Apprehensive About Perth
 

Hi all, been spying on you for a while now, anyway been bursting to get overseas from UK for a year now and finally moving to Perth, WA post Xmas. As it's nearing I'm getting more anxious as I've never even been to that side of the world before, so here goes:

Is Perth really "Dullsville"?

Is housing there only for the uber-rich?

Can I do all the "normal" things I do in the UK i.e. go to the cinema, get a taxi no problem, go to a (large) shopping mall?

My lifestyle is early 30's i.e. not a pubber/clubber but enjoy a civilised night out, and in bed for 11pm!!

Thanking you in advance.

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

:blink: is that early 30s lifestyle ?

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

How primitive do you think perth is??


Nickie :D

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Do you have to catch yer own supper ? :rofl:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

If you have a sharp spear and furry shoes. :rofl: :rofl:
Heard they discovered the wheel yesterday. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Nickie

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH don't tell the QLD lot :rofl:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Oi you lot.
Please do not scare off the new poster :frown:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Sorry. :o

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Didn't they only just get electricity?

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Is Perth really "Dullsville"? - Depends on what one considers Dullsville - it aint NYC or Sydney but there is still plenty to do around the place.

Is housing there only for the uber-rich? Again, like everything else certain suberbs are v. expensive and others are becoming so and others are not as.

Can I do all the "normal" things I do in the UK i.e. go to the cinema, get a taxi no problem, go to a (large) shopping mall? Yes - except get a taxi on a weekend night!

My lifestyle is early 30's i.e. not a pubber/clubber but enjoy a civilised night out, and in bed for 11pm!!

Thanking you in advance.[/QUOTE]

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Hi - me and OH landed in Perth last year, mid to late thirties, dont club anymore but like to go out occassionally for meals and meet up with new friends.

Taxis are sparse during busy periods - cant get around that, but was the same in the UK when you left a nightclub ended up queying in freezing weather.

You have Northbridge, Leederville for interesting nights out.

I enjoy the small and medium sized malls here (from north east and hated the Metro Centre for being to big) - nicely air conditioned, good food courts and interesting mix of shops.

The rent here is high, the house prices are high. Me and OH are on above average wages, bought a nice 3 x 1 house in the northern suburbs and are committed to around 55% of our joint income on the mortgage. We could have saved some money and bought further south but the stamp duty etc on house buys and sells makes it more geared towards finding your long-term house and staying. Not like when you would buy something in the UK for a few years, let the property value increase a little then move up the property ladder.

We do find that the weekends and evenings are soooo much more relaxed and enjoyable - going for bike rides, sitting on the beach to watch sunset, popping around new friends houses for BBQ's and chats and we have invested in a spa as easier to maintain than a pool and makes for warm spas in the winter and cool dipping spas in the summer.

The jobs situation here is unbelievable - they are so short of staff here so not a problem finding work.

I love it here - but I know if I had been ten years younger I would have hated it for its lack of party party areas. Depends what you are seriously wanting. Lots and lots of cafe hangouts, lots of good food, excellent local facilities around the suburbs and air conditioned shopping centres dotted around too.

Paula

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

[QUOTE=Jumbo_Celcius;5588127]
and in bed for 11pm!!



I'm afraid if your going to live in Perth you will have to be in bed by nine. :rofl:

Sorry Jumbo, I couldn't resist. :D

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Some things are more advanced, like trains that work, free buses in the CBD, coin operated BBQs in the parks, drive in everything (bottle shops, coffee shops etc), massive malls and shopping highways (still trying to get used to those), outdoor cinemas, 24 hour chemists and delicatesens (in Mount lawley anyway), coffee shops, record shops, etc that open til midnight, well managed road works (that are done only out of rush hour traffic).
Other things are a bit archaic, like fashion, the broadband speeds, internet shopping, late night facilities in some of the 'burbs, enforced opening times for garages and otehr outlets, panicking at daylight saving, sometimes waiting ages for delivery of something, annoying Harvey Norman and Dusty and Rusty adverts..
Otehr things are just much better, friendlier service, speaking to nice people on the phone to service industries and not menu systems that lead you in to frustrating dead ends, the beach, the outdoor life, the sunshine, national parks everywhere, roos on the golf courses, traffic that moves, amusing number plates, availability of parking without the need for a loan, choice of lifestyles, great restaurants, people who strike up conversation everywhere who are not the local nutter, easy to get to see concerts and major sporting events etc, fresh unadulterated food, NO TESCOS or uber shopping supermarket chains

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

:)

I'm interested to know, what kind of panicking do people do over there?

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the usual, radio polls, doom mongering, in the good 'ol days comments etc.. when they had referendums in the past things like cows gettign confused and curtains fading and chickens not knowing when to lay eggs etc were brought up.

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

[QUOTE=manc1;5589830] yeh perth closes at 9pm:p

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The place that time forgot. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

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[QUOTE=kez81;5590411]Except Hungry Jacks, as we found out on our first Friday night after arriving....

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I'm mid-thirties and like to (occasionally) watch Rage between 1am and 3am (Sunday morning only) whilst totally out of my head of bourbon.

Thanks.

Go Kevin. ;)

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Thank's to all of you for the replies, I guess I'm just starting to panic about the "unknown"!!

Cheers,

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

You would be strange if you didn't! I doubt there are many here that didn't emigrate without some concerns, hopefully this site will help allay some fears. Most people who come to Perth do not find the practicalities of life here is a problem but that they miss friends and family..

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

perth is a big place ,i believe there is a place here to suit all...

maybee not everybody....

can i ask where do you live?

i think that where you left will play a big part in settling,for instance if you were from london,,,you may find it boring here...

i happen to be from birmingham...for me its like a lottery win...

life for us here is perthect,,,i hope it is for you...

perthman...

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Don't laugh but.....I'm from Aberdeen!!

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Why would we laugh, whats wrong with Aberdeen?

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

[QUOTE=aston man;5590779]

i happen to be from birmingham...for me its like a lottery win...

life for us here is perthect,,,i hope it is for you...


Are you escaping from the villa aston man? ;):rofl:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

We found it ok for a few months but after 2 yrs definitely dulsville. It's ok if you like going to the beach/park/barby..... every week forever cos that's all there is to do.

Shopping malls are in abundance, only problem is the shops are rubbish and all the same. Loads of cinemas and we went more than we ever have because there's not much else to do. Also libraries are good, borrowed tons of books and dvd's for the same reason, nothing else to do.
We are also in our 30's and have young children so definitely not clubbers but found the nightlife very limited. To go out locally the Moon and Sixpence in Woodvale was ok compared to the other pubs but still nothing like pubs in the UK. Too much hassle to go to the city as you CANNOT get a taxi for love nor money. Trains are ok if you live near enough to walk back home from the station.

These points are my opinion of Perth after living there for 2 years and then returning to the UK. Don't get me wrong, the weather is great and the coastline is beautiful but that's about it and that wasn't enough for us.

It's obviously a personal choice, some people love it there and some people hate it, you have to decide for yourself.


Jo:)

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

I`ve only been in woodvale a short while and find it very boring as u commented there is not much to do only go to the moon tavern. The only thing is that the high school has a great rep but thats all i seem to c that is good in woodvale sorry :D:confused:unsure:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

its not dullsville its fliesville at the moment .But perth is about as exciting as watching grass grow [my opinion ].
If you have 700000 to 1000000 dollars you may end up somewhere that offers the same sort of facilities as the uk otherwise you will end up in a fly infested outer suburb .

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Even the flies are pissing me off just now and I am a die hard perth lover. It was a nightmare today when I was out.

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Ha-ha I'm committed now so will have to give it a year & c how it goes,
Anyway, it will b a change of scenery for a while and hopefully the starting point of many adventures into the East....

Thanks Jo for one of the most in-depth replies.

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

omg i hate those flies i went out to take some picture of insects and flowers in my garden and was surrounded lol Does anyone know how to keep them away HELP:ohmy::sneaky:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Jumbo, if you get fed up with Perth you can always pop over to Bali. Only about 3-1/2hr flight and I definitely recommend it. It leaves Perth for dead. :thumbsup:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

Interesting thread and nice to hear some mixed opinions :)

Im 29 and my wife is 23 and we are hopefully moving to Perth in January 457 permitting. I used to be a big clubber but am mellowing out now and are more than happy to have a meal and a couple of bottles of wine rather than going mad for the evening.

I had a few concerns about Perth but we went earlier in the year for a couple of weeks and it was great. Seems to be a really relaxed lifestyle with tons of outdoor space and an interesting work ethic when you compare it to the pressure cooker which the UK is becoming. I think the evening "entertainment" will get very tired very quickly but we are moving there to change our lifestyle and conentrate on more important things like spending quality time together and leading more of an outdoor lifestyle than what we can get in the UK and im sure Perth will give us that.

At the end of the day a place is what you make it, if you look for things to do then you will find them but if you want them to come looking for you then your probably going to be bored pretty quickly. Ive been investigating entertainment for the past few months and have been quietly surprised, there does seem to be quite a lot going on in the Perth/Freo area but as its so spread out and nothing seems to be centralised I think most of it will mean someone being a nominated driver which is a bit of a bummer but no great deal really.

Hell even Carl Cox is playing Perth Big Day Out in February :ohmy:

This is a good site: http://enjoyperth.net/2007/10/big-da...-2008-line-up/

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You come with the right attitude. It knobs me off big time when I hear people saying that their nearest pub in Perth is OK but its not like a UK pub. Well hello, this is Australia wtf do you expect. I hope you enjoy your time in Perth however long it might be.

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

I mean't no offence by the pub comment but I think that a lot of people arrive thinking it will be the same as the UK but hot. As you know, it's a totally different life. My brother in law came out and we knew he wouldn't like it, he is a pub bloke through and through. Not really interested in beaches/sightseeing etc. but as much as we told him beforehand that he would be bored and might not like the things we did, he WOULD NOT have it. I'm sure he still thought that it was going to be like Spain but hotter! Anyway, predictably he hated it and walked around singing Ghost Town to my brother in law (who lives in Perth and LOVES it) .... it didn't end up being the best visit we had from relatives!!

JO:rofl:

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

weve got two locals up here,,and its just like somewhere you would go and visit on a sunny sunday in england...

its a tough old life...

but its just got to be done....

aston (happy as a pig in sh1t ,with the flies)

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

I agree, I had dinner in the Kalamunda Hotel last Monday night and its lovely and you could indeed be in a country pub in England. However, a lot of people want the best of both worlds, they want the hussle and bussle of their local town centre and they want to put it somewhere the sunshines more. It doesn't work like that and people who expect it to really get on my lallies!

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

good on ya ,all you can do is try it and see ,i have found the isolation from other towns one of the hardest things to deal with .After doing perth/freo and the beach and the hills a few times it really is quiet hard to find something to do that is fresh and new without spending heaps of time and money ,but anyway ive been here neally 20 years so no wonder i have worn the place out .Good luck on you for your move .

Re: Apprehensive About Perth
 

ianhutch1, very good post, ur right.
I'm defintely not looking for a UK style environment, it is a pressure cooker in the UK these days, everything seems to be rush, rush, work, work, road rage, road rage, buy, buy, drink, drink and I just seem to increase in velocity as the weeks go on, hurtling in one side of the weekend and out the other with another hectic week ahead.
I think a booming economy has alot to do with it, everyone wants everything immediately as if there's some great unknown urgency. (can u tell I'm stressed with my lifestyle at the moment!!)

Ferris Bueller was right when he said
"Life moves prety fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while you may miss it"