Perth 5 – 8 January 2006

The weather is great now and we are not hot! We are able to get about so comfortably! No mossies, maybe because they have such a dry summer! We have already exceeded the monthly rain average of 8mm!
So off to explore the Swan Valley. Back to wineries and chocolate factories but lots more people out for a drive as this is so close to Perth and it seems to be the weekend activity with lots of kids about. Everything is a bit dry so the greenery of all the vines creates a lush look. The Swan River is a brown, normal river in the upper bush areas, so different to the city areas where it is made up of large expanses of blue. Stayed out for dinner in the Swan Valley and visited a big brewery that specialises in German beer and had a meal of German sausages cooked in many ways!
Sunday in Perth is different to Sydney because there is little Sunday shopping. There is little of anything in Perth – daylight saving on trial, no Sunday trading and no pokies. It is noticeable that there are many families out picnicking. We explored the foreshore, parks and old buildings around the wharf area. We tried to get the timetable for the ferries and the girl answered, “one every 15 mins” i.e. – there is only one ferry route! This seemed surprising as the river is so wide and teeming with homes and suburbs. It must be very easy road transport. We moved on to Kings Park and as we had no real concept of it, we were pleasantly surprised. The elevation from the hills gives wonderful views of the city and river and lends itself easily to lovely manmade features, such as a water stream meandering through rocks and pathways with the perfect green grass, water fountain with shooting bursts of water, a few monuments and a boardwalk affording extra views of the river. The central area of the park is natural bush for many acres and is surprising so close to a city. Then there are gardens replicating native vegetation according to climatic zones, so we could get up close to some really lovely specimens. Moved on to Subiaco and enjoyed exploring the suburb. It had a freshness and openness about it and we stopped to listen to a music concert in the park. With the later sunsets (8:30) the evenings are great.