[ad_1]
The most isolated city on earth might conjure up images of barren landscapes and tumbleweed.
So you might be surprised to learn that the world’s most remote metropolis is one you’ve probably heard of many times before – in fact, you might even know someone who hails from there.
Perth, in Western Australia, is often considered to be the most isolated major urban area when it comes to distance. To put this into context, the nearest destination with over 10,000 inhabitants, Adelaide, is a staggering 2,100km (1,305 miles) away; that’s roughly the distance from London to Casablanca, Morocco.
The capital of Western Australia is a four-hour flight to Sydney, and is actually closer to Southeast Asian countries like East Timor and Indonesia geographically.
As well as being remote, it’s also really spread out. Perth spans 2,478 square miles, which makes it only slightly smaller than London, despite the fact its population is almost four times lower.
But while it’s far away from well, everything, Perth isn’t exactly off-grid – far from it.
The truth is, when you’re in Perth, you don’t really notice that you’re in the middle of nowhere.
A modern city in a thriving country, Perth has everything you’d expect: from nightclubs and shopping malls, to an efficient public transport system.
Is Perth really the most remote city in the world?
It’s worth noting that Perth’s status as the most remote city is debatable.
For example, Iquitos, Peru, could be contender, given it has no roads leading in or out and is only accessible via river or air – but the city of Pucallpa is just over 500km away.
There’s also Honolulu, Hawaii, which is a mind-bending 3,858km from San Francisco, USA, the nearest major city. That being said, it’s close to other, vibrant areas on the island of Oahu, such as Waikiki Beach.
Or there’s Norilsk, Russia – at 2,800km northeast of Moscow, it’s within the Arctic Circle and has no roads to the country’s mainland – while some New Zealanders might think they claim the crown too, as Auckland is 2,168km away from Sydney, the nearest city of a comparable size.
There are also those that would argue that Perth is actually very close to its nearest city: Fremantle, 40 minutes away by car. However, most consider Fremantle to be a suburb of Perth, rather than a separate city altogether.
The ARIA+ index is a measurement of remoteness, created by the Australian Government. It measures remoteness based on road distance to the nearest urban areas. Perth is considered highly accessible, with a value of 0 out of 15 on the index.
So, if you want to get technical, Perth might not actually be the most isolated city on Earth. That said, there’s no city of similar size anywhere in the world as remote, explaining why you might hear it referred to as such.
What are the cons of living in Perth?
There are, of course, some downsides. People living in Perth need to be prepared to travel if they want to catch up with friends and relatives elsewhere. The city is closer to the likes of Indonesia than it is to Sydney, on the east coast. For British expats, the quickest direct flight to London is a staggering 17 hours.
The job market is also competitive. With over 2.3 million living in Greater Perth, that’s a lot of people all vying for the same jobs – unless you’re willing to look elsewhere and consider a very, very long commute.
You’re also less likely to be able to catch your favourite bands. Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour did not touch down in Perth, nor did Coldplay’s recent world tour. And it was bad news for Swifties, as despite hitting more than 54 cities on her Era’s Tour, Taylor Swift did not make an appearance in Western Australia.
On the Ask An Australian subreddit, residents shared their biggest woes of living in such an isolated place.
‘There’s good food there but less restaurant diversity than east,’ wrote on poster. ‘Less artistic and cultural diversity too… some complain that Perth is also culturally way behind eastern cities and there’s also something to that.’
‘Perth is boring,’ added another. ‘There’s not a lot to do. Our beaches are nice, but if you aren’t into that lifestyle you are limited.’
A third added that a lack of innovation was a problem. ‘This can make it difficult for innovative ideas to flourish, since we’re in our little “bubble” here.’
What do people like about living in Perth?
There’s also a lot of people online willing to share what they loved about their city – particularly the laid-back vibes.
‘Perth has incredible weather,’ began one happy poster. ‘We have the most incredible beaches accessible from a large city – they’re truly amazing. Because of the weather and the coastline the Perth lifestyle is very laid back and relaxed.’
Others agreed: ‘We are also seen as quite laidback, chill people who love surfing and AFL (Australian Football League). We just live more relaxed because of our isolation.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
[ad_2]
Source link
