hello perth

a collection of notes and things about living in perth, western australia; because i love this city

[rebelyel]

Fringe World is back, bigger and better this year! If you head on down to Northbridge you can unwind in the urban orchid bar with a drink, or if you're near Russell Square you can chow down on some mulicultural fare and catch a show.

There are both free and paid shows on offer and I went to the Dark Cabaret show last night and really enjoyed it, but there is a whole slew of different shows you are sure to find something that will tickle your fancy. 

Head out and check it out before it finishes on February 23rd!

[rebelyel]

I catch myself from time to time whinging that there's nothing to do or that Perth is boring, but I think that if you really want to find things to do, all you have to do is look in your own backyard. 

In my neighbourhood there is a pocket of bush land called the Piney Lakes Environmental and Education Centre, and I had actually never been there in my life; and I drive past this area every single day, in fact, at least twice a day on my way to work and back! Shame on me! I was transported somewhere amazing, because it blew my mind how beautiful it was, and made me appreciate living in Perth that bit more.

[siuonauyeung-blog]

Today was a fun day trying something I don’t usually do, indoor portraits. Having been shooting with primarily outdoor natural lighting, this day presented a different set of challenges. However, my model, rebelyel, was a pleasure to work with and the end result made all the difficulties well worth it!

[rebelyel]

Here I am posing up a storm on a quiet weekend for siuonauyeung... By the way it's Australia Day here so I'll be kicking back with a cold juice and a BBQ, enjoying the sunshine. Happy 'stralia day everyone!

[rebelyel]

On the weekends we tend to do up a big breakfast, but I thought about doing something different today and packed up everything we needed and headed out to Floreat Beach for a beach big breakfast!

Floreat Beach is about a 10-15 minute drive away from Perth city, and it has a beautiful grassed area just above the beach with a playground for kids, a number of public gas BBQs, and also a few shaded picnic tables and chairs. If you're lazy though there is a really good cafe called the Kiosk nearby that overlooks the beach. 

It's a beautiful white stretch of sand and the water is incredibly clear and blue - a definite must go if you're a beach lover in Perth!

[rebelyel]

Since I started having green smoothies and eating more raw food, I found that buying organic vegetables was starting to pinch the purse strings, so to combat this I started a little veggie patch in the yard to grow the main vegetables that I eat. So far we've had a successful crop of beetroot and have just planted another crop of mixed beet varieties, the kale has really taken off and will keep going for another few months for sure, and the runner beans and tomatoes have given us so much that we have hardly needed to buy anything from the shops! I've just planted some rainbow chard and zucchini as well, but am starting to run out of room!

On the fruit front, the mango tree has already started to give us sweet and juicy fruit and finger's crossed the blueberry bush keeps giving us berries. The orange, lime and mandarin trees have already got fruit coming through as well.

The only things that haven't taken off has been the artichoke and some lettuce but I have a feeling we planted them in too shady a spot. At least we know for next time! 

I really love that we can just go out in to the garden and and pick what we need knowing that it's all organic with no pesticides and only natural fertilizers, which is a lot cheaper as well. I can't wait to get out there and see what's changed, and particularly, what's ready to eat!

[rebelyel]

The Swan Valley is only a 25 minute drive from Perth city, and it has got to be the closes wine region to a city there is! It is Western Australi'a oldest wine region and there are numerous award winning wineries, breweries, distilleries and fresh produce that it can be tough to do just a day here! 

The Swan Valley Visitors Centre can give you heaps of information on tours, attractions, and itineraries and you can also pick up free maps of the area.

Swan Valley Visitors Centre is located at:

Guildford Courthouse Cnr Meadow and Swan Streets Guildford

[rebelyel]

Beach camping. Oh how I miss being able to do this. Unfortunately there are very few beaches that you can do this at now a days but it was nice while it lasted. 

[rebelyel]

Summer is when Perth is at it's best - the sun is shinning (albeit a little to strongly at times), there are lots of things to do and see, and everyone is either on holidays or out and about. 

Northbridge and the City of Perth have a whole summer's worth of free activities planned, which are great for kids and adult. One that I had the pleasure of trying out was the fake beach in the heart of the Cultural Centre, you can pull up a chair watch a movie on the big screen while you feel the sand between your toes; and best of all, it's free! Check it out before it ends on January 19th!

[rebelyel]

It is bloody hot in Perth today, The forecast is for a maximum of 44 degrees celsius (something like 111 fahrenheit) and I was at the beach by 7:30am and it already felt like it was 30 degrees!

The hot summer has made me think a lot more about my diet and eating lots of heavy and fried foods is putting me off eating all together, so I've switched it up to a lighter and more fresh (not quite raw) diet. The first thing I've done is gone from green smoothies to green juices, the one above is a combination of carrot, orange, green apple and kale; mind you i still kept some of the leftover pulp and added a few table spoons in just for the fibre content. We are going fishing more often which means more steamed fish and our vege patch is going so good that we're eating fresh salad straight from the yard everyday. Hopefully those excess Xmas kilo's will drop off in no time!

[rebelyel]

One thing that I've noticed that has really taken off in Perth, especially over the last few years, is large scale street art. I remember when it used to be relegated to the walls lining the freeway and even then it was just lots of scribbly looking tagging! Now you can walk around the city and Freo (where I found this image) and look at some incredible works of art for free!

[rebelyel]

I had a late lunch at Sayers Sister over in Northbridge today and it was actually pretty good. We shared a Ploughman's tasting plate, and for two people it was a lot of food - three types of cheese, pickled veges, honey ham and rye bread with some chutney and more. Sayers in Leederville does pretty good coffee and even though Sayers Sisters' coffee wasn't as good as Sayers in Leedy, it wasn't terrible either. 

The cafe itself is very spacious (especially in comparison to the very cramped Sayers in Leederville) and light, plus the seats are really comfy and if you head over later in the afternoon you don't have to wait for a table. 

Sayers Sister

236 Lake street, Northbridge

[rebelyel]

One of the great things about summer in Perth is the music festivals! There are so many these days that you could spend almost every weekend heading off to listen to live bands and music anywhere, from big outdoor music festivals to small local community music nights. 

A few notable ones that are happening from now and through to 2014 include Stereosonic this month, the Big Day Out and Laneway festivals are both happening in February, and Soundwave and the West Coast Blues and Roots festival next March. The Fremantle Arts Centre also does live music in the courtyard on Sunday's through the warmer months.

[rebelyel]

What is there to do on a day when it's 40 degrees outside, and it's too hot to go to the beach, and the shops are all packed to the brim with people escaping the heat? 

Pool party! 

So if you know someone with a pool (in Perth a lot of people actually have pools which helps), convince them to have a BBQ and get some mates around to chill out with some tunes and a beer - but remember to drink responsibly people! 

[rebelyel]

I love this store, they sell everything you can image and especially have a very large selection of organic and ethical produce. You can buy just about every kind of spice, bean, flour or nut here in bulk; and the deli selection is off the chart! It's also very affordable and a such an experience when you walk through those doors. 

I get lost in here for quite a while looking over the products from all around the globe. If you can't find it at the usual shops, try Kakulas Sister in Freo (or Kakulas Brothers in Northbridge), they are bound to have it!

You can find it at 29/31 Market St, Fremantle .

[rebelyel]

Christmas is almost here, and a lot of people I know who live in the northern hemisphere always tell me that Christmas isn't Christmas without snow! I disagree. Even without the snow here in Perth, the decorations are up, everyone is festive and the good will spirit is everywhere - it stills feels like Christmas. 

And you know what, the sand here is so white it looks like snow! I'm looking forward to a seafood BBQ on Christmas day and spending some time swimming at the beach :D 

Christmas countdown is on!

[rebelyel]

Dim Sum.

Forget about pasta, fireworks or astrology, the best thing that Chinese civilisation has given the world is Dim Sum. Perth is actually pretty lucky in that we have a huge range of awesome (and not so awesome) Dim Sum places. My two favourites are Regal on Roe and Golden Century, which are both located in Northbridge.  

So why not get a bunch of your friends together and share some dumplings and siu mai at one of many Dim Sum spots around Perth... just watch out for the dreaded Dim Sum coma! 

[rebelyel]

Hamelin Bay is located 15 kilometres north of Augusta and 30 kilometres south of Margaret River in the South West corner of Western Australia. It's a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach that is also home to some friendly sting rays which will casually swim around and beside you - with some allowing you to pat them but be cautious if you do, they have a sharp stinging barb at the end of their tail which can kill you. 

They bay also has some great snorkelling and is home to some shipwrecks which are a bit further out from the shore,  but still able to snorkel to.