Every summer the Perth International Arts Festival comes to town and there are theatre performances, a writers' festival, dance and music shows, art gallery presentations and a film festival to choose from.

The longest-running part of the festival is the Festival Films season which includes about four months of outdoor films. I love attending these, as they are usually foreign films that don't always get much of a place in Perth mainstream cinema.

It’s October, so the shops here have started on their annual schizophrenic assault on the senses of the children of Ireland. Time was when Christmas began after Halloween was over, but now some of the bigger stores, and particularly the chain DIYs and the like, have simply divided their aisles in two, with ghouls and pumpkins on one side and red-faced Santas on the other.

The Perth Cultural Centre - which is where the state art gallery, library and museum are housed - has a new feature which arrived in mid-October. If you haven't seen the photography of Yann Arthus-Bertrand before then you are really in for a treat, and I don't mean that in a sentimental marketing hype way - this is really something.

If you happen to find yourself in Paris this September 20th and 21st, cancel all other plans, buy a copy of the newspaper, pack a good book, and prepare to stand in line for several hours.

'Are you crazy?' you might well be wondering. Why on earth would I be telling you to do such insane things in Paris, city of love, of light, of wonder and beauty? Because for these two days, you can gain unparalleled access to some of the greatest and most hidden treasures that Paris has to offer - for free.

When the Down Under winter starts to leave Perth, the big event that reminds us every year is the Swan Valley's Spring in the Valley festival. The Swan Valley is home to dozens of vineyards, as well as some breweries and confectionery factories, and the Spring in the Valley festival is a great chance to experience all of it.