PERTH

PERTH

We have found Perth to be a lovely city, lots of parks and lakes, rivers etc and very leafy.

We have been to the Zoo which although not large is in a beautiful setting. We watched an elephant taking a bath and saw a few different animals.

The Botanical Gardens are also in a beautiful setting on the top of a hill overlooking the Swan River and very nicely set out.

There is a Bell Tower in the city where they installed 12 bells which were the old Bells of St Martins in London, which were given to WA for the Bi centenary. We were permitted to ring the bells along with several other people, after first having been given a lesson in bell ringing. In the building there is also a 460 year old bell which is the oldest bell in Australia.

FREMANTLE

We are now camped at Coogee Beach right on the seafront. Fremantle is a very quaint place, a great many of the old buildings have been retained and the majority of the facades creating a nice ambience to the CBD. The weekend markets were packed out and buskers kept us well entertained.

Fremantle have a free hop and off bus service which enables you to get about quite easily. There are many imposing older buildings still standing in the suburbs, the prison being one. We did the tour of the prison but have to say the tour itself left a bit to be desired compared with say Dubbo Jail or Port Arthur, far too controlled.

The Marine museum is brilliant, there are several displays of various shipwrecks in the area. The one of the Batavia is especially good with part of the hull on show, this wood had been in the ocean for 354 years. The archway shown in the photo was part of its cargo.

The Roundhouse is the first building built in WA. It was built as a prison for local felons not for convicts.

ROTTNEST ISLAND

The day we visited Rottnest Island was quite wild and in fact one of the ferries was cancelled – I almost made it to Rottnest but succumbed to seasickness just minutes out. Once recovered we walked and did a bus tour around the island. There are lots of water activities to do, snorkling etc. And many private little beaches, we didn’t see anyone in the water though due to the weather.

The island was named Ratsnest originally by the Dutch due to the Quokkas on the island which do resemble a large rat.