h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As a young person living and working in Britain I fail to understand how anybody cannot fall in love with Perth. Lovely weather, much higher standard of living, friendly people (when was the last time that anybody in a supermarket in Britain greeted you with a smile or even packed your bags for you??), lots to do. Britain does not even come close. The majority of Britain is dirty. The skies are always grey and the weather usually cold, rainy and depressing. Unruley yobs roam the streets causing trouble and starting fights. There are far too many obese children and adults that spend most of their time eating and/or stuck in front of the television. Everything is overpriced (we aren't known as "Rip Off Britain" for nothing). And in general I just don't think these days Britain is a very nice place to live.

I suggest the person that initiated this discussion about Perth simply does't bother going back coz i'm sure the Aussies wouldn't want you there anyway. I on the other hand will be moving to Australia as soon as is physically possible.

Have only just read this - wish I had read the article before I went! I visited Perth last year and was horrified. I have travelled quite a lot during the last few years and have never visited such a dull place. I have nothing nice to say about it. I drove down the coast for a week and didn't find anything! We are brainwashed in the UK into thinking that Australia is second only to heaven. I have visited Sydney and Perth but have no desire to go back and to see the rest of it. I didn't find the people any friendlier than in the UK - the sun shone for a few more hours but hey who wants skin cancer and when did we last have a bush fire in London. The only reason I'm glad I went to Oz is because the next time an Aussie tells me that I live in a dump I can honestly reply that they live in a bigger one!

If you love sun, incessantly talking about sports, heat, dust, aweful beer, tasteless oversized food, an endless monotony of suburbs, flat land, little choice, ...

Oh god, I can't go on!!!

But seriously, have lived here for a year its a lovely place to bring up a young family if you're an urbanite from Britain. If you are fortunate to live in the British countryside, like your weather to be interesting, and don't like sweating like a pig for 8 months of the year, just come for a visit. August to November is probably best - the flowering trees are gorgeous, the weather is mild enough to feel you can get around and see things, and the its fun to see the locals wrapped up in overcoats while we northern europeans are walking around in tee shirts

People are more friendly here, but it can be a rather American type of friendliness. That said, they're nice people if sport and money obsessed.

Do's ... Visit Kings Park, Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle, The WA Art Gallery, The South.

Don'ts ... Make fun of Aussies (they like to give but can't take), talk about sport or money unless you're really thick skinned or suffering from insomnia, drink any local beer except Little Creatures or Feral Brewery, expect the wine to be cheap.