PTLF Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone,My husband and I have landed in Perth 2 days ago and I thought I would share experiences with you which I hope will be helpful for those in the process of immigrating or thinking about it. Previous posts on this subject have helped me tremendously during my time in SA so I thought it is now my time to contribute. My experiences relate to Perth and are subjective. there are many views and angles.About us - background:My husband and I have been married for 4 years, no kids, and both work in the healthcare industry as allied health. I am in my late 20's and Mr PTLF early 30's. We first saw an agent at the end of 2012 and arrived in Perth, finally, 2 days ago.Leaving SAFor the last few months before leaving I didn't feel the sadness everyone talks about. We were incredibly busy and I thought goodbyes would be easy and joyful. No, they weren't, they were awful and painful and heart-renching. I also expected that climbing on that plane would be exhilarating and a relief, as some people experienced, but I ended up silently crying as I watched SA disappear and wondering if I would ever see my grandfather again (a very special man in my life).We had a month of "holiday" before leaving and I thought this was more than enough time to finish the errands and tie loose ends. Things take much longer in SA time. For example, closing our phone accounts took 2 hours , converting money at bank took 4 hours because they sent us to different places and different banks, involving driving, waiting in the cues... The emotions of leaving weren't registered because we were busy, stressed and exhausted. By the time the emotions surfaces - one day before leaving - it was too late Advice: anticipate that things will take 3 times longer to complete. Prioritize time with family.Perth: First impressionsBeautiful! We are so in love. We are living in Hillarys at the moment and spent most of our first day in the city. We are star struck - it feels like a new world, so unreal. We feel really blessed to be here. The weatherHot hot hot. It felt like 33 degrees C yesterday which is my favourite temperature. Speaking to the locals and Saffers, they told us this was a "cool" day with too many clouds and very unusual for Perth. They say temperatures here range high 30's to mid 40's, with a whole week of 45 degrees. The wildlifeAh man, paradise. Beautiful birds everywhere with their song The birds here give the feel of paradise. Flocks of cockatoos and parakeets and all kinds of interesting looking birds, in the city of all places! They only bird I've seen in the city are pigeonsThe peopleTo say the Perthians are an attractive people is an understatement. The men look like Armani models in their pressed shirts, semi-tight trousers, sunglasses and strong jaw line. The women are slender, have legs for days, tanned, beautiful. Short shorts and miniskirts are in, especially with the high waist line like in Joburg and Pretoria. Shorts are really short, beginning 0.5 - 2cm ABOVE the bum line. Hence they can't be classified as shorts but rather as denim panties. Not only are they good looking but also very friendly and helpful, Saying things like "Howya going?"When the lady behind the desk at medicare helped us, she would say things to us like "please excuse me" for the smallest things like passing papers to another an arm's length away. You're excused! Whereas in SA their government staff would eat in front of me and have full blown arguments with each other without asking to be excused.Any dodgy folks? Yes (in minority). We saw some backpacker bums sleeping and smoking on the street, a white lady with front teeth missing talking wildly to the air, Aborigines street children looking angry. Besides this, not one person asked for money or begged. Refreshing. A side note on friendliness: South African's are used to greeting each other, even greeting strangers, when passing each other on the road. This does not happen here regarding greeting strangers. If you greet someone (e.g. in the context of walking dogs, walking on the beach, leisure walking) you will be ignored. Hubby and I were initially perplexed by this and later announced "hello" in the friendliest way possible (increased our volume in case they didn't hear us) and the best we got was an awkward smile back Don't bother. But in the work place, this is a different context and they will greet you and be very friendly. You can then talk to them about anything from the weather, their home town and family. This is not a bad thing, it is just a different culture and is a culture that we will learn and follow.Grocery shoppingWe shopped at Coles and this was our first experience. It cost us over 80 dollars for 4 small-ish bags of food. I stand in a neutral position when it comes to food prices. I know its expensive but when we earn dollars I believe food will be very affordable.I do, however, form an opinion on the following: - Tuna: why are the cans so small and so pricy? A tuna can 3cm in diameter (enough to make one sandwhich) at 4 dollars! - where are the fresh veggies?Only found limp looking veggies, small cuts of pumpkins which were overpriced, poor variety, so ended up getting frozen veggies. - No pronutro cereals are mainly weetbix and muesli's and surgar ones like cocopops.My experience may change when I shop around more.Running errandsEfficient. We did sim cards, bank, medicare, eat out, drivers license, tax file number in less than half a day! Take into account that we were completely new to Perth, new to the transport system, traveled by foot (we have no car or bicycle) and you can appreciate the efficiency of the system that is Australia.TransportThe (free) CAT buses in Perth are excellent and easy to follow. Each bus stop shows how long it will take for the next one to arrive. You wait an average of 3 - 5 minutes, the longest was 8 min. ToiletsThis deserves its own heading, especially for the SA ladies out there.In the city the public toilets are unisex and computerised with voices telling you things like "door is opening, you have 10 minutes, door closing." The door opens and closes when you push a button, exactly like the door of an escalator. Weird, a bit futuristic like the 5th Element movie. However, I wasn't impressed with the hygiene. There was water (we'll call it water) all over the seat and floor. There is nowhere for you to put your bag so I had to hold it awkwardly while I went. Also, plastic rubbish was thrown in the toilet. Yuck However, these are toilets in the middle of the city. Out of the density and also in shopping malls the bathrooms are good (not unisex either).Here is where I'll stop because I must now start my day. We are off to buy bicycles!If you have any questions please ask! I wrote so much but it seems I only brimmed the surface of our experiences.Bye!(PTLF) Edited January 20, 2015 by PTLF 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Welcome to Australia, happy to hear you love Perth!You may well find shopping around for veges may be a great idea. I cannot suggest anywhere in Perth as I live in Melbourne, however, I know that you often get better quality and prices for veges from a vegetable shop rather than a supermarket. Also check out the butchers in your area, if you can find a wholesale butcher, then their prices are often cheaper.I do believe that Aldi is heading to Western Australia, so keep on the lookout!You may want to compare prices between Safeway/Woolworths and Coles, and keep a look out for their specials each week! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan83 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 What on earth did you buy that cost $800 for 4 bags of groceries?!For two people it costs me half that per month, including everything like cleaning stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RYLC Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Agree Donovan. An entire trolley of every luxury we could think of wouldn't be $800. Please tell us what you bought because it gives the wrong idea to newbies and those in waiting. Newbies also note that this info is specific to Perth and the other states are COMPLETELY different. In South Australia for instance people are very friendly and will greet strangers out walking the dog etc. Australia's setup of having seperate States makes it more like America where each state has a different way of doing things, laws, customs, even slang vocabulary. Perth, being the furtherest state, is known for being more expensive than others for some things because of freight costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi everyone,Sorry I meant 80 dollars, i was still jet lagged and had converted it in my head as R800. This is only my 2nd day here. Having said that I think 80 dollars is a reasonable price for 4 packets. Regarding saying hello to strangers, yes Perth is different but very friendly overall, more than SA i think. By not saying hello to strangers isn't an unfriendly thing, its only a culture. Australia is absolutely awsome and I feel we have moved to heaven. Wish I were here sooner. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Welcome to sunny "Perf" PTLF. If you want, PM "LizzC", she is a guru on where to find organic food at the best prices. She is my goose. We have more than halved our shopping bill from when we got here, and we have more than eough, all the finest quality. Coles and Woolies can on occasion sell some dodgy food, always shop with a keen eye and USE YER NOSE!! People watch me sniffing fruit n veggies, and most times curiosity gets the better of them and they walk up to me and ask me what im looking for when i buy X fruit/veggie. So I take the time to explain the fruit or veg that I have.9 times out of ten, I get asked "So how do you cook/prepare that?" Are you a chef? I have X in my basket, with what shall I make it and how do I prep it? For me, thats seventh heaven! Helping people off the cuff. Love it. Especially when my 8 year old son can explain to them what a "jus" is and how to prepare en papillote.Enjoy the good life, Come up north to Yanchep lagoon, thats where I live. You should also try sundowner cocktails at the Mindarie marina!Most important, WELCOME to Aus! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thanks Surferman, so helpful as always! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottg Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 You should also try sundowner cocktails at the Mindarie marina!My favorite spot on a weekend - good food, music & beer from the micro brewery!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SML Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Wow, Yanchep lagoon looks amazing!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Yip, I live 300m away from it. We spend most of our time there. If you have small kids, you will see the lagoon has a rocky outcrop, and to the right is the lagoon proper. Go left of that outcrop, that's a locals only area, much less people and even friendlier for the kids. Water is about 2-3C warmer on that side dur to shallowness and shape of water flow. Happy to catch up sometime. Edited January 21, 2015 by SurferMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maktub Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Just a quick note on the toilets, I wonder if they are not automated self-cleaning toilets like these http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanisette which is why the toilet was wet when you went in - the cleaning process works like a shower for the entire interior toilet unit, and also explains why there is no place for your handbag (does not explain the plastic rubbish though). I used them when I was in Europe, and they have just been installed here in Ballarat too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi Maktub,Interesting comment about the toilets. It is automated in a way that it flushes itself when you wash hands or open the door. I'm not sure if the whole cubicle itself gets a wash when you leave, its a possibility. It may be the case because I didn't smell urine and with the volume of water everywhere I would have smelt something if it was. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) @PTLF Welcome to Australia !!! Btw, please don't give up on saying hello when on our walks just yet. I assume Perth is like Brisbane and elsewhere where it depends where you are when you say hello. In busy places people tend not to do it but in quieter areas it is more common. Bigger cities less so, smaller cities more so, busy area of suburb less so, quieter part of suburb more so, country towns always. The street hello has been a long standing part of Australian culture and I still say hello to lots of people so please don't give up just yet Edited January 22, 2015 by Fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) The story continues......Buying bicyclesWe were told by our new Saffer friends to go to a proper bicycle shop and spend the extra dollars instead of going for a cheapy if we wanted to use our bikes often. Since we have decided to wait a while before buying cars we are relying completely on public transport and bicycles. Mr PTLF initially didn't want any bikes, until we experienced the effects of walking 2,5 hours carrying our grocery bags. The mountain bikes we looked at cost between $400 - $600 on average, with some cheaper and some more expensive. My head was spinning as I converted it to rands: R4000! We were told beforehand to bargain, never accept the marketing price. My reaction to this was hesitant, because as a generally shy person I don't like to go against the grain and argue prices So my first bargaining began of my life, I put on my disinterested face for a bike I was very interested in and asked for a price lower than $400 for a bike at the value of $430. The man said it shouldn't be a problem and he would get me a price after discussing it with his manager. When he came back he offered $369. SCORE!! Not bad for my first. Then Mr PTLF had a go, and immediately without hesitation the guy said no. Mr PTLF: "Are you sure?". Guy "Yes I'm sure" . I have a suspicion it was not my skills that got me the bargain but rather my gender and short shorts.In the end we looked at another place and bought bikes, helmets, security chains...etc. The guy that helped us there was so sweet. We had paid for everything when I asked him about the price for the chains we bought - he said he marked down the price for us, it was $30 but he only charged $20 for both, and we didn't even ask for the discount! And that was additional to the discount he gave us on the bikes and helmets.Ah I love Australia!@PTLF Welcome to Australia !!!Btw, please don't give up on saying hello when on our walks just yet. I assume Perth is like Brisbane and elsewhere where it depends where you are when you say hello. In busy places people tend not to do it but in quieter areas it is more common. Bigger cities less so, smaller cities more so, busy area of suburb less so, quieter part of suburb more so, country towns always. The street hello has been a long standing part of Australian culture and I still say hello to lots of people so please don't give up just yet Hi Fish!Yes so true! We have been on more walks to different areas and now people are saying hello to us! And most of them are South African! Have already met such lovely people, Aussies and Aussiekaners. Edited January 22, 2015 by PTLF 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Did you buy a bike with racks so you can add panniers for your shopping ? I saw another Bakfiet here in Brisbane the other day...very good for shopping Source: http://www.urkai.ca/?attachment_id=1782 Edited January 22, 2015 by Fish 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Ooooh I like!No we didn't The bikes can have one fitted.My husband indicated that as a man he will not be seen dead with a basket on his bike. He wants to carry groceries in his bag. But when I'm back there to pick up my bike I'm getting myself! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottg Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 @PTLF Welcome to Australia !!!Btw, please don't give up on saying hello when on our walks just yet. I assume Perth is like Brisbane and elsewhere where it depends where you are when you say hello. In busy places people tend not to do it but in quieter areas it is more common. Bigger cities less so, smaller cities more so, busy area of suburb less so, quieter part of suburb more so, country towns always. The street hello has been a long standing part of Australian culture and I still say hello to lots of people so please don't give up just yet Agree as experienced when in Perth & South Perth area people tend to stick to themselves however up in Joondallup the culture is friendly!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Ooooh I like!No we didn't The bikes can have one fitted.My husband indicated that as a man he will not be seen dead with a basket on his bike. He wants to carry groceries in his bag. But when I'm back there to pick up my bike I'm getting myself!Tell your husband that as a man he should be man enough to not care what others think of his basket You can get panniers that you can just unclip and pickup and carry off the bike into the supermarket like a bag.See here for lots of advice from my brisbane bicycle friends on:"How do you get the groceries home?"http://www.brisbanecyclist.com/forum/topics/how-do-you-get-the-groceries-home-pannier Edited January 22, 2015 by Fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Interesting. Thanks! Regarding Mr PTLF he'll convert to the pannier when his back, or his bag, breaks from grocery bags. He reads this forum too. Love you Mr PTLF! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMBDarryl Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome to Perth, it's perfect!Try spudshed for veggies, heaps cheaper than Coles, they have good deals on meat too. Google Perth Farmers markets and you'll get heaps of hits for a list of farmers markets in and around Perth, there's heaps every weekend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 The Children of AustraliaWe were privileged to meet a Saffer nurse. She found us on facebook and she was a friend of my step-cousin's, wife's mother. Facebook is awsome! I suggest making use of facebook as much as possible to network. Someone will know someone who will know someone who can help you...Back to the story. We went out to the boat harbour for dinner when I finally clicked the strange things my brain has been seeing but had not yet registered. Who is manning the restaurants and shops? Who is flipping the burgers, making our drinks, at the pay teller in Coles, packing boxes and cleaning tables?.........The Children! Ok, by children I mean young teenagers. I asked my new friend about it and according to her children legally can (and do) work from the tender age of 14. What was I doing at 14?a) living in a messy bedroom being immature c) angry at the world for inventing braces Shameful I wish I could have started working at 14! I wanted to but was told by family it was illegal. Imagine how I could have fast tracked my financial education through getting a job!Anyways they are paid minimum wage is can be $22 per hour - more than double my hourly wage in SA as a health professional! Another saffer friend says her daughter attends uni 3 days a week and the rest of the week is spent working and studying. Working for minimum wage allows her to rent and live her life independently of her family. She's paid $22 per hour to sit in a cubicle and hand out pamphlets every now and again. She is able to get a lot of studying done in this cubicle. Nice!! So if children are running the show, were are the adults to supervise them? I looked around, couldn't see any adults in the restaurant. Does this affect the quality of service? Absolutely not. The burgers were delicious, we got our food and drinks quickly, even though it was a busy night, and were politely served with genuine friendliness. Everywhere I looked I saw busy bees and worker ants. As we left our table was immediately wiped and cleaned and made beautiful for the next customer.Australia, I am proud of your children Go aussieteens! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottg Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 The Children of Australia Who is flipping the burgers, making our drinks, at the pay teller in Coles, packing boxes and cleaning tables?.........The Children! It's said that McDonalds is the only successful company in the world that is run by kids!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21yearsoutofrsa Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 It's said that McDonalds is the only successful company in the world that is run by kids!!!!! And who's profits depend on the phrase "would you like fries with that?" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTLF Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Australia the "Nanny State"When telling people in SA about moving to Australia, I've often heard: "But isn't it a nanny state"?Oh for goodness sake I hope so! Coming from SA my hubby and I crave order, authority and rules. Please rule us and please punish those who don't follow rules! So when we arrived we kept an eye on order and rules because it was one of the top reasons for coming here. Yes there were a few (very few) people breaking the rules like smoking in public, but they did it so sneakily, holding the cigarette out of sight and looking nervous . How often do people get caught? According to a saffer friend there are officials all over the place who will catch you. When preparing to walk the dogs she said frantically "remember to pick up their poop, the officials are everywhere! and they will see you, and they will give you an on-the-spot fine, they don't care if you are new here" .Something else they are strict about is driving speed. You have 10 merit points. This does not mean you have 10 chances. For speeding once, you may get 2 or even 4 points subtracted in one go! It takes 3 years to get your points back, and if all you're merits are taken, your license gets taken Then you must re-do the whole drivers license process. A 2 year process A drivers license takes long to get. Aussie children begin the process at 16, starting with the written test, then taking classes and undergoing 25 hours of supervised driving, then another test, then more supervised driving. When they finally get their license,2 years later, they are only given 4 merits. After a few years they are given an extra 2 merits. They can only receive the full 10 merits at a certain age/experience.Driving speed is not only restricted for cars but for bicycles too. A man was caught and fined for doing 60km/hr on his bicycle in a 40km/hr school zone - it made the newspapers. My uncle and his friend got a fine for driving too slow. They didn't pay it because they were only visiting and didn't see themselves coming back. The friend immigrated to Aus 2 decades later and had forgotten about it. The process was delayed because they traced him to that fine! Over the years the amount had increased and because of interest it had accumulated to a juicy number in the thousands (dollars)! So while we love the strictness and rules, at some point we'll be caught for unknowingly breaking some rule, because there are just so many rules and so many ways to mess up But luckily there are signs and posts everywhere telling you what you can and cant do, and what number to call to report other people.I think we may have broken the law already.... When taking 2 little chihuahuas for a walk we arrived at a playground with metal structures, and proceeded to do our pull-ups exercises. A little girl came with her big dog who was off his leash who charged at our dogs . We were able to lift them up in time. The girl didn't apologise (she didn't even call or try to stop her dog!) and my husband reprimanded her (ok yes, he shouted) and advised her to put the dog back on the leash. She gave a quick but short retort and ignored the advice We had a moment to ourselves to recover, then we carried on exercising while one of us watched the big dog. My hubby then sensed a change in the air and saw the girl making a secret phone call . Her posture hunched, her back facing us, and her eyes peaking at us. He then looked up to find a board saying only children 2 - 12 years can play on the gym equipment! So she was calling in on us! We were quickly out of there. Has anyone mistakenly done something wrong in Aus and caught for it? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zetman Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 (edited) Hi PTLF,Nice posts, glad to see you're enjoying Perth so far. I was caught "mistakenly" driving (safely and on the speed limit) but in a BUS lane. Cost me $150 and 3 points. I thought you weren't allowed to park in them but didn't realise you can't drive in them either. Moral of the story? You always think about obvious things like speed and red lights but easily overlook some of the other more subtle driving rules which can cost you as many points . Cops were really nice and professional though.Just one minor correction on the demerit points, you actually get 12 not 10 . Also, when you do reach 12 and get suspended you don't exactly have to go through the whole process from start, but lose it for a certain time and have hoops you need to jump through to get it back. If you do lose it you also have some "last chance" steps called the "Double or nothing" option (this applies for WA at least, not sure about other states). Check out http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/demerit-points.asp for more details. Also worth noting about double demerits over key holiday periods (like currently in place for this weekend).Anyway, don't want to hijack your thread, just thought I'd provide some further info to what you said.Edited to add: For those on the east coast I know the bus lane story may sound like such an obvious no-no because bus-only lanes are common, but here in Perth there aren't that many yet and people drive in them all the time so I didn't realise it's against the rules until I got busted unfortunately. Edited January 25, 2015 by zetman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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