Driving in Western Australia 

Driving

Visitors, including people working temporarily in Western Australia, can drive on their overseas licence for as long as it remains valid in the country of issue.

Permanent residents may drive on their overseas licence for up to three months but must then apply for a Western Australian driving licence.

Comprehensive advice and information about driving in Western Australia can be found on the Department of Transport website.

You can download a copy of the Drive safe handbook from the Department of Transport website. This gives you a comprehensive guide to the road rules in Western Australia.  For comprehensive information about driving in Western Australia, see the Department of Transport’s information for new residents and visitors page.

The 17,000km of toll free roads in Western Australia connects major highways into Perth and all the State’s regional centres, north and south.  Freight and passenger rail networks also connect Western Australia to the eastern States. Visit whereis.com.au for maps of Perth and Western Australia and major freeways and highway routes. 

Ports

Fremantle

The major port of Fremantle is the shipping gateway into Western Australia and is the State’s biggest and major general cargo port. The port operates on two harbours, with the inner harbour handling almost all of the container trade, livestock export, motor vehicle import, general cargo, cruise ships and naval vessels.The outer harbour, 22km south of Fremantle close to Kwinana, is the major port for cargo such as grain, petroleum, mineral sands, coal and other bulk commodities.

The port of Fremantle also hosts cruise ships,which dock regularly at the passenger terminal at Victoria Quay.

Other ports in Western Australia can be found in:

• Albany 
  
• Broome
  
• Bunbury
  
• Dampier 
  
• Esperance
  
• Geraldton 
  
• Port Hedland
  
• Carnarvon 
  
• Onslow
  
• Barrow Island
  
• Varanus Island, 
  
• Port Walcott 
  
• Derby 
  
• Port Preston 
  
• Wyndham
  
• Yampi Sound

You can find out more about the ports in Western Australia and about the major associated developments by downloading the WA Ports handbook from the Department of Transport website. 

Public Transport

Perth metropolitan area

Perth has a modern, inexpensive public transport system incorporating trains, buses and ferries. There is also a free central area bus service, known as CAT which runs approximately every 5-10 minutes within the Perth central business district (CBD) and the Fremantle and Joondalup city centres.

Transperth (the transport authority for Perth) manages all public transport, so you can purchase one ticket, or use your SmartRider card (see below), to travel on all forms of public transport.

Within the Perth city centre, travel on public transport is free. The boundaries of this free travel zone (FTZ) are defined at the Transperth web site. To travel within this zone you can simply catch any bus or CAT for free, you are not restricted to the amount of times you can use this service and no tickets are required. To catch a train in the FTZ you will need a SmartRider to travel for free.  Download the Transperth map of the free transit zone to find out the rules of operation.

The Perth metropolitan area is divided into zones, with fares for public transport depending upon the number of zones you will be travelling, and the period of time required. Public transport operates until midnight on weekdays and Sundays, and through to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets for public transport can be purchased on boarding (buses only) or from main bus terminals, train stations and the Swan River ferry terminal.

What is SmartRider?

Using a SmartRider card is the best way to travel on Perth’s public transport network. It is Transperth's electronic ticketing system which allows you to use trains, buses and ferries across the TransPerth network. The fare value of each journey is deducted from the stored value on your card each time you travel by a ‘tag on – tag off’ system at each train or ferry station or on each bus you use. You can purchase and ‘top up’ a SmartRider pass from newsagents displaying the SmartRider logo as above or from the central Perth train station.

Regional Western Australia

Regional public transport is also excellent. Most towns offer a local bus service around the local area, and many schools operate a bus service to pick up and take home students each day.

Coaches operate regularly from a wide network of destinations to the regional areas both north and south, along with train routes running through to most major towns in the southern regions. TransWA services 275 locations in Western Australia. The TransWA website offers more information, with timetables, destinations, fares and how to book. Greyhound Australia is another coach service which operates services throughout  Australia, linking all mainland States and Territories.

Taxis

You can hail a taxi (also called a cab) or wait at one of the many taxi stands throughout Perth or in regional towns. Vacant taxis are indicated by an illuminated sign on the roof. Bookings can be made by phone, the internet, or mobile phone applications.

Air services

Perth has both an international and a domestic airport, with numerous carriers operating multiple flights daily.

You can fly to anywhere in the world from Perth, with many great travel deals available all year round.

Perth is about 17 flying hours from London, 15 hours from Frankfurt, 10 hours from Dubai and South Africa, seven hours from Hong Kong and approximately five hours from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Direct flights interstate are also frequent.  You can reach anywhere within Australia in a matter of hours. Many people fly interstate for a weekend trip, for example from Perth to Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne.

Here is an idea of direct flight times from Perth to the major cities in Australia. 

Within the State, direct flights to the far north of Western Australia are also popular, with holiday breaks to destinations such as Broome and Exmouth. Many business people and workers travelling to and from mining sites need to fly to their place of work as they can be in remote locations.

Here is an idea of the direct flight times to regional towns within Western Australia.