Perth is way more than OK

There is a restaurant in Perth called “Okay”. Every time Rog and I drive by it, we laugh. Not nastily but we do wonder who thought using a name that is the equivalent of average would be a glowing advertisement for a place to eat?

But, as it turns out, Perthies seem to be OK with everything being, well, just Okay. #Perthisok has become synonymous with high praise in our little city. But why? Why has the bar been set so low?

We’ve decided to unpack this little mystery today, because, since  , we think Perth is way MORE than just “OK”.

This’ll come as a surprise to approximately no one but Aussie culture can be pretty darn self-deprecating. It’s actually endearing how much we like to take the mickey out of ourselves. Even on our worst days, you’ll often hear someone pop-up with a humble self-directed quip to break the tension and relieve some of the struggle.

But it doesn’t seem like the other states share in West Australia’s level of self-judgement.

• NSW will proudly tell you they are Mr International any chance they get;
• Victorians will enthusiastically declare their drinking water has been sent down from the heavens; and
• South Aussies have their impressive roundabouts excitedly being reported on in the evening news

Admittedly, a decade ago you couldn’t get a meal past 8PM in our ironically named “city of lights” (and honestly, I’m not too sure this has changed). But that shouldn’t outweigh all of the incredible things our beautiful state does so well.

Why Western Australia is so much more than “OK”

Picture this. You’ve just returned home from living in Japan at a ski resort, where your windows held views that looked out across mountains, not a house in sight.

It wouldn’t be unfair to feel a bit “meh” at the prospect of relocating to Perth, right?

That was exactly the position of Rog and I in 2019. But that’s not how we felt. While we were sad to be leaving our winter wonderland, we were so grateful to be returning to Perth. And we’ll tell you our top three reasons why.

1. Life’s a beach

We’ve travelled a fair bit in our lives. We’ve lived in different parts of the country and the world, and we’ve enjoyed many different landscapes and environments.

 Naturally, growing up on the beach in WA, we’ve always sought out other beaches. There is something that feeds our souls when we feel the crunch of the sand between our toes and smell the fresh ocean air. It is a relief to remember the world is bigger than us.

So trust us when we tell you that not all beaches are made equal. Europe’s are usually a shade of dusty grey and covered in pebbles. In Victoria (the state with delicious water), you need to drive well out of the city to find anything resembling a long strip of white sand.

Every place has assets. But nowhere has beaches like WA. 

From the blindingly bright white sand that runs for miles to the aqua blue waves, there really is no comparison. You don’t have to pay for entry (we’re looking at you, Europe) and if things get a little crowded, just take a wander a kilometre up the road and you’ll find another huge empty stretch of picture-perfect white sand.

Life in Perth is definitely a beach.

2. The locals are kind

People often forget the number one thing that makes an experience memorable. Good food will stick in your mind, sweet sunsets will inspire romantic memories, but nothing is remembered as fondly as good interactions with other people.

I was recently having tea with a very successful and dear friend who lives the hectic corporate life of a Sydneysider. I asked her how it was for her when she visited Perth (her childhood home) and she responded: 

“People are friendly. They smile at you and have time for a conversation. At home, people are all too busy, no one has time to let you into traffic or say hello”.

And it’s true. We West Aussies like to live life at a different pace (although shout out to Queenslanders, you are definitely more on our wavelength).

We value early mornings, greeting strangers while we’re out on a walk or strolling down to the local cafe for brunch.

We like to let people into traffic. Heck, we even had a campaign called “the West Aussie Wave” to encourage people to make sure they acknowledged a generous driver. 

We smile at others; because it feels good to see them enjoy your small act of kindness. 

It’s simply the Perth way.

3. It’s got natural beauty in spades

Whether it’s a trip to the south-west to enjoy the sprawling views of the wineries or a quick flight up north to take in the magical sunsets on Broome’s Cable Beach – WA nature sure knows how to turn it on.

 It doesn’t hurt that we have ridiculous, I mean RIDICULOUS weather. When we moved home from Japan, we timed it (not deliberately) such that I would be doing back-to-back winters.

Coming out of a heavy snow winter and walking into Perth winter (solo I might add – Rog was doing FIFO to Japan) was not overly appealing. But mid-way through July, I stopped and realised winter hadn’t arrived. 

Sure, we had the odd rainy day but mostly the temperature was pleasant and the sun would pop its lovely little head out for a bit of winter warmth. It was pretty much as warm and enjoyable as a Japanese summer.  

So, have we persuaded you to think twice about our home state? She’s an absolute beauty and we couldn’t be prouder to call her home.