Adelaide or Perth?

Perth has the better beaches by some distance. It faces the open Indian Ocean, with a long line of pale sand from Cottesloe through City Beach to Scarborough and Trigg. The water is very clear and surf clubs patrol the main beaches. Rottnest Island adds sheltered bays for snorkelling. The afternoon sea breeze means mornings are the time to swim.

Adelaide's beaches face the calm Gulf St Vincent, which suits gentle swimming more than surf. The tram to Glenelg, the jetties at Henley, Brighton and Semaphore and the sunsets over the water are the appeal. The sea is cool for much of the year, and the most attractive sand is an hour away on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Food is one of the main reasons to choose Adelaide. The Central Market, with Chinatown beside it, is the centre of the city's eating. Spencer Gulf prawns, Hills cheeses and Barossa charcuterie appear on menus everywhere, and wine bars pour bottles from regions an hour away.

Perth has excellent seafood, such as rock lobster, dhufish and marron, and Northbridge is good for cheap Asian food. Its good restaurants are scattered across the suburbs rather than grouped in one district, though, and they cost more. Fish and chips on Fremantle harbour and the Swan Valley producers are its most memorable meals.

Adelaide has slightly more in the city itself. North Terrace puts the Art Gallery, the South Australian Museum's Aboriginal collections and the State Library's Mortlock Wing along one boulevard. The 1830s grid of sandstone and bluestone churches gives the centre a period feel.

Perth's centre is mostly glass towers, with a small cultural precinct by Northbridge and a few colonial buildings such as the Perth Mint. Its real history is in Fremantle, where the limestone port streets, the UNESCO-listed prison and the Shipwreck Galleries make a full day out.

Neither city stays out late, and the difference is in style. Adelaide's evenings centre on small laneway wine bars around Peel and Leigh Streets. During festival season, pop-up bars in the parklands change the mood for a few weeks.

Perth's nightlife is split between Northbridge, which has the clubs and late food, and Fremantle, which has breweries and harbourside pubs. Summer evenings in its beer gardens are the high point.

Perth has the better outdoors, much of it on water. You can kayak and sail on the wide Swan River, kitesurf in the afternoon sea breeze and cycle around car-free Rottnest among the quokkas. Kings Park puts bushland and wildflowers right above the city, and humpback whales pass the coast in spring.

Adelaide's nature is gentler and mostly on land. Mount Lofty, Morialta's gorge and koalas in the eucalypt forest are all within half an hour. Dolphins can be seen by kayak in the Port River, and Kangaroo Island needs more than a day.

Adelaide has the better day trips, as long as you like wine. The Barossa, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills are all an hour or less away. Hahndorf's settler cottages and the horse-drawn tram to Granite Island break up the tastings.

From Perth the distances are wider. The Swan Valley and Rottnest are easy, and York and New Norcia's monastery reward a longer drive. Margaret River, the state's best-known region, is too far to visit and come back the same day.

Both cities are easy with children, and Perth has slightly more for them to do. It has an aquarium, the hands-on Scitech, a water park and a ferry ride to the zoo. Cycling on Rottnest to look for quokkas is a favourite with all ages, but the distances often make a car necessary.

Adelaide is calmer and more compact. Cleland lets children meet kangaroos up close, Monarto has open-range African animals, and the shallow beaches at Glenelg suit small swimmers. It has no theme park.

The two cities are much alike here: both have flat, walkable centres with free loop buses, and both need a car to reach their wine regions. In Adelaide the tram runs straight to Glenelg beach. Perth's trains and river ferry reach Fremantle, Cottesloe and South Perth, but the city spreads so far that evening and weekend services thin out.

Neither city is worth a trip just for shopping, and the best buys in each are local. Adelaide's are cellar-door wine, South Australian opal and long-established local chocolate. Perth's are South Sea pearls and Argyle-region jewellery, along with a short stretch of luxury labels on King Street and the craft stalls of Fremantle Markets.

Neither city is cheap, but Adelaide is noticeably easier on the budget. Hotels in the centre cost less than in larger Australian cities, and the market and Chinatown keep everyday meals reasonable.

Perth is the more expensive stay. Hotels, restaurants and bar drinks all cost more, and alcohol in shops is heavily taxed. Free beaches, Kings Park and the free museum and gallery help, but the Rottnest ferry and wine tours add up.

Adelaide is the stronger arts city, especially in late summer. The Fringe fills the parklands and pubs with comedy and cabaret, the Adelaide Festival brings international theatre and opera, and WOMADelaide brings world music to the Botanic Park.

Perth has its own festival and fringe at the same time of year, and Edwardian His Majesty's Theatre is home to its opera and ballet. Outside the season, though, neither city's programme is reason enough to travel.

Neither city has a bathing tradition, and both offer only day spas and a few rural retreats. Adelaide's quiet days come from vineyard stays and long lunches. Perth's come from early swims, yoga and walks along the river and through Kings Park.