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It IS the Wild Wild West
Have met Americans on our trip here, who've been to Oz, but nobody yet who's been to Perth. "Too far", they say. They're right. It's a long way from the East coast and if they've only got 2 to 3 weeks, it's a big journey out of their way. It's a tough one for the WA Tourism Board to try to deal with. Especially since the cost to stay in Perth is high. And our service stinks, compared to the US.
I agree with you Vichel. Perth is "Too far" for USA travelers to get to if they are on a tight schedule. As you know I work in Western Australia and do the trip from Colorado every 6 weeks. The fact I land in the east and then need to fly across the country to Perth adds a whole day (24 hours) onto my travels, taking into account the east have curfews on the airports. It is a real pain and would be much easier if I worked on the east coast. I've done the sums and going the other way through New York takes just as long. Having said that I'm also restricted to using Qantas as my work has an agreement with them for all our travel.
But I'd also take a small USA town over a small AUS town any day...
I agree with you Vichel. Perth is "Too far" for USA travelers to get to if they are on a tight schedule.
Depends on what the travellers want to see.
I've done some research,
and for me if I wanted a beach vacation between Dec-Feb I'd probably prefer somewhere between Geraldton and Exmouth.
Cyclones aside (hopefully they aren't too common) there'd probably be a much smaller chance of a "rained-out" vacation there than the QLD coast.
The waves in certain places get bigger in Western Australia
and I've heard that many nice dive spots are a short walk out from the beach in NW WA,
while in QLD they are often require a boatride.
To get back on topic ("whats wrong with adelaide and canberra").. I personally don't think there is anything wrong with Adelaide
The pros:
- easy to get around city core via public transport, well planned city
- interesting architecture
- easy pace of life
- good cultural offerings (festivals, museums, opera, symphony)
- lower cost of living than east coast cities (though it may now be on par with MEL for rents)
- multi-cultural
- easy access to beaches and the gulf st. vincent has mild waves
- easy access to fabulous wine regions
- people are friendly, I've made friends very easily and not just with co-workers
- cheap and easy flight access to MEL, Tassie and SYD
- nice nude beach (have never been, but I'm sure Jacqs can enlighten us)
- if you like Pie Floaters, Farmers Union Iced Coffee, Balfours Frogs or Coopers beer.. you have found a home (I love all of these)
Cons
- career prospects (go elsewhere)
- summers -- occasional heatwave
- dryness/drought
- chilly winters, though not as cold as MEL or Tassie
- they had a spate of murders in the mid 80s and the reputation stuck; I've never feared for my safety
I loved living there and I have many fond memories and stories of life there, but I would never live there again (I happily go back for Chrissie)
A good 3 hours from Perth to MEL and about 3.5-4 hours to SYD
The major problem with Adelaide is the lack of freeways. Basically, if you want to get anywhere, it's a torture fest of traffic lights and low speed limits.
The major problem with Adelaide is the lack of freeways. Basically, if you want to get anywhere, it's a torture fest of traffic lights and low speed limits.
I remember the first time I drove into Adelaide and found that a bit bizarre with few freeway type roads. I've never seen a city that size with such poor roads.
A good 3 hours from Perth to MEL and about 3.5-4 hours to SYD
The major problem with Adelaide is the lack of freeways. Basically, if you want to get anywhere, it's a torture fest of traffic lights and low speed limits.
Oh thats right.. I forgot to add that to the list. I did not leave the city during the week and only left to go to wineries and I was never in a rush so the lack of freeways wasn't an issue. At least freeways aren't clogging the downtown core which I've seen in other cities.
I though Adelaide has much better access to the east coast cities as it's only a 50 minute flight from MEL and 1:40 from SYD. What is it from Perth to these cities?
Yeah but it's a whole other flight. Getting to the airport. Two hours before. Hanging around a boring airport til the flight. The flight. Maybe a long layover between the flight out of MEL/SYD/BNE. It all adds up and that's before you get on the mediaeval torture session that's the flight over the Pacific. Like it would make any major difference to my misery level leaving out of Adelaide versus Perth. 4:20 out of Perth to Brissie, versus 2:20 Adelaide to Brissie. Peanuts. 12:55 Brissie to LAX either way.
- nice nude beach (have never been, but I'm sure Jacqs can enlighten us)
Yes I did, in fact, visit said beach a looooooooong time ago, but only the non-nudie section. It's nice enough I guess. There were a few people arrested for peering thru the shrubbery around there though.
Re: traffic in Adelaide, you expect Melb and Syd to have traffic issues. We certainly didn't think it should take us 40 minutes to travel 8km each day during peak hour. And yes, we did have to leave the city each day b/c we lived ....8kms away, in Henley Beach. It was a total nightmare, we tried a couple different routes but there was no quick way of doing it. A place that small shouldn't have such traffic problems. It really does need some good freeway infrastructure happening.
Yes I did, in fact, visit said beach a looooooooong time ago, but only the non-nudie section. It's nice enough I guess. There were a few people arrested for peering thru the shrubbery around there though.
Everyone I know who has been there has only gone to the non-nude section. Imagine that!
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It's nice enough I guess. There were a few people arrested for peering thru the shrubbery around there though. 
