City Guide: The Founder of Mother SPF’s favourite spots in Perth
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
“I love that Perth is so sprawled out along the coastline and that you can live so close to the beach.”
Here at Fashion Journal, we want to unearth the hidden spots in Australian cities that only the locals know about. There’s no gatekeeping here – this is a breakdown of the best bits of our cities. We want the underrated date spots, favourite restaurants, treasure trove op shops and the bars people will always want to go back to.
Taking us around her city this week is Tandia Walsh, the Founder of Mother SPF. She describes her brand as specialising in “luxurious, clean and science-backed suncare products you’ll actually want to use every day” and after living in Perth for the last 22 years (a city famous for its beaches) it makes sense that she’d dream up a natural sunblock for the skincare-obsessed.
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So what’s her favourite part about living in Perth? “Life is very ‘easy’ in Perth. Everything is within a short drive, traffic is minimal [there are] lots of wide-open spaces and an abundance of tree-lined streets and parks. I love that Perth is so sprawled out along the coastline and that you can live so close to the beach. You can drive (or walk) to the beach daily, no paid parking and can always get a car park close to the beach,” she tells us.
As for what makes Perth so special? No surprises here, but it’s the city’s coastline and incredible beaches. According to Tandia, it’s thanks to their “White sand, crystal-clear water that goes on forever and sunsets that are a medley of incredible colours”, and that’s hard to argue with. Here, Tandia shares some of her favourite places to visit in her city.
Drink
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Anywhere along the coastline to watch Perth’s incredible sunsets! I like Ocean Beach Hotel… [it’s] an iconic Perth pub, right opposite Cottesloe beach. On a hot day it’s absolutely packed, the windows are open and blowing in the ocean breeze and the dress code is the perfect example of the typical laidback Australian.
Eat
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I would go to Vin Populi if you feel like Italian with a vibe or Lulu La Delizia for a traditional Italian feast. I love Lions and Tigers, a really cool Indian restaurant in Fremantle. La Lune is a great French-style bistro (think steak frites) and you can’t go past Long Chim at the Como Hotel if you feel like some Asian spice with a side of cocktails.
Shop
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Coco & Lola if you have an event on and need a dress ASAP, Nu Onda for everyday stylish items and Atelier on George is epic too (don’t forget to pick up a tube of Mother SPF from them!).
Date
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Fremantle has lots of bars, you can walk everywhere and it’s always busy and vibing. I would start at La Cabana for a spicy margarita and walk next door to Madalena’s for a seafood feast out on the alfresco, followed by Chicho Gelato. They always have the most interesting flavour combos.
Indulge
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Love Beauty Clinic or Skin Fairy for Perth’s best facials. For a massage, I would go to Heartwood, an incredible clean beauty store that also does the best 30-minute face massages. Think yoga for the face – the perfect lunchtime break to get your skin glowing and your nervous system calm. The best news is that they are all proud stockists of Mother SPF.
The perfect day
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An early workout at Station Street Fitness, a boutique gym in Cottesloe that has an incredible vibe (and the classes are seriously hard). Straight to Cottesloe Beach after for a dip, followed by coffee with friends at Il Lido.
If it’s the weekend I love to go to the farmers’ markets in Mount Claremont or Subiaco. I would head into Fremantle to Alchemy Saunas for a sauna followed by an ice bath. I love having lunch at Coogee Common, an upscale farm-to-table restaurant in a restored sandstone heritage pub with a modern menu, housemade botanical drinks and garden tours.
[This would be] followed by an afternoon drink with friends at the Ocean Beach Hotel and getting delicious takeaway from North Street Store and having a picnic on the beach watching the sun go down and maybe even an evening swim if it’s one of those incredible balmy summer nights in Perth.
For celebration
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Rottnest Island for the day! A 30-minute ferry ride from Fremantle. The Italian restaurant Isola makes for a great boozy celebratory lunch spot. Both places are practically on the beach and the view is insane. It’s a really fun day trip to do. The boat ride home is always interesting if you have had a touch too much to drink…
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