Didigriff

Well what can I say we have been back from our rekkie to Perth for just over a week - we are missing it already.

I won't bore everyone with the details but needless to say we really enjoyed it and had a great time. It really helped that we spent time with expats who already live out there. They showed us all the 'local' things to do so we didn't fall into the trap of being 'holiday makers' the whole time.

Thanks to the poster that recommended Whiteman Park - we had a great time there even though it poured with rain the whole day.

Just a few positive and negative things I would like to share with any other Perth bound people.

We loved the CBD, the shops, Kings Park, Cottesloe, Scarborough, Hilary's, the Perth Hills. All the great beaches with facilities, the places to eat - we have no complaints regarding the great quality food which was excellent value for money. The free public transport was clean, efficient and easy to use. If anyone is off for a rekkie we would recommend Sullivans Hotel on Mounts Bay Road - good facilities right on the Blue CAT (free shuttle) and next to Kings Park. The people we met were all very friendly (all nationalities) and we found ourselves just chatting to complete strangers (not in an odd way)! There are loads more great things to say but I will leave it there for now.

What didn't we like? To be honest there wasn't much to dislike! We found the dark evenings a bit strange but can't say they where offensive. We didn't notice too much graffiti and we were looking out for it as we had heard that it was a problem from various posts. To be honest it generally seemed confined to industrial areas (I'm sure there will be posts to prove me wrong). The main thing I think I will find hard about living in Perth is being dependent on transport either the car or public transport. Where I live now I walk to work (25mins) and walk to town, the park etc. No-one seems to walk anywhere unless it is a power walk at lunch or along the beach (I am probably wrong but it was just an observation).

We spent some time in the northern suburbs with friends and whilst their house was very nice and there were some facilities in the vicinity - the whole area was very residential, just housing estate upon housing estate. They are very happy where they live but I know this isn't the kind of home/area I would want to live in. Personally I prefered the more inner city areas of Subacio (sp?), Mount Lawley & Stirling (£££££!) but we will have to see what our budget will allow.

Thats all for now!

Didi

ykx1426

Good post Didi.

Myself and partner are off this Friday for the first time. Hopefully we will be as positive as you when we see it first hand.

All the best
n

worzel

That is urban planning for you. All areas are now designated urban, commercial, industrial or rural. Depending on what an area is designated means it will be pretty much exclusively all that. So a corner shop or back street factory is rare in the middle of a housing estate but each estate will have local shopping centre nearby, an indistrial estate within 10 minutes to provide jobs, a park or three.

Try playing the original SIMS game on the PC and you will know what I mean!

BadgeIsBack

What's this Hillary's place everyone is obsessed with?

movetoperth

It's a little bit of Ibiza right here in WA

Lynn

northernbird

Eastbourne has more going on

Amazulu

It's a craphole Badge. Basically a collection of fish & chip shops & other fast food outlets with a few tacky tourist shops attached. I can see why it's so popular with Poms & is located in 'Pommyland'. The little beach there is great for toddlers as it's shallow & calm, but that's about it. It gets absolutely packed on weekends which makes it even worse.

Best avoided.

movetoperth

But does it have more soccer shirts and English voices?

Badge in answer to your question..... it started out life as Hallarys Boat Harbour, basically a marina with a boardwalk, a few little shops and cafes, 20+ years have seen it grow in size and although at first glance it looks lovely with loads of nice boats bobbing about, half an hour sat on your butt with a coffee soon reveals that it is entirely populated by soccer shirt wearing poms. Good points are that it has a very sheltered beach which is great for the kids and the ferry for rotto leaves from here, round the corner is AQWA (Aquarium of WA) which is great, but as for the rest of it........ just a tad too touristy for me

Oh nearly forgot to mention the fairly frequent bashings that happen at chucking out time in the pubs, there was one last week or the week before i think.

And i've just remembered another good point.... there is a bloke outside the boardwalk who does Harley Trike Tours, he is a scary bikey looking bloke (but very nice with it) and you have to don a leather jacket and helmet before hopping onto the back of the trike for a tour down west coast highway and round the local suburbs, it's a real blast and a great alternative pressie for the visiting rellies.

Lynn

Banksia

Yes, the days in winter do tend to be shorter. It's a southern hemisphere thing.

And big houses take up more land so things tend to be further apart.

TeresaG

Glad you had a good time.

sj oldfield

Am I the only that loves spending a day at Hillarys.
I wander around the shops, thinking how lucky I am too live in the area!!!

cinderella

Nice post. We don't want to go to Pert, but it is still interesting to read your thoughts. Good luck with your plans.

sunnyskies

I love Hillarys too, great day out with the family.
Yes there has been some trouble at kicking out time, but so what, that has been a problem world over for decades.

Muzza04

The beach is actually a pollution hazard.....it's essentially a marina for all the speed/cruiser boats...hence the oils and fuels wash up on the shallow beach....

Amazulu

Even less reason to like the dump then.