Originally Posted by Amazulu

This classic song popped into my head when I started reading this thread:

http://youtu.be/wzNjmIWbns4

I think it describes it brilliantly

Originally Posted by fish.01

You might be interested in this research I did a while back which includes Sydney and Perth weather:

Annual Dry days Per Year (>= 1mm)

288 Brisbane - Annual Rainfall 1149
270 Adelaide - Annual Rainfall 622.1
265 Perth - Annual Rainfall 867.6
260 Sydney - Annual Rainfall 1084.4
255 Melbourne - Annual Rainfall 648.5

Summer Dry Days Per Month (Avg Min/Max Temps Celsius)

30 Perth (17.9 - 29.7) <---- Very dry summer
28 Adelaide (16.7 - 28.6) <---- Very dry summer
26 Melbourne (14.3 - 25.9) <---- Medium dry summer
23 Brisbane (20.7-29.4) <---- Humid with afternoon storms
23 Sydney (18.7-25.9) <---- Somewhat humid with afternoon storms

Winter Dry Days Per Month (Avg Min/Max Temps Celsius)

27 Brisbane (9.5-20.4) <---- Very dry, very warm winter
25 Sydney (8.0-16.3) <---- Very dry, warmish winter
21 Melbourne (6.0-13.4) <---- Wet, very cold winter
19 Adelaide (7.7 - 14.8) <---- Wet, cold winter
16 Perth (9.0-17.4) <---- Very wet, warmish winter

Note: Based on 100 yr averages at city centre reading stations (where available). Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Note: Comments on right of temps mine so just best guesses based on the numbers

Originally Posted by GreenMan72

Thanks for the stats - I bought 55 years worth of Sydney Observatory Hill data from BOM and have been crunching a few numbers (just a small hobby of mine ). My biggest climatic driver is sunshine hours. I would prefer a sunny cooler day over a cloudier, warmer day anytime.

I like Perth's stable summers - those summer months with 10+ avg hours of sun per day look flipping brilliant.

In all fairness to Sydney, our late winters and springs are very nice so perhaps I am at the grumpy end of a long cloudy and wet cycle

Disturbingly, Sydney is becoming cloudier although it is possibly correcting a high sunny spell from 2000-2005 (total sunshine hours have been trending downwards since 2005 - am hoping the decline will reverse or stabilise!)

Originally Posted by fish.01

How long have you lived in Sydney?

Originally Posted by GreenMan72

Almost 3 years

Originally Posted by fish.01

Yes, you've seen it at it's worst...been extra wet last few years on east coast.

Originally Posted by Amazulu

This classic song popped into my head when I started reading this thread:

http://youtu.be/wzNjmIWbns4

I think it describes it brilliantly

Originally Posted by fitz

Perth is bigger than any city in the UK bar london.

you've obviously not been to many city's in the UK.

Originally Posted by aussietobe

From Birmingham's wiki site:

"Birmingham is the most populous British city outside London, with 1,028,700 inhabitants according to 2009 estimates."

Manchester:

In 2009, its population was estimated to be 483,800,[3] making it the seventh-most populous local authority district in England.

Originally Posted by GreenMan72

I am very curious about Perth. The huge drawcard for me is its climate (which I've thoroughly researched). I have most of what I need in life, am not bothered by it's isolation, and love the outdoors. But then again it can be hard to know what it is really like until you live there so reading other people's feedback is good.

I am tired of the changeable climate here in Sydney - it is driving me up the wall. We've had over 160 rain days for the 12 months ended May. Granted the La Nina has been bad but I long to live somewhere where there is good chance a weekend summer BBQ will not be ruined by rain. I actually prefer a boring, predictable climate.

Also Sydney can be too much of a rat race for me and I prefer things a bit quieter.

I have three cousins now who live there and they all love it.

I've been for a couple of visits and it resonated with me a lot. My challenge is going to be convincing my wife to move

Originally Posted by Deancm_MKII

If Perth was more established it would be the best place to live in Australia. As it stands right now, visiting Perth is like visiting Melbourne in the early eighties.

Originally Posted by HelenTD

I don't think that Perth is as advanced as that.

Originally Posted by chris955

The main problem with Perth is, as has been said, the isolation and the wild west feel that does absolutely nothing for me. I couldnt stand living so far from civilisation but it appeals to some.