Perfect Perth

View of the City from King's Park

As my first point of contact with Australia, and my home away from home, I believe I will always be biased towards Perth and Western Australia in general – I don’t believe I have ever been anywhere more beautiful though.

As a city, Perth does not necessarily tick all my boxes – it isn’t like Galway or Melbourne, but it is the second city I have ever lived in and it is the first city I have done the commuter thing in so I will always remember and love it for that. The museum is nice, and it’s good for shopping. It has a crisp, new air about it and now with the big cactus-esque statue in Forrest Place it has a really modern feel mixed and in contrast with buildings like the Train Station.

I spent my first few weeks in Perth settling in and spending time with Baby Aidan, Lena and Ian. I minded Aidan then when Lena went back to work. I had my lovely pre-made group of friends from Thailand to which my Marion was added so everything was perfect.

As well as hanging out and going out and playing with Aidan, I am lucky to have a sister and brother in law that brought me to see so many beautiful places. One of the most amazing was Bunker Bay. We stayed there at the resort for one night and I think it was one of the nicest resorts I’ve ever stayed in! I minded Aidan when they went to a wedding. I got up bright and early the next day for a swim in the pool and a walk on the beach. In just the last week, a surfer was killed by a shark at Bunker Bay; it is so sad and upsetting that such tragedy can take place somewhere so beautiful.

We then went on a mini winery tour which was my first but would not be my last!












When Jen moved over out of the blue, Lena brought us on another mini winery tour of the Swan Valley. I  loved the Feral Brewery and the little small winery on the way of the road whose name I can't remember but will find out!

Myself, Jen and Marion went to Rottnest Island for a day just before the weather broke for Autumn. It was beautiful, we met some Quokas and cycled around, what we thought was, most of the island. When myself and Séamus revisited months later and actually cycled around the full 17kms of the Island I realised how little ground myself and the girls actually covered. Rottnest Island is very different now to the Island it was a hundred years ago - it was originally populated as a prison island for Aboriginal prisoners. The living conditions were dire, but similar to any prisons for natives in new colonies. Now the Island is mainly a tourist attraction, but there is still friction, as there is all over Australia as a result of old customs and traditions and merging into a Modern multicultural non-descriminatory society. 

Another great day was spent at Caversham Wildlife Park, a place I also revisited with Séamus. I got to see Kangaroos and feed them and see a real-life Koala for the first time.

I also took a trip in a kayak with five others to Penguin Island. The little baby penguins were incredibly cute and as it turns out, Penguin Island is also one of the largest Pelican breading colonies in WA.

After six weeks of chilling in Perth I set off on my adventure around Australia. I returned with Séamus in June and spent a further few weeks helping with Aidan before going to Bali to change my Tourist Visa to a Working Holiday Visa and here I am; six weeks on and I’m working in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and loving it.

 

 Life as a commuter suits me, I get to read my book for two hours a day; commuting in Perth would suit anyone. The transport system is the best I've ever been on - not that buses are always on time, but that it is all completely synchonised and one ticket can be used on bus, train and ferries. Dublin City take note!! 

Perth would be a perfect place to raise a family - each suburb has numerous parks and the weather suits for outdoor activities almost all year round. 

My life in Perth is very different to my backpacking life around Oz; I am cleaner and more organised and I go to bed at a resonable hour and I only drink at weekends, but I love it all the same and I am very grateful for the chance to spend some long overdue time with my lovely sister and to make sure my Godson knows me as well as a one year old possibly can.

I'll be sad to leave at the end of October for sure.


I'm absolutely positive I have left much out of this and one thing that comes to mind is FREO! Another post soon...