Perth, Australia

Despite its deceptively large population, people in Perth are proud to describe the city as a "country town".  The mining boom caused a lot of growth in recent years, but the lifestyle has remained very laid-back and friendly. In my short time there, I quickly fell in love with everything that Perth offers to residents and visitors alike. 

The city center has a couple shopping arcades and a pedestrian-only area with all the major stores you would find in Sydney or Melbourne. Everything closes a little earlier, but "trading hours" are still better than in Europe (thanks to being open on Sundays). Speaking of Europe, I felt like I was back in the UK when I walked down one pedestrian street, appropriately called London Court

Without the Australian flags, it looks just like England

Actually, there were quite a few areas of the city where the buildings reminded me of England (although much newer). Just look at Government House, for example: 

Government House...with a distinct British influence

Everything about the city just makes life easy. Public buses in central Perth are free and they run at a really high frequency. When I was walking from the hotel to the race start on my first morning in the city, a bus actually stopped right next to me and the driver opened the door to ask if I wanted a ride to the starting line. I challenge anyone else to find another city of 1.5 million people where this would happen! 

I already wrote an entire blog entry about the great outdoor activities in Perth, but I also found the nightlife to be fun.  My favorite night out was spent at Gloucester Park, which is a harness horse racing track. This is not a place where you can expect the highest echelons of society, but it is a fun Friday night destination for drinks and casual gambling.

Race results at Gloucester Park

I had never seen a harness horse race, but it looked a little like a handicap version of the traditional version. Instead of riding on the horse, the jockey rides in a little cart that is pulled by the horse. The announcer even refers to the jockey as a "driver" instead of a "rider". 

The drivers are not, in fact, handicap

Race warm-ups in progress

The track is open every Friday night and races happen about once every 25 minutes, between 6 and 10pm. People place small bets in between races and spend the rest of their time chatting with friends. Overall, it was a really relaxed and casual environment. I didn't win anything, but I would much rather spend my night at the race track with live entertainment than just standing around at a bar.

The less-than modern betting area

For me, the best part of the entire night was seeing the area where horses are prepped for the races. It felt like going backstage at a show. As I walked through the stables, there was a feeling of relaxed anticipation. The only people who seemed to take it seriously were the horse owners, who mostly around in full suits and acted like big shots. 

Horses standing in the stables

 

A jockey prepares for his next race

An owner takes great care in grooming

I was surprised to hear that most of my local colleagues have never even been to Gloucester Park, but I would definitely recommend it as a tourist attraction. 

On a global scale, Perth seems to get overlooked by travelers in favor of Sydney and Melbourne. But, make no mistake - Perth is a hidden gem that is absolutely worth seeing.  In fact, I would dare to say it's among my 5 favorite cities in the world. 

Outdoor Activities in Perth

The first thing I noticed about Perth was all the green space. Despite having a population of over 1.5 million, the downtown area feels incredibly spacious, with a multitude of fields and biking/running trails along the river. The city has an amazing climate, so it comes as no surprise that people like to spend their time outdoors.

The day after I arrived, I participated in the "HBF Run for a Reason", which is a huge event with around 30,000 runners between the 4k and 12k distances. The race started downtown and was remarkably well-organized, considering the sheer volume of participants. I also found the atmosphere to be really uplifting, as the announcers shared fun stories, interviewed racers, and showed pictures on a huge screen that people were tweeting of themselves in the starting corrals. 

I was stuck in the middle of the pack to start the race, so the first kilometer was mainly spent weaving in and out of the slow runners. (One of my running pet peeves is when slow people insist on starting near the front and serve as roadblocks for the people that actually deserve to be in front). The first half of the course was along the highway and through a long tunnel, before meandering through the riverfront parks, and finishing at the horse track. 

Once the pack thinned out, I managed to catch my rhythm. My ankle hurt at the beginning, but I really pushed myself hard. I love these shorter races because I don't have to conserve my energy so much.

I managed to escape the crowds by the middle

The finish area at the racetrack was really unique (although, surprisingly, it was not the first time I ran through a horse track...Kentucky Derby half marathon in 2012 holds that honor). My finish time for the 12k race was just over 45 minutes and I was really proud of my overall placement.

Approaching the finish line at Gloucester Park

After the race, I hung around for a while to talk with other runners and watch the seemingly endless parade of race finishers. It's fun to see how much more crowded the finish line gets when the bulk of the runners reach the end (it almost felt like I was running in a completely different race).

Here's a shot of the finish line

Finish area of the HBF Run for a Reason

Even though I didn't have anyone cheering me on at the finish line, I always enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes at the end of the race. Most of my workouts during the week are at a more relaxed pace, so it's fulfilling to really push myself on race day. Here's a video compilation of the event, which was posted online a few days later:

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Aside from running, anyone visiting Perth should definitely rent a bicycle and explore the city and nearby suburbs via their extensive trail network along the river. The trails are extremely well maintained and offer tremendous views of the city.

One of the bike paths along the Swan River in Perth

I set off for my journey from the CBD and proceeded down the path without a particular destination in mind. As I continued towards the suburbs, the sky started getting really dark and rain began pouring down. I took cover under a tree, which was only marginally effective. By this point, I was about 5-6 miles away from where I had started, which left me dreading the ride back.

Where did the rain come from?!

The rain wasn't slowing down, so I decided to just ride as quickly as possible back to the city. Water was not only soaking me from above, but also all over my back and into my shoes. It's almost like the tires were purposely designed to funnel as much water as possible onto me. 

In a city known for its beautiful weather and outdoor activities, I had to redeem myself with another bike ride later in the week. Bicycle adventure 2.0 started at the same place and with the same views.

Preparing for bike ride #2 on this sunny day in Perth

I decided that my destination would be King's Park, which sits at the top of a hill overlooking the city. I was advised to enter at the furthest point from the city, which was a great idea because I was able to get beautiful, serene views from the University of Western Australia and the Royal Perth Yacht Club. 

Views of the city from Royal Perth Yacht Club

Even though it is now winter in Perth, the weather felt like a late-spring day for northern US standards! I have heard that summers can be very warm, so this must be one of the most pleasant times to do outdoor activities without working up a huge sweat. 

I cycled up the hill and entered the park for a really serene ride. The hills made for a nice workout and the trees kept the trails very secluded. Eventually, I got to a clearing and was treated with a beautiful view overlooking the city. 

Overlooking Perth from King's Park

Views of South Perth from King's Park

I continued biking through the park for a while longer, climbed the DNA tower (for yet another view of the city), and looked at some of the war memorials that also overlook the city from King's Park.

On my way back into the city, there was a small patch of rain that was just strong enough to feel refreshing. The added benefit of the rain were some rainbows that formed across the sky. I rode right through the end of this one shown below, but alas, there was no pot of gold.

A rainbow forms over Perth CBD

The city of Perth places a high value on the well-being of its residents. It is clear that major investments are made to keep the parks and bike paths well maintained. The parks even have fitness equipment stationed in select areas for people to do a circuit workout. 

Athletic events like the HBF Run for a Reason receive such great publicity - from banners around the city, to results being published in the newspaper. The local news station even did a 30-minute recap segment the following week. 

If every city made such concerted efforts to promote healthy lifestyles, the world would be a much happier place.