PARKS, PRISONS, BEACHES, AND DOLPHINS? A DAY IN PERTH --DAY 15

After a very tough day of traveling, today was a treasure.  My room was quiet and comfortable and this place has a “Shoney-like” breakfast (they say brekkie) bar.  It was very good, but don’t worry I didn’t have the white bread :).  Other people, it appears, actually buy the type of car I have as a hire car, scary.

A friend of my family, Lyn (whom I didn’t know until now, but am very glad I met), picked me up.  So I had my own personal chauffeur/tour guide to take me around Perth.    Along the way, we discovered we had many things in common (we both love the Sweet Potato Queens -- so she has to be cool) and things not in common (she has lived all over the world growing up -- But she was raised by two southerners so she has southern manners and personality).  

We started out in King’s Park, which was a beautiful enclave in Perth that had amazing overlooks of the Swan River and the city.  The trees were massive and the lawns green.   They had a Boab tree there that had been transported and replanted when a highway was going to be built over it.  The tree was very interesting looking.  Also there were many different types of beautiful, colorful and noisy birds flying around.  We got to cross a very pretty rounded bridge that overlooked the city and it’s suburbs.  You could see Lyn’s apartment from here too. (They have a great view also.)

Me and my new interesting lively friend traveled to Fremantle, where she showed me where the “new” prison was but we didn’t go in (heaps of people about). 

What are Shacks?

But we did park by the “old” prison and started exploring.  At the old roundhouse prison, Ken, a retired lawyer and now volunteer, gave us a personalized tour.  Was it our southern accents that did that?  The prison had a few cells still remaining, and a well in the center.  The edifice was made of limestone and other rock quarried from the area, which reminded us both of buildings in Texas.  The front entrance looked straight down High Street (where all the shops were).  He told us of how they only executed one person here, a 15 year old boy.  And how they built up the entire area, as it was once a swamp. There was a nice set up with narrative placards of the history.  And I even got in the stockade they had for unruly visitors ;).

We strolled down the wharf area and ended up in Little Creatures, micro brewery.  After finding our seats and a table on the back deck overlooking the water, our sweet waiter, who definitely liked flirting with the fairer sex (as he called us), waited on us quickly.   We had delicious pork belly and apple chutney and grilled barramundi and some of the best frites (french fries) ever.  Great meal and we sat and visited enjoying the beautiful weather.  

We walked through Fremantle and explored the pretty little streets.  The old buildings fascinated me and I took way too many pictures of them.  (These are only a few of the ones I took.)  We found 2 used bookstores (I still am in amazement how much books cost here, Kindles should make a killing in Oz).  Also I actually bought clothes on this trip, because I found a beautiful purple dress I couldn’t pass up.  I have been doing very well on my purchasing, ie not buying much as I have no where to pack it. 

We took the beach road up to Cottesloe Beach, I can now see why so many Americans are here with the oil industry.  It was like a small scale version of Southeast Texas with the refineries and the shipping industry ports here. 

Cottesloe Beach has a beautiful old beach house.  This is on the Indian Ocean.  I stuck my feet in and the water wasn’t as cold as I expected it to be.  There were surfers clad in wet suits and without wetsuits out by the rocks enjoying the fairly big waves.  There were also interesting Aussies on the beach to bother the Americans (it’s called a filter, and some people just don’t have it).  The beach was pristine and not crowded (it was a Thursday though).  They had lifeguards, but they didn’t seem to enthused about watching the crowd.  Cool surfboard though, she must have been reading a very good (and expensive) book.

Lyn took me by her neighborhood, which looked like the American Suburbs, she said south of the river Perth was where the Bogans lived and had Utes.  I think those were some pretty rich Bogans.  We ended up at her neighborhood yacht club to enjoy the sunset.  There were tons of kids out there in a sailing race and their parents were on the bank, drinking copious amounts of spirits (I guess trying to figure out how they were going to pay for all of this).  There were beautiful pelicans out enjoying the sunset also.  Up close they were much bigger than I expected them to be.  There were a few dolphins out in the river playing and eating (birds followed them to get their leftovers, ugh).

We went back to Lyn and Mike’s (that’s her sweet husband, who is an Aggie -- everyone has their faults ;), he works in the oil industry in Australia and Asia) apartment that overlooked the river.  Their place was great -- very modern and neat.  They told me how when they moved in the apartment managers were like Nazis with the photos and what they could and couldn’t do.  Renters in this country have little or no rights.  I mean, who has to agree to power wash your parking space when you leave? 

From their balcony you could see downtown Perth (a little like an old friend’s balcony overlooking Auckland) and the Swan River.  We saw many people biking on the bike path and fishing off a small pier.  Then all of a sudden there was a rainbow and at least 4 dolphin.  They were eating and playing and jumping out of the water.  How cool would that be to be sitting on your deck and have dolphin playing 30 feet from you?  They have a tough life.  (Now the laundry system might get to me but if that was the only downfall, it could be dealt with.)

We walked over a pedestrian bridge and to a Thai restaurant.  This is not my normal fare and I have only eaten at a few of these type restaurants.  But it was very good.  The food was excellent -- duck, ginger chicken, pineapple fried rice, and coconut soup.  

We walked off our meal back to their place -- past the bikini massage storefront (the only “low rent” shop in the area).  The Southern Cross was very prominent in the sky too.  After enjoying a nighttime view of Perth, Lyn took me to the garage for the expensive sites --- cars -- Ferraris, Mercedes, Porsches, Maseratis, and Volvos(?).  Supposedly these “flash” cars are over $100,000 each.  The Maserati was sweet as -- I can only imagine taking it on bendy road and seeing how it corners.

It was a treat to finally meet Lyn and enjoy a great day in Perth.  Thank you and Mike, and I hope you have a great trip.  I hope I get to see you again sometime.