Perth For First Timers

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I have been lucky to visit a number of countries as part of work. Until 2010, I had barely ever crossed the equator to the southern hemisphere. But between then and now, I have visited Australia (or more specifically Perth) nearly five times. Having lived on a cab for most part during these visits, I have a good understanding of the country, especially from a first timers' point of view. Here is a holistic overview of the city. In my next blog post, I will take you through the more finer aspects of the city, right from the tourist attractions, to the pubs and night life.

Weather

Perth has an amazing weather, especially for a Canadian tired with the cold conditions back home. Well, that’s for most parts of the year. January and February are summer months in the southern hemisphere and the temperature can soar pretty high during these two months. But besides the scorching heat of the first two months of the year, the temperature is pretty moderate almost the rest of the year. If you are coming here sometime around June, be prepared to get drenched.

<strong style="font-size: 1.4rem;">Transportation

Perth has an excellent network of bus and train routes to take you anywhere in the city. If you are a SmartRider card holder, you can travel between the various stops in the city centre for free. Besides the bus and train routes, Perth also has an excellent network of taxi services. Black & White cabs and Swan Taxis are two of the most popular networks available here in Perth. Besides them, there are also a number of private taxi services like Priority Pickup that you can make use of. Besides all this, Perth also has a ferry network that you can avail while travelling to touristy places like Rottnest Island or Penguin Island.

If you are arriving in Perth by air, then you have an excellent array of choices to pick from for travelling into the city. Besides the taxis, you also have shuttle buses that ply between the airport and various locations within the city limits that offer easy commutation.

Lifestyle

Perthians are an easy going bunch and if you are visiting from a place like New York City or London, you will need to slow down a bit. The natives are also easy to befriend considering the massive number of expats from countries like England and South Africa living in the city. However, one thing I have noticed time and again is the reference to Australia’s colonial history. It’s considered rude to ask the natives about this. People will be happy to help you out with history, but it is generally advisable not to broach the subject.



Overall, Perth is a fantastic place to be in and if you are planning a pan-Australia trip, it is one of the best places to land at. Have any questions? Drop them in the comments and I shall gladly help you out in whatever way I can.

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