Snooze City Is Wide Awake

Perth threw off the bedcovers, hit the ground running, and transformed itself into a city of cool.

- Jennifer Schoon

Everyone in Singapore, well almost everyone, knows where Perth is. And, almost everyone has visited. But to a man, woman, and child, not a one would ever have said Perth is happening. Much less, hip.

At least, not until recently.

“No Way!” says this skeptic, who was last downunder more than a decade ago.

“WAY,” says the same skeptic who was downunder a few months ago.

The reasons for me visiting Perth in the 80s were to visit family friends, Freemantle and farms.

Later, the reasons shifted to golf, and more golf. Wine, and more wine. Then, there was nothing left to return to Perth for.

Ironically, it was golf that brought me back to Perth earlier this year, to attend the ISPS Handa Super 6 tournament. It was through golf, that I saw the massive structural changes, that illicit a dramatic ‘wah’, and, the more subtle shifts, that draw a breathlessly awed,‘wow’.

On the drive into the city, there seemed to be a different vibe. Unhurried, for sure, but definitely purposeful. Nothing yet that knocked the socks off - that was to come in waves over the next few days.

The first dramatic onslaught was to come to a Super 6 pre-tournament event to meet (some) pro golfers at the Optus Stadium. Opened in January 2018, the state-of-the-art 60,000 seat, multi-purpose arena, has the in-your-face grand factor.

Certainly its design is striking and, in a widespread, generally low-rise area, it dominates. What is truly huge though, is the change it signals – Perth is serious about upping the ante when it comes to impressing, enchanting, and drawing both internal and external tourists.

The stadium coincidentally sits on half of what was formerly the public Burswood Park Golf Course. The rest has been redeveloped to include a six-star hotel to the impressive offerings of the Crowne Casino Complex, which was the former Burswood Casino & Resort complex.