Elizabeth Quay - Grand Opening (including photos of before)

Elizabeth Quay is located at the Esplanade in Perth. I attended the inauguration of the new waterfront on the 29th of January, 2015. It is the new landmark feature in Perth, designed to connect the Swan River and the city. Development started in January 2012 and said to cost about $440 million. It is the home of many new attractions and leisure activities. It is still a work-in-progress in terms of property devlopment. Several hotels are yet to be built to complete the big picture.

For the opening night, there was plenty of entertainment and huge crowds. There is a new waterpark, featuring water spray at different time intervals. The area also accommodates several public art, a new promenade area and the new jetty. It is definitely a great place for the public to have a walk, as the view is amazing. 

It is a great tourist attraction, especially since the Bell Tower is already a place of interest in Perth. The Bell Tower offers a sweeping view over the jetty. The ferry now starts from the inlet, now named Elizabeth Quay Jetty. It was formerly known as the Barrack Street Jetty. 

The bridge offers a gorgeous view over the Swan River and the eight-storey art sculpture( in white).

At night, there was a light and laser show, every half hour from 8.00 p.m. It was quite impressive. The lights in the balls kept changing patterns and the water swirled and turned into jets. In addition, the Bell Tower, bridge and the waterpark feature all continually changed colour. I thorougly enjoyed the night and visit.

When I went to Bell Tower end of last year, the quay was still under construction. The change in those few months can be clearly seen. Here are some photos from the Bell Tower and Central Park.

For more information, please refer to below website:

www.elizabethquay.com.au

The Perth Mint

The Perth Mint is located in East Perth and is one of WA's main tourist attraction.  It is a place where you can buy gold and learn more about gold, in general. There are hourly guided tours, which will enlighten you about the history of the gold rush in WA and broaden your knowledge about the building's heritage. 

The tour starts from outside with a talk about the discovery of the three largest nuggets found in the WA. We then head inside (no camera allowed) and are welcomed by a 1 million gold coin (both intrinsic and face value being $1 million, even though if you could sell in terms of gold, it would be worth millions). The coin is truly a masterpiece and was awarded a Guiness World Record in 2012. Be aware that at night, the revolving coin goes deep inside a vault, so there is no chance of it being stolen.

After this, you are free to roam around some gold exhibition and learn some more facts about gold. You even have the opportunity to touch and lift a real gold bar (a lucky feeling). Next, there is a pouring gold demonstration, where you will see how a gold bar is made, melted into liquid and then back to its solidified state. It was quite intriging to see how it is done. Funny fact is that the same gold  metal has been used for all the demonstrations since the show first started. 

I was personally amused by the idea that there was a weight machine, which measures your weight in terms of real time gold price. I wish I was made of gold. There is nice alfresco outside, as you finish your visit.

Overall, it was a very interesting and insightful place to visit. It is, for sure, the closest I have been to so much gold.

Please refer to below link for admission prices and opening hours:
http://www.perthmint.com.au/visit_the_mint_perth_mint_visitor_information.aspx

For more information, please refer to below link:
http://www.perthmint.com.au/