Thinking of studying in Australia? Try Perth

Perth has slipped slightly on The Economist's latest survey but still ranks as one of the top ten most livable cities in the world. This is no surprise. Sure, house prices are too high but Perth is still a great place to live.

It seldom gets oppressively hot and never gets freeze-to-death cold – I made it through last winter without once using heat and haven't hit the air-conditioner's on button yet this summer.

There's plenty of paid work, with lots of money to be made, especially if you're single and don't mind working a FIFO job (fly-in, fly-out) in the middle of nowhere. If you have a trade qualification that's in demand you're pretty much guaranteed getting paid lots more than you're worth.

The beaches are fantastic, with numerous surfing, wind-surfing and kite-surfing sites close at hand. And if you're not into water sports in a big way you can go to one of the local beaches, lounge in the sun and watch some of the world's most beautiful men and women model skimpy swimwear. Don't forget the sunscreen.

The nightclub scene in Northbridge is probably best avoided but for those into nightlife there are lots of other places to drink and party. And when you get hungry there are literally thousands of restaurants offering just about every kind of food you can think of, from burgers to Mexican to Burmese.

And if you are here to study, and can find the time, there are some world-class tertiary institutions: Murdoch University, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Notre Dame University and the University of Western Australia, offering degree programs in everything from medicine to veterinary science to law to nursing to primary teaching.

Perth is the world's most isolated capital city but offers everything you'd expect to find in New York or Paris only a smaller scale. Avoid the isolated trouble spots and trouble makers and you'll find it a near perfect place to live. Best of all, it's neither Melbourne nor Adelaide.