perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

hiya everyone
Which would be the best place to stay in perth for 2 adults and 2 young children. Is it better to base your self in the city so you are more central or the beach.
We are staying there for a holiday for about a week at the end of our trip around australia.(Cairns,sydney,Melbourne, Adalaide and Perth).
I have found cheap apartments and hotels in the city centre and cheap apartments in scarborough beach.Is this a nice area?
Thanks for your help. :confused:

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

Scarborough is nice yes, if it's only for a week you might want to be by the beach possibly?!?!? You can easily get to Perth city from there or pretty much anywhere (Accessible to Fremantle etc). What do you want to do with your time there, will depend on where you stay.

Not much help really.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

If I were you I'd avoid Scarborough, it's a bit rough and there's quite a bit of hooning and "blueing" (fighting) at night, although fine during the day.

Go to Hillarys or Sorrento if you want to stay by the beach, they are much nicer.

Finally, seeing as winter is nearly upon us there won't be too much beach action for the next few months.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

Thanks guys ,we are going for a recci.We arent leaving until september so should arrive in perth around the 6th october all being well.Hope the weathers good then.We decided to stop in vancouver,hawaii and new zealand before australia.We figured if we were going all that way we may as well make the most of it,although this trip is ultimatly to decide if we want to apply for our visas or not. We were just looking for a good base to have a look around and to relax before heading to thailand then home.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

Your just as likely to find "hoons" etc anywhere in Perth,Australia,the World... dont not go to somewhere just because someone metions this. You'll be extremely unlucky to come across any wherever you choose.
Scarborough and the beaches near it, (Trigg to the North, Floreat and City Beach to the South) are much nicer than those up near hillarys. so if thats what your looking for its a good choice, further south Cottesloe has a good beach and has better transport links than any of the places further north, (Trainline and Bus routes) its also much closer to Fremantle. there are some apartments on John Street but I cant remember the name of them.
Given the time of year your coming, the beach is likely to be a tad chilly, low 20's at best and the ocean will be at around its coldest. So I would think you'll want other things to see and do etc. If your hiring a car everywhere's pretty much accesible within about 30mins.

Steve

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

Steve, are you smoking crack? the chances of running in to loutish behaviour are not even regardless of location, Scarborough is a magnet for backpackers and youngsters partying at the weekends with all the noise, brawling and burnouts that go with it.

As for your advice on the beaches, aesthetically the Scarborough and Trigg are lovely, great if you are a surfer but a death trap to kids and weak swimmers. Hillarys and Sorrento win every time, particularly Hillarys.

Don't go telling people how great Scarborough is when it's nothing special, even the mostrous hotel is an eyesore and, like Sacrborough itself, shabby and nothing special.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

where would you be staying in scarboro? we stayed there for a week in 2003 and stayed at some lovely apartments. bit of a walk from the seafront but they were in a quiet area. I'll try and find what the name was if you're interested. We also stayed in the CBD for about two weeks at three different properties. again, these were quite nice too for acting as a base for exploring the perth area.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

I would opt for near the city (have 6 year old). If your kids are young they will love the grassy areas around the river beaches. You can also hop on ferry buses to the zoo, catch boats to Fremantle and Rottnest. Cottesloe is an easy trip and Kings Park has a great kids playground with great cafe for adults. No brainer for me... :)

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

And where exactly did i say Scarborough was special???
I was merely pointing out that you can run into hoons anywhere if your unlucky and to taint a suburb because of some old reported incidents isnt giving a true picture to someone who's never been there.
During the day ive been there hundreds of times and never had any problems, on the occasions ive been there at night (which are probably less than 10) ive never seen anything worse than some beefed up heaps of plastic driving around.
In subiaco ive witnessed a fight break out in funtastico restaurant, been abused in the Subiaco Hotel.
In Fremantle ive seen a car being chased down the main high street by Police to crash into one of the bollards. Ive seen Abo kids picking a fight with a white kid whilst having a coffee in the Dome.
Perth Trainstation at night is one of the most uncomfortable places ive been, and Northbridge doesnt even need discussing.
As for Hillarys, our friends had there car borken into whilst we were eating up there one night, and whenever im there I feel as though I might as well be sitting in a cafe in Northern England... not something I enjoy.

Dont go criticising people for giving there opinion of somewhere just because its different to yours.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

Personally I would got for Hillarys Harbour Resort if you have kids. Accommodation is nothing special, but clean, and plenty to do. Nice little beach.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

That's right, I'd put Scarborough on par with Northbridge, and Freo for loutish behaviour (at night). I'm right about the beaches though.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

Thats the way of the world unfortunately, isolated incidents that can happen anywhere....
Its all about personal choice, if I didnt go to somewhere because there was a chance I might see some trouble, I might as well never go out after dark and sit inside watching TV. Not the reasons I came to Perth...


I agree the beach (which I assume is man-made) inside the complex is much safer for young children and weak swimmers compared to wandering off down an unpatrolled area of the beach, but to me its all too false and completely over run with Brits. I dont want to go somewhere where all I can see is the premier league of football shirts and hear numerous different UK accents bleating out expletives...
Id much rather go to a beach that looks nice and has a proper view of the Ocean. Swim between the flags if your not a strong swimmer and keep an eye on the kids, then there shouldnt be a problem, I was stopped in the city a few weeks back by collectors for the Surf Life Saving Association and one of the things that stuck in my mind was that they have never had a fatality in WA where people have been between the flags.

Either way unless your a surfer your unlikely to go in the Ocean at any Beach at the start of October, way to cold.

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

First of all... I find it strange people looking for a holiday spot if you're on a reccie..... I mean.. .do you want a real impression of life here, or not?!
But, I guess if you have no idea if you want to go for north or south or east yet... well, then I guess it doesn't matter. Both spots are fairly central, though with Scarborough it's still a 15 min drive before you're on the freeway.

Secondly, water will be very cold beginning of October still.

Thirdly, I wouldn't reccomend Scarborough either, not for families. It's not thaaaat bad, but it isn't that nice either, and a bit scruffy(that bit around the markets and subway especially), and more for backpackers in my opinion.
Apparently they're redeveloping it, don't know when that'll start though.

Fourthly (is that a word?!), just commenting on Scarborough beach itself: wouldn't go there middle of summer, way to busy, I prefer Floreat and City beach. If I go to the beach that is... think we went twice this summer :D


:)

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

Another alternative location is South Beach, near Fremantle. This is still fairly central and a fair amount of accomodation is there too. Only 20 minutes to CBD and next door the " south of the river" suburbs

As for going to the beach. I've only been 4 times this year and that was only to walk the pooch and teach him to swim :D. Unfortunately he was dumped in the swell and now hates it. :(

Re: perth cbd or scarborough beach
 

He he, I'm with you on that one about the kiddies beach at Hillarys, we tend to go to the next beach down at Sorrento now the kids are a bit bigger.

BTW I reckon your descriptions of the Freo, Subi and Northbridge incidents will have the rose tinters panicking ;)