What can you say about the world’s most remote city? Perth is more than 2,000 miles from any other urban center. Nevertheless, an influx of immigrants from Asia and Europe has given this Australian outpost an invigorating diversity.

Start the day with breakfast at Moorings Cafe (Barrack Street Jetty, tel 61 8 9325 4575), which offers superb river views. After breakfast, take a ferry from the jetty along the Swan River to Fremantle, the venue for the America’s Cup challenges in 1983 and 1987.

Fremantle — “Freo” — is the leisure-time hangout for Perthsiders, with historic sights, markets, lively all-night bars and nightclubs. For the best cafe culture in town, be sure to visit Gino’s (1 South Terrace, tel 61 8 9336 1464, www.ginoscafe.com.au). Another great Freo find is Joe’s Fish Shack (42 Mews Road, Fishing Boat Harbor, tel 61 8 9336 7161, www.joesfishshack.com.au), which calls to mind a run-down, weather-beaten Maine diner.

Don’t miss the Western Australian
Maritime Museum (), with two sites: the Shipwreck Galleries at Cliff Street and a new facility at Victoria Quay. The star exhibit of the Shipwreck Galleries is a full-scale replica of the Dutch ship Batavia, which came to grief on the Abrolhos reefs in 1629.

A short boat ride from Fremantle is Rottnest Island. Home to several colonies of quokkas (tiny kangaroos now found only on the island), Rottnest offers superb beaches washed by deep emerald waters. Quokka Arms Pub (tel 61 8 9292 5011) is a good choice for lunch.

From Rottnest, catch a flight back to Perth’s Jandakot Airport (JAD) via Rottnest Air Taxis (tel 61 8 9292 5027). From there it’s just a short taxi ride to Perth’s funky Northbridge precinct and its premier dining and entertainment strip — an excellent place to wind down the day in style. Among the best new restaurants is Red Orchid Noodle Bar and Restaurant (160 James St., tel 61 8 9228 9304), offering contemporary Australian-Thai cuisine including everything from tom yum soup to crocodile, emu and kangaroo dishes. Barocco (318 William St., tel 61 8 9228 3888), a huge Italian restaurant on three levels, features a mussel bar; Grapeskin (209 William St., tel 61 8 9228 2888) offers an outstanding tapas menu.