EQ: Stories, people and places - with Adie Chapman

These are the stories of Elizabeth Quay – interviews with artists, chefs, business owners, tour guides, creatives and community leaders. An insider look at the people and stories that shape this place, and our city.

Adie Chapman loves a statement piece of clothing. Today, it's a pair of very fun pants adorned with colourful budgies and a funky leather handbag that she says she bought for her mum... before deciding to keep it for herself.

A few of the sweet little budgies have bright blue feathers that match her unmistakable Oh Hey WA shirt - synonymous with both Adie and the company she founded 12 years ago at just 23.

She's bright, cheerful and full of passion. You can’t help but like her. Pretty good ingredients for someone running a successful tourism business.

Adie is a Perth enthusiast - to put it mildly. In fact, she's a self-confessed one (it’s even in her email signature “Chief Perth Enthusiast”). We took a walk with her on a crisp July morning through the city to learn a little more about Perth's biggest cheerleader, how she fell in love with walking tours and how Oh Hey WA came to be.

Oh Hey WA runs several walking tours throughout Perth, including at Elizabeth Quay and Yagan Square.

For more information about their tours, check out the Oh Hey WA website.

Hi Adie, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be known as Perth's 'Chief Enthusiast'?

I am the founder of Oh Hey WA Walking Tours. I've been running this business for nearly 12 years, and I started it to share my passion for Perth, exploring stories and places with people. I love it. I can't believe it's what I get to do.

You had an interesting career flip, from mechanical engineering to tourism. Was there a moment that sparked it?

I studied mechanical engineering. I got the degree, but I never actually worked in the industry because I knew it wasn’t suited to my personality or my passions. When I was at uni, I actually went travelling a lot. That's when I fell in love with walking tours and knew that it's what I wanted to do with my life.

There was this incredible tour I went on in Edinburgh, in Scotland. It's such an amazing city for old stories and really fun facts. At the end of the tour, the guy was so awesome, and they get paid in tips, so people were giving him money and then he went and had a beer with people afterwards. I was like, "What is this job? How is that what someone can do with their life?" And that's really what started it for me.

You started Oh Hey WA when you were just 23 years old and you've collected a few awards along the way. When you look back, what do you think made it work?

Oh Hey WA has been going since 2014, and I think what's made us so successful is that we're just really, really passionate. We call ourselves Perth enthusiasts. We love this city, we love people, we love sharing stories, and I think that everything has come from a place of curiosity and with a lot of heart.

Where does your passion for Perth come from?

I was born and raised in Perth, and I think it really changed around the time that I started the tours. Perth was changing so much, and people still thought it was so boring and it got such a bad rap. I think it's those changes coming in that weren't really obvious to people that really drive my passion — helping people find things that they wouldn't just easily stumble across.

Normally, when you're walking in the city, you're in a rush, you're going to work or trying to get to an event or going shopping, and you don't actually stop and slow down and look around you. That's the beauty of travelling and walking through a new city. You look at it with fresh eyes and want to notice the things around you, but we don't usually do that at home. That's what really drives my passion.

I love taking visitors and tourists on tours, but I love even more taking locals on tours and showing them what's right here around us.

You must know the city inside out by now. Are there a few spots you always love sharing with visitors?

Yeah, I really love taking visitors to places that they might not easily stumble on on their own. The Amphitheatre here in Yagan Square is one of my favourite spots because we're right in the heart of the city. You might walk through the walkways so many times, but most people have no idea that this place is even here. It's just a little oasis right here in the concrete jungle of Perth city. It's this beautiful, quiet spot that has many events held in it as well. So I really love here.

I really love taking people down laneways. Street art murals are one of my favourite things to explore in any city, and we have so many amazing murals in Perth. Places like Grand Lane and Wolf Lane are just such amazing places to take people down.

I also love taking people to hidden small bars, and Alfred's Pizzeria is our absolute favourite. You enter through a red telephone box and go down the stairs into a whole other world. Again, most people have never been there before.

A lot of your tours explore public art. Are there any pieces that really stand out to you

Definitely. The public art in Grand Lane is amazing. There was a fresh wave of commissions last year, so Keytone has this huge piece that leads you into the laneway and it's absolutely incredible.

Another huge highlight is actually by a Singaporean artist, Yip Yew Chong, who the city brought over. He's got this incredible immersive optical illusion piece that feels like you could step right into it, and it uses lots of different elements of the building really well. There's a water heater that's been turned into an ice cream machine. I just think that's really, really fun.

We're having a wonderfully wet winter in Perth this year. What's it like getting out and about on a walking tour at this time of year? Any favourite winter spots?

Definitely. You have to get a little bit cosy indoors on the rainy walking tours. The State Buildings are always a favourite at any time of year, but especially in winter. We can go get a coffee from Telegram and go see Sue Lewis Chocolatier and really spend some more time inside that gorgeous building.

Also, the Old Courthouse Museum tucked away in Stirling Gardens — our oldest remaining building in Perth. There's a great little museum in there, and you can learn about our history while staying dry as well.

Let's say I've just landed in Perth with 24 hours to spare. Where are you sending me?

I recommend starting with our Discover Perth Walking Tour. It goes for three hours and gives you an amazing overview of the city, starting in Yagan Square and finishing at Elizabeth Quay. You actually finish up at 18 Knots Rooftop Bar, so you can have a gorgeous lunch while enjoying the best views of the city.

Then pop on the Blue CAT straight up to Kings Park, explore the gorgeous gardens, enjoy the stunning views, and Aspects Gift Shop is the best.

Then for the afternoon, head down to Fremantle, explore the awesome historic streets and shops, go to the markets if it's the weekend, and then finish off watching the sunset at Bathers Beach House with a drink in hand.

How would you describe Perth to someone who's never been before?

Perth is just great. It's the perfect size. It's kind of like a big country town. It's small enough that everyone's really friendly, and it's easy to get around and do things, but it's big enough that there are so many cool things to do all the time. It's a little bit quirky, a little bit different, and just a really friendly, warm and welcoming place.