Perth's Premier Pathways: Laneways, Art, History & Culture

“Being a tourist in your own home town - Last week, two friends and I did a 3-hour walking tour of our own hometown of Perth, Western Australia, with "Two Feet and a Heartbeat" tour company. Not only did we enjoy it thoroughly and managed to avoid the winter rain, we all remarked on how much we had learnt on the walk. Places we had walked past dozens of times, but were unaware of the history. Hidden away laneways with colourful artworks that we never knew existed. And interesting details of well-known landmarks that had not seemed unusual, until we looked really closely. An example in the header above is the Western Australian coat of arms over the Old Post Office Building. The kangaroo is looking away instead of toward the coat of arms. Guide Jack explained that this was because payment for the building work took far too long, so in a pointed message, the kangaroo was sculpted to look across the city toward the Treasury building. Folktale or fact, it was a great yarn. This walk showed us that you can gain a new perspective in a familiar location, by stepping into the (walking) shoes of visitors and tourists. The company also does walking tours of Fremantle.”

— kebabster2011·Tripadvisor