Adelaide vs Perth recent visit.

[keldaz]

Just thought I'd post a thread on our recent visit to Perth, this is mainly because I said I would for a couple of people in the UK, who were trying to choose between Perth and Adelaide. We're fast approaching 4 years in Aussie, and have spent around 3.5 years in Adelaide and 3 months travelling across and staying in Qld, NSW and Vic. This was our first visit to WA, and we spent a week there, wow a whole week! we must be experts hey!

 

So what did we know about Perth before our visit, not much, only really heard it's expensive, expensive, expensive!, some friends have told us its expensive, other friends had said it was no different to Adelaide, someone's fibbing, who?

 

Starting at the beginning of the visit, the first thing that hits us is the temperature, having flown in from Adelaide the first thing we had to do was loose the jackets. It still got quite chilly in the evenings, but during the days we were down to t-shirts for the most part. We'd been monitoring average temperature differences between Adelaide and Perth for 6 weeks or so, being summer people, we liked that a lot.

 

Next step, jump in the hire car, which brings me to the roads, best in Australia that I've seen, and by no small margin, in fact I will say superb, lots more motorbikes out and about as a result. If your a professional driver, it's a no brainer, go to Perth.

 

Expensive? Well it must be the housing side of things, we visited supermarkets, servos, ate out, checked out clothes shops etc, prices no different to Adelaide, total rubbish, maybe if your a pampered pooch who just must fine dine weekly, more fool you, we don't. Adelaide has cheap houses, but I've never seen anything under $450000 that I'd even consider, period features are best bulldozed, we like modern.

 

Negatives keldaz? Perth city and Freemantle are nothing special and the beaches don't match Adelaide for quality or quantity, but we only had a week and didn't really seek them out hard.

 

One thing I was expecting was lots of self important I've got more money than you types, flying around in their 4 wheel drives thinking their something their not, there's probably more here. It all felt super laid back, I even had a couple of total strangers say 'how you going mate' just because we climbed out of our cars at the same time.

 

Overall I would say the closest thing to what we expected Australia to be like, a serious contender for living and we now feel we have an alternative to Adelaide, which up to this point was the only place we would live.

[victoriasquare]

A good post keldaz, but something to remember about Perth is that it is very much further away from anywhere than Adelaide. Even so, for many people in the eastern states, nothing exists west of Melbourne or perhaps Geelong!

[keldaz]

A good post keldaz, but something to remember about Perth is that it is very much further away from anywhere than Adelaide. Even so, for many people in the eastern states, nothing exists west of Melbourne or perhaps Geelong!

 

Yes that is very true Victoriasquare, but realistically how often do you get time to travel anyway, not often enough to worry about the extra few hundred on flights. For us personally, we're at that point where we've only got a few places left in Oz we'd like to visit. It's so expensive here, and quite samey, so I think we'd rather spend holiday money flying away, which of course Perth would be perfect for. Geelong, that's bought back memories, a cold shiver, awful place. Not saying we're off to Perth yet, but it has burnt itself in my brain.

[guspjmh]

I work in Perth 1 week in 4 and while it is quite pretty, it's pretty boring on the whole - the CBD pretty much shuts down at 5:30!

[keldaz]

I work in Perth 1 week in 4 and while it is quite pretty, it's pretty boring on the whole - the CBD pretty much shuts down at 5:30!

 

Yes we've heard the same thing from friends, as we've only been into Adelaide CBD a handful of times after 5.30 to use restaurants it's a bit irrelevant. It did have a bit of a feel of endless suburbia, we'd need another trip at least. Motorbikes have always been a hobby of mine, which I've lost since being in Adelaide, but could pick up again over there. Plus the cold here in the winter is starting to get right up our noses, as it does every year.

[guspjmh]

Yes we've heard the same thing from friends, as we've only been into Adelaide CBD a handful of times after 5.30 to use restaurants it's a bit irrelevant. It did have a bit of a feel of endless suburbia, we'd need another trip at least. Motorbikes have always been a hobby of mine, which I've lost since being in Adelaide, but could pick up again over there. Plus the cold here in the winter is starting to get right up our noses, as it does every year.

 

 

Yeah, winter in Adelaide isn't my favourite time!

[milly]

We lived many years in Adelaide & many more in Perth. We visit Adelaide every year to see our daughter.

I find there is a lot to like in both States. Adelaide is not such sprawling suburbia but Perth has many other advantages. Milder Winters . we have had 25c most of this week. Great roads, fast electric trains & fantastic beaches. I find the cost of things much the same unless you dine out in fancy restaurants. And the cost of Utilities are much less.

Yes, it's a bit further to the other States but it does'nt matter much once you are on the plane. And much cheaper fares to Asia.

Keldaz . . next time you visit I suggest you catch the train down to Mandurah. You have the sea & the Estuary & the cost of housing is reasonable.. . 48mins from the City by train.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I have been to Perth twice. Just over a week on both occasions.

Because of the business that I am in I should be shouting about Adelaide merits so that people choose Adelaide over Perth! But, let's be objective...

 

My first visit was in Feb and it was hot...real hot! I know that we have hot spells in Adelaide so let's put it down to timing. It was so hot that the hire car (Ford Falcon XR6) aircon couldn't handle it. Let's put it down to being a crappy aircon!

 

The roads are brilliant and the drivers are much more courteous. I did not expect the driving to be so good. Perth has a lot of South Africans and let's be honest, driving in South Africa is pathetic! It was a surprise. The freeways are great...get you anywhere really quickly.

Prices, except housing pretty much the same...a bit more expensive to eat out.

There is some serious money in Perth and houses like I used to live in! I wouldn't be able to afford one though...very expensive.

We drove out to Mandurah and there's development and housing like I haven't seen anywhere else in Oz.

I liked being able to get anywhere quickly. I liked the city, the beaches and overall it's on my list of places that I would live in.

My OH loves Kings Park..one of his favourite places anywhere...and he would move there no problem.

Wherever we went there was expansion and development...new housing, new roads, new city development.

I think that it's a very livable place and I could certainly live there (I wouldn't say this about the other oz cities I have visited).

On the second visit I discovered Hillary's boat ramp...what a place for kids!

 

Perth was our original city that we were going to move to.

It certainly wouldn't have been a bad move.

If anyone is in two minds about which place to settle...do a reccie. See for yourself. If you are moving across the globe then spend those extra few Dollars and spend a couple of weeks in both cities and see which one grabs you.

[keldaz]

A very wise post as always Tamara, we stayed with a South African couple during our stay funny enough. They had been in Perth 10 years, but were looking at moving to the Gold Coast, needless to say we had plenty of long chats once they'd heard of our adventures.