|
|
|
My Guide to PerthHaving spent almost 4 months living and working in Perth I've got to know the place pretty well, and I have to say that I love it! Its a big enough place to be lively but not so big that you feel completely overwhelmed. The people are great and the weather's an improvement on home (even if this has been their worst winter in years!).The WeatherAll important. I arrived in June and the daily temperatures were in the mid to high 20s (celcius), very good for Autumn. In the following months, it dipped to anywhere between 10 and 20 degrees during the day, with the nights being a little chilly (zero on some occasions). This was nothing as bad as at home but for some reason it still felt very cold! It was also a pretty wet winter, with some weeks being non-stop rain. I'm assured that this is not normal!Spring is lovely, with bright sunshine and not a cloud to be seen. Temperatures are usually mid 20s again, with the odd shower here and there. I'm told that it gets very warm in the summer, up to 40 odd degrees - probably too hot for me! The NightlifePossibly more important than the weather, certainly at least as important! There is no shortage of things to do in Perth of an evening. The main area for nightlife is Northbridge, a stone's throw from the city centre. A lot of the hostels are situated round here.Good pubs include The Mustang, the Elephant and Wheelbarrow and The Bog. The latter is a true haven for alcoholics as it is open until 6am every night except Sunday, there can often be a queue to get in here later on in the evening. There's usually live music and a disco type affair where you can strut that funky stuff. Wednesday night is good for backpackers, the Mustang and Post Office have special nights with cheap booze and free grub once you get in. These are well worth checking out as you can have a really good night for under $30. Leederville is also a good place, its home to the Leederville Hotel and the Hip-E Club which are pretty busy places. The city centre has a number of pubs which mainly cater for those who work in the CBD. Hence these places get really busy on a Friday evening. The Moon and Sixpence is a popular haunt, as is Durty Nellies. If you're into real dance clubs (and I'm not!), then there are plenty of those as well, with The Church being quite popular. If you plan to go drinking on a Sunday, watch out - most places close by 10pm! The government clearly wants everyone to be in tip-top condition for Monday morning at work!! Eating OutThere are plenty of places to choose from if you feel like treating yourself to a meal. Most pubs serve food, but Northbridge takes the prize with its huge assortment of Asian eateries ranging from the very expensive to the very cheap (I have most experience of the lower range of the market and have never been disappointed). There are also chip shops to be found, and the sizeable Greek community also gets in on the act providing all the kebabs you could possibly want.AccommodationA roof over your head is always an advantage, and if you're backpacking then a place with a good atmosphere and helpful staff is also a bonus. I Only stayed in one hostel in Perth and that was the Coolibah Lodge on Brisbane Street. This is very close to Northbridge and has the usual amenities such as kitchen, TV lounge, outdoor seating/smoking area and overpriced internet access. I enjoyed the time I spent there, the rooms are clean and the beds are comfortable - just what you need after all that booze and food! Hostels generally cost around $14 a night for a bed in a dorm.For longer stays, sharing a house is more practical. Its cheaper and you get more space and are less likely to be disturbed at 5am by the guy in the bunk above you trying to leap into bed. Accomodation like this is easy to find, the West Australian has property sections on a Wednesday and Saturday and there are plenty notice boards in the various internet cafes. Expect to pay about $50-$60 per week for your own room, less if you share a room. Public TransportI found public transport in Perth pretty good, although I never made extensive use of it as I was usually in walking distance of where I wanted to be. One useful thing to know is that there is a Free Transit Zone surrounding the city centre and Northbridge area where you can use the buses and trains for free. There is also a free bus service which runs on two designated routes round the city and Northbridge. These are known as CATs and are distictive little buses.Trains run down to Fremantle via Cottesloe Beach (nice when its sunny!) and these are pretty cheap, although nine times out of ten there's never a ticket inspector on the train (not that I condone cheating TransPerth out of their fares, mind you!! :-) ). Other AmenitiesThere is an abundance of services in Perth such as laundrys, internet cafes and supermarkets. However, I found that I usually had to walk a fair bit to get to a decent supermarket - having some form of transport would be very useful here. Internet access will cost $3 per hour (just as well, or these pages wouldn't exist!), every second building on William Street seems to be an internet cafe!My overall impression of Perth is a very good one. After 4 months I was quite sad to leave the place, I had a great time. Still, things to see and places to go. If I was coming back to Oz I think that a visit to WA and Perth would definitely be on the cards! |