I was desperate to prove that there is something interesting in Perth, despite appearances to the contrary. After a quick bit of searching online, I managed to track down a website called Vegan Alternative Perth. Now before you think I’ve turned into a complete hippy, there was actually a treasure trove of cool stuff mentioned.
Off I trundled to Perth on a very rainy and miserable Tuesday. Unfortunately the journey didn’t start so smoothly. I arrived at the station at the same time as the train, resulting in a frantic dash to get on sans ticket. Trains are rather infrequent in Perth and I didn’t fancy a 15 minute wait in the rain. Luckily the forgiving ticket inspectors allowed me to go outside and purchase a ticket at Perth station, rather than give me a $100 fine. Tickets are AU$3.60 which covers two zones and lasts for 90 minutes or you can get a day pass which costs around AU$8. They also have a Oyster Card system but it’s probably not worth using unless you plan to spend a reasonable amount of time in the city.
One of the definite pluses of Perth transport system, is the free travel within the CBD area. You can hop on most buses within the central area for free or take advantage of the free CAT services. The lines are colour coded: red, yellow and blue. They are air-conditioned which is a godsend in a hot Perth summer.
Just next to Perth train station is the Perth Cultural Centre. It’s composed of the WA Art Gallery, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), the WA Museum, and the State Library. Not only was the weather rubbish in Perth but I also managed to pick the day when the Art Gallery was closed! PICA was also closed until the evening for an exhibition changeover.
Apparently in Northbridge, there has been a bit of a regeneration lately, a bunch of independent stores has grouped together to form the “William Street Collective”. With no art gallery to visit, I was going to have to undertake the arduous task of shopping. Tough life!
First stop in the William Street Collective was Harry Highpants, located at 259 William Street. A stylish interior stocking a bunch of independent Australian labels with super friendly service, prices start from around AU$50 to AU$200. On the same side as Harry is also Retro Vinnies, a vintage fashion store in aid of St. Vincent de Paul, located at around 265 William Street. They were bursting at the seams with loads of great stuff for both men and woman for around the AU$20. Just across the road at 276 William Street was the Butcher Shop who specialise in all things graff, with a huge selection of markers and paints. They also have some cute wall art, trendy books and a smattering of fashion. Further up the road, at 282 William Street was Didges-we-doo, definitely one for the international tourists, they have a huge selection of real hand-painted didgeridoos, as well as lots of fine art prints.
On the next block, you’ll find Fi & Co, located at X William Street. Fi & Co stock new ladies fashion downstairs and vintage upstairs. Well worth checking out for their great range of flats. One for the boys this time, Brave New World stock stylish menswear from mostly small independent labels. Think classy shirts, shorts and jackets. Finally, and quite a walk from the other shops, you’ll find La La Orange, located at 411 William St. My stomach was growling so I didn’t quite make it there but I’ve heard from a couple of sources that it’s worth the trek out.
One of the great things about the Northbridge area, is the plethora of Asian cuisine you can find there. I must have walked past at least five different cuisines - Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese… If you want a cheap, quick meal, you could certainly do a lot worse.
I decided to stop at Hung Kee BBQ restaurant (Korean) located around 270-something on William Street. It looked promising, it was filled with people from the local Korean community, run by a family team and there was an impressive array of roasted meats hanging from the front counter. The service was suitably abrupt and pushy, as I sat down a small bowl of delicious chicken broth was plonked down beside me. Unfortunately I dithered on what to order, confused between the menu on the card and the one on the wall. Given barely a minute to decide, I mentioned something about roast duck, boiled rice and chinese greens which the old lady taking my order took to be one of the first options on the menu. She briefly pointed at what she thought I wanted before snatching my menu away.
The plate of food that arrived, certainly looked appetizing - glistening roast duck and a small portion of chinese greens piled on a generous portion of steamed rice with a side of chilli oil - however, both the duck and greens felt quite cold. It was still nice but on a cold day, you want hot food. At AU$9.50 it was pretty good value and hopefully this is just a one off incident rather than a common occurrence.
The other area of note in Perth, is the North end of Hay Street. Since I’ve been away, a couple of high end stores have opened in Wesley Arcade but you can find them anywhere right? Skip the labels and check out Pulse, located next to Burberry. It’s been there for as long as I can remember and stocks quirky, edgy pieces, ideal for standing out from the crowd on a night out. If you are a music lover, it’s worth a trek up to 78’s records store. It’s a huge space which sells just about everything music related and holds in-store events. Attending an in-store at 78’s is like a rite of passage for Perth’s music loving teenagers.
After all that walking, you’ll definitely need some sustenance so make a pit stop at Java Juice for a fruit smoothie and a wheatgrass shot. Smoothies start at around AU$5. They have a couple of stores dotted around Perth so keep your eyes peeled.
What’s the verdict? Whilst Perth is still mostly sleepy and boring, there are certainly signs of life if you seek them out and enough to keep most tourists entertained for at least a day or two.
