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I keep being told Perth is overpriced, dull, full of bogans and rough...


perth2013

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I have been told by friends in the eastern states of OZ and other places that Perth is brassy, full of executives, rough mining bogans, isolated and dull. like the land of the living dead!!! I am shocked to hear all this...someone please tell me they are wrong?. Are the locals friendly to migrants re work opportunities etc? is it a nice place to raise a family?..we are confused and afraid that we could be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire! :wacko:

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I have been told by friends in the eastern states of OZ and other places that Perth is brassy, full of executives, rough mining bogans, isolated and dull. like the land of the living dead!!! I am shocked to hear all this...someone please tell me they are wrong?. Are the locals friendly to migrants re work opportunities etc? is it a nice place to raise a family?..we are confused and afraid that we could be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire! :wacko:

 

We are from a quiet devon town so it will suit us to be a dull, quiet city

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We lived in Wellington for 4 years before we came here and we love it here. It depends what you are looking for, we were looking for family friendly, nice weather and beach lifestyle. Perth ticked all the boxes for us. We loved living in NZ but the weather and the low wages got to us in the end. We are also about 10 hours closer to Ireland then we were in NZ. the downside is it is expensive but there are heaps of free things to do with the kids at the weekend. There is even a free concert in the park at end of our road tonight.

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Thanks for the encouragement. We are looking for a laid back lifestyle, family friendly, the great outdoors, cycling, beaches, windsurfing etc. We thrive on warm weather so to us Perth ticks boxes. We are also struggling with wages in NZ as my husband is working 12 hour days 6 days a week for sunshine wages. The idea being closer to the Uk is great and Northern Bali which is spectacular for diving and culture. I think the best thing to do is disregard all the negative comments from others and check it out for ourselves... We definately dont want to go back and live in the UK thats for sure.

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It is!!!

 

No really, Perth a wonderful city its sprawling with a fairly small CBD. The migrants that have come on the whole are skilled, I certainly do not class myself as a bogan and my OH does not work in the mines although I know many families where the OH's do and they too are not what anyone would describe as a bogan. As for overpriced, well I've just returned from a trip to Brisbane and I could not see that it was any cheaper. My OH has skill which got us a skilled permanent visa and he earns approximately 3 times what he earned in the UK. We have built a new house, bought a car and our son is due to start a private school in February all on his one wage. Perth is not like London its smaller and yes it is remote, but you have to get on a plane to visit other parts of Australia even some parts of WA itself. Rather than listen to what other people say, do your own research if you do so properly nothing here is going to surprise you.:rolleyes:

Edited by Give me a break!
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Lived here for 21 years and love it. Yes it is quiet compared to Sydney and Melbourne, but that is why we came here. Well that and the rest of my family living here. We came from a small town in Sussex and actually found Perth to be big and hard to adjust to in the beginning. Now totally love it and its laidback lifestyle. If you are a big traveller, like flash nights out, concerts and shows every night and a buzz to life, then it won't be for you. Yes it is a long way from anywhere, but I actually like the way it is so different to the rest of Australia and I suppose that is because it is so far from every other city and has morphed on it's own. Some people say it is dull, but maybe they are living in the wrong place. I certainly don't find it so. Each to his or her own of course!

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Guest Christine999

I think some people like to be negative about Perth, if they don't live there, if they did live there and it didn't work out for them.

 

we have the same doubts but we will only know once we've been and what one person likes another wont so it's a good thing that we don't all want to live in Perth :wink:

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this would be good for SA this forum, we are in SA and i would be very surprised if Perth is quieter than SA, will be in WA hopefully next year. spoken to people from Perth lately and it does sound more busier than SA well traffic point of view any way,

 

dull: well isn't that down to the individual how they make their life interesting??? know people visiting Perth right now and are loving it they have been to SA loads and have really rated Perth, with things to visit, things to do,lovely city etc

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  • 1 month later...

I moved out to Perth 4 months ago and this is just what I have found so far:

 

Pro's:

Great beaches

Great climate so you can actually plan days out etc

Good laid back lifestyle (see con's also).

Some beautiful places to see and spend free days out, e.g. Kings Park is amazing!

If you have a good work ethic, the career prospects are very good here.

Perth is a place that is growing and developing and a lot of money is being invested into the CBD.

The CBD is small (not really like a city), but clean and attractive and not over populated.

Free BBQ's everywhere is great.

Most workplaces are generally supportive of a work/life balance.

There is a sense of optimism in the City unlike the negativity you find in the UK.

 

Con's:

The landscape is dry and barren and acres of bushland is split up by newly built concrete housing estates.

Shopping is terrible in Perth! You will get sick of the sight of Target, KMart, Woolworths, Big W, and Coles. The only place you can buy anything sesembling nice is Myers and David Jones

It is backwards, customer service is shocking and it will take you years to get anything done. Locals just don't seem to have any urgency about anything or even care for that matter.

It is full of Brits. (Now please don't take offense because I am british myself, but I didn't come to Australia to live in little britain).

Local people from Perth are very clicky.

It is rough (unless you are loaded and can live in a very affluent area) and full of Chavs and Bogans.

The whole place is dead after 7pm (shops close at 5pm) and there is generally nothing to do in the evenings.

FLIES!!!!!!

People think that driving in a clapped out 4x4 gives them status and people love to drive up your a*se on the roads.

The cost of living is expensive compared to the UK, however, the wages are much better so it is relative.

You need a car to do anything as the public transport is pants!

The rental/housing market is ridiculous and overpriced.

 

Look, as most people have already said, these are just opinions. Like anywhere I have ever lived, there is good and bad. I think the problem is when people start dreaming of the promised land that they are moving to and the realityies of life hit them when it doesn't live up to billing. It completely depends on what you are looking for in life. Some people love it, some hate it. Personally, I have enjoyed the last 4 months. The comments above are merely observations I have made so far so I hope people don't get offended by it.

 

My advice would be to come and see it for yourslef and don't commit long term until you know it is where you want to stay. I hope it helps.

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Dry and barren - if you want sunshine then it will be, go down south to Margaret river and it's not. legoland housing estates are yet to grow trees so it does look barren. Drive round the leafy suburbs and you'll see what legoland will look like in a few years.

4 months is not long enough to understand the shopping - granted the hours could be better but there is not the population to make it worthwhile (plus side - no queues and always somewhere to park). Have you checked out Claremont Quarter or karrinyup/Garden city - there's nice clothes shops if you know where to look and understand the Australian brands and designers.

WA - wait awhile - because things need to come from the east coast if they aren't made in WA. I find service is usually with a smile but yes, you do have to wait sometimes. Thing like furniture might take 6 weeks to come across from the East.

It's not full of Brits - depends where you live. If you choose Butler/Clarkson/Secret Harbour/Rokingham where you get cheaper rents then the % is higher. These seem to be the traditional haunts of the Brits. The real estate sites give % of nationalities taken from the census data. Go and live in Dainella - full of South Africans, or Freo - full of Italians, or Balcatta - full of Greeks. Munster - Croatians, Mirabooka - Sudanese. In other words there are little pockets where one Nationality dominates and may be you are living in a British one.

Local people in Perth have lived here their whole life, have family relatives and long term friends here, are settled in their lifestyle. I remember my friend in the Uk moving from Manchester to Stafford and finding it really hard to make new friends as everyone had their own life "I can't see you on Tuesday night as I always go to my Mum's for tea" sort of mentality". It's no different.

Some areas of rough as you say. Cheaper the area re. rent, more chance of bogans, again look at real estate prices and avoid areas with cheapest housing - Armadale, Kwinana

There is heaps to do at night - depends where you live and what you like to do. If your idea of something to do is to sit in a bar then you'll struggle but if you like to eat out/watch films, learn new things, enjoy the gym, fish, sing, act, play tennis, enjoy live music or comedy, like theatre, read - loads of book clubs then you won't be bored. Tafe/Polytechnic west, UWA extension all run good, cheap night classes. Try out one of the open air cinemas or theatre, look up Perth festival and see what's on (though several things are already sold out). Go an listen to live music in Mojo's Kulcha, Fly By Night, Lederville hotel on a wednesday.

Flies - yes but they are here Oct to Dec and then they go.

Yes you need a car though again it depends where you live.

Drivers - everyone moans that they are bad but after a few years of driving slowly you forget how bad!

 

It's down to picking where you live and how you usually spend your time and saying to yes to every invite for the first year!!

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Sorry, but after 5 years here, I think Perth Pom has some valid points.

 

Countryside generally is awful. It is the only country I have been to where the golf courses are a welcome addition.

 

Shopping is dire and the quality of a lot of things is poor.

 

Customer service is fine until you want anything more than a smile. Then you can forget it.

 

Houses are badly made and over priced. Did you know that the WA institute of housing only gives new Perth houses a life expectancy of 17 years.

 

The suburbs are the dullest places on the planet and I would rather cut my balls off with a rusty spoon than live in one.

 

Yes the flies go away, but we also have the mosquitos and the Ross River virus.

 

Margaret river is nice, but once you have spent a weekend or two there, you have done it and it can't be regarded in a discussion about Perth anyway as it isnt Perth. It's a bit like saying Perth countryside isnt dull because there are the blue mountains.

 

Perth driving is shocking. Have lived and worked all over the world and rarely seen it as bad anywhere.

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I have lived in secret harbour for 4 months now. The neighbours if you see them do not acknowledge you exist, not been given the chance to nod and say hello. Mostly Australian and I perceive they resent the fact that we are living in their street row mews circle or bleeding parkway, what ever they want to call it. I feel on times I am being watched constantly now thats paranoia for sure. As for Brits in Secret Harbour yet to meet any. I have to agree with stormy I do find that there are clicky folks and yes unfriendly. Also arrogant and down right ignorant and feel it is a very much "keep up with the Jones.s" way of life.

Well I wont be keeping up with the Jones,s will be driving my little ancient car until it no longer wants to live, then will purchase something newer for CASH ................................ living on tick seems to be the way here im afraid.

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Elfie - how do you know they are Australian if they never speak to you and you never see them? One of the problems with the new houses in new estates is the automatic garage door where you drive into the garage and go through the internal door into the house. Only time you see the neighbours is in their car.

Also wondered how you know they by things on tick? Bit like the UK then.

Lots of people are making lots of money in the mines, may be they buy things for cash - or so the papers would lead you to believe.

The countryside has so much sky - it's stunning.

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I have lived in South Africa, England, Czech Republic and now Perth, Australia for 1 year. Sunny laid back Perth rocks my boat in a very big way! Good strong economy, good lifestyle, good weather, pretty good work prospects, sparsely populated but fairly diverse, large open spaces and nice beaches. And now for the negatives ... um .... er ... I'm trying to think of some ... too many traffic lights?

 

Wishing everyone a good 2013!

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Elfie - how do you know they are Australian if they never speak to you and you never see them? One of the problems with the new houses in new estates is the automatic garage door where you drive into the garage and go through the internal door into the house. Only time you see the neighbours is in their car.

Also wondered how you know they by things on tick? Bit like the UK then.

Lots of people are making lots of money in the mines, may be they buy things for cash - or so the papers would lead you to believe.

The countryside has so much sky - it's stunning.

 

 

Well fortunately I was born with ears and can hear people speaking for one. Luckily I do not live in the new part of Secret Harbour secondly. I also have eyes and read the news papers regarding finances here in WA and the rest of Australia. As for making lots of money in the mines, my hubby works in the mining sector and all is not what it seems. Yes money to be made I admit but there is a price on that also, being away from home horrendous conditions on site working in very high temperatures of 45 + degrees for 12 hrs, being super vigilant for critters that bite, making sure your re hydrated constantly all for 14 days - luckily in our case - or 21 or 28. Would you like me to continue with life on a mine site ............. But then you also pay huge rents, private health care, etc etc

As for countryside having sky apparently it is like that in the rest of the world.

 

I post from my and my hubbys experiences I do tell it the way it has been for us truthfully and will not excuse my sarcasm.

 

 

Positives - yes sun blue skies sand sea laid back lifestyle a different experience opportunities to travel to places we would never had chance to go cant really think of any more to be honest

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Guest guest1337
Its all true I had to leave I was dying on the inside !

Melbourne best city by far

 

Your life is so brilliant now that you still have time to troll on perthpoms! That's amazing!!!

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