Take a look at the little-known Aussie city that’s just like Venice – complete with incredible canals

A little-known city on Australia’s west coast is fast becoming a tourist hot spot after being compared to the famous Italian ‘city of canals’, Venice. 

Mandurah, located about 70km south of Perth, has recently been transformed into a thriving hub of restaurants, breweries and luxury accommodation. 

The city’s major calling card is the 134sqkm Peel-Harvey Estuary which bears resemblance to the Italian city of Venice, also known as the ‘the floating city’. 

Locals boast the estuary is twice the size of Sydney Harbour and is home to an abundance of native wildlife as well as resident Indo-Pacific dolphins. 

It’s major calling card is the 134sqkm Peel-Harvey Estuary (pictured) which bears some resemblance to the Italian city of Venice, known as the ‘the floating city’

What makes Mandurah unique is its dozens of vast waterways that connect the coastal city with picturesque beaches, marshlands and natural parks. 

Visitors can glide under bridges and thoroughfares on the Venetian-style canals while passing impressive waterfront homes and local parks.  

Tourists and locals alike have been flocking to the city to spot the recently installed Mandurah Giants – mythological creatures made with recycled timber. 

The sculptures, designed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, tell the creation story of the Bindjareb people, the Indigenous Noongar people from the southwest of WA. 

Four of the six giants have been scattered throughout the Mandurah bushland while one can be found in the inner-Perth suburb of Subiaco.

For months, tourists and locals alike have been flocking to the city to spot the Mandurah Giants – mythological creatures made with recycled timber (pictured)

Mandurah’s famous waterways have been spruiked in recent months with the addition of several up-market bars and restaurants (pictured, the Boundary Island Brewery)

Also new to Mandurah is the Kwillena Gabi Estuary Pool (pictured) which gives swimmers a chance to get up close and personal with resident dolphins

One of the friendly giants, which take thousands of hours to create, was discovered burnt to a crisp just days after the project’s one-month anniversary. 

The five-metre giant, Vivi Cirkelstone, is depicted crawling on its hands and knees with a replacement sculpture already in the works. 

The spruiking of Mandurah’s waterways has ramped up in recent months with the addition of several up-market bars, restaurants and architectural installations. 

‘Meeting place’, on the Western Foreshore, features an eight-metre high structure that encircles the remains of the Old Mandurah Bridge. 

At night, the sculpture combines light and sound to perform an LED light show. 

Also new to WA’s largest city is the Kwillena Gabi Estuary Pool which gives swimmers a chance to get up close and personal with resident dolphins.  

The free ocean pool is located beside the estuary’s ‘Dolphin Highway’. 

 Mandurah made headlines earlier this year after a pastel pink ‘Barbie Dreamhouse’ with pillars and a sweeping staircase hit the market for $2.5million

The four-bedroom home at 8 Eunamara Retreat in Halls Head 70km south of Perth in Western Australia (pictured) has canal waterviews and lavish interiors

Mandurah made headlines earlier this year after a pastel pink ‘Barbie Dreamhouse’ with pillars and a sweeping staircase hit the market for $2.5million. 

The four-bedroom home at 8 Eunamara Retreat in Halls Head, Mandurah has lavish marble and granite interiors and water features.

The house is described as the ‘epitome of opulence’ with waterfront views and its very own jetty – ‘the perfect place to park your boat’.

The property also has its own gazebo, landscaped gardens and an outdoor powder room with a shower near the heated swimming pool.