Perth - Is it really that bad!?
Discussion
Been offered a really good job in Perth on a 457 visa. The money and package doesn't matter too much as I am very comfortable with it.
On doing some further research now it's looking likely I have started to come across articles, forum posts and rants regarding Perth.
These include:
- It's the most boring city in the world!
- Don't go to [insert area here]. It's rough, you'll get stabbed or robbed.
- It's full of undesirables.
- The CBD and surrounding areas are awful after 9.00pm (where I'll be working and maybe living).
As a young lad growing up in not the best of UK towns I could deal with this and to be honest take it with a pinch of salt. However, I'm looking to take my better half and 'live the dream' (cringe). We both know it will only be for a couple of years but these comments have put me off.
We're not massive party animals. Our objectives are simply to work hard, lead a better lifestyle, further our careers and see more of the world. We are already both fairly well travelled and open minded.
Could anyone who has lived it settle my mind?
On doing some further research now it's looking likely I have started to come across articles, forum posts and rants regarding Perth.
These include:
- It's the most boring city in the world!
- Don't go to [insert area here]. It's rough, you'll get stabbed or robbed.
- It's full of undesirables.
- The CBD and surrounding areas are awful after 9.00pm (where I'll be working and maybe living).
As a young lad growing up in not the best of UK towns I could deal with this and to be honest take it with a pinch of salt. However, I'm looking to take my better half and 'live the dream' (cringe). We both know it will only be for a couple of years but these comments have put me off.
We're not massive party animals. Our objectives are simply to work hard, lead a better lifestyle, further our careers and see more of the world. We are already both fairly well travelled and open minded.
Could anyone who has lived it settle my mind?
Been in Perth for 5 years and love it - wouldnt live anywhere else. If you look back through 10 or 15 pages on here you'll find numerous posts explaining a bit more about how a few of us find it.
To give a brief view at first I didnt get it, just got fed up with Aussies telling me how great it was and I just didnt see it. The reason being that I was still hanging on to the UK - converting all the prices back to the uk, comparing tv/radio/pubs etc to the uk, comparing shops, cars, driving basically everything and coming up short. I was basically trying to live in England but in Oz and therefore didnt get it. And I think thats what a lot of poms who come and whinge do - they just dont live in Oz, they exsist.
Then over time I stopped trying to be in England and just started to enjoy Oz for what it was and live the aussie life and bit by bit it clicked. Then end of 2010 I moved back to England for family reasons, was there 3 days and hated it. Everything was so hard to do in comparison to Oz. long queues, hard to park, hard to drive round, weather was s
te, people were rude, food was crap. Pubs are better though 
. So I came back. And love it every day.
I live 10 minutes from the middle of Perth where I work and 5 minutes from the beach. I never worry what to wear as its always nice. I can drive to the beach, find a space to park, not pay for the pleasure. I can go to the cinema, not really have a queue and not pay for parking. I can go out and eat in any one of 10-20 different types of restaurants, most of a good quality.
My average week is working 8-5 then home, get exercise gear on and walk the coast road which is just stunning in 25 degree heat until the sun goes down, then grab a quick coffee before home to (seriously) have a bbq for dinner (sitting outside to eat of course) before chilliung it front of a 58" TV (which is fine given the rooms are bigger than the UK so you're not 4 inches in front of it) and go to bed falling asleep to the sound of, well nothing, because its nice n quiet. I love life here. I finally get 'lifestyle' and feel so much more relaxed the UK.
Northbridge near the city is a no go on weekend nights as its full of 18 yr old nobheads who cant handle drink, and frankly I can got to Subiaco, Leederville, North Perth etc and have a better night out. The City does get dead after 7pm so dont live there - seriously. Live near the coast/river or the hills and enjoy the lifestyle. Dont move to Perth and live in a CBD apartment - you can get a great house with space in a nice area for the same cash not far from the city.
Move here, give it a go but just leave the UK behind or you'll never settle.
To give a brief view at first I didnt get it, just got fed up with Aussies telling me how great it was and I just didnt see it. The reason being that I was still hanging on to the UK - converting all the prices back to the uk, comparing tv/radio/pubs etc to the uk, comparing shops, cars, driving basically everything and coming up short. I was basically trying to live in England but in Oz and therefore didnt get it. And I think thats what a lot of poms who come and whinge do - they just dont live in Oz, they exsist.
Then over time I stopped trying to be in England and just started to enjoy Oz for what it was and live the aussie life and bit by bit it clicked. Then end of 2010 I moved back to England for family reasons, was there 3 days and hated it. Everything was so hard to do in comparison to Oz. long queues, hard to park, hard to drive round, weather was s
te, people were rude, food was crap. Pubs are better though . So I came back. And love it every day.I live 10 minutes from the middle of Perth where I work and 5 minutes from the beach. I never worry what to wear as its always nice. I can drive to the beach, find a space to park, not pay for the pleasure. I can go to the cinema, not really have a queue and not pay for parking. I can go out and eat in any one of 10-20 different types of restaurants, most of a good quality.
My average week is working 8-5 then home, get exercise gear on and walk the coast road which is just stunning in 25 degree heat until the sun goes down, then grab a quick coffee before home to (seriously) have a bbq for dinner (sitting outside to eat of course) before chilliung it front of a 58" TV (which is fine given the rooms are bigger than the UK so you're not 4 inches in front of it) and go to bed falling asleep to the sound of, well nothing, because its nice n quiet. I love life here. I finally get 'lifestyle' and feel so much more relaxed the UK.
Northbridge near the city is a no go on weekend nights as its full of 18 yr old nobheads who cant handle drink, and frankly I can got to Subiaco, Leederville, North Perth etc and have a better night out. The City does get dead after 7pm so dont live there - seriously. Live near the coast/river or the hills and enjoy the lifestyle. Dont move to Perth and live in a CBD apartment - you can get a great house with space in a nice area for the same cash not far from the city.
Move here, give it a go but just leave the UK behind or you'll never settle.
I have agree with pommie, I'm sat here in the back garden at home, having a cold beer, looking at the swimming pool, it's 38 degrees, blue sky with not a cloud.
I live in the swan valley, wineries surrounding us, the suburb is clean, tidy and new. I earn double what I could in th uk!!! 40 min commute to the CBD.
Sit back and look around you right now and think what have I got to loose? That's right, nothing! Everything to gain including a life experience. I came on a 457 and once you are here for two years it's easy to transfer to perm res.
So what ya waiting for, pack ya bags and get here already!!! Perth piston heads are a friendly bunch, albeit useless at organizing a meet!!!
I live in the swan valley, wineries surrounding us, the suburb is clean, tidy and new. I earn double what I could in th uk!!! 40 min commute to the CBD.
Sit back and look around you right now and think what have I got to loose? That's right, nothing! Everything to gain including a life experience. I came on a 457 and once you are here for two years it's easy to transfer to perm res.
So what ya waiting for, pack ya bags and get here already!!! Perth piston heads are a friendly bunch, albeit useless at organizing a meet!!!
We all have a bit of a moan occasionally, but all in all it's a great place to live.
There are lots of things I miss about England but given that I've been here 40 years and only been to England on holidays since it's largely rose tinted I must admit.
We live in the hills (Kalamunda) which is about 25 minutes to the CBD (except in peak hours) but my business is local and my partner teaches in the hills so we rarely go into town.
TMB is right about the local PHers, give us a couple of months notice and we'll organise a beer
There are lots of things I miss about England but given that I've been here 40 years and only been to England on holidays since it's largely rose tinted I must admit.
We live in the hills (Kalamunda) which is about 25 minutes to the CBD (except in peak hours) but my business is local and my partner teaches in the hills so we rarely go into town.
TMB is right about the local PHers, give us a couple of months notice and we'll organise a beer
Pomsinoz are a pathetic bunch of whingers. Basically a bunch of middle aged ex-pat wives who complain that there isn’t a marks and spencer on every street corner. They do my head right in. Yeah, some things about Perth/Australia aren’t perfect, but then no country is.
Make an effort to live in your new country. Don’t try and recreate your old country.
Pisses me right off.
Oh, I’ve never been to Perth but I’m sure it’s like every other developed world city. There are some nice areas, some not nice areas. Some nice people, some not nice people. I can’t help you with specifics, but I’m sure the perth boys will. They might even get drinks organised in 3 years time...
Make an effort to live in your new country. Don’t try and recreate your old country.
Pisses me right off.
Oh, I’ve never been to Perth but I’m sure it’s like every other developed world city. There are some nice areas, some not nice areas. Some nice people, some not nice people. I can’t help you with specifics, but I’m sure the perth boys will. They might even get drinks organised in 3 years time...
I lived there when I was a kid, finally getting back there last year but unfortunately didn't stay as long as I'd like to have done but all I can say is WOW! Why on earth I've wasted my life in the UK I don't know, but one of my regrets will be not having emigrated years ago which unfortunately I cannot now do due to age restrictions.
To answer the OP's question, central Perth is extremely quiet after 19.00 but life seems to be out in the suburbs. Freo has been developed and is almost the city Perth could be from a leisure perspective but you have to understand the cultural differences and make the most of the outdoor lifestyle. Get a boat, bike, plane or outdoor hobby and you'll live the dream. Extremely envious of you guys living there - make the most of it!
To answer the OP's question, central Perth is extremely quiet after 19.00 but life seems to be out in the suburbs. Freo has been developed and is almost the city Perth could be from a leisure perspective but you have to understand the cultural differences and make the most of the outdoor lifestyle. Get a boat, bike, plane or outdoor hobby and you'll live the dream. Extremely envious of you guys living there - make the most of it!
Colonial said:
Pomsinoz are a pathetic bunch of whingers. Basically a bunch of middle aged ex-pat wives who complain that there isn’t a marks and spencer on every street corner. They do my head right in. Yeah, some things about Perth/Australia aren’t perfect, but then no country is.
Make an effort to live in your new country. Don’t try and recreate your old country.
Amen to that. The wife is on PiO and reading their forum just wound me up.Make an effort to live in your new country. Don’t try and recreate your old country.
So you are leaving the UK because of all the immigrants coming in wanting to change the UK and not integrating. So you are coming to Aus and doing the same. Yeah, good one.
Just to add, it can be quiet so you have to make the most of the stuff that does happen.
There is always stuff going on at Freo (carnivals, chilli festivals, the market etc.).
I've been back almost a year now and I've been to the following 'big' events.
V8 racing (full weekend)
Stock car racing
Cricket : Aus vs India
Foo Fighters
2 Festivals : Big Day Out (Soundgarden headlining) & Soundwave (Heavy Metal Festival)
Roger Waters : The Wall concert
AFL : 2 Dockers games
Day at the races (horses)
Also taken time out down to the south coast (Albany/Denmark) and to Margaret River.
I've missed a few car shows (Hotrods and 4x4s), the annual tarmac rally and I didn't manage to catch a local cricket, rugby or football match this year.
Edited by Bibbs on Tuesday 13th March 00:22
I visited Perth (and explored WA as far north as Coral Bay) last year.
Perth is terrific. In any other country, Perth would be the jewel in the crown. Great climate, lots of water, beaches, Freo and Rotto. In Aussie it's overshadowed by Melbourne and Sydney.
From the UK to Perth? I wouldn't even stop to think about it.
Perth is terrific. In any other country, Perth would be the jewel in the crown. Great climate, lots of water, beaches, Freo and Rotto. In Aussie it's overshadowed by Melbourne and Sydney.
From the UK to Perth? I wouldn't even stop to think about it.
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