Backpacking in Australia - Avoid WA

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Tourists have been advised by a popular travel website to “give WA a wide berth” because the mining boom is driving exorbitant costs.

 

The Sydney-based Global Travel Media has been getting stuck into the west coast, assessing that the boom has led to a massive escalation in the cost of restaurant meals, drinks and hotel rooms in Perth.

And it said that a speech by Premier Colin Barnett to 1300 delegates at last month’s Australian Tourism Exchange had exemplified WA’s “preoccupation with mining”.

The Western Australians state government spent $3.4 million to host the exchange, where international buyers met Australian tourism operators.

But an article on the website claims the efforts to host the exchange in Perth may have been wasted by the “astronomical costs being experienced by delegates”.

“I spoke to both sellers and buyers at ATE and all are appalled at the cost of restaurant meals, drinks and hotel rooms, with the majority saying they could never recommend their clients visit Perth,” the article, by John Alwyn-Jones, says.

“A major Italian tour operator told me that he was aware that Australia was expensive but he was stunned by the costs in Perth, which were astronomically higher than any other city he had ever visited, including Rome, Tokyo, Dubai and New York.”

Alwyn-Jones claimed he had had a lunch at a restaurant linked to a hotel chain, two burgers, a beer and two ciders cost him $79.

A colleague had spent $23 for a basic fish pie. And a meal at a “rather average Indian restaurant” had cost $150 for a starter, two main courses and a bottle of wine.

The article also said it was “very strange” that Barnett would talk about mining and China to a room of tourism delegates.

[bell123321]

I find that article interesting as I spent two weeks in Sydney and Perth earlier this year and actually found Sydney more expensive. Esp travel (Trains) and food. However I did not need to book accomadation for either as was staying with relatives, so I can imagine that WA being more expensive for accomadtion then other areas.

[PositivePixie]

Very VERY sad if backpackers decide to give WA a miss - we think we rather spoilt things for ourselves by starting our travels in that state, and going clockwise around the country. Nothing really seems to match up to the absolute and utterly epic (and I use that word in the truest sense rather than over-egging things) things we saw, experienced and enjoyed in WA. We are now in NT, having travelled the length of it and seeing a great deal of the 'must see' things you are told to see, as well as a lot of others, and nothing comes close to the raft of things we saw in WA - Karajini, Broome, The Kimberly (Gibb River Road) up north; Swimming in bath warm, aquarium like water 2 metres off the beach in Exmouth; Enjoying Perth and surrounding areas (eg Freemantle); Chilling out completely on the South Coast at Elephant Rock (near Denmark - completely and utterly amazing place!) or at a tiny hideawy found via the Camps book; The madness of Kalgoolie; The emptiness of the gold fields; The total amazement at the Pinnacles....I could go on and on and only have scratched the service.

 

WA is amazing - hopefully other places will be great too, we just haven't go there yet - travelling is as expensive as you make it - we lived very well indeed off around $2K a month on average in WA. Don't bypass WA people, we left a bit of our hearts there and will certainly be going back, whether for another visit to many of the places we already have been, or for good, we don't know yet (the Wet will be a deciding factor in some of that lol).

[Rupert]

Very VERY sad if backpackers decide to give WA a miss - we think we rather spoilt things for ourselves by starting our travels in that state, and going clockwise around the country. Nothing really seems to match up to the absolute and utterly epic (and I use that word in the truest sense rather than over-egging things) things we saw, experienced and enjoyed in WA. We are now in NT, having travelled the length of it and seeing a great deal of the 'must see' things you are told to see, as well as a lot of others, and nothing comes close to the raft of things we saw in WA - Karajini, Broome, The Kimberly (Gibb River Road) up north; Swimming in bath warm, aquarium like water 2 metres off the beach in Exmouth; Enjoying Perth and surrounding areas (eg Freemantle); Chilling out completely on the South Coast at Elephant Rock (near Denmark - completely and utterly amazing place!) or at a tiny hideawy found via the Camps book; The madness of Kalgoolie; The emptiness of the gold fields; The total amazement at the Pinnacles....I could go on and on and only have scratched the service.

 

WA is amazing - hopefully other places will be great too, we just haven't go there yet - travelling is as expensive as you make it - we lived very well indeed off around $2K a month on average in WA. Don't bypass WA people, we left a bit of our hearts there and will certainly be going back, whether for another visit to many of the places we already have been, or for good, we don't know yet (the Wet will be a deciding factor in some of that lol).

 

Welll if you started out in WA and went clockwise and are now in NT, then either you still have a fair way to go and lots to see still or you have been round once already?

 

To previous poster, Perth more expensive than Sydney for accommodation? You must be joking. I would kill for Perth prices on this side of the country.

[Guest Angharad]

we have found wa to be very expensive , we are currently in Margaret River or as the locals call it mark up river. everything special food is expensive , coles is very expensive , $50 would get you the basis . Last week i brought 4 normal size parsnip , it cost us $11.03 .

Also the locals ain't that nice , we have been mess about by agency when looking for work, we told to buy wet gear and boots , we spent about $250 only to tell us 2 days later that the work has been cancel. when we have been hire full time to work , its not full time work, barley 25 hours per work and not a effort money to pay for weekly cost.

[VERYSTORMY]

Welll if you started out in WA and went clockwise and are now in NT, then either you still have a fair way to go and lots to see still or you have been round once already?

 

To previous poster, Perth more expensive than Sydney for accommodation? You must be joking. I would kill for Perth prices on this side of the country.

 

Having lived both Sydney and now Perth, I can confirm that hotel accommodation, which is what the op was posting about to be way more in Perth and generally of a poorer standard. 2 weeks ago I wanted to take the wife for a night out and thought about staying in a city hotel for the night as we live an hour from the CBD. Cheapest available was $450 a night.

[Paul1Perth]

We travel around quite a bit with work to a lot of Australian cities and the rates vary a lot in every City depending what is on. We couldn't get a room in Brisbane once for less than $400 a night. Cancelled the trip and went a week later and got the same place for $170 a night.

 

I know that people coming from the East coast for business find the cost and availability of hotels in Perth off putting. People coming over from our head office in Sydney struggle to find somewhere to stay that is within the company budget. Having said that though I don't think the backpacker places cost any more than the equivalent over East, so it wouldn't necessarily affect them. Backpackers can live cheaply if they want to but if they go out to restaurants and sit in coffee places up and down the coast, which is one of the nice things to be able to do in Perth, then it's not going to be cheap.

[surflen22]

Having lived both Sydney and now Perth, I can confirm that hotel accommodation, which is what the op was posting about to be way more in Perth and generally of a poorer standard. 2 weeks ago I wanted to take the wife for a night out and thought about staying in a city hotel for the night as we live an hour from the CBD. Cheapest available was $450 a night.

 

I'd love to know what sites you were looking on then. I regularly book rooms for around $150-$180 per night over weekends - generally around the 4 star mark.

[Tickled Pink]

In my travelling days I did pretty much the same trip as Positive Pixie, and even though I'm settled in Brisbane now, I have to agree that there were things I did and saw there that I will never forget. Nothing over this side has lived up to it yet, although I love it here too for different reasons. It will be a great shame if people stop travelling that area...

[Guest martin1503]

I travelled around Australia 22 years ago and thought WA was probably the best place in the country. Perth is but a mere dot on the map, and if when you do your research for your travels, you think it is beyond your budget, view it as a base for a couple of days and continue travelling. You can still get Backpackers accomodation in Freo for $30 a night, why bother staying in an expensive hotel that caters for business [people rather than budget minded travellers? http://www.globebackpackers.com.au/rates.asp

Beer in a bar is $9 a pint or can, however, you can get a bottle of reasonable wine for $15

[Alaska]

Such a shame if it's true.

I spent a few months in Perth and then went up the West Coast. Loved it and my months in Perth were my happiest time in Australia for various reasons.

[Perthbum]

Perth is a rip off. And to be honest whu would back packers want to visit when there are so many more vibrant cities in oz.

[flag of convenience]

Perth is a rip off. And to be honest whu would back packers want to visit when there are so many more vibrant cities in oz.

 

I would agree. Perth is very over priced for what is on over and the boom has in many ways been more of a curse than a plus. WA is still a good place to travel outside Perth though. It is far from cheap but costs especially if travelling the backpacker route can be kept down. the Kimberley coastline with some of the most pristine anywhere. With future planned developments it may not be around for much longer.

[Paul1Perth]

I travelled around Australia 22 years ago and thought WA was probably the best place in the country. Perth is but a mere dot on the map, and if when you do your research for your travels, you think it is beyond your budget, view it as a base for a couple of days and continue travelling. You can still get Backpackers accomodation in Freo for $30 a night, why bother staying in an expensive hotel that caters for business [people rather than budget minded travellers? http://www.globebackpackers.com.au/rates.asp

Beer in a bar is $9 a pint or can, however, you can get a bottle of reasonable wine for $15

 

You can get a reasonable bottle of wine for $5, $15 would be an expensive one.

[ali]

Perth is a rip off. And to be honest whu would back packers want to visit when there are so many more vibrant cities in oz.

 

Not everyone sticks to the cities though PB - there are some beautiful parts of WA both North and South of the city.

[flag of convenience]

You can get a reasonable bottle of wine for $5, $15 would be an expensive one.

 

Not sure what you'd get for that price. $10 is about as low as I've gone and still found palatable. $15 would be far more usual though.

[Paul1Perth]

Not sure what you'd get for that price. $10 is about as low as I've gone and still found palatable. $15 would be far more usual though.

 

Dan Murphys were selling different makes of wine for $3.50 last week. I had some Merlot and it was fine, the missus had Pinot Grigio and said it was as good as one we've been paying $12 for.