Perth, The Jewel in the Crown, Barmy Times & Sublime Island Bus Hopping

We were up in the air for a bit longer than planned, which made for a late evening arrival for Two’s Company. The next morning, we were up relatively early for a decent breakfast, a vast improvement on James’s late-night tuna sandwich situation.

Jacob’s Ladder, Again!

For goodness sake, the trudge up this one was immense, going on and on in the heat of the day. Helen, of course, strode up the hundreds of steps like a spring chicken, unphased by the gruelling climb. Crocodile DunHelen eagerly waited at the top for James, who arrived around ten minutes later, slightly more melted.

The spectacular view at the summit and the refreshing slight breeze of Kings Park were worth every single step. We made our way toward the unmistakable outline of Queen Victoria’s statue, as she looked across the Swan River majestically viewing the stunning skyline. We’re not sure she'd appreciate all this modern world, though!

Perth’s Botanical Garden was beautifully laid out, but the map did not reflect the convoluted course of pathways, making navigation less than plain sailing. We particularly loved the vibrant red flowering gums dotted throughout the park.

The tree top walk was a blast, offering fabulous views leading all the way to the Swan River and the renovated old brewery buildings.

Finding our way to Elizabeth Quay was thankfully straightforward, and after several thousand steps, a well-deserved pint was definitely in order.

A Visit to Optus Stadium

What a great day out we had visiting the Optus Stadium. It would have been even better if the England Cricket Team hadn't snatched defeat from the jaws of victory! It was all so very promising beforehand.

However, what a complete privilege it was to see Mr. Head smash a hundred in the spectacular manner he did, it was completely “Barmy!” He came in and completely broke the back of the game, simply first class!

Possibly the best part of the day was meeting up with Helen’s gym friend Sue and her husband Chris. A pint in good company certainly made the entire day feel worthwhile as the depressing cricket score was left as a distant “oh well…!”

Beautiful Black Swan & Cygnets

Ferry Boats and Dreamy Beaches

Rottnest Island bound! We were thrown around on the top deck as the swell had the ferry undulating up and down, to and fro, all good fun in the end. We had made a calculated decision to take the hop-on, hop-off bus rather than hire cycles.

Great decision! We felt slightly bad as we passed poor, peddle-pushing people of all ages who looked longingly at the bus as we sailed by. The beaches were truly stunning, with calm, crystal-clear waters and captivating scenery. James loved every minute of the gorgeous, uncrowded coastline, a perfect antidote to his 'beautiful people' phobia.

We still didn’t see whales, which was a real shame, having been told at every turn: “You’re two weeks late!”

Nevertheless, we were thoroughly entertained by a couple of seals and, of course, spotted the strange quokkas, sort of ratty-type, smiley animals.

The day was capped off with a pleasure—meeting up with Jay and Sophie, whom we had first met a few weeks earlier in Canberra. A lovely evening chatting about how bad English Cricket had been over a tasty Parmi for dinner. (Seriously, we had a lovely evening.)

The River Swan and Freo

Our final full day in Australia saw Two's Company sail down the Swan River to Freo, that's local Aussie speak for Fremantle.

“Keep your eye on the ball” and “Fire the canon,” the historic signal for ships' captains to set their maritime clocks, was played out and enjoyable to watch at the Roundhouse.

😬🤦‍♂️😂

Unfortunately, James forgot to cover his ears and is now worse than ever in the hearing department. “Keep your eye on the ball,” James pondered, thought that was a cricket term, but apparently, the England Cricket Team thinks it’s about setting a clock.

A stroll around the centre was enjoyable, almost as much as the sampling of the beer at the brewery on the quayside before our return to Perth.

One last wonderful show of nature as we spotted several dolphins racing around and jumping. Realising we had come to the end of our Australian adventure came far too quickly.

Despite the long flights and the tragic cricket, the mix of city spectacle, natural beauty and the warm welcome from friends, new and old, made the whole of the trip truly memorable.

So, Australia, what can we say? To everyone we’ve had the pleasure to meet and to the rekindled friendships, we’ve enjoyed it immensely. Many thanks for a fair dinkum time and here is to next time, it ‘s been a ripper!

Cheers 🍻 J&H