marina, and a general relaxed hubbub in the air. It's also quite a photogenic spot, and can be worth popping in for some great sunset photos. Even though the marina is quite sheltered, calmer days will bring better reflections, and the boats will move around less in the gentle swell, making it more ideal for lower light and longer exposures. Looking out over the marina at sunset is always a win, and capturing some kayakers or stand-up paddle boarders adds to the atmosphere. I was fortunate enough to capture a lightning storm here, and it remains one of my biggest flukes and greatest rewards!
Up in the hills
The hills surrounding Perth also have some great spots that are woth visiting. I have not visited them all, but I intend to do a bit more exploring when I get the chance. Up in the southeastern hills, there is a good viewing point on the Great Eastern Highway on the southern side of the highway between Bega Street and Burton Road. There is a small area to pull off and park on the verge. Here you will be looking down the highway with Perth CBD in the distance.
Another fantastic spot is Lesmurdie Falls in Kalamunda. The walkway that leads down from the car park and around the southern side of the waterfall has some good spots that look down over the valley toward the city. The waterfall is also worth walking down to, although it can be very seasonal with its flow. Try to catch it during the mid-to-late winter, after the rains have come. The flow will go from being a trickle through to having a full flow! Be warned that there is water spray present during the times of higher flow, so keep that in mind if you're getting up close to the falls.
I have chosen spots up on the rock wall to the south, as well as up near the curve of the falls and the creek below as it curves around the tree at the bottom. There are plenty of spots to take advantage of, so spend some time exploring and composing, and you'll surely find you own personalized spin on a classic view!
Although the base of the falls are a popular spot, the falls themselves are tiered, and there is another set of falls above. These have no official access track, and you will have to bush-bash down from the observation deck to get there. There is a fairly obvious path down, but just follow the trail of rubbish to find your way ( and I wish I was being sarcastic saying that - unfortunately, I'm not ). Again, this benefits from the winter rains, and I was having all sorts of dramas trying to keep the camera lens clear of the constant spray from the falls. There are a number of spots to set up and shoot from, but I enjoy the vantage point of shooting along the cascade underneath the falls themselves. Take care, as some of the rocks in this area are extremely slippery.
Walking up the track on the other side of that valley leads to a vantage point that is another good place to gaze out over to Perth; just be aware that not all of the paths are necessarily well marked or even official trails, and they can turn into something of a maze.
Other well-known vantage points are Zig-zag Road, which is a bit of excitment to drive even without taking into account the views across to Perth. This road was closed off for a while due to some unsavoury people being a bit too enthusiastic with their motor vehicles. The road is now open again, although it is closed off in the evening via gates at both ends. It is a one-way road where you enter at the top of the hill and drive down, however there are normally joggers and cyclists who share the road and go in either direction. There is no stopping/parking on the road itself being a single lane, but there are plenty of areas to pull off the road and park all the way down the hill.
Once you have entered the raod through the top gate, a very popular spot for photography is at the first hairpin corner. After the road crosses back, it faces west toward the Perth CBD, and a nice composition can be found looking down the road and between the trees with the silhouette of the city in the distance.
There is a generous parking area at the hairpin itself on both the inside and outside of the corner. It is then a short walk down the road. Be aware that the road is narrow here, and although most drivers will be coming out of the corner at a slow speed there are enough peanuts in control of motor vehicles to be cautious and move off the road when a vehicle inevitably approaches.
I would recommend bringing a longer lens for this. I found myself gravitating to 70-100mm focal lengths to make the Perth CBD a bit larger. I did return to the spot early in March, as the sun actually sets behind the CBD on the 11th, 12th and 13th. I had a 300mm with a x1.4 teleconverter, and 300mm worked very well, even though you needed to take a position very close to the corner. 400mm does work, but you literally need to set up down at the edge of the corner, and naturally a lot of focus stacking will be needed for the road and even for the trees and CBD. I shot at f20 & f22, and even then I could not get both the prominent tree branch and CBD in focus. I have also shot a moonset from this spot, which was reasonably successful. I had to walk down from the top gate due to it being locked at night, but the walk is reasonably short and not much effort. However, be aware that the moon will not be sharp at all. I have shot the moonset from Perth hills a couple of times before, and the moon becomes a soft blob devoid of any detail as it sets behind the city due to the amount of heat haze rising in the air.
Then there are also the two lookouts in John Forrest National Park. One is easily accessible, being is a pull-off area on the looping Park Road, while the other is known as Eagle View, which requires some walking to get to. Whilst you are in John Forrest National Park, there are a couple of seasonal waterfalls and waterholes.
Aside from this, there are plenty of roads that skirt the edge of the hills overlooking Perth. During the autumn and spring months, if you choose the right spot, you can catch the sun setting behind the CBD. Some planning is required, as being out by 50 metres will mean that the sun will set either side.
Be very wary of shooting the sun with longer lenses; you can literally melt your lens' aperture blades or burn spots on your sensor from the concentrated light of the sun!
National Park Falls and Hovea Falls only really flow with gusto during the winter months, but Hovea Falls in particular is the more photogenic of the two, if you can get to a reasonable viewing point. Calling them waterfalls is somewhat misleading, as the water flows down a slope rather than dropping over a cliff or bluff. This rocky slope at Hovea Falls is incredibly slippery, and a massive amount of care needs to be taken to avoid ending up on the most unpleasant water slide of your life.
I would have to admit that I know very few of the waterfalls in the Perth area, as there are many to explore. Please look further than this article for other worthy waterfalls to visit! Pushing further out from the city, Araluen Botanic Park in Armadale is a magnificent garden that is famous for its tulips, which are in flower from mid-August through to the end of September. There is a small entry fee for this garden, but it is worth it. There are other Parks in the greater area that would be worth exploring, such as Whitman Park and Yanchep National Park. Even smaller parks may hold subjects of interest for photographers, such as water fowl and other birds.
But wait, what about Rottnest Island or Fremantle?
Entirely fair points. I will count Rottnest Island as a separate entity and a separate entry once I have spent a bit more time exploring it. I have visited it twice, but I expect to spend a bit more time there in the future - but rest assured that it is well worth the visit. Fremantle is a place that I've passed through on a number of ocasions, but I haven't stopped to really appreciate it. Once I find some spots that I enjoy and really see value in, then I will include them - I am always open to suggestions too. The same goes for Mandurah and Rockingham, they will be counted separately, if I get the chance to have a look around there. It's a big state, with a lot to explore!
In summary . . .
There is a lot to see in the Perth area. This isn't intended as an exhaustive list, and there are likely to be plenty of spots that I have missed - especially in and around the city. I myself have been looking for more areas and angles to view the CBD from, so this will likely be a work in progress for as long as I reside in Perth. Hopefully I have encouraged, inspired, and maybe even surprised some readers with my suggestions, and I hope this will help motivate you to get out there and explore in and around this fair city.