Perth - short term work assignment

[ShyTallKnight]

Hi guys, on saturday I'm heading out to Perth for a 3 - 4 month work stint and staying in an apartment in the CBD. Any suggestions on worthwhile things to do in my downtime and are there any car related events going on at this time of year..?? Thanks

[captain_cynic]

ShyTallKnight said:

Hi guys, on saturday I'm heading out to Perth for a 3 - 4 month work stint and staying in an apartment in the CBD. Any suggestions on worthwhile things to do in my downtime and are there any car related events going on at this time of year..?? Thanks

Perth... Things to do. Lived there for a decade.

Well most pubs shut at 9-10 on a weekday, they might be open to 12 or even something as wild as 2 on a weekend. Expect it to make London look cheap. You can do what most Perthites do and line up to enter an Aldi. Not kidding, in Perth people line up to go to an Aldi, they'd have a stroke as soon as they passed an Iceland here in the UK.

After the excitement of Aldi you can sit in Perth traffic, a city with a low population density and nice wide roads which are always full of people not going anywhere, maybe take a trip "Douth" (because for your average Perth denizen, "down south" has too many sylables).

Car events, see the Australian bogan in his natural habitat. Bazza, fiercely proud of his old, rusty VL Commodore stands watch for any threats or "pooftahs" that may appear. The Perth car scene is cliquey... Australia is cliquey in general... but I digress. The Commodore gang will hate you for not having a Commo, the Falcon possie will hate you for not having a Falcon, both will shun you for being English. The JDM crew is slightly better, but still not that good. There isn't really a European car scene as fast Euro's are the exclusive domain of accounting/law wkers who pay top dollar for leases on average cars with a Euro badge in Australia (seriously, some BMW/Merc/Audi's have a 100% markup before tax... Because Australia) and they wont take them out where they might get their Fringe Tax Benefit dirty (or have to associate with the riff-raff).

Serious answer... Search FB for Antilag. They have regular meets and aren't brand/make specific, you still get tossers but you get that everywhere. There wont be any car shows or anything like that.

If you're on FB, look up "The bell tower times" for a satirical look at life and times of Perth (strong language warning).

To be serious, Perth is an overgrown mining town, not a tourist hot spot, you're going there to work, everyone goes there to work. There are a few attractions, most of them are outdoors though and you're going in the middle of winter (which wont be cold to an Englishman, just mind the wind, being coastal the wind chill factor is pretty bad so a light jacket is recommended) but many will be closed for the winter.

Freemantle is always good for a night out or even the day, the prison tour is pretty good and Little Creatures is probably one of the best bars in the city. Being CBD located, you can get the train down there easily (other than that, Public Transport in Perth is an utter disaster). Honestly, Freemantle (Freo) is the best part of Perth. There's a Zoo in South Perth and Caversham wildlife park if you want to see native Australian animals.

There's a good Nandos on William St in the CBD. I will warn you in advance, once you've tried it UK Nandos will taste like sawdust, so much so you will from hence forth in, spit it out in disgust. Perth has a fair bit of decent food, if not a little pricey, some good coffee too that could give London a run for it's money (and I speak highly of London's coffee houses).

If you've got a weekend to kill, you can go down to Margret River or up to Gerarldton (car required for either). I'd recomend Gero, its not as good as Margret river but far less crowded. If you've got an entire week, drive up to Coral Bay, Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef. That's about it, if you get a second week off, go over east (Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast). Western Australians think nothing of a 4-5 hour trip... Perth is so isolated it takes that long to get anywhere.

Sometime around September or October-ish it'll go from chilly to blistering hot in the space of about 2 or 3 weeks... Then the flies will come out... but you should be able to go to the beach in that 2-3 weeks when it's still too cold for most West Australians. Wear sunscreen... You can fry an egg on a paint tin in the sun in Perth, the average UK resident will burn in 4.32 seconds of exposure time.

Seriously, if you take nothing else away from this post, wear sunscreen if going out into the sun (you cant go wrong with a hat too).

[ShyTallKnight]

Brilliant..!!

Many thanks for taking the time to reply.... Made me chuckle somewhat too... Queues for Aldi lol

[captain_cynic]

ShyTallKnight said:

Brilliant..!!

Many thanks for taking the time to reply.... Made me chuckle somewhat too... Queues for Aldi lol

You're welcome, sadly... i'm not joking about the Aldi queue

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-austra...

As boring as it is, enjoy WA. Its got some nice beaches even though the best of them are outside of Perth. Forgot to mention this above, if you're into sports definitely go to see an AFL game, its mid-season at the moment.

A quick lexicon for Australia.

Pants == Any lower body covering with two legs (trousers, shorts, breeches).
Underpants == Pants (AKA undies, grundies or undergrollies).
Yeah, nah == Yes I understand but disagree.
Chook == Chicken.
Bush Chook == Emu (also a brand of cheap lager called Emu Export).
Thongs == Flip Flops (a thong is known as a G-String or anal floss).
Bottle-O == Off License.
Root == Sexual intercourse (and possibly why the American pronunciation of route is commonplace).
Ute == Pickup.
Chippy == Carpenter (so not a fish and chip shop).
Dogs Breakfast == Something someone has made a right hash out of.
Goon Bag == The silver bag you find inside of box wine (can also be re-inflated and used as a pillow after the wine has been consumed).
Stubbie == A small bottle of beer with a short neck.
Stubbies == Very short canvas shorts often worn by tradesmen.
Stubbie holder == an insulated foam sleeve to keep a bottle or can cool.
Strewth == An expression of surprise (see also: Stone the Crows).
Tell him he's dreaming == Someone with unrealistic expectations.
Whoop Whoop == A place far away.

[Pommy]

I’ll bite...whilst CC is absolutely a cynic and right on something’s perhaps a bit far on others.

I love Perth - just go with the flaws and embrace the good bits.

It’s a quiet city with not a huge amount happening, but...but it’s clean, literally quiet, calm, never really had any grief here and has a magnificent choice of lifestyle options.

Even when it’s cold it’s only short term and I’d be surprised if you got more than 2 days total of rain in 4 months and not a huge amount of cloudy days - the sense of well-being is high with regards to the weather but yep it’s definitely cold and many buildings aren’t set up to retain heat.

They don’t do pubs/bars well but restaurants are plentiful - seriously fck Nandos and seek out some of the culturally various restaurants of Northbridge and seafood restraurants along the coast. There are some nice little Jap, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants here. Also there are some pricey but lovely ones such as Balthazar and a few at the Crown Casino that are really nice.

Definitely head south to Margaret River and Albany areas.

Car scene? Unless you’re 18 I’d say not much. Kwinana speedway hosts some but you’ll stick out if you don’t have a ginger mullet.

For 4 months I’d be out enjoying the beach and coast but it’s too cold to sunbathe so maybe take up some water sports whilst you can and then at night head out to some good restaurants and low key bars.

Good chance to get your fitness in as the weather even when cold is good enough, try Jacobs Ladder at Kings Park for a thigh workout....

[captain_cynic]

Pommy said:

I’ll bite...whilst CC is absolutely a cynic and right on something’s perhaps a bit far on others.

I'll be the first to admit that I do sometimes exaggerate for comedic effect.

Pommy said:

Even when it’s cold it’s only short term and I’d be surprised if you got more than 2 days total of rain in 4 months and not a huge amount of cloudy days - the sense of well-being is high with regards to the weather but yep it’s definitely cold and many buildings aren’t set up to retain heat.

WRT rain, in Perth it doesn't rain nearly as often as the UK, but when it does rain it pours. In the 2 years I've lived in England it might have rained like it does in Perth maybe twice. I don't even bother with an umbrella most of the time here because it simply doesn't rain hard enough. Perth's highest avg rainfall is 4-6 inches compared to London's 2-3... So if you think it's going to rain, take a brolly.

[Pommy]

captain_cynic said:

Pommy said:

I’ll bite...whilst CC is absolutely a cynic and right on something’s perhaps a bit far on others.

I'll be the first to admit that I do sometimes exaggerate for comedic effect.

Pommy said:

Even when it’s cold it’s only short term and I’d be surprised if you got more than 2 days total of rain in 4 months and not a huge amount of cloudy days - the sense of well-being is high with regards to the weather but yep it’s definitely cold and many buildings aren’t set up to retain heat.

WRT rain, in Perth it doesn't rain nearly as often as the UK, but when it does rain it pours. In the 2 years I've lived in England it might have rained like it does in Perth maybe twice. I don't even bother with an umbrella most of the time here because it simply doesn't rain hard enough. Perth's highest avg rainfall is 4-6 inches compared to London's 2-3... So if you think it's going to rain, take a brolly.

Not sure I'd agree with that. The UK rains often and for a long period and Perth rains little and briefly. It hammers down in Perth a few days a year and more at night when it doesnt matter than during the day. So discussing rainfall highs needs a bit of perspective as to when and how often.

I find the weather in Perth gets in the way of my day far far less than it did in London.

[ShyTallKnight]

Thanks chaps... flew in last night and first day in the office this morning. Dark when I left work so 'exploring' will have to wait until the weekend. Know what you mean about it being quiet... I'm staying in East Perth just off the main drag and its very very quiet for a City location.

[Pommy]

ShyTallKnight said:

Thanks chaps... flew in last night and first day in the office this morning. Dark when I left work so 'exploring' will have to wait until the weekend. Know what you mean about it being quiet... I'm staying in East Perth just off the main drag and its very very quiet for a City location.

Yeah East Perth is really quiet...and wait for the weekend when it gets even quieter

Where in the city are you working?

[ShyTallKnight]

Pommy said:

Yeah East Perth is really quiet...and wait for the weekend when it gets even quieter

Where in the city are you working?

Apart from the 'Bazza' boy racers outside the apartment in the early hours

Anyway, I'm working in the durack centre on Adelaide Tce / Victoria Ave.

[Bibbs]

If you want a noisy pint, head to Shafto Lane or Northbridge.

Just back from 3 weeks in Europe and it sure feels good to be home.

Give AFL a watch, cricket season is coming too (India and SA this year I think).

What sort of cars float your boat? We have the RWB Porsche guys over from Japan next month. And there is always drags etc on once it stops raining.

Tourist stuff?
Whiteman Park
Pinnaroo
Hillaries
Freo
Point Walter
Cohunu Kolala Park
Mandura Canals
Lesmurdie Falls
Swan Valley (wine, beer and chocolate)

[captain_cynic]

ShyTallKnight said:

Anyway, I'm working in the durack centre on Adelaide Tce / Victoria Ave.

I haven't worked in the CBD since 2011 but used to work across the road from Durack.

Used to be a nice pizza place near there on Hay St, just down from the Travelodge. OKish bar inside the travelodge but the Lucky Shag is down by the Barrack st jetty is pretty good if you don't mind a short walk.

[ShyTallKnight]

Bibbs said:

If you want a noisy pint, head to Shafto Lane or Northbridge.

Just back from 3 weeks in Europe and it sure feels good to be home.

Give AFL a watch, cricket season is coming too (India and SA this year I think).

What sort of cars float your boat? We have the RWB Porsche guys over from Japan next month. And there is always drags etc on once it stops raining.

Tourist stuff?
Whiteman Park
Pinnaroo
Hillaries
Freo
Point Walter
Cohunu Kolala Park
Mandura Canals
Lesmurdie Falls
Swan Valley (wine, beer and chocolate)

Thanks for that think I'll be hiring a car for a few days and hoping to bring the family out in Aug so some food for thought.

In terms of cars anything goes really as long as it's got a V8 - I'm missing mine back home. But seriously anything really as long as it's not too chavved.

[ShyTallKnight]

captain_cynic said:

I haven't worked in the CBD since 2011 but used to work across the road from Durack.

Used to be a nice pizza place near there on Hay St, just down from the Travelodge. OKish bar inside the travelodge but the Lucky Shag is down by the Barrack st jetty is pretty good if you don't mind a short walk.

Thanks for that... The lucky shag yes. I am determined to get a selfie with the name in the background and send it to the Mrs 😊

[motomk]

ShyTallKnight said:

Thanks for that think I'll be hiring a car for a few days and hoping to bring the family out in Aug so some food for thought.

In terms of cars anything goes really as long as it's got a V8 - I'm missing mine back home. But seriously anything really as long as it's not too chavved.

Walk down the road and hire a small block 'Rolla from Bayswater car rental. Was going to say a big block Camry, but looks like they don't have those anymore. Hertz have Mustangs and a friend told me Commodore Redlines in some places.

[captain_cynic]

motomk said:

ShyTallKnight said:

Thanks for that think I'll be hiring a car for a few days and hoping to bring the family out in Aug so some food for thought.

In terms of cars anything goes really as long as it's got a V8 - I'm missing mine back home. But seriously anything really as long as it's not too chavved.

Walk down the road and hire a small block 'Rolla from Bayswater car rental. Was going to say a big block Camry, but looks like they don't have those anymore. Hertz have Mustangs and a friend told me Commodore Redlines in some places.

I think you're going to struggle with hiring a big V8 in Oz. Car hire isn't the great VFM it is in the UK.

As Motomk mentioned, if you just want a runabout to go from A to the attraction of your choosing, Bayswater are great. Other companies tend to be dodgy with hidden fees and the old "scratch" scam. Excesses are often over A$1000 and many places ask for a $2000 authorisation. Caveat Emptor, read the T&C's and the reviews.

[ShyTallKnight]

Funnily enough I'm directly opposite Bayswater.... Whats a big block 'Rolla..??

Well a week down and enjoying it... Had a good mooch about today down to Barrack St pier and then into the shopping areas and did a shop at Woolies haha

Had a couple of drinks with a colleague on after work on Thurs night - holy hell the drinks prices..!!

[motco]

ShyTallKnight said:

Funnily enough I'm directly opposite Bayswater.... Whats a big block 'Rolla..??

Well a week down and enjoying it... Had a good mooch about today down to Barrack St pier and then into the shopping areas and did a shop at Woolies haha

Had a couple of drinks with a colleague on after work on Thurs night - holy hell the drinks prices..!!

I was in Sydney last December (for a wedding) and paid A$12.00 for a 'pint'. That was roughly £8.00 - outrageous. Do try Margaret River Bitter if you are an ale drinker; it's good.

[Pommy]

ShyTallKnight said:

Funnily enough I'm directly opposite Bayswater.... Whats a big block 'Rolla..??

Well a week down and enjoying it... Had a good mooch about today down to Barrack St pier and then into the shopping areas and did a shop at Woolies haha

Had a couple of drinks with a colleague on after work on Thurs night - holy hell the drinks prices..!!

I think hes joking about a 1.8 Corolla...

Can see you’re living like a local

Yeah you’ll get used to the prices - just don’t go to Hula Bula bar if you don’t want bill shock again.

[captain_cynic]

ShyTallKnight said:

Funnily enough I'm directly opposite Bayswater.... Whats a big block 'Rolla..??

"Rolla" is short for a Toyota Corolla. The epitome of a washing machine on wheels.

Small block refers to the engine displacement... because in Oz, a 1.7L is considered small.

ShyTallKnight said:

Well a week down and enjoying it... Had a good mooch about today down to Barrack St pier and then into the shopping areas and did a shop at Woolies haha

Had a couple of drinks with a colleague on after work on Thurs night - holy hell the drinks prices..!!

Welcome to going out in Perth, an exercise in having your wallet extracted though a pint glass.

I'm not sure if they still do it, but the Oxford Hotel in Leederville used to have a cheap curry and pint night on Thursdays, pints were $7.50 whilst the curry was $4 from memory. Decent pub and not to hard to get to from your location either.