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.

is that early 30s lifestyle ?

How primitive do you think perth is??


Nickie

Do you have to catch yer own supper ?

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

Nickie

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH don't tell the QLD lot

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

Sorry.

Didn't they only just get electricity?

Err, excuse me. I'll think you'll find we got electricity last year! That's hardly recently.

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]

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

[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.

Sorry Jumbo, I couldn't resist.

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

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