All posts in Perth

Life in Oz: Celebrating Perth’s Heritage

by admin on December 17, 2012 in Columns, Life in Australia, Life in Oz, Perth, Western Australia with No comments

November is a busy month for building huggers. It is Architecture Month and, following the lead of other great cities like London, Paris and New York, Perth had an Open House. Old buildings, new buildings, concept spaces, even an artsy public restroom were opened wide to the general public for peeking, inspiration and guffawing. A serious drawcard for the nosey public is not only going into interesting buildings but that often, if it is a guided tour, very restricted/private areas are also opened. Oh, we feel so important.

Two weeks later, Heritage Perth takes over a weekend. More buildings are opened up to the public. These aren’t necessarily brick & mortar marvels but their ghosts are more interesting and social history is on greater display. Interesting tidbits emerge like the Queen’s requirement of an exclusive private toilet in the buildings she takes a turn through, the women’s poor house turned government print office and the diva gossip dished out during behind-the-scenes tours at performance venues.

In my previous life in North America, my employment would take me to some very interesting places the general public had no access to. It was like being let in on a secret so few knew. With no such current all-access opportunity here in Perth, I look forward to the Heritage Perth weekend every year. If your community doesn’t have such events, spearhead the drive to start one. Stop looking at buildings that are in your way and start seeing them in a fresh way. Be a tourist in your own neighborhood. Bring heritage to life.

Life in Oz: Sunday Retail in Western Australia

by admin on October 2, 2012 in Columns, Life in Australia, Life in Oz, Perth, Western Australia with No comments

Good things come to those who wait…and wait…and wait. The state of Western Australia was ‘founded’ by English colonists in 1829. Fast forward 183 years and it is only now legal to buy a loaf of bread, a pillow case or clock radio anywhere in the state on a Sunday. Welcome Sunday shopping, you were a long time coming.

I come from the land of 24-hour shopping. Odd work shifts or sleeping habits did not leave a person outside the world of consumer commerce. Imagine my surprise and culture shock when I moved to Perth just a few years ago to find that the sidewalks were rolled up at 5:30pm daily and buildings practically boarded up on Sundays. How did a working person shop? Two options: fight the crowds on Saturday mornings or go out on the government-approved Thursday Late Night Shopping. Stores stayed open until 9p.m. and it was actually a family event for many people. I could not hide my incredulity at what seemed a comical sight. Whole families slowly strolling down aisles ooohing and aaaahing the grocery shelves as if taking in the latest exhibition at the Art Gallery. Cracked me up.

Why was this so? The government was protecting the little guy from the Goliaths. Small business owners felt they could not compete against the big corporations and beseeched the state government to help them by limiting hours of commerce, especially for certain consumer goods. Slowly, over the last 25 years, this has been evolving to respond to nontraditional work and family models as well as joining contemporary business thinking. Sunday shopping and extended hours were allowed in the tourist inhabited downtown area of Perth. The tourist zone was widened into the suburbs. Certain consumer goods were excepted from the laws. And finally, the last weekend of August, the last veil dropped and all is fair in commerce and war. Great fanfare, sales, giveaways and entertainment sirened “come hither” to people not used to handling their wallets on the seventh day.

All this is still a far cry from round-the-clock cash register ecstasy, but it feels a whole lot less like Pluto here in Perth.

Life in Oz: Babysitting – a social study?

by admin on August 31, 2012 in Blogs, Life in Australia, Life in Oz, Perth, Western Australia with No comments

Remember babysitting? It was likely your entry into the money making world. Never mind that it paid significantly less than minimum wage, we were wage earners and that was cool. For awhile. Then we learned that minimum wage paid three times as much per hour and couldn’t wait to older and get a real job. Imagine: $2.35 to a walloping $2.65 an hour for non kidstuff kind of work! I started out at 75¢ an hour looking after the rabbi’s kids. My older sister, Anne, raked in 35¢ an hour on her first sitting jobs.

It is so not the same today. Babysitting rates have surpassed the minimum wage. Greedy teens or is the minimum wage shockingly low? Admittedly, the avenues for teens to earn money seem to dry up as traditional jobs like paper routes are done more and more by adult contractors (‘paper adult’ sounds odd) or automation. A quick poll of friends in North America through a social network site shows that rates generally well exceed the Federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr. One friend with a single child is getting away with $6/hr but most are coughing up $10, even $12 for college kids. A much-older-than-13 former colleague wailed that some of these rates were more than he was currently getting paid.

Curiosity turned into a social study when I started asking about babysitting rates here in Perth. I expected the situation to be exactly the same but with a higher rate. The government minimum wage here is $16 an hour. And well, teenagers are teenagers the world over, so the rate must be higher, right?

Sort of. Polling people at church on Sunday came up with a big zero. None hired outside help. Junior was always watched by grandparents or the occasional switched favors with other couples. So I started asking people I did not know in church and they said pretty much the same thing. Well, all these folks are church goers and maybe that makes a difference. I accosted a few pram pushing people on the street and guess what? Pretty much the same story there also, although one suggested that I look up a particular babysitting website. Doing so came up with mature adults asking for $20-$25 /hour depending on the time of day. Not a significant jump from the $15 asked by one parishioner 20 years ago when he babysat as an older teen.

What does this mean? Do Australians have much closer knit, highly supportive families than back home or are they just too cheap to pay the neighbor kid to watch theirs? One parent posited that maybe babysitting was an American thing, but her husband was not so quick to draw such a conclusion. Western Australia is heavily populated with people from other places and not all would have moved here with extended family in tow. Those folks will have to choose between not going out or shelling out.

Whatever the situation, I’m brushing up on my diaper changing skills. Just in case…

Life in Oz: Losing & Regaining My Visitor Vision

by admin on April 17, 2012 in Columns, Life in Australia, Life in Oz, Moving to Australia, Perth, Western Australia with No comments

Funny how Time can affect our vision. We see the past through rose-colored glasses (think of the movie romanticism of that maritime disaster, the sinking of the Titanic) and our current day with horse blinders on. A recent incident confirms this.

April 14: my arrival into Australia in 2008. Has it really been four years?! Where does time go? I arrived in Perth in the middle of the night and when I woke up in the morning I dashed over to the library to get my library card. (Isn’t that what everyone does in a new town?) That day, and each day for several weeks beyond, was filled with discovery and new things for the mind to digest. But even then I feared it all becoming too commonplace. Familiarity may or may not breed contempt, but it sure does promote tunnel vision. I am all too aware that I have become as quite myopic as the locals.

A few days ago, I was returning from a quick errand on our side of downtown. It was such a nice day that I decided to walk home rather than take a bus. Taking a shortcut to the bridge would have me avoid playing chicken with cars at a major traffic circle. It would also expose a piece of the city I had never seen before. From the elevated seating of a bus, this small strip of land looks like a tree-lined bike path next to a municipal parking lot. From ground level, it is a hidden park complete with an extensive playground set, Aboriginal interpretive center and a bike & kayak rental barn.

This park is but a half mile from my home. However did I miss this? I feverishly thought of excuses: tree cover keeps this hidden from commuters, my left knee keeps me from bicycling on the bike paths, it’s the “wrong side” of the river, etc. The truth is that I have put on the same blinders that so many others wear. We each follow our same path each day without variance , without seeing what we look at. A life of routine.

Routine is a voracious eater of Time. I shouldn’t wonder that four years have elapsed without me noticing. So I vow that I will get off the same over-trodden path or vary my routine on a regular basis from here on out. I am looking forward to more discoveries.

Perth: in one week and on a budget

by admin on March 14, 2012 in Life in Oz, Perth, Places to Go, Travel, Western Australia with No comments

Perth, with its expansive bodyguards of the Nullarbor desert and Indian Ocean, can be difficult to get to and certainly expensive once you get there. For many visitors, it’s a side trip while vacationing in South East Asia or a long distance detour from Sydney and Melbourne in the eastern states. And all of this means people are usually short on time and money.

So what can you do in a mere handful of days with a rapidly collapsing wallet? This does mean you’ll need to confine your adventures to the Perth metro area (You can always come back later for the entire State of Western Australia.) And you should make the following list part of your must-sees:

The CAT busses. A free bus service within the Central Business District which covers all corners in three different routes. A great way to get the lay of the land. www.transperth.wa.gov.au
City Walking Trails. Take the CBD on foot and learn of its parks, art and history either with a free volunteer guide, on your own with a special map or with a free downloaded audio tour. Stop at the i-City Information kiosk in the Murray Street Mall in the heart of the CBD. www.perth.wa.gov.au
Kings Park. At Kings Park, take in Perth’s impressive skyline and admire the flow of life on the Swan River. You can enjoy a picnic at this premier park while sitting under a canopy of native trees or explore the park’s botanical gardens. Walk the Federation Walkway or climb the DNA tower for a 360 degree view of the world’s largest inner city park. www.bgpa.wa.gov.au
Cottesloe Beach. Dip your toes into the blue waters of the Indian Ocean at Cottesloe Beach or sit on the manicured lawn to watch the sun as it sets over the ocean. Also impressive is Scarborough Beach just further north where you can catch a wave or enjoy a beverage at the trendy Hillary’s Boat Harbour. Both of these beaches are easily accessible by city bus.
Heirisson Island. Kangaroo are closer than you think. At the east end of the CBD, halfway across the Causeway, a small mob of female kangaroo rule half of this small and easily accessible spot of land. Early morning and just before dusk are the best times to walk around and say hi to these iconic marsupials.
Fremantle. The port city just south of Perth has many charms. The weekend markets are full of street performers, there is a lively café atmosphere, the historic Fremantle Prison is open for tours and one of it’s favorite sons, Bon Scot of rock group AC/DC is celebrated in statue. Fremantle is also easily accessed by bus and train. www.fremantle.wa.gov.au
Swan Valley. Western Australia’s wine industry is attracting the world’s attention. The closest wine region to the City is in lovely Swan Valley. You’ll need a car, or better yet, take one of the bus or boat tours from the City to Swan Valley to try some of the fabulous wines found there. A great day adventure. www.swanvalley.com.au

Guest Post: 10 Great Reasons to Visit Perth

by admin on February 28, 2012 in Guest Posts, Perth, Western Australia with No comments

Are you considering taking a trip to the “city of light” but not really sure what its all about. Here we round up seven excellent reasons to check out this magnificent gem on Australia’s West coast.

1. Sunsets

The sunsets are gorgeous. They are worth getting up early even if you are not a morning person. With the mix of the clouds and the sun coming up, this is an excellent way to wake up. Kings Park is the perfect place to view the sunsets.

2. Beaches

The beaches are very clean and not crowded. You won’t have any issues looking for spaces to put your towel down. There is a beautiful beach for everyone in Perth. One of the most popular beaches is Cottesloe Beach, which is the perfect place to swim, surf, or snorkel and is great for people of all ages. Other beaches include Scarborough, City, Floreat, and Sorrento to name just a few.

3. Shopping

Make sure you bring money to shop in Perth. Perth is the perfect place to get high-end fashion. There is no doubt that its is a luxurious city with beautiful people. The Raine Square redevelopment and the BHP building project will continue to service people with high end fashion, restaurants, cafes, galleries, and bars.

If these prices are too expensive, you may want to visit Harbour Town, which has designer labels at factory prices. Here you will find prices up to 60% off the recommended retail. For boutique clothing stores, head over to Mawley.

4. Fremantle

Fremantle Markets are a must see in Perth and were established in 1897. It houses over 150 different shops for craftspeople, fashion designers, and merchants. The markets are usually open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This is a huge tourist attraction area and every corner provides you with the ultimate market experience. This is also a great place to shop for fresh fruit and veggies. You can visit the Hall for general merchandise and dining and the Yard for organic produce, restaurants, espresso bars, cheese, bakeries, and meats.

5. Perth Zoo

The Perth Zoo is great for people of all ages. It may be on the smaller side, but it is recognized as the best small zoo in Australia. Located 10 minutes from CBD, it is open all year around and has not been closed ever since the day it opened in 1898. Adults tickets cost $22 and children 4-15 are $11, while children under 4 are free. You can also enjoy walks, talks, and presentations that are scheduled throughout the day. Additionally there you can take advantage of ‘Talking Zoo’ where visitors can download information about the animals they see directly to their ipod or mp3 players.

6. Dining

Perth may have excellent shopping and nightlife, but the dining is out-of-this-world. The restaurants in Perth generally serve Australian food, but it is top-of-the-line, usually steaks and seafood. The Perth weather allows for a lot of outside dining. The C restaurant is a very popular place to eat and is located on the 33rd floor of St. Martin’s Towers. It also offers a perfect view of the Swan River. So, enjoy a glass of wine and great food.

7. Nightclub Entertainment

There is never a dull moment in Perth. There is always something to do no matter how old you are. Brass Monkey, for example, is a famous spot in Perth City and offers Australian cuisine, great music and DJs. The Grapeskin Wine Bar and Cellar Bar have some of the best selections of wine in town. You can also learn how to salsa dance at The Deen.

8. Transportation

Transportation in Perth is great. There are ferries, buses, cabs, cars, limos, trains, trams, and motorized scooters. All of Perth’s public transportation is under Transperth and the timetable and tickets compliment each other. When you come to Perth, you do not have to worry about getting from place to place. There is always some type of transportation running.

9. Weather

Perth is one of the sunniest places in Australia. This makes it very easy and obvious to see why people enjoy the beaches so much. You will enjoy the outdoors and never want to be indoors. Having wonderful weather definitely makes you feel like you are on vacation.

10. Museums

Perth has a historic past that is shown in its museums. Most of the museums are located at Northbridge, which is the cultural center of Perth. Some of the famous museums include The FANCIS Burt Law Museum, The Western Australian Medical Museum, and the Western Australian Cricket Association Museum. If you want to learn about Perth’s most colorful history, visit one of the museums. The information is thick and you will be sure to leave with more information than you walked in with.

Kristy Alexander is an experienced travel writer for HotelClub where you can save up to 80% on the cost of both luxury and budget hotels in Perth for your next holiday.