So I have been in Perth for a month already. I think it is time for an update! I have been living without internet for the past few weeks and despite my best intentions and desire to update the blog just haven’t been able to get to it. So here’s a brief rundown.
Phil and I arrived on New Year’s Eve. We were disappointed that our friends weren’t doing much to celebrate and went out on our own. Apparently Perth-ites generally save their party spirit for January 1st and the Perth Cup. We met up with friends for a couple drinks in South Perth before venturing to Northbridge to check out the city-hosted events and then back into the city to ring in the New Year at a pub. It wasn’t terribly exciting. The next morning I woke up with the worst case of food poisoning I have ever had. It last four days and completely ruined any fun Phil and I could have had in the city before I started work. I was very disappointed.
Phil and I spent the week searching around for houses. There are lots and lots of options but nothing really jumped out at us. The house renting protocol is very strict in Perth and we were blown away by the amount of paperwork we had to do just to be considered by the real estate agents. We found a couple houses that were okay and submitted applications but decided to keep looking until the end of the week as we really wanted to find something either close to the river or the beach. Phil lucked out on the last day and found a great house in a supreme location on the Swan River. The house is on a very small lane that is only a few hundred metres from the river and looks out to the city. The fixings inside are not exactly what we had hoped (carpet, older fixtures and curtains that are not really our style) but we decided to sacrifice those minor things. The location of the place means I can very easily jump on the bike path that follows the river all the way to my office. I am very excited about not having to ride in traffic! The house also has a hot tub and a balcony which is pretty cool.
The view from our balcony!
I lived at a hotel for another week after Phil went back to Forbes but then decided to rent furniture and move into the house sooner rather than later and get used to the new routine of taking public transit to work. I have enjoyed being in the house and have spent a lot of time cleaning and fixing little things to get everything in order for when the furniture arrives on Wednesday. I also had to buy appliances (a fridge and washing machine) as rental houses in Australia typically don’t come with either. What a stressful week that was!
Work has been going well although things have been very busy. I am getting used to getting around the city on my own but am missing Phil very much. My friends Matt and Sarah have kept me company when they are in the city. But other than that my weekends have been fairly quiet. It’s amazing how much work there is to do when you move house. From changing my drivers licence to setting things up anew, it seems there is always something to do!
Tuesday was Australia Day. Because of where our house is situated, we ended up with a lot of people on our street watching the fireworks over the Swan River. It was quite a spectacular show and I hope that next year we can have people over to share the lovely view with!
On Friday night I head back to New South Wales for a week. I have some work to do at Cowal and will also be helping Phil move out of the house in Forbes, put our stuff in storage, return the white goods I borrowed from Barrick and then fly back to Perth with Phil and the kitty cats in tow. Phil will be starting a new job at NorthParkes in a couple weeks which means he is on a new roster that will allow him to get back to Perth every few weeks. Thanks goodness!
In the meantime, I am using my quiet time to try plan for a quick trip to New Zealand for a wedding, mom and dad’s visit in April and then our big trip to South Africa/Canada in July. What a year!
Well, the internet has been ordered and the furniture is arriving next week, so hopefully it won’t be long before things are sort of back to normal and I can post photos of the new house with the furniture in it.
