A whirlwind 2 weeks in Perth and Adelaide

[fifi69]

Never been to Adelaide so can't comment.

 

But the Perth you describe is def the Perth I know and like you say you Didnt even scratch the surface.

 

after over two years here still never stuck for stuff to do come weekends. It's like having a mini break every week:smile:

[Guest]

I would say Adelaide is getting a tough time here so will add a couple of positive points (from my limited trips to the place)

 

The Barossa Valley is such a great place just outside of the city to go visit the wineries.

 

The city itself seems to have a lot more character in its building and general layout than Perth, if that matters to folk. While Perth has that much more modern feel.

 

The Adelaide oval after it's refurb has become one of the top sports venues in the country, be fantastic to catch the cricket/Aussie rules at and also many other events I imagine.

 

Saying that if I was on holiday from the UK, I would probably rather go to Perth for the beaches, but both would be pretty nice places to live I imagine but Adelaide may swing it for having a bit more character and Location to other areas of oz.

[Guest]

Yeah, Adelaide seems to not get good press yet we have found plenty to do in and around the city. I don't mind its not all new and shiny. I like it has little old side streets and places tucked away to discover. I also love the pancake house (open 24 iirc *drool*), the bars and cafes down toward one side of the CBD are also good. Plus the different places round the Parklands where so many different activies and sports are played. Hubby races his road bike down at Vic Park all through the spring and summer.

 

This holiday for example we've done Cleland wildlife park where we saw everything from just about every kind of roo, koalas, emus, wombats, echidnas and more. Able to feed many of the animals and walk amongst them. Also done Mount Lofty and toured round lots of small towns/places in the hills. Rocked up to Stirling on Sunday and they had the monthly market on which was fab and my mother loved shopping at. Lots of other areas have monthly farmers markets and sort of car boot type things too.

 

Also Waterfall Gully which the OP has visited from pics. Further up it is stunning and some wonderful walking trails to be ambled. Then places like Belair national park for some wildlife spotting.

 

Port Noarlunga and its reef, Mclaren Vale for lunch and an afternoon, wineries...

 

Today we are off into the city to see the Botanic Gardens, Adelaide museum and other things. Depending on where in the city you see you may miss some gems along the terraces. It took me a fair few visits to the CBD to get my bearings and work out where to go and know what I liked.

 

Also Adelaide has the Clipsal 500 each year (petrol heads dream) and the Adelaide Fringe each year over Feb and March. Wonderful things are done down at the Parklands for this. Also the Tour Down Under bike race was a hit with us in January. Lots more festivals and other things run over the year.

 

We also plan to go dolphin spotting at Port Adelaide, walk in the mangrove swamp, Hahndorf for an afternoon and lunch. Victor Harbor (fab for whale spotting at the right time of year) plus penguins on Granite Island.

 

Then next week we are off 4WD in and around the Murray Mouth, will stop off and see a few things on the way. Plus a few more trips to do/see other stuff. Then family BBQ in one of the parks somewhere. If it were warm enough we'd hit one of the outdoor pools but not brave enough yet :cute:

 

OP, when in Glenelg did you make it round to the other side and all the yachts and bars/cafes etc?

 

I can appreciate Perth has won it for you though it does seem to me you didn't really scratch more than the surface in and around Adelaide. Also with things like the Fringe which are annual events, you of course haven't experienced what its all like then. Shame you didn't get to see more

Edited October 2, 2014 by Guest

[M1cha3la]

I do think and have said I am sure Adelaide has much more to offer. It was a shame as we really really wanted to love Adelaide, my DH prior to going was convinced Adelaide would suit us better. His company have an office there so if he could get a transfer it would of been where we ended up. But we just didn't get a vibe from the place as somewhere we would want to live. We would definitely go back for a visit though and have a better look around.

 

In Glenelg we started in the square where you get off the tram, then when facing the pier we turned left and walked and walked (about 2.5km according to the path markers) and it was nothing but houses. Beautiful houses but just houses nonetheless so we gave up and headed back to the square and had a boozy lunch. Must of missed the yachts and that area which is a shame.

 

We had a good walk around the city and through the main shopping area and had a lovely meal in the area where all the bars/restaurants are, the name alludes me. We also did a wine tour in the Baraossa valley which was pretty. That started off badly though as we got hounded by a homeless guy (or at least we thought he was homeless) while we were waiting at the bus station to be picked up by our tour guide. We did Victor Harbor and the island. Had hoped to catch a glimpse of the whales but the guy who runs the museum said they seem to of moved on earlier this year as they are normally around until October, which was a shame. We also did Waterfall Gully and Mt Lofty, but it was raining and we got soaked on the way up. Never helps things lol. I bet the view is gorgeous on a clear day, I was gutted after all that climbing. We will try it in summer next time lol.

 

All in all we just feel like Perth suits us better. There is nothing wrong with Adelaide and my post was never meant to put it down, it's just down to personal preference and what we experienced there.

Edited October 3, 2014 by M1cha3la

[Guest]

lol tha marina is to the right of the jetty as you face it, a few hundred metres down along the beach. Going left at the jetty you do just get beach and houses. Also the beach there hosts beach volleyball and the nets will go up with the warmer weather.

 

Didn't think you were putting Adelaide down at all, just a shame you really didn't get to see much that it has to offer. Plus so many lovely little towns within easy reach, many with farmers markets and some fab little niche shops and stuff.

[M1cha3la]

lol tha marina is to the right of the jetty as you face it, a few hundred metres down along the beach. Going left at the jetty you do just get beach and houses. Also the beach there hosts beach volleyball and the nets will go up with the warmer weather.

 

Didn't think you were putting Adelaide down at all, just a shame you really didn't get to see much that it has to offer. Plus so many lovely little towns within easy reach, many with farmers markets and some fab little niche shops and stuff.

 

Typical of me to go the wrong way :laugh: they had quite a few diggers down to the right, it looked like they are in the process of doing it up so we just went left. Never mind, we will definitely go back for a visit and another look round some point in the future. The farmer markets sound amazing, love things like that.

Edited October 3, 2014 by M1cha3la

[Diane]

I often say to people that Adelaide is not a good destination for a holiday, but is a good place to live! Another thing to bear in mind if you are trying to decide between Perth and Adelaide is the proximity to the rest of Australia: it's a lot cheaper/easier to visit other cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast for short breaks and trips away from Adelaide than it is from Perth :wubclub: If I lived elsewhere though, I don't think I'd come on holiday here!

[HappyHeart]

Great reccie report Michaela, glad you enjoyed Perth...lots of memories for you

[Lambethlad]

RSL and Sports clubs are cheaper than pubs or restaurant. Another way to save money is to eat in the public bar rather than lounge of pubs. The menus in pub bars have a small selection but you get the same meal for much less and drinks are cheaper. We went to our local last week had two chicken parmas ($15) two Crown Lagers for me ($6 each) and glass of good wine for the missus ($8) for a total of $50. Plus pub bars usually have an outdoor area where you can eat and have a smoke.

[Paul1Perth]

Fantastic post thank you. I have only visited Perth and Sydney but had always wondered about Adelaide so was interesting to read your comments. How long now till you think you can move over there? We have family in Perth and keep going back to visit and always seem to find things to do. You managed to do loads in that one week in Perth! Was really shocked by the wine and beer prices both in Perth and in Birmingham! When we go out for a wine and beer it costs us £5-£8. We didn't really drink out in restaurants in Perth or Sydney as we went to the liquor store on a few occasions and brought a bottle of wine, which we felt was a tad more then UK but when you work it out relatively to wages didn't seem to bad. I imagine its hard not to compare to UK prices until your earning over there.

 

Hope you dont have to much longer to save :-) Best of luck on your move exciting times !!

 

A lot of restaurants here, even some of the good ones, are BYO (bring your own) so it's great to pop in a local bottle shop and buy your choice of wine or beer. Even the Dome coffee shops here are BYO wine. We went out last Friday to a nice restaurant and there was a really good bottle shop next door that had wine going for as cheap as $4 a bottle. I treated my wife to a good $10 one though.:wink:

[Paul1Perth]

Those pictures are giving me itchy feet to get over there again! I love the views from Kings Park over the city. When you move over there you must make a trip to Rottnest Island one of my favourite places no cars, cute quokkas and amazing beaches. I am off over to Sydney in April to see a friend who recently had a baby. First time I haven't gone over to Perth whilst visiting Australia. OH family live in Perth so we will be back over again in maybe 18 months (Unless immigrating looks close at that point then we will hold off and save the pounds for Visa's etc). The next 12 months will fly by!

 

My wife's Sister and Brother in law lived in Bermuda for about 10 years. Teaching. We had a week in Rottnest just before Christmas when they were here on holiday a few years ago. They said they had never been anywhere so much like Bermuda. We went to stay with them for a month when they lived there and didn't realise at the time that Bermuda is about the same size as Rottnest but seems a lot bigger as there are a lot more people there. It's lovely isn't it. Me and the wife and a few friends go every year in December to do a 1.5Km Ocean swim. Really the swim is just an excuse to go for a couple of days and have a good night in the pub after.:cool:

[Paul1Perth]

Yeah, Adelaide seems to not get good press yet we have found plenty to do in and around the city. I don't mind its not all new and shiny. I like it has little old side streets and places tucked away to discover. I also love the pancake house (open 24 iirc *drool*), the bars and cafes down toward one side of the CBD are also good. Plus the different places round the Parklands where so many different activies and sports are played. Hubby races his road bike down at Vic Park all through the spring and summer.

 

This holiday for example we've done Cleland wildlife park where we saw everything from just about every kind of roo, koalas, emus, wombats, echidnas and more. Able to feed many of the animals and walk amongst them. Also done Mount Lofty and toured round lots of small towns/places in the hills. Rocked up to Stirling on Sunday and they had the monthly market on which was fab and my mother loved shopping at. Lots of other areas have monthly farmers markets and sort of car boot type things too.

 

Also Waterfall Gully which the OP has visited from pics. Further up it is stunning and some wonderful walking trails to be ambled. Then places like Belair national park for some wildlife spotting.

 

Port Noarlunga and its reef, Mclaren Vale for lunch and an afternoon, wineries...

 

Today we are off into the city to see the Botanic Gardens, Adelaide museum and other things. Depending on where in the city you see you may miss some gems along the terraces. It took me a fair few visits to the CBD to get my bearings and work out where to go and know what I liked.

 

Also Adelaide has the Clipsal 500 each year (petrol heads dream) and the Adelaide Fringe each year over Feb and March. Wonderful things are done down at the Parklands for this. Also the Tour Down Under bike race was a hit with us in January. Lots more festivals and other things run over the year.

 

We also plan to go dolphin spotting at Port Adelaide, walk in the mangrove swamp, Hahndorf for an afternoon and lunch. Victor Harbor (fab for whale spotting at the right time of year) plus penguins on Granite Island.

 

Then next week we are off 4WD in and around the Murray Mouth, will stop off and see a few things on the way. Plus a few more trips to do/see other stuff. Then family BBQ in one of the parks somewhere. If it were warm enough we'd hit one of the outdoor pools but not brave enough yet :cute:

 

OP, when in Glenelg did you make it round to the other side and all the yachts and bars/cafes etc?

 

I can appreciate Perth has won it for you though it does seem to me you didn't really scratch more than the surface in and around Adelaide. Also with things like the Fringe which are annual events, you of course haven't experienced what its all like then. Shame you didn't get to see more

 

I've been to Adelaide a few times with work, it was the second place on our list when we emigrated. It's the City in Aus which I think is most like Perth, a bit of an older feel to it but I don't mind it one bit. I'm sure if we had gone there we would have settled just as well as here. There aren't many places I've visited, as long as they have been on the Coast where I've not liked to be honest. I like Brisbane a lot and that's the City that's furthest from any decent beaches. Melbourne would be my least favourite of the coastal cities, that's just because the weather can be so unpredictable and the sea close to the City wasn't as nice as I thought it would be. A lot of people go on a good day too, we are spoilt in Perth as no matter how good the weather is there are so many nice beaches with free parking that you can always find somewhere it's not crowded.

 

Even some of the places you don't even consider when emigrating are beautiful when you visit. Byron Bay, North of Newcastle at Port Stevens and Nelson Bay was spectacular. There is so much to see and do that you wouldn't be able to even see the interesting and nice places in WA in a lifetime. I love it down the South West in the summer and we have friends who go to Coral Bay for 3 months from August to October. They have a big caravan and have to take everything with them as it's a 2 hour drive to the nearest shops (so they tell us) but they love it. We'll get there one day.:yes:

[flag of convenience]

In my opinion Adelaide is underrated and Perth overrated as a general observation. Just why Perth remains such a magnet for UK migrants is somewhat astonishing to me. It can hardly be the cost these days. The push pull factor plays a part no doubt and early observations can be enticing.

 

Did I read cheap cars though? Never found much cheap about cars here. Rents are in decline so that is good news. Anyway there are obviously pro's and con's between the two cities. My taxi driver, a Somali that drove me back from Perth Airport yesterday has lived in Melbourne and Adelaide prior to Perth and preferred Perth over Adelaide as a place having a bit more of a vibe.

[mogsandrovers]

Hi, weve just been to perth too

Didnt you go to the Freemantle weekend market? Might be what your OH is missing

[M1cha3la]

Hi, weve just been to perth too

Didnt you go to the Freemantle weekend market? Might be what your OH is missing

 

Oooh did you love it?

 

We did go to the Freemantle one yea, that was fab too. The one in Adelaide was just huge though and less commercialised if that makes sense? DH would get lost in there for hours and spend a fortune too, so its just as well we are going to Perth :laugh:

[surfndirt]

I really don't get it how people will try and convince them selves that Perth isn't mega mega mega expensive. From someone who has lived in Australia for nearly 9 years and spent 1 year in Perth....... If you move to Perth you will find it very very very expensive to the point where you will stop doing alot of the social activities you do in the UK because of it. There it is in black and white. Doesn't mean the place isn't nice - it is, just trust the people on this forum that have been here a while for once. The reason they seem to be 'anti' Perth or what-ever is literally that reason; the costs. Also, sounds like you may be twisting the truth a touch there at 15 quid for a pint and a wine.

 

Please also remember that it is just another country. Channel 4 may tell you it is a paradise on earth and I'm sure Phil Spencer is still selling his property based TV franchise on the back of an Aussie utopia - it isn't.

 

For example, when I was in Perth;

 

1) House broken into from the front to access the yard and steal my dirt bikes

2) Returned to finish off the house the next week

3) Randoms spray painted the ute while parked outside the house a few weeks later

4) Left the car in a secure multistory one Friday night in the city (had a couple of $12 buck pints). Totally destroyed the next day.......... With a parking ticket on it!

 

My advice to anyone would be to have a look in your own backyard first or - that other big back yard you have called Europe. For the price of a deposit on a tin shed here you could pick up a little place in Eastern Europe or Portugal etc.....

[M1cha3la]

Thank you for that very useful post surfndirt, but do you not think that its tad dogmatic to say that because of how you feel that everyone else must be convincing themselves Perth is great or isn't expensive? Because you put it there in black and white as you say, it must be true? I have family and friends who live there, I trust what they say along with my own experiences. There are of plently of people that hate the place, there are plenty of people that love it, so tbh I am not going to get into a debate about it, that is not the purpose of this thread. I have purely posted my experience and opinion as we found it, others may be different but that doesn't make them any less valid or true.

 

Oh but for the record I dont make things up, where we drink is £7.50 for a large 250ml glass off wine, as you can see from the menu the Sauv Blanc 175ml is £5.25. A standard pint is £4.60. They don't list the speciality beers that DH likes as they change regularly, but they are more expensive.. Normally £6 something. Yes there are cheaper drinks and cheaper places (as I said in previous posts....) but where/what we drink is that price. http://www.barestilo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/BE-Birmingham-Drinks-Menu.jpg.

 

I am sorry you have not had much luck in Perth, maybe you should consider moving to Europe before you become/sound bitter?

Edited November 28, 2014 by M1cha3la