WHAT'S HOT

Manchester United to play at Optus Stadium in 2019

In an Australian exclusive, and for the first time in more than 40 years, the world's biggest sporting team will visit Perth to play two friendly matches at Optus Stadium in July 2019. Manchester United Football Club will bring its entire squad to WA as part of the team's preparation for the 2019-20 season. As well as two friendly matches, the Red Devils will host training clinics, participate in an open training session, corporate golf day, and enjoy a day in the Swan Valley. The team's first football game will be against the current A-League ladder leaders Perth Glory on July 13, then they'll take on rivals Leeds United on July 17. Manchester United has one of the world's biggest supporter bases with up to 659 million fans across the globe. Tickets for the games and fan activities are on sale now.

Rottnest Island to welcome biggest summer yet

Perth's own island playground, Rottnest, welcomes a range of new activities and tours for the 18/19 summer season. New tour offerings include a crayfish catch and cook tour on board Rottnest Cruises; glass bottom kayak tours with Inspiration Outdoors; sunset, eco and whale watching tours with Charter 1; boat hire with Boating West; subsea scooter tours from SeaBob; undersea helmet walks, scuba dives and snorkel tours with Ningaloo Reef Dreaming; a new Lexi's on Rotto food van at Wadjemup Lighthouse and beach accessory hire at popular swimming beach, The Basin. Rottnest Island is the ultimate day trip from Perth, located a 30-minute ferry ride from the city's coastline. The island paradise continues to attract a record number of visitors, which has included celebrities Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Bill Murray and Roger Federer – all of whom captured their very own #quokkaselfie.

Dolphin Discovery Centre unveils multi-million dollar refurb

Bunbury is now home to a multi-million dollar revitalised attraction, the Dolphin Discovery Centre. Dedicated to dolphin research, conservation and education, the Discovery Centre reopens this month and comprises state of the art interpretative displays, a turtle hospital, function and meeting rooms, and cafe. Visitors can also enjoy meeting some of the local bottlenose dolphins of Koombana Bay on a Wild Dolphin Swim Tour or Dolphin Eco Cruise. The Discovery Centre has been designed with an eco-friendly focus and incorporates Aboriginal dreamtime artwork with interactive lighting displays. The coastal city of Bunbury can be reached in a two hour drive south of Perth, and is less than a 45-minute drive to the Margaret River region.

Optus Stadium wins big at international awards

Beating a shortlist of impressive global projects, Perth's Optus Stadium claimed the award for Project of the Year at the Stadium Business Awards in London. Commended by judges on its 'fan first' design, the 60,000-seat stadium came out on top of other major projects, including New York's Louis Armstrong Arena, Kuala Lumpur's Sports City and Washington DC's Audi Field. Optus Stadium is the third-largest stadium in Australia and has won numerous awards since opening earlier this year, including the National Award for Public Architecture at the 2018 National Architecture Awards. It's also the highest rated stadium by Australian Football League (AFL) fans. The sporting and entertainment precinct will host several major events in 2019, including the Eminem Rapture Tour (February 27), Rugby League State of Origin (June 23), Manchester United friendly matches (July 13 and 17), and Bledisloe Cup (August 10).

LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE

Secret life of the quokka revealed in documentary and book

A locally produced documentary and coffee table book will reveal the mysterious life of Rottnest Island's famous marsupial, the quokka. Created by Perth-based production company Sea Dog TV International, Rottnest Island – Kingdom of the Quokka will premiere to audiences globally on National Geographic Wild on December 16 and 23. The documentary includes footage of the quokka in its natural habitat on Rottnest Island, showcasing what the cute animals get up to in their daily lives. In addition to the quokka, the biopic also delves into the nature of penguins on Penguin Island, located within Shoalwater Marine Park, a 40-minute drive south of Perth.

2019 FRINGE WORLD tickets now on sale

Tickets for all 700 FRINGE WORLD Festival shows are now on sale, with events being held across 138 venues in Perth. A new hub has also been introduced for 2019 in the recently opened Yagan Square precinct, which will host a range of events and genres, including high energy aerialist performance Le Aerial, comedy hypnotist Matt Hale and magician Matt Tarrant. The annual festival is the third largest Fringe Festival in the world, and will run over four weeks from January 18 to February 17, 2019.

Cultural and community space to open in Fremantle

A 500-person capacity entertainment hall, co-working space and micro-brewery will open in Fremantle in 2019. Taking up residence at the former historic artillery drill hall, Freo.Social is working in cooperation with the National Trust of WA to refurbish the space while preserving and enhancing the building's heritage. Constructed in 1895-96, the building was the first purpose-built military hall in WA. More recently, it was remembered as entertainment venue Fly by Night Musicians Club. Next year, the venue will promote the history of the building through branding and visual design elements, while creating a space for like-minded individuals to come together for entertainment, socialising and creative collaboration.

FOOD AND WINE

Swan Valley sparkling rated as the best in Australia

Sitella Winery's 2009 Pinot Noir Chardonnay was recently rated as Top Australian Sparkling by Australia's leading wine publication, Gourmet Traveller Wine, with a score of 96/100. Family owned and operated, Sitella Winery has been making wines for 20 years, sourcing its fruit from vines in the Swan Valley – located a 25-minute from Perth CBD, and Margaret River and Frankland River regions in the State's South West.

Food and wine trails showcase best of WA produce

Fourteen self-guided food and wine trails in Perth and the South West have been unveiled, encouraging locals and visitors to WA to walk, cycle or drive to key attractions along the routes, sampling local gourmet produce along the way. Discover the Italian influence in Fremantle on the Fremantle Gusto Italiano – A Taste of Italy walking trail; get the family together for a day filled with animals, natural attractions and farm-fresh produce on The Denmark Farm Gate Trail; or meander around a popular South West destination by bike on the Margaret River Cycle Food and Beverage Trail. The trails vary between a half or full day - featuring both popular destinations and some hidden gems – while passing through scenic natural and urban landscapes. For more information, visit this link.

Taste Great Southern headline chef announced

Winner of MasterChef 2010, Destination Flavour television host and cookbook author Adam Liaw will headline Taste Great Southern from April 4 to 14, 2019. In its 15th year of celebrating the food and wine of WA's Great Southern region, the festival features a program of more than 30 culinary events over 11 days, including degustations, long lunches, community markets and free events. Adam Liaw will make appearances at key festival events, including the Women of the Region Lunch in Albany, the Rockcliffe Night Market in Denmark and a special event planned for the Field of Light art installation in Albany. More details to be announced in the coming months.

New Perth eats and drinks

The culinary offerings at Yagan Square continue to grow with the opening of Ficus on the upper level of the public precinct. The farm-to-plate philosophy means fresh seasonal produce sourced from the South West comes together in an a la carte and sharing style menu offering, complemented by an exciting cocktail list, as well as an extensive range of local beer, wine and spirits.

A new coastal café has opened overlooking the ocean at Waterman's Bay, just a short drive north of Perth. The Little Bay is a fresh, welcoming and bright addition to Perth's cafe scene. Menu items are insta-worthy as well as delicious, and the café is fully licensed, making breakfast cocktails a reality.

Popular Perth restaurant Monsterella is soon to have a little sister. Set to open in February 2019, Mummucc' will serve as a waiting room for Monsterella, playing the part of small bar. The new venue will have its own menu, plus pizzas from its older sister able to be ordered for those wanting to dine in a more intimate venue. The restaurants are both family-owned, which is reflected in the name Mummucc' - meaning 'mother' in Abruzzese - and is the loving name given to the owner's grandmother.

TOURS, ATTRACTIONS AND ACCOMMODATION

DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Northbridge due to open next month

The first DoubleTree by Hilton property in WA, and the first new-build DoubleTree by Hilton in Australia, will officially launch on January 18, 2019. Located in the cultural hub of Northbridge, DoubleTree by Hilton is within close walking distance to dining, shopping and cultural attractions, including Yagan Square, Elizabeth Quay and RAC Arena. The hotel will feature 206 guest rooms, including Executive Panoramic View rooms, an executive lounge, James St Bar + Kitchen, 310m² of event space, a gym and an outdoor pool and bar. Adding to Perth's hotel and hospitality boom, the hotel brand will open a second property in 2019 - DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Waterfront – located near Elizabeth Quay overlooking the Swan River.

National Hotel adds to its hospitality offering

Originally built in 1903, Fremantle's iconic National Hotel has refreshed its current offering by way of a new rooftop bar and 12 luxurious hotel rooms. The rooftop space offers 360-degree views over the port city and is open to the public on Sundays from 12pm to 8pm, and available for private parties. Located on the upper two floors of the hotel, each of the 12 individually-styled heritage rooms feature locally designed and made Marri wood bathroom vanities and wardrobes, and half feature private verandahs. Guests will also enjoy complimentary wi-fi and digital smart TVs.

Monkey Mia Resort reopens following $20 million upgrade

RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort has officially re-opened following a $20 million refurbishment. The major redevelopment includes the addition of 12 new family beach villas, 117 more powered campsites, an additional 14 powered sites with ensuites and 80 unpowered camping sites.  Along with the added accommodation options, the resort now boasts a new 23-metre swimming pool and playground, reception, office and retail spaces. Monkey Mia is located along WA's Coral Coast in the Shark Bay World Heritage area, around 850 kilometres north of Perth, and be reached as part of a road trip along the coast or short flight. Visitors to Monkey Mia can benefit from discounted airfares, with 12 services per week now available between Perth and Monkey Mia, starting from $157 one way if booked more than 60 days prior to departure.

Kimberley Wild Expeditions takes home top tourism honour

A number of WA tourism businesses were acknowledged for excellence at the 2018 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards, including Broome-based Kimberley Wild Expeditions, who won the prestigious Sir David Brand Award for Tourism. Other gold medalists on the night included:
- Major Tourist Attractions – Busselton Jetty
- Major Festivals & Events – Mandurah Crab Fest
- Award for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Tourism – Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours & Experiences
- Luxury Accommodation – Crown Towers Perth 
- New Tourism Business – Optus Stadium 
- Excellence in Food Tourism – Two Feet & a Heartbeat

The gold medallists will go on to represent WA at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, being held in March 2019. For the full list of winners, visit this link.

Choice Hotels Asia-Pac opens its largest hotel in Australia

Ingot Hotel Perth opened to the public this month, replacing the Comfort Inn Bel Eyre Perth on Great Eastern Highway. Located a short drive from Perth Airport, Ingot Hotel is the perfect base for explorations to the Swan Valley, as well as events at Optus Stadium and Ascot Racecourse. In addition to the 214 rooms on site, a new Eyre Restaurant and Sterling Café & Bar offers mouth-watering food and wine catering to both hotel guests and walk in diners.

Multilingual open-top bus tours commence in Perth

Perth Explorer has expanded its product offering by introducing a new open-top bus tour, featuring commentary in eight languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Indonesian, Malaysian, Chinese and Japanese – plus a kids channel with entertaining commentary by 'Kev the Kangaroo'. The hop-on, hop-off tour combines 12 stops across Perth, including Kings Park, Elizabeth Quay, Crown Perth, WA Art Gallery, Yagan Square and Optus Stadium, and takes two hours from start to finish.

GCP Hospitality open new venture in Perth

Lifestyle and community-focused Hostel G is a new concept from GCP Hospitality, launching in Perth in January 2019. The hostel has been developed with the modern traveller in mind, blending privacy, refreshing amenities and cleverly created social spaces. Located in Northbridge, the hostel complements the nearby arts, culture and food scene. It will house a Lazy Lee Urban Eatery, as well as a designated co-working space, screening room and games area. Hostel G caters for individuals from all backgrounds, including young travelers, corporates and families.

New Aboriginal walking tours in South Perth

Aboriginal-owned and operated tourism company Nyungar Tours has launched new walking tours in Perth. The authentic cultural experience is conducted by a traditional owner with a family history of ancient customs and traditions. Tours feature South Perth foreshore, the Scented Gardens and views of the city and Swan River, as traditional stories of Whadjuk Country and Perth's Nyungar people are shared. Tickets are available online for tours from Monday to Saturday.

Turquoise Safaris announce new vessel in time for summer

Coral Coast operator, Turquoise Safaris, has added a new vessel to its fleet – a custom built, 10-metre fiberglass catamaran, Sound Waves. Based in Jurien Bay, the vessel will transport up to 12 passengers on a new Sea Lion Safari, with access to an on-board toilet and wheelchair facilities. Sea Lion Safaris run twice daily across summer, and allows guests the opportunity to snorkel among an underwater wonderland, and get up close with playful sea lions. Jurien Bay can be reached in a 2.5 hour drive north of Perth.

Westside Tours launches Full Day Pinnacles, Lancelin 4WD Sandboarding & Koalas Adventure Tour

Westside Tours has announced its newest experience – a full day Pinnacles, Lancelin 4WD Sandboarding & Koalas Adventure Tour. The coach tour includes a visit to Yanchep National Park to see koalas, and gives guests the opportunity to sandboard and four-wheel-drive on the famous dunes at Lancelin, followed by lunch at Lobster Shack in Cervantes and a final stop at the Pinnacles Desert. Tours operate three times a week, and are available to book online.