IT’S hot, dry and ... heaven. If there’s one thing that characterises Western Australia it’s summer.
Three months of sun, sand, salt water and how we’ve moulded our lives to make the most of it. Whether that be a stunning swim at a beach Down South or waiting for the Fremantle Doctor to come sweeping through the front door. Maybe it’s a Simmo’s ice cream (two scoops), or crabbing at that secret spot in the Swan.
For some it’s backyard cricket with the boys next door, an outdoor movie under a still sky or an ice cold beer from one of our boutique breweries.
To remind us how lucky we are, today The Sunday Times and PerthNow lists 50 reasons why we really do love these three long, lingering months of magic.
Listed in any order we hope they trigger memories from the past and tempt you to try something new in this sunburnt state of ours. And if you think we missed anything that makes your summer great, let us know below.
1. Backyard cricket. All we need is a bat, a ball and an esky for wickets (or a wheelie bin). No tip-and-run for us though – that’s for amateurs.
2. AFL footballer Hayden Ballantyne: Boating, skiing, crabbing and fishing with family and friends in Mandurah.
3. Sundays at the Mundaring Weir hotel. Nestled in the Perth Hills’s jarrah forest – there’s not much better than a pint of beer, the bush band and the venue’s famous spit roast.
4. Fish and chips while watching the sun set over the ocean at one of our beautiful beaches.
5. The influx of tourists from all over the world who come to WA to experience one of the world’s best summers. More than 500,000 interstate and overseas visitors will travel from all over the world to enjoy our piece of the world during summer. The majority of tourists are from the UK and Singapore and the US.
6. Outdoor films. There are plenty of options to enjoy a great film outside at night, from the Moonlight Cinema at Kings Park to the Somerville Auditorium at the University of WA. A special mention has to go to the funky Rooftop Movies on the top floor of the Roe St car park in the City.
7. 92.9 Breakfast presenter Heidi Anderson: I love being able to cruise down the freeway and within three hours be in paradise (the South-West). A perfect day for me is waking up in Dunsbourough with a breakfast at Sumudra cafe and then heading down to Meelup Beach. I normally finish up with a pint of beer at Eagle Bay Brewery while munching on their delicious ribs and watching the sun go down.
8. Ice coffee, because deep down we’re all a bit bogan.
9. The “interactive sculpture” in Perth’s Forrest Place we call the water labyrinth. It’s like a giant sprinkler fight in the city.
10. The new free sun lounges at Bathers beach in Fremantle.
11. Fresh fruit. Fresh bread. Fresh honey. Fresh everything from one of the state’s 21 farmers markets. Special mention to the Boyanup Farmers Market (every fourth Sunday of the month from 8am-noon).
12. The summer music festivals and outdoor concerts every year. We may not have the Big Day Out or Soundwave anymore, but mega stars like Drake are still enticed to WA by events like the Future Music Festival.
13. West Coast legend Karl Langdon: Crayfishing off Hillarys, fishing off Rotto and crabbing in Mandurah at this time of the year is the best way to spend quality time with family and friends.
14. Watching our champion cricket team the Perth Scorchers at the WACA as part of the Twenty20 Big Bash League.
15. The sausage sizzle. It doesn’t matter if it’s outside Bunnings, at your kids’ sporting match or on the home barbie – the sizzle is a summer staple.
16. Night markets. The “Twilight Hawkers Market” every Friday in Perth is a taste feast and has spurred a bunch of more local versions, like the new night markets every Monday night in Inglewood.
17. Dragging for prawns in the Swan River on a balmy night. Once a summer institution, this is back on the agenda thanks to restocking efforts.
18. Our iconic Rottnest Island. Pinky’s, The Basin, a mock cream bun from the bakery or a sweat-soaked cycle to West End. The list goes on.
19. Crown Austrlian Resorts CEO Barry Felstead: Having an ice old beer while cooking a steak on the barbie.
20. Wedding season. Love is in the air during summer as cooing couples walk down the aisles at venues (or beaches) all over the state.
21. The award-winning and world-famous Simmo’s ice cream at Dunsborough, Busselton, Mandurah and Rottnest. Too many flavours to count. Maybe Licorice for dad, Lemon Sorbet for mum and a non-stop selection for the kids including Caramel Malteser, Jaffa, Crunchie Munchie, Bubblegum. Plenty of excuses for a return visit or two or three ...
22. Ditching the confines of the gym and getting fit instead by running along the Swan River at dawn or watching the sun set as you go up and (and up and down again) at Kings Park’s DNA tower.
23. The Golden Valley Tree Park in Balingup. The 60-hectare, heritage-listed site in our South-West has a collection of trees that was started more than 100 years ago and is now the largest arboretum in WA.
24. Skyworks 2015. Join the throng of patriotic Australians and celebrate what it means to be an Aussie on The Esplanade foreshore and at Kings Park. As ever, the spectacular fireworks will be a highlight of the January 26 celebrations.
25. Sky News presenter Ashleigh Gillon: A long lazy vineyard lunch accompanied by a chilled bottle of Margaret River white. Life with a toddler means opportunities for the indulgence are few and far between. For my family, the discovery of Arimia down south has meant we can still enjoy what has always been a favourite summer’s day treat.
26. Swimming with dolphins at Bunbury thanks to the multi-award winning Dolphin Discovery Centre.
27. Lake Leschenaultia. Pack your bathers and head 45 minutes inland to the Shire of Mundaring where this former railway dam turned recreational lake offers a stunning weekend retreat.
28. WA Cricket coach Justin Langer: Catching blue manna crabs and then eating them with fresh bread, salt, pepper and vinegar. You wouldn’t be dead for quids.
29. Cheering on the table-topping Perth Glory in the soccer A-League.
30. Craft beer, from the staples at Little Creatures in Fremantle to the Feral Brewing Company in Baskerville.
31. Don the mask and snorkel and make a splash at the Busselton Jetty. The longest jetty in the southern hemisphere is a wildlife mecca, with visibility to match.
32. A steak and cheese pie at the Dunsborough bakery.
33. Kayaking on Augusta’s Blackwood River in the rivermouth.
34. Popstar Samantha Jade: WA summers are simply the best. From Cottesloe Beach to Margaret River we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
35. The Giants. We haven’t seen them yet, but these towering puppets (one that stands 11m tall) will be something to remember. The $5.4 million public spectacle will kick off the Perth International Arts Festival and be the biggest free public arts event the state has ever had.
36. Dropping the crab nets in the Swan River or Peel Inlet for a feed of fat blue mannas.
37. Watching how bad the weather is everywhere else. As Perth enjoys an amazing summer, there’s always someone on your Facebook newsfeed who is complaining a miserable winter and declaring how jealous they are of your photos.
38. Nine News Perth weather presenter Scherri-Lee Biggs: Fish and chips on at Cottesloe beach on a balmy summer evening.
39. The Boyup Brook Country Music Festival.
40. Trying your luck under the lights of the Narrows Bridge for the mythical mulloway.
41. An early morning round at Point Walter Golf Course. The giant gum tree in the middle of the fairway on the 7th hole has ruined many promising under-par rounds.
42. The Fringe Festival. Running from January 23-February 22, the annual art event takes over Perth with everything from burlesque to a battle between rappers and comedians. This year’s event comes with the Fringe World UV rating (mild to very hot) so audiences can tell what they’re in for.
43. Every green thumb with a veggie patch loves summer for one reason above all others – it’s the one time of year to grow a bountiful harvest of sweet, juicy tomatoes that eclipse anything you can find in a supermarket. For a true taste of summer, pick one ripe from the bush, wrap it in a basil leaf and devour on the spot.
44. Tourism Council Chief Executive Evan Hall: Summer Sunday in the Perth Hills. I love wandering through Kalamunda markets, having a picnic in the cool at Araluen gardens or a Sunday session with cold ciders at CORE cider house.
45. The summer afternoon sou’wester. Beach-goers might head for home when the sea breeze kicks in but this is the hour our army of kite surfers relish.
46. Summer is crayfish season and few spots are more scenic than diving for crays off Hamelin Bay near Augusta. While you’re in the vicinity, take in the spectacular view from the top of the Augusta lighthouse.
47. Manjimup stone fruit. During summer the peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots are ripe, full of flavour, sweet as honey and about as local as they come.
48. Summer means it’s finally warm enough to ditch the wetsuit and indulge in a surf or stand-up paddle board session at Iso’s reef off Cottesloe wearing only boardshorts or a bikini.
49. Being lazy. Summer in WA is hot, so there’s no better excuse to just lounge around. Whether its under the shade in a park, on the couch at home or down the beach – summer makes being lazy socially acceptable.
50. WA Premier Colin Barnett: Tennis season. I play early on Thursday mornings and on the weekends when I can. For tennis lovers this is a great time of year with the Hopman Cup in Perth and the Australian Open (on TV).
