We love Perth! Its all about outdoors, parks, clean air, rivers/beaches/water, going to the hardware store and grocery store (nothing else is open after work), suburban sprawl and expensive coffee. We also have great company - in Perth and we now call this our home.
SnP top 10 facts : getting around Perth.
1)
GETTING AROUND: We are a car city. Our city and suburbs are sprawled along the beach, the river and and everything scenic. Public transportation is better than Malaysia but horrible compared to Sydney and Japan. We used to have tram lines but they were removed in the 60-70's (to add more carparking and roadways for our beloved cars)
Car rental starts at about $35 ++ for a basic car per day. Petrol on small car with a full tank (approx AUD50) lasts about 1.5 weeks if you travelled about 30 km a day.
Do rent a better upgraded car with unlimited kms if you plan to drive to regional areas.
If you like trains and busses, plan your journey via this website
Transperth and below is an image of Perth train routes.
2)
PARKING :how to avoid getting a bloody fine when parking on the street.
We have chosen an example (not all parking signs looks this shitty but here is the worst case scenario)
3)
our interpretation map of Perth
Note: Maylands - suburb where we live and Maylands Yacht club which is ROM venue on Saturday 5th December at 11am. If you are severely allergic to shellfish/nuts (airborne, upon contact type) let us know. We have
one epi-pen up available in the venue.
We have catered pork free, beef free and vegetarian/vegan food options.
4)
Perth food is not bad. Just expensive.
Foodie List, Perth
We don't agree with all in the list (eg. why would you go all the way to Little creatures to eat Potatoes/Frites!?) Here are a list of SnP personal favourites, (disclaimer:you will notice it is biased and mostly based on near where we live!) :
Fav Perth coffee Bossmans at Mount Lawley. (near Maylands)
Favourite burger : Grill'd (but its a franchise from Melbourne), so if you want a local burger, try
FLIPSIDE burger and have a pint at Mechanics Bar upstairs in Northbridge.
Favourite Vietnamese: Mama Tran (Perth City) for something cheap and for Bahn Mi on the go
Favourite Korean supper/barbecue: Sinabro (dodgy place in northbridge) that opens till late
Korean fried Chicken: Sun bbq, Northbridge
Favourite Dimsum/YumCha: Wangs treasure house, Morley (queue for 30 minutes!)
Favourite Chinese: Hong Kong Barbecue -Northbridge
Favourite Breakfast: Toast , East Perth (near Maylands) - scenic view of the river and parks while queuing for 20mins for a table.
Tuck shop cafe is good too.
Favourite Bar: Ellington Jazz , Northbridge - of course!
Favourite Almond Croissant: La pattiserie South Perth
Favourite SnP speed lunch dating spot: take away
Chu , Highgate/Mount Lawley and run across the road to Hyde Park to eat it
Favourite nibble: Duck Liver Parfait at
Cantina Mount Lawley *has changed owners since but parfait is still ok.
Favourite choc banana bread :
Sherbet cake shop, Maylands *some weird tourists have been carting off loaves of banana bread back to homeland.
Favourite cupcake: butterfly lemon meringue cupcake at Mrs S, Maylands
Favourite Scones/Hi Tea:
Madison Cottage in Guildford (on the way to Swan Valley from Maylands) - book in advance for high tea! or just drop by for a scone.
Raw food (try something different like raw zucchini pasta and feel healthy!) :
Raw kitchen, Fremantle
Fremantle : Fish and chips, little creatures beer. Donut, honey cake and crepe at Fremantle markets.
Markets SnP goes to, sometimes: Inglewood night markets on Mondays, The Rise Maylands night markets Saturday night, Subiaco Farmers markets on Saturday mornings (8am - 12pm), fremantle day markets 9-5pm Friday-Sundays
Favourite Gelato: Gusto (roast peanut) flavour from
Gusto Gelato
Favourite hardware store: Masters (for a $2 sausage sizzle while we pretend to buy gardening tools)
Waffles and fried chicken: SnP have wanted to try
May Street Larder ,
Good things Cafe and
Mary street bakery (fried chicken and pancakes) for some time now. Don't know if its good?
You might catch us here, next on our list to go: Bolt coffee roasters in Midland,
Tbsp Bayswater ,
Short Order burgers, Fremantle
5) Typical fresh off the boat stuff
A food souvenir tourists always buy:Tourists Nuts and spices -
Kakula Brothers (northbridge) and Kakula sisters (fremantle).
A food supplement tourists always buy: Blackmores odourless fish oil and etc
Wizard Pharmacy ,
Chemist Warehouse
A place we always recommend to tourists for italian food and chilli mussels: Ciao italia (open tuesday - saturday, queue 40mins) South Perth -try their tiramisu and their chilli oil.
A food souvenir tourists always buy: Corica 'apple strudel' Northbridge
A shopping venue tourists always seem to go: for factory outlet stuff, bed linen, branded items at
Watertown (formerly known as Harbourtown)
A must visit for tourist : Fremantle -
Cicerellos or Kailli's fish and chips and Little Creatures Brewery beer
A seemingly ok place for tourists to go (though SnP have never been): Perth Mint, Fremantle prison
Some cheap (no atmosphere here) food places for blokes :
Pacific Rim , Melville - Hawaiian sushi fast food lunch joint, you could go to Garden city, in Booragoon shopping mall after.
Manise Indonesian food, dodgy looking joint famous for their Empek (fried fish cake with egg).
6)
Halal food : Anything/place that sells Kebab or lebanese food and Malaysian/Indonesian/Singaporean Malay/Mamak food.
http://www.halalsquare.com.au/perth/
Islamic Council of Australia shows there is one located at Maylands, near our
Registration Venue
7)
Places to go nearby Perth/Things to do (especially when you have limited time here):
- Perth City/Cultural centre Summer stuff you could go to whilst in the city http://www.mra.wa.gov.au/see-and-do?c=food-drink .
- Fremantle markets, Fish and Chips at Cicerellos or Kailis, Fremantle Prison, Little creatures Brewery. Best to go from Friday - Sunday for the weekend market/ hippie vibe. one whole day to explore freo but do plan ahead. Watch the sunset from here too.
- Cycling or Segway tour at Perth city foreshore : http://aboutbikehire.com.au/ this is what SnP likes to do, Great to rent a bicycle and swing by East perth for lunch or takeaway a picnic spread at South Perth foreshore.
- South perth zoo - you can get there via ferry from city or drive there 3km from City.
- Swan Valley - stop by Visitor centre if you are not taking a tour and driving there. The whole place is a loop filled with Honey farms, chocolate factory, Supa-golf, wineries and Whiteman's park (koalas are only awake for petting for two hours around noon onwards FYI). Swan valley is a tiny version of Margaret River. http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attractions-g2308161-Activities-Swan_Valley_Greater_Perth_Western_Australia.html
- Margaret River is our winery region filled with scenic routes and beautiful beaches, lighthouse,Caves, along the drive. Worth spending 2 nights here so you have one full day of adventure. http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Tourism-g2454550-Margaret_River_Region_Western_Australia-Vacations.html Do not drink and drive!
- too lazy to drive to margaret river? Try full tour with someone who will do the driving for you
- Rottnest island: take a ferry (and a large bottle of water) and cycle your heart out here. Or if you like doing nothing, take a ferry and a large book and sit by a beach (or snorkel or take a boat tour to see dolphins or take a segway tour).
- Kings Park: to see the memorial, city skyline, walks/strolls
- Golf - look at the google earth , there is a golf course everywhere you turn.
- Penguin island book a tour pickup from Perth to Rockingham, kayak to Penguin island and watch Sea lions and penguins before heading back.
- Beaches - Cottesloe beach , snorkel at Mettam pool , have a pint at Clancy's fish pub by City Beach, Scarborough beach
8) Some terms :
- BYO : bring your own (bottle of wine usually) - mostly stated in restaurants , ask if they have corkage charges
- (birds will ) SOY : Shit on you - mostly stated at alfresco /boat harbour areas where birds are.
- arvo: afternoon
- Yam Seng: 'Cheers' in chinese (you yell it out and keep it long YAaaaaaaaaaaAAAm Seng)
9) opening hours/misc emergencies:
- Perth is a morning/day time city. shop operating hours in general are 9am-5pm and Thursday is 9-9pm shopping day in suburbs and Friday Perth city is open from 9-9pm for shopping. Large supermarkets are open daily 9-9pm except saturdays and sundays.
- If you are in Perth City looking for 24 hours grocery stores,Try Spudshed or IGA Mount lawley
- If you need a feed after hours 11pm-12am-ish - we have only a handful :
- a) Alfred's kitchen they make good sandwiches/burgers for bad boys (sit on a bench with strangers facing a fire pit)
- b)U&1 cafe - average vietnamese food but taste ok after a late drinking sesh
- c)Billy Lees and other asian food around the area
- d) Sinabro or Tong 86 or Sun BBQ for Korean BBQ, 12am late night on weekends. Mostly kebab places are open late too.
- Favourite Hospital - Royal Perth hospital emergencies - open 24 hours. they serve drips and antihistamines.
10) Sunblock always! SPF 30++ and Don't drive to outskirts at night or kangaroos might hit you. Try booking/calling in advance when heading out to dine/do activities as sometimes places get quite packed or isn't open.
