It’s no wonder that Australia is high on the wish list of eco-tourists, especially those who wish to see lots of parrot species and many other birds too. And don’t forget Australia’s amazing mammals such as kangaroos, koalas and wallabies (not the rugby playing ones)! Australia is a huge country and you won’t be able to see it all in one go if you have the usual 2-4 weeks annual leave so you need to break it up into separate trips. In this series, we will be looking at Western Australia and some of it’s best eco-tourism hotspots. Perth is a great place to start your birding/eco-travel adventure and if you have miles and points you can save a bundle!
GETTING TO PERTH
Perth is the only international airport serving Western Australia. There are several options for using your miles to get from your home country to Australia. Perth specifically is served by:
Air New Zealand – Auckland
Singapore Airlines – Singapore
South African – Johannesburg
Thai Airways – Bangkok
Qantas (home carrier) – Singapore,
Jetstar (Qantas affiliate) – Jakarta, Denpasar
Cathay Pacific – Hong Kong
Malaysian – Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu
Qatar Airways (future One World) – Doha
China Southern – Guangzhou
Garuda (future Skyteam) – Jakarta, Denpasar
NON-ALLIANCE AIRLINES
Virgin Australia – Phuket
Emirates – Dubai
Air Mauritius – Mauritius
DOMESTIC ROUTES
The only two airlines you are likely to be able to redeem miles on are Qantas and Virgin Australia. Here are their route maps with their domestic connections.
QANTAS
Qantas routes to Perth
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
Virgin Australia routes to Perth
WHERE TO STAY ON POINTS
Parmelia Hilton – 60,000 and up, varies by season and room
Hyatt Regency Perth – 12,000
Four Points by Sheraton (SPG) – 12,000
Holiday Inn Perth City Centre (IHG) – 35,000
Crowne Plaza Perth (IHG) – 40,000
Comfort Hotel Perth City (Choice) – 30,000
Comfort Hotel Wentworth Plaza (Choice) – 20,000
BEST OPTIONS IF YOU ARE PAYING CASH
Accor Hotels – Quite a few but unless you use these properties a lot you would be better off using Pointshound to book these or any other independent hotel of your choice. All else being equal, I would choose a hotel based on location and proximity to public transportation.