The Australians were winless through three Tests in Sri Lanka, with Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja becoming casualties in the last match for their poor returns. Khawaja has been returned to the fold for the South African series, while Burns missed out to incumbent Shaun Marsh.

Sri Lanka's wobbles prompted questions not only about Australia's ability to play on turning pitches but whether there were broader issues surrounding the team's character.

Warner, who blasted a century against Queensland at the Gabba, feels there has been a swift retort during this week's round of Sheffield Shield clashes, with Stephen Smith and Marsh also reaching three figures as they hit the ground running back on home soil.

Khawaja was also among the runs, making 79 against the twin-Test attack of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, with Warner saying the team had drawn a line under the Sri Lankan venture, as well as the 5-0 ODI defeat at the hands of the Proteas.

"We've just got to let that [ODI series] go and we have. This is red-ball cricket. They've beaten us on our home soil. Very tough Test matches. But we've beaten them on their home soil as well. Those memories are nice and fresh in my mind, it's like it was yesterday," Warner said.

"We've got to go out there and from ball one, whether we bat or bowl, we have to do whatever we can very well and better than South Africa."

Warner was typically bullish about his approach to the Proteas but did confess it was gratifying to make solid runs in the shield, just to make sure his confidence was eroded by the Sri Lankan venture.

"It reassures you as a cricket player that you weren't missing the middle ... you weren't too far away from the middle of the bat," Warner said.

"It's always great to play here ... our wickets are always true and consistent. We know our own back yard and we're expected - and have expectations of ourselves - to play the best we can in our conditions."

Perth was the happiest of hunting grounds for Warner last November, with the left-hander smashing 253 in the drawn Test against the Black Caps. This time, it will host the first Test of the summer as part of the schedule revamp that will have  Brisbane host a December Test against Pakistan.

Warner said you need to be "hungry for runs" in the west and the WACA can be a bountiful venue once the radar has been registered. But he has concerns about the slowness of recent pitches and hopes for far more fizz from the once-famous fast bowling wicket.

"We know what we are going to get in the Perth wicket. You have to get through that new ball and be hungry for big runs. You have to bat big at the WACA and we've seen it time and again ... the run rate does flow there when you get on a run.

"We have to let go of what has happened in the past but if I'm looking back at that, the wicket there was very flat and as slow as I've played on at the WACA. I'm hoping there's a bit more pace and bounce in it."