Perth Suburbs

A month or so late but better late than never as I find details of my trip to Perth's suburbs fading from my memories.

We visited quite a number of suburbs - Kelmscott, Byford, Roleystone, Canning Vale, Thornlie, Atwell and Baldivis.

Atwell was very quiet. Very quiet. I know that I'm looking for a little peace and quiet but this was even beyond me. It is for want of a better word 'retirement' quiet.

Thornlie was where we stayed for the week and it was a pleasant stay. Maybe it's because we didn't know the place well enough but we failed to find a decent park to wander around in. I was also struck by the lack of activities around the area. Still liked the place though. In the one week we were there, I managed to memorize the road to the supermarket. Heh.

Kelmscott. There are moments in life that are marked by a single incident and this was one of them. We liked Kelmscott and we will always remember it as a friendly place because as we were perusing a school, some students waved at my kids. S liked that gesture. I think it gave her confidence that she could handle the switch to an Australian school. Liked too that it was near the Darling Range Regional Park.

Roleystone was a suburb that I really loved. That I could really imagine myself living in. Properties surrounded by tall, shady wooded areas. Lovely. The only obstacle was the high cost of property around the area. Well, that and J's reluctance to live in a semi-rural setting. The school itself was also situated in the midst of trees. Surrounded by nature reserves.

Byford. To sum it up in one word? Possibilities. The suburb is so new that there's construction everywhere yet it is littered with parks and playgrounds. There's something appealing about a new start. The lack of infrastructure was our concern after visiting Byford. Greatly like the fact that Byford is situated right next to Darling Range Regional Park too.

Then there's Baldivis. It's far enough from Perth that it's affordable. Near enough to lakes and the coastline to give me the illusion of moving to a different lifestyle. Actually, that's not the truth, come to think of it. It would be a different lifestyle. We walked around quite a bit in Baldivis and liked the parks that dotted the suburb. Liked the homes which were generally newer with it being one of the younger suburbs. Liked that it was more developed compared to Byford. Liked that it was less than 20 minutes to the beach. Ticked many of the checkboxes.

Lastly, Canning Vale. Well-developed suburb with no want for infrastructure. We drove around a lot as there were many schools that we were keen on. Property is out of reach of our purchasing power though so it'd be rental, rental, rental. We had the feeling though that there were Asians living in the area based on the decorations that appeared on the facades of the houses.