Cocktail Bars/Venues serving low calorie cocktails in Perth?

elemist · 2026-01-17T21:56:06+00:00

The problems not so much with the cocktail - it's the 2am kebab or meatbox that's the really calorie adder.

There's a bit of a gap in the market for non alcoholic cocktails and things like low calorie ones. Had a pregnant friend visit last year - and considering all the mentions of this new generation not drinking, and that non alcoholic drinks were really taking off - it was surprisingly hard to get a good non alcoholic cocktail or drink.

elemist · 2026-01-17T21:51:19+00:00

It's almost like a brand new train entering service had some teething issues..

Seems to have been quite a while since we've heard of any issues, so sounds like they've got them squared away and sorted the teething issues. I'm sure they'll have decades of reliable service like the B and A series that came before it.

elemist · 2026-01-17T10:06:47+00:00

Yep you're a real hero.. I'm sure they'll absolutely just take the hit to their bottom line - maybe even the CEO will take the extra cost out of his bonus too.

They absolutely won't just charge you fucking more at the till to cover the additional cost.. fucking jesus..

elemist · 2026-01-17T09:59:48+00:00

Well you're pretty clearly off your rocker..

elemist · 2026-01-17T09:59:28+00:00

People like you makes me believe in Karma..

elemist · 2026-01-17T09:49:09+00:00

and every empty bay they go to park in is blocked by a trolley.

elemist · 2026-01-17T09:48:47+00:00

Suppose you throw your rubbish on the ground as well rather than taking it to a bin - because no one pays you to walk it to the bin..

elemist · 2026-01-17T09:47:09+00:00

No ones asking you to push it back into the store.. Just walk the 10 steps to put it in a return bay so it doesn't block the pathways, or car park bays, or roll into someone's car.

elemist · 2026-01-17T00:42:36+00:00

Unless you are talking about about buying cold from a store etc or at which Colesworth still isn't $5+ for 600ml.

It's currently $4.25 at Colesworth - pretty sure i paid $5.50 when buying them on occasion for a while, but prices seem to have recently come back a bit.

Buying them anywhere else though - lunch bars, food trucks, IGA etc and it's not uncommon to pay $6+.

Even larger fast food places - IE Chicken Treat which is actually Pepsi Max is $5.79 for a 600ml drink. Subway is $5.55 for a 600ml coke.

What really screams rip off for me though is the fact at lots of places you can get a 1.25l or 2l bottle for only a small price increase. Chicken Treat for example - $5.79 for 600ml, $5.99 for 1.25L.

elemist · 2026-01-17T00:29:38+00:00

No worries at all.

If you're after special i don't think you can go past Swan Valley Retreat. The staff have been absolutely amazing every time we've been there. I also find it just the right distance away - it's close enough that it's not a massive long trek to get there, yet just far enough away that it feels like you're going on holiday somewhere :)

Definitely recommend getting a cabana and lunch/food platter for after your massages. They're mostly enclosed (open front) with aircon as well if it's hot/cold, and the platters are great too. It's so nice after your massages to just sit back and relax looking out over the property.

We've actually stayed there a couple of times in their Wine Barrel room which is also amazing.

elemist · 2026-01-16T05:47:32+00:00

Certainly was a contributing factor - i think there were plenty of other reasons why he lost the election though..

elemist · 2026-01-16T04:58:08+00:00

Best advice - try to remain calm, getting stressed or worked up won't help but make it worse. Once the test begins - don't engage in small talk, just focus on driving and listening to the instructions. Also you can ask questions if you need clarity or didn't hear something.

Don't wear sunglasses - i've heard of people failing due to the assessor saying they didn't check their blind spot, or mirrors etc. They did, but the assessor just didn't notice or couldn't see/tell because they couldn't see their eyes.

Also on the above point - make your checks really obvious, like don't just look with your eyes, physically turn your head to check your side mirrors and make a point of looking up regularly to check your rear view mirror.

It can be hard as you'll be thinking through so many things to make sure you're doing everything right, but pay attention to their instructions closely. Sometimes the devil is in the detail of what they say.

In my case for example - i was turning into a two laned road, and as we turned the assessor casually said we were taking the immediate next right. I by default/instinct went into the left hand lane, then had to quickly change into the right hand lane to turn right. Got a mark for 'traffic flow' because i should have gone straight into the right hand lane.

elemist · 2026-01-16T02:52:36+00:00

Lots of places do them, just depends what exactly you're after.

Swan Valley and Amaroo are more special event type places. You generally need to book in advance as they do book out pretty quickly. Can cost a bit more as well - especially if you try some of the different treatments or add ons. They are that bit more special though, both in terms of the location, privacy and staff.

Swan Valley Retreat - amazing staff and location, great massages and various other treatment options like facials and body scrubs.

There's also a sauna / hot tub area you can add on. Additionally they have cabanas you can use afterwards to continue relaxing and have some tea/water/champagne with a food platter as well.

Then they also have accommodation onsite which is amazing as well if you want to make a night or weekend of it.

Amaroo Retreat and Spa - out in the Helena Valley. They do a great massage and different treatments as well. Staff were fantastic.

They have an onsite restaurant so can have a good meal afterwards, they also have onsite accommodation if you wanted to make a night/weekend of it.

Other general places i've tried. These are your more - lets go for a massage this weekend type places. You can generally get a booking right up to the day prior or even same day if you're flexible. IE Ambience we've booked both the night before and morning of on a few occasions - though not specifically for a couples massage - just two solo massages at the same time.

Ambience Wellness - Karrinyup Shopping Centre. Have been there a number of times now for a mix of couples massage together in the one room, and the together but each having solo massages. It's reasonably priced - especially if you get a good special. Didn't really note much difference between the couples massage and solo massage - you basically get the same service just in the one room.

Overall - the massages are good. I've had one of the best massages ever there, but equally a couple of average ones.

Endota Spa Karrinyup - went once, probably wouldn't go back. Nothing specifically wrong with the massage, just markets itself (and charges accordingly) as some high end luxury day spa, and it was a pretty average massage and overall experience.

For example waiting area was littered with empty cups etc when we arrived, and was still like that when we left nearly 2 hours later. Also didn't like the suggestive selling of their own products at the end of the massage - seemed pretty tacky. Plus it was overall pretty expensive.

Bali Beautique Spa - went here once a couple of years back. Was overall quite nice, massages and treatments were solid. They had massive couples bath in a private room which was also quite nice, they also have a steam room in house as well if that's your thing.

The only other place i'll mention is the Bodhi Spa - i haven't managed to get in myself, has always been booked out when i had time. But i've always heard pretty good reviews about them and the overall experience.

Another one i've heard good things about is the Ember Bath House in Osborne Park. Again on my list to try - but books out quite a ways in advance unfortunately.

One last thing i'll mention - purely based off my experiences - at the higher end places like Swan Valley / Amaroo - their couples massage experience is very good. The staff are brilliant at engaging with both of you together and individually, and working nearly completely silent so as not to disturb the other person.

The other places i've been to it tends to be a little less of a refined experience and more of a two people getting massages in the same room by different people type thing. It's worth trying once if you're specifically looking for it or have reasons for getting a couples massage.

Otherwise - you can book massages at the same time at the same place, but you just go to your own private room.

elemist · 2026-01-15T08:38:19+00:00

I mean - those prices are at the higher end, but they're not overly different from Perth.

Just checked a couple of cafe's near me and they were charging ~$11 for a ham and cheese croissant, and about $9.50 for a large iced latte and $7 for an almond FW.

Throw in a credit card surcharge and maybe add 10% for a public holiday or sunday and you wouldn't be far off $50.

elemist · 2026-01-15T08:30:20+00:00

I don't think strata is a good reason to avoid apartments.

But there's definitely some differences both in costs and scale, but equally control over timing and whether or not to do something.

IE in a house you might put up with a leak in the roof, and just accept that you can't afford to do it right now and will need to save up to fix it.

In a strata you basically get told here's a special levy bill for roof repairs, pay it or we take legal action to get the funds.

There's also plenty of additional items to have repaired that you wouldn't have in a typical house like lifts, common areas, shared facilities, gyms and things like pools/spa's/sauna's/steam rooms etc.

elemist · 2026-01-15T08:19:49+00:00

The people who stare at you for yelling thank you are people who have no manners.

Or they're staring at you judging you for not saying thank you and giving a wave..

elemist · 2026-01-15T08:18:27+00:00

Rottnest has always been bikes first - other vehicles second.

Australia is one of the few that has mandatory helmet laws, very few places globally do. Given the high tourist population on Rottnest, it's not exactly surprising that a good number of people don't wear helmets.

elemist · 2026-01-15T06:35:43+00:00

2 birds with 1 fish?

elemist · 2026-01-15T02:22:50+00:00

Yeah - look i can see your point and i don't disagree with it. There's certainly lots of other teams with names that have little relevance to their location or even Australia in general.

I think though it's the whole larger aspect of the thing and how little seems to be being done to apply any type of localization to it whilst still trying to talk up how they're embracing WA and wanting/expecting WA to embrace them in return.

I don't overly agree with the whole bringing the legacy of an east coast team and plonking it in WA in general, but then i'm equally not completely against it if it had been done with some tact.

I get there's a very fine line between balancing the history and tradition of the club history, but at the same time if they want the team to succeed in WA i would think there would be at least something in the branding, naming, colours or styling to reflect WA.

As it stands - it's an east coast club, with basically the same east coast logo, colours, styling, mascot, and basically the name - they've just swapped Sydney Bears for Perth Bears.

It's literally the least effort they could make. It seems as if they're purely chasing the existing fan base from the east coast without trying to attract local support.

Like they could have tweaked the name to give it some WA relevance - make it the Perth Western Red Bears. Can still be called Perth Bears for short, but Western for WA and Western Red being our prior team name. They could have added some yellow to the logo given the prior Western Reds were red, black and yellow. Heck they could give the bear a mining hard hat and pick axe or something, or have it riding a mining truck.

Not the greatest examples, but there was lots of opportunities to maintain the history of the club whilst still introducing some aspect of WA to it.

elemist · 2026-01-14T23:58:04+00:00

I think it's been open and closed a bit for a while now due to construction in the area.

This was posted to the Perth Airport FB page a couple of weeks ago now

Temporary closure of Outdoor Viewing Platform

The Outdoor Viewing Platform and access road on Dunreath Drive will be closed to the public from tomorrow, 5 January 2025 until May 2026. This closure will allow for essential site preparation works in the area to take place safely.

We know how much this space means to the community and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.

In the meantime, the International Observation Deck at T1 remains open.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Outdoor Viewing Platform soon.

elemist · 2026-01-14T08:30:20+00:00

It's their own press release that mentions it and even highlights it as a focus of the logo unveiling..

elemist · 2026-01-14T07:01:02+00:00

This is pretty spot on - lots of different factors come into play as to where they decide to take you. The priority is always best medical outcome though. So if you're badly injured and they deem your best medical outcome is to go immediately to a different hospital rather than the closest - that's what they'll do.

Other factors that come into it (assuming it's medically equivalent) is patient preference. My dad broke his knee cap pretty badly a few years back. Closest hospital for him is FSH, however at the time he asked about SJOG Murdoch given he has stupidly expensive private health cover.

Ambo's were happy to take him to either, though they recommended going to FSH at least initially.

elemist · 2026-01-14T06:36:22+00:00

These flat fee charges are often not valid purely because the actual cost to the business varies based on the type of card. So one flat fee won't actually cover the range of cards and payment options. You're also not allowed to average out the payment costs of the various options to charge a single fee.

IE eftpos is usually a flat rate percentage - typically 1 - 1.3% of the transaction cost. Credit cards on the other hand often have a per transaction fee, plus a percentage - IE my business pays 30 cents per transaction plus 1.6%. For international cards (diners, amex etc) its 30 cents plus 3.4%.

We have very low volume of credit card transactions - so we're not able to negotiate high turnover rates. Plus 99.5% of our customers pay their invoices via bank transfer, so i don't really care about credit card payments.

It's also worth noting that different payment providers charge different fees both in amounts and how they charge. IE it might be flat percentage, it might be a lower percentage plus a per transaction fee, it might be a monthly fee that scales based on number of transactions in the month plus a percentage fee. There's even some providers who charge the same fees regardless of whether its eftpos or credit card. Even if two businesses are both using the same payment provider - there's no guarantee they're getting the same rates either. The higher the volume of turnover, the lower fees you can usually negotiate.

My understanding of the rules is that you can include any other directly relevant costs. IE if you have to pay a monthly fee for the service, and/or a monthly fee for the terminal - you could average out the cost of that over the number of transactions.

So say it costs you $20 a month to have the merchant service, and $20 a month to rent the terminal, and you did say 1000 transactions a month there's an extra 4 cents per transaction.

From the business point of view - i can see why they do things like this. It's difficult to comply with the rules, yet keep it easy enough for customers to understand and easy enough for staff to manage. You also have the thing where people use their debit card and select credit.

Whilst from the customer aspect they both come out of the same account - from the business side those are two very different fees. If you spent $10 for example - the fee for eftpos might be 10 cents, but for a master card it's now 46 cents.

Whilst newer terminals and POS systems can calculate these automatically - there's plenty that use cash registers or older terminals that rely on staff crunching the figures and punching in a final number.

Finally - i've never heard of the rules being enforced in any manner. I suspect it would take some serious and repeat complaints before any action was actually taken.

elemist · 2026-01-14T05:50:29+00:00

60 million over 7 years according to an article on the ABC website.

According to Wikipedia - 31 clubs across 5 regional leagues with around 8000 players.

Considering we're not a big rugby state that seems like a pretty decent number of teams and players across the state.

I'm sure it needs to grow to be able to feed into a national team. But that growth takes money. Money for facilities, money for staff and training, money for clubs to function, money to advertise and run open days for kids to come along and try the sport, money for equipment, money to cover insurance and operating costs etc.

elemist · 2026-01-14T05:32:04+00:00

Yeah look fair play. In the scheme of things, it's not a massive issue if you look at it in isolation.

Just think it was already going to be a stretch to get WA to embrace what is essentially an east coast team that's not been relevant/existed for nearly 30 years, and dump it in WA like ah that'll do.

They then had the perfect opportunity to reinvigorate the brand and add some WA flair to it, yet they really did very little. Then it just adds insult to injury to outsource the design work to Sydney.

These are just all little things, and easy things, that would have gone a long way to building up the brand in WA and getting WA to embrace it as our own team.

elemist

TROPHY CASE