A Conversation for Perth, Western Australia
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beamstar Started conversation Dec 5, 1999
Perth, Western Australia - the capital of my beloved home state. We all need to feel that little spark of loyalty, occasionally, and I still feel a deep-running compassion for this filthy excuse for a city.
You'd be surprised at how much Perthians love the Swan and Canning rivers. Being the most isolated capital in the world, and in the middle of a continent comprised mainly of sand (notably, the appropriately-named Great Sandy Desert), water is fairly precious. It is surprising, then, that we love the rivers so much, being that they contain such a small proportion of actual water.
It has been said that if Jesus visited Perth, walking on the Canning river wouldn't attract that much attention.
The food in Perth is brilliant - although the proliferation of McDonalds is quietly disturbing. 100% Australian Beef? Well, if you make the cows out of Paper Mache, it is.
The masses of space in Western Australia means that urban sprawl in Perth is rampant. If you don't own a car, then forget going anywhere. The public transport system is laughable - for such a spread out city to have so little trains, is just plain suicidal! Get a car, is this reviewer's advice.
Which is one of Perth's other problems. Los Angeles might be the City of Angels, but Perth has the dubious honour of being the City of car parks. Funny, though, that one can never get one. Oh well.
It has it's charm, though. The solidarity of the people is astounding - almost everyone is friendly to everyone else (except when in aforementioned cars, or at the footy). The beaches are pretty damn good, except that everyone knows that, and it's a fight for the water at times. The ability to walk on water makes you seem like a minor diety, and one can get quite a following this way. Plus there's Kings Park, which, at night, gives one heck of a stunning view - just don't go alone. And the meditteranean architecture and feel of Fremantle really is something worth experiencing.
Visit Perth. That's all I can say. But don't swim in the rivers.
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