Coming to Perth for AHTA 2026? Here’s Our Local Guide
The Australian Hand Therapy Association Annual Conference is coming to Perth, and for us that feels a little like hosting at home. Australian Medical Supplies first began right here in Perth, so before you settle into three days of sessions at the Pan Pacific, we wanted to share the version of the city we know. Not the tourist brochure. The places we actually walk, eat, swim and unwind, most of them within easy reach of the hotel on Adelaide Terrace.
Late August is a lovely time to be here. The days are mild, the mornings are crisp, the river is glassy and the wildflowers are just starting to appear. Here is how to make the most of it.
Before the Morning Sessions
The Pan Pacific sits one street back from the Swan River, and the foreshore path is the best free thing in Perth. Cross to Langley Park and you can walk or run flat, open riverfront in either direction. Head east and you will pass Point Fraser and the wetlands on the way to Matagarup Bridge, with Optus Stadium rising on the far bank. Head west and the path carries you toward Elizabeth Quay with the city skyline over your shoulder the whole way.
Sunrise is around 6:40am during the conference, which lines up nicely with a walk before the first session. If you are a rower or a paddler at home, you will understand why locals are precious about this river.
Coffee and Breakfast
Perth takes its coffee seriously. Close to the hotel, the cafes of East Perth and the top end of Hay Street will sort you out on a conference morning. If you have a little longer, walk into the city proper. Telegram, tucked into the State Buildings, is a favourite for a quick, excellent cup, and the laneways around the CBD hide plenty of small espresso bars where the barista will happily talk beans with you. Order a long mac topped up if you want to sound like a local.
The State Buildings and Treasury Precinct
If you only explore one corner of the city, make it this one. The State Buildings at Cathedral Square are a beautifully restored heritage precinct about fifteen minutes on foot from the Pan Pacific, and they hold some of Perth's best eating and drinking under one roof. Wildflower, up on the rooftop, builds its menu around the six Noongar seasons and is the pick for a special dinner. Petition covers relaxed dining and an excellent beer corner, and Post is a reliable spot for a long lunch or an aperitivo. Book Wildflower ahead if you can. Conference weeks fill it fast.
Elizabeth Quay and the Waterfront
Elizabeth Quay is Perth's newest gathering place, twenty minutes along the river path from the hotel or a short ride on the free CAT bus. Come at dusk, when the bridge lights up and the ferries cross to South Perth. There are restaurants and bars around the inlet, a busy weekend atmosphere, and the best close range view of the city you will find. It is an easy option for a group dinner when nobody wants to organise anything complicated.
After the Last Session
Perth's small bar scene is one of the things that has changed most since we started this business, and it is now genuinely good. The CBD and Northbridge laneways are dotted with rooms that hold thirty people and take their drinks seriously. Wander the blocks around Howard Street and William Street and you will find wine bars, whisky rooms and cocktail spots within a few minutes of each other. If the conference day has been long, there is no shame in a quiet glass somewhere warm and dim. We have tested this thoroughly.
Across the River
Catch the ferry from Elizabeth Quay to Mends Street and you are in South Perth in a few minutes flat. Turn around, and there it is: the classic postcard view of the Perth skyline across the water. The South Perth foreshore is perfect for a slow evening walk, and there are cafes and restaurants along Mends Street when you get hungry. Time the return ferry for after dark and the city lights do the rest.
Recovery for Therapists
You spend your working life looking after other people's recovery, so here is some for you. Perth has embraced the bathhouse and recovery studio in a big way, and you will find saunas, ice baths, float tanks and massage within a short ride of the CBD, including dedicated recovery studios such as Löyly and Recovery Lab. If cold water without the ice bath is more your style, the ocean is twenty minutes away and does the same job with a better view. Consider it professional development for the hands that do the work.
A Spare Afternoon
With two or three free hours you have real options. The Perth Mint, five minutes from the hotel on Hay Street, still runs its traditional gold pour and is more interesting than you expect. Walk the river loop to Matagarup Bridge, or climb its sky deck if you have a head for heights. Best of all, take a ride up to Kings Park, one of the largest inner city parks in the world, where the war memorial lookout gives you the whole city, the river and the ranges in one sweep. Late August means the first of the wildflowers will be out, a few weeks ahead of the spring festival crowds.
If You Have a Day
Three good choices, all easy from the city. Fremantle is thirty minutes by train, a working port town of markets, breweries, street music and the best fish and chips in the state. Rottnest Island is a ferry ride from Barrack Street Jetty, near Elizabeth Quay, and delivers quokkas, bike trails and bays that look photoshopped even in winter. The Swan Valley is under half an hour by car, with wineries, distilleries and long lazy lunches in Western Australia's oldest wine region. Any of the three will send you home with the right kind of stories.
From Your Hosts
Perth is where Australian Medical Supplies first began, and welcoming the Australian Hand Therapy Association to our home town means a great deal to us. Between sessions, come and find us at Booth 18 and 19 to meet the team and talk products, education and advancing hand therapy across the lifespan.
We hope Perth looks after you. It has certainly looked after us.