It's hard to know whether the experts are giving you useful information or just the same old song and dance. That's why we're introducing Guidebook Says to commend or correct other travel media. Feel free to commend or correct us in the comments below! This week, we zero in on Perth, the quiet but cool capital of Western Australia.

Guidebook Says: "This sunshine capital is also home to a thousand mining and exploration companies, which bring a touch of the Outback to the city. It's a friendly city, partly because of the outdoor openness and partly from the Outback influence." -- Frommers

Jaunted Says: Fact: Mining and exploration companies abound in Perth. Fiction: we've never found the touch of the Outback they bring. They seem to be about flashy skyscrapers and rich fly-in, fly-out workers and we seriously doubt any tourist would take much notice of them. The Outback's about as far from Perth as Uluru is from the ocean (that's pretty far), so we really don't know what this guidebook writer was on about.]]> amandak 2009-08-11T13:34:33-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/21/9653/97845

When in Paris, visit Jim Morrison's grave; when in Perth, visit Australia's most visited grave: the final resting place of Bon Scott, the AC/DC front-man who would've turned 63 this month.

But there's much more to an AC/DC pilgrimage than just visiting a grave—they've just launched a Highway to Hell Tour to show you all the AC/DC sites of Fremantle, the port town to Perth where Bon Scott grew up.

The tour takes in Scott's childhood home and schools, the Fremantle Prison where Scott apparently had a brush with the law, a commemorative statue the town's put up and finally, his grave. At the moment, the A$25 ($20), 90-minute tour only runs on Sundays (but it does so three times) and the operators hope to increase the frequency as it gets more popular.

One thing we especially like about this tour is that the tourists get to choose the playlist for the bus-ride. We're pretty sure we'd be belting out "It's A Long Way to the Top" the whole tour long.

Related Stories:
· AC/DC Fans Follow Bon Scott's Adventures [The West]
· Western Australia Travel Guide [Jaunted] ]]> amandak 2009-07-21T16:29:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/5/6516/30221

With our giant soft spot for Australia we probably would already have voted Down Under beaches ahead of Spain's Costa Brava, but now the Spaniards have done it themselves. In a recent resort brochure for the supposedly beautiful Spanish coastline, they used a picture of a Perth beach by mistake. Ooops.

If you, like that resort, suspect Western Australia's beaches might be prettier than the Costa Brava, then you could check out City Beach, which was used for the Spanish ad. Along the same city coastline, Cottesloe Beach is also famous for atmosphere and easy train route access; a little north of the city, Scarborough Beach is one for the teenagers and surfers.

Of course, the beaches across Oz might all be better than the Costa Brava--just check our top five Sydney beaches to start your comparison. And when daydreaming over Spanish vacation brochures next, don't forget to wonder if what you're seeing is really Down Under.

Related Stories:
· Costa Pertha in Spanish Resort Promotion [The Age]
· The Five Best Beaches in Sydney [Jaunted]
· Perth Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo of Cottesloe Beach, Perth, not the Costa Brava: Ole Reidar Johansen] ]]> amandak 2009-03-05T15:56:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/10/214144/067

Wash that winter right out of your hair with a trip to western Australia's sandy beaches. This is the last good month of the season for windsurfing, so whether you're a novice or a pro, Perth wants you.

The harbor in Perth shields it from the most violent currents of the Indian Ocean. Safety Bay, despite its name, more for people who have windsurfed before, but try Pelican Point at Matilda Bay for an easy approach. Windforce Windsurfing School will give you three days of beginner weekday lessons for $150 (about $100).

We pulled up a round-trip fare of $1215 from Los Angeles to Perth on Qantas, but you could probably go for much cheaper by flying to Sydney or Melbourne and snagging a discount fare.

Related Stories:
· Windsurfing and Julia Roberts in Mexico [Jaunted]
· Five Reasons to Visit Perth [Jaunted]
· Perth Hotels [HC]

[Photo: asterbat]]]> egw 2009-02-11T16:16:03-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/29/713/71761

There’s an odd epidemic sweeping Australia at the moment: giant ferris wheels are springing up in nearly all its capital cities. Melbourne seemed to start the trend, with Adelaide and Sydney getting in on the ferris wheel act in recent months too.

Now Perth has planted its own (not quite so big) ferris wheel on the Swan River foreshore in front of the city center. The Wheel of Perth is in a scenic spot, for sure, but whether you actually get an interesting ride out of it is open to debate.

Plenty of locals have suggested the A$15 ($10) price tag for a maximum ride time of 15 minutes is a bit steep. And you get similar views over Perth city for free from nearby Kings Park. If you ask us, this wheel seems like nothing more than keeping up with the Joneses.

Related Stories:
· Wheel Set to Spin Later This Week [The West]
· Melbourne’s Wheel Finally Starts Turning [Jaunted]
· Ferris Wheel Travel: Now Sydney Wants One Too [Jaunted]

[Photo: thatgrumguy] ]]> amandak 2009-01-29T11:45:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/13/12717/3024

Western Australia's capital city of Perth might win prizes as the most isolated city in the world, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. And thanks to Virgin Blue and Jetstar, it no longer costs the earth to get there. Visitors from the US will find their flight stopping in Sydney or Melbourne first, but you'll get there eventually.

Once in Perth, here are the five must-sees:

Kings Park, which overlooks the city center, is bigger than New York's Central Park. Grab supplies from the supermarket and use one of the free barbecues to have one of the best outdoor meals in the world.]]> amandak 2009-01-13T10:50:48-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/19/81818/022

Sheryl Crow doesn't need your fancy Bugaboos. The singer strolled through Perth Airport with her son Wyatt in a Lilly Gold Sit'n'Stroll, a car seat that turns into a stroller. Looks pretty comfortable, right? Does it come in adult sizes?

Crow's latest show was a Rock the Vote concert with the Beastie Boys in Richmond, Virginia. The vote now having been rocked, she's onto her next crusade: Helping the Cloud Foundation protect bands of wild horses. The Cloud Foundation intends to step into the gap where the Bureau of Land Management, facing major cutbacks, is unable to help horses out in the wild.

Related Stories:
· Lilly Gold Sit'n'Stroll 5-in-1 Combination Car Seat/Stroller [Amazon.com]
· Sheryl Crow Joins in Wild Horse Fight [Las Vegas Now]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Tressed Out Celebs] ]]> egw 2008-11-19T09:15:16-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/