A Dip in the Ocean at the Capitol of West Oz

As will be the case for many of those coming to Western Australia, Perth represented both the beginning and the end of our trip, and so it's hard not to have mixed feelings about the place.

So excited (and so jet-lagged) was I flying into this western Capitol, that I was abuzz with the sights and how much it's streamlined look and tall buildings reminded me of home.
On arriving in Australia, I was instantly taken with the harmonious mixture of what is good about life in Britain, and what is good about life in the US; neatly combined into the package that is Oz.
Perth was a perfect introduction to this feeling of ease and comfort I got from the country, and helped to ease any jet-lagging bumps into the world of the Southern Hemisphere.

I felt instantly at home here, and that is a rare thing to find in a place so far away.

Perth is a strange city, very different to what I've become accustomed to in Europe, where everything is easily compact and within walking distance. All the history and culture stamped into the middle of the ancient cities.
In Perth, as is often the case in the US, what there is to do is a bit more spread out, and often I think this city is used (as we used it) as a pit stop for a bit of fun on the way in, and on the way out.

This is a working city, with a huge amount of its population dipping in and out from surrounding towns and suburbs for the work day. This really becomes apparent driving through town after 5 o’clock. Expecting a bustling city center, instead the whole place begins to slow down in anticipation of its next day of work.

But that's not to say that there isn't anything to do in Perth. Once the sun sets, the night life does seem to again pick up and there is no shortage of great bars and restaurants on the beach, and Perth is in possession of one of the Absolute best city views I have ever come across. (See my review of King's Park)

Perth, for me, was a great hub. A clean and friendly place to land into Western Australia, an entertaining place to leave from.

Quick Tips:

There is a lot to the city of Perth, though a great deal of the best sights and 'to dos' are in fact just outside of the city. Just outside of Perth is Fremantle, one of the highlights of Western Australia. As well as Rottenest Island, which any Western Australian will tell you is something you must do.

But inside the city itself, the pace changes a bit. If you're expecting a city you can just wander around and find things to see and do, you may be a bit disappointed. There are sights, but they are spread out across the city, and as I said, the main attractions of the area seem to be just outside of it.

But for clubbing, beaches, and bars, there is no shortage, as well as a good amount of hotel and hostel accommodation.

There are in Perth, as is the case with every major city, a few places in which to avoid entirely after dark.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that it is much warmer in Perth than it is in the southwest corner. If you are spending much of your trip in the Margaret River area, as we did, then the heat change just three hours north can be quite surprising. Luckily there are plenty of beaches to take a dip in if you do get too warm. After all, you're in Australia.

I would also just like to mention, that Perth airport has become one of my favorites in all the world, and not just because it is the only airport I have gone through as an American for 10 years and not got the least bit of hassle. It is clean and quiet, there is a great selection of nice restaurants to eat in while you wait—none of this grubby 'cafe/airport food’—and the staff through out the airport from security to retailers were immensely friendly. It makes it a great way to begin, and a bittersweet way to end your time in a place you will certainly find it difficult to leave.

Best Way To Get Around:

This is a very bike-friendly place, and if you have the strength and the gumption, it's not unthinkable to take your bike clear into places like Fremantle, or along the coastline which has some fantastic beaches and great restaurants.

Otherwise, it would be highly advisable to have your own car. Public transport in Perth is available, and from what I hear it is not too bad, but you will almost certainly want to get around and about a lot in the city, and more importantly to all the sights just outside of and around it, in which case a car would be invaluable. Kings Park at night is a sight not to be missed in Perth, but I get the distinct impression it's not somewhere you want to be left on foot at night, and I doubt there is public transport going in that direction in the late evening.

I wouldn't say that over all it felt unsafe walking around Perth, but I would recommend it with the same hesitation I would offer walking around most US cities. With exceptions like Nashville and Las Vegas, in general it's best to be in a car while getting around, particularly after dark.

Having said all that, it seems a very straightforward city to navigate, and with a local map you should have no trouble finding your way around. Roads are set up very well and very simply in Western Australia, and even though you will be driving on the left side of the road, it's easier than in countries like Britain where the roads are very small and the driving style vastly different to that of the US.
In Oz, it's pretty clear and easy to get the hang of.

This is going to be one of the harder hotels and hostels I've had to review. It's a complicated one, because its value and rating depend so entirely on what it is that you are looking for in a hostel. For some, this will be one of the best hostels you've ever stayed in, and for others it may put you off them entirely.

So I will start with its universal good points and work from there.

Good Point #1, and the best thing about Ocean Beach Backpackers, is the location. The location is entirely ideal. It's pretty central in the city, not too far from any one location. It is right on Cottesloe beach; there is only a road to cross to be standing on the beach. There is a bar and restaurant next to it, and a little breakfast cafe across the street on the beach. You couldn't really ask for a better located hostel.

Good point #2 - easy transport to and from the airport. They offer a reasonably priced shuttle bus that picks you up or drops you off at their doorstop after a friendly troll through the city to pick up and drop off others. We used this service and it was on time, fairly cheap, and pleasant.

Good Point #3 - Good value. The price per night is very good, at about £13 a night per person. We went on a weekend of a football game when all the other hotels in the city were booked and still got accommodation here for a reasonable price. With the location and the amount of things to do here (including internet access, the bar next door, the beach, and being able to rent boogie boards and the like from the hostel) it's worth the price.

But the main factors of the hostel could swing you either way, depending on what you like in a hostel.
This hostel, in past years, has gotten several awards for best backpackers, but I think they have not been renewed and I can understand why. The staff were mediocre at best. There were several mistakes with our rooms, with cleaning and maintenance. But in a cheap place, that's not uncommon.
The rooms were not nice, as we had expected from an award-winning hostel, and in fact were very old, unpleasant, and even very dirty in one case.
But the overriding factor which will make or break your opinion of Ocean Beach is the atmosphere. Ocean Beach is cram-packed with student travelers, most of who have been on round the world tours and all seem to know each other from different countries. It's loud, and for most of the time, I felt like I was staying in a college frat house. The drinking and shouting in the main area went on late into the night, as did the shouting in the halls.

It’s a party hostel, and if that's your thing, you'll love it. If not, you should possibly look elsewhere.

In America, we may have 'Outback Steakhouses' where the theme and the flavor of the meal is sprinkled with Australian charm. In Australia, they have Sizzler.

So OK, it's not the most local or interesting place I've ever been to eat. Generally, when reviewing restaurants I try to stick to the ones that are a little something different, or really represent the place you are visiting.

I could be very creative indeed and attempt that here, but I don't think I will, and that's because - I don't think I need to.

Our Ozzie friends started talking about Sizzler the minute we got in the truck and headed to Perth. By the time we were rounding the motorway (or are they freeways in Oz?) heading towards the city centre - the group of us were getting highly excited in anticipation of the glories of well priced steak and all the salad bar you can eat.

Out along the coast a little way, in the middle of Riverton Forum Shopping centre we waited in a very long line for a late dinner surrounded by teenagers with popcorn, about to head into the adjoining cinema.

Once we did get into the restaurant, we were utterly famished, and took our seat near the back across from loud families and a kid's birthday party with pleasure.

So how did it rate? As with any restaurant, it all depends on the mood you’re in, and what you're looking for.
The food was cheap (Au $17 for a steak and all you can eat salad bar) and tasty. The salad bar was packed (there were in fact about three tables of it) and all the food was fresh and tasty. The steak was very well cooked, especially for the price, and we all had a really good evening.

The women at one of the tables behind us started up a conversation about the noisy party table, and before we knew it the groups of customers not in the party were laughing and chatting together about those who were. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere, and I can't remember the last time I had such a good laugh, in such a pleasant and easy way while having my dinner in a public restaurant.

And even the service was good. While we waited friendly waitresses plowed their way through the lines with snacks and finger food to help us hold off starvation, of which were lovely. Touches like this instantly make me think better of an establishment.

And to an American who was two years from her homeland and access to things like perfectly cooked steaks, bargain food and buffet's - this was all but a dream come true.

But, it was not upscale, and not for everyone. If you want a nice night out you would likely be disappointed.
To sum up, I give it an A+ as a 'B' rated restaurant. If you're hungry and want lots of bargain food, you could do a lot worse.

For anyone who loves beaches, Western Australia is an absolute paradise. Not only are there innumerable beaches of stunning beauty all along the Indian Ocean coastline, but these beaches are often ranging from quiet to deserted entirely, especially in the off-season, and the beaches in Perth were no different.

I will have to be brutally honest and say that compared to all of the beaches I visited in rural Western Australia from Denmark to Yallingup and Bunbury, Cottesloe Beach ranks pretty low down the list for sheer stunning views and location.

But as a city beach, it takes on a whole new level of enjoyability, and of all the city beaches I have been to in my life, Cottesloe ranges very high on the list.

This is a calm beach, to be enjoyed by the locals in the offhanded manner that people used to stunning beaches do. As the sun begins to set you see the occasional runner making their way down the beach, obviously just off work, and people strolling with their dogs.

This beach is a good location, pretty central in the city and with great proximity to some good hostels, restaurants, bars, clubs, and even little breakfast cafes that look out over the beach and the ocean and is a spectacular way to spend an Ozzie morning.

Spotless sand and medium-sized waves great for boogie boarding or body surfing, this is an ideal 'relaxing' beach.

In all the time we spent in Perth (in a hostel with a direct view of the beach) it was never crowded. Some of the patrons of Ocean Beach Backpackers made their way down there during the hottest parts of the day, but even then the beach stretches so far along that it was hardly what you would call crowded, as many beaches I've seen in Florida, Spain, and Hawaii can be in the summer months.

All in all, this is a lovely beach, and my last night in Perth, standing on its shores with two friends from the UK, I managed to see one of (if not the) most amazing sunset view from my entire time in Western Australia.

It’s true that if you want a good, deserted beach to explore, there are more than you could wander in a year in Western Australia. But that is not where Cottesloe's strengths lie. At night, the shoreline is lit up along the pathways, and it's not unusual to see people still wandering along the beach or taking a late night dip in the ocean.

In the prime season it may be a bit busy, but as I mentioned before, for a city beach, this one is extremely good, and very enjoyable for singles and families alike.

One of the best benefits to staying in either the Ocean Beach Backpackers hostel or the Ocean Beach Hotel (a lot more swish, but also more expensive) are the selection of bars that join the two places.

Late at night, these bars really get kicked up and can be quite loud, with a massive Aussie party atmosphere, perfect for a night out with friends to enjoy the nightlife, the entertainment, and the breeze blowing in off the Indian Ocean just outside the doorstep.

But they are also great for a relaxed pint with a few friends to sit on the veranda and watch the sun set over the ocean.

No more than a few steps from the door of either accommodation, these bars (which make up the Ocean Beach Hotel set, The Saloon Bar, The OB Sports Bar, and the Top Bar) are often filled with travelers and locals alike.

With so much going on from the hostel and the hotel, these bars are often jumping, and filled with a wonderful and lively atmosphere.

The afternoon view from the Saloon Bar is something not to be missed. Just after landing in Perth, my friends and I met up with another UK pal—who was staying in another hostel in Perth but who changed to where we were staying when he saw the great location—dropped our bags off in the hostel and wandered over to Saloon Bar for a drink.

It was relatively early in the evening, and as the sun was just setting, we ordered a couple of local beers and perched up on stools and watched the sunset over the ocean.
As I have mentioned elsewhere in this review, Perth tends to be a lot hotter and a whole lot muggier than the southwest coast, and you'll relish the chance to get out and feel the ocean breeze. If you've not been before, you'll soon find out that most Western Australians still get on just fine without air conditioning.

These bars offer a great array of entertainment opportunities from simply sitting in the relaxed Saloon and chatting or watching the sunset, to watching big games that are shown from around the world in the OB Sports bar, to live music on the Top Bar which runs from 5pm-10pm on Sunday nights.

There is also live entertainment every Friday night at the Saloon bar after sunset. The bar is open Monday to Sunday from 11am-Midnight but closes at 10pm on Sundays.

You couldn’t ask for a better spot to enjoy the capitol of Western Oz with some friends and a few beers.

When I started asking around about what there was to see and do in the capitol city of Western Australia, 9 out of 10 times I got the same response, from both Ozzies and those who had visited.
'You have to go to King's Park.'

I'm always a little bit skeptical of parks and gardens being major city attractions, in the same way that I'm leery of things like animal parks and underwater centers. When done right, they are great, but more often than not they are just another thing for a city to tag onto it's 'To do and see' list.

But, Kings Park came up again and again, and so when my Australian friends from Bunbury drove us into the city for our last weekend in Australia, I told them that we had to see Kings Park. And having lived in Perth themselves, they avidly agreed.

Kings Park is no mere garden of small area to walk the dog in lush tended grass. It is over 400 hectares of parkland, uncultivated bush, adjacent to the Swan River and Mt. Eliza, which has much history with the local aboriginal people.

I have to admit that I sorely misjudged Kings Park and what it had to offer, allowing only a couple hours of sightseeing and photo shooting. I highly recommend if you are spending time in the city of Perth to allow a full day, (or a half day at least) to fully enjoy all the park has to offer.

There are lots of facilities in the park, as well as frequent events. It's great for wandering, relaxing, and picnicking.

If botany is your thing, there are also over 300 species of native plants in the bushlands as well as over 80 species of birds.

In my opinion, the very best thing Kings Park had to offer a visitor (though after seeing it, I can fully appreciate why those living in the city find it such a wonderful spot) is the view of the city. As a photographer, this of course ranks higher than it might for other travelers, but still it must be mentioned that the view of Perth (particularly at night) from the lookout point in Kings Park is second to none of cityscape views I have ever seen. The sight of the city lit in the distance (the city center is around 1.5 km from Kings Park, an easy distance from anywhere you may be staying) is something that has stayed with me ever since. The night was crystal clear, and with the haunting under-lit trees on the path behind us, we stood in absolute silence with other like-minded travelers looking out across the twinkling city. If you do nothing else in the gardens, do this.

But if you have the time (and I highly recommend you try to allow it) check out the State War Memorial, and if possible go in spring during its impressive wildflower season.