Gotta confess, we actually really loved this town. If overseas missions doesn't work out for us, we'd probably consider relocating here we loved it that much. Not least because there's some of the most amazing spearing we've ever done only a few hours away... But the whole town beckons you so enticingly, which is probably due to a number of factors:
The River. I kid you not when I say that I have seen no prettier city. The only other contender would probably be Putrajaya in Malaysia, which is beautiful more for its architecture than its setting. Perth, on the other hand, looks majestic as its skyscrapers tower over the banks of the gorgeous Swan river. And there aren't too many cities that acually have a park (King's Park) that allows you to drink in this view from an unrivalled standpoint. We went back a few times and were still marvelling at its picturesqueness.
Climate. It is HOT. I think there's a heat wave right now so we're talking consecutive days of close-to-40s. But apparently even in the winter it's still not too cold, and a friend of mine who moved from here to Melbourne for a while, came back and realized she'd never need a jumper again! Makes sense though. I thought Perth was actually further south than it actually is. If you look at a map of Oz, you'll see that it's about latitudinally level with Coopernook on the east coast (which I hear has amazing weather in the summer...).
Vibe. Obviously a fairly subjective observation, but there was something I couldn't quite articulate that I liked. The sun rises quite early, which lends itself to people being out and about a lot earlier. It's like everything gets going before 9am. You'd think that's how businesses should operate, given that they're three hours behind the east coast. I'll remember to implement that when I'm the CEO of the Perth KPMG branch.
Size. Melbourne is starting to become a bit of a metrolopolitan mega-centre these days, which brings with it both ups and downs. Perth seems to be big enough to still be able to do whatever you like (bar, perhaps, creative pursuits... which many of my creative friends in Melbourne who moved from Perth will testify!), but still not feel like an overcrowded urban behemoth.
On a side note, did I mention that it is stinkin hot?!??! We drove around to 11 stores today trying to find one that sold a battery powered fan. It was at least an hour before we could get to sleep last night and we decided it wasn't worth a rerun. Go Supercheap Auto 12V fan! I think I can I think I can!
At least 38 degree+ on a daily basis is good for beaches and ice cream. Now to find both.
