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Days 43 - 49 - Perth
Total kms
Again, rather than do a day-by-day report, we'll just touch on the highlights. We feel sure that pics of us pushing a trolley along supermarket aisles or cleaning out the van isn't really what you want to see!
Kings Park.
A visit to Kings Park was a real eye-opener. This has been a favourite outing place since the late 19th century. It is built on Mt Eliza, an escarpment with a brilliant view overlooking the Perth CBD, Swan River and the distant Darling Ranges. It was opened in 1895 and originally called Perth Park, but was renamed King's Park in 1901 to celebrate the accession to the throne of King Edward VII. Like most Australian locations, it seems to have subsequently misplaced its apostrophe.
It's the largest inner city park in the world at over 4 sq kms, beating even the well-known Central Park in New York. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland with two thirds of the grounds conserved as native bushland.
An avenue of Lemon-scented gums leads into the park.
The War Memorial takes pride of place overlooking the city.
There are sculptures scattered through the park, including this cute brass frog emerging from the water. Elsewhere in this pool are a clutch of frog's eggs.
There is a large section of the Botanical Gardens given over to varieties of Banksias.
Above is Banksia Orangeus Unknownii, with Banksia Whiteus Unknownii below. :-)))
(If you believe the botanical naming above, I suggest you don't take up horticulture... I just think Bankias are beautiful.)
A Spitfire Mk V is the gate guard to the RAAFAWA (Royal Australian Air Force Association of Western Australia)
grounds. This impressive area comprises not only the museum, but also accomodation ujnits for returned RAAF personnel.
The museum comprises two purpose-built hangars. In the first hangar are the early days of flight, as well as the latest addition to the collection, a Consolidated Catalina PBY-5A. This aircraft really should belong in the second hangar, but as can be seen in the photo below, there's no room!
Lancaster, Anson, Canberra, DC-3, Macchi, Wirraway and more...
(The Lancaster really doesn't have that much dihedral; it's just a result of blending 5 photos to complete this shot)
I had a fantastic time here, with the enthusiastic and knowledgable volunteer guides only too happy to be forthcoming with information. In the interests of those misguided folks who don't live and breathe aircraft, I have restrained myself and only posted two aircraft photos here. If you want more, you just have to ask. :-))
While I was here, Sue was at the WA Art Gallery in the city. As they tend to frown on people taking photos, there's no illustrations of her visit, but she was very pleased she'd been there.
We took advantage of our time in Perth to get The Beast serviced. As Mr Toyota seemed to want an extortionate amount of money for the service, we went instead to a company near Fremantle who only service Land Cruisers. Not only were they nearly half the price, but the job was finished on time and we were rung to say it was ready and did we want to be picked up. As we were already in a cab on the way to the workshop, this wasn't needed (we'd been dropped in Fremantle earlier in the day) but we were even more impressed to find that The Beast had been washed and vacuumed - something that hadn't happened since we left home!
The purpose of this longish preamble is that we had a full day in Fremantle and looked forward to taking in both the Maritime Museum and the Shipwreck Museum as well as indulging in a seafood lunch at the Fishermen's Wharf.
Fremantle was the port where many migrants first stood on Australian soil.
Sue (and dog) welcomes another new migrant to our shores.
The Maritime Museum building is on the waterfront at the entrance to the Swan River and the Fremantle Docks.
Sue reads the story of some of the migrants. All the walls are filled with the names, dates and ship of many migrants. At the far right is another bronze statue of two children, representing the British and Maltese children who were brought here after WW II under less than compassionate circumstances.
One of the main exhibits in the museum is the Australia II, the first yacht to wrest the America's Cup away from the USA. It was held by the New York Yacht Club from 1857 until 1983 when it was won by the Royal Perth Yacht Club thus ending the longest winning streak in the history of sport.
Under the hull can be seen the controversial 'winged keel'.
After a stroll to the Fisherman's Wharf for a tasty, fishy lunch, complete with seagulls, fishing boats and lots of sightseers, we continued on to the Shipwreck Museum.
The Shipwreck Galleries is a part of the Western Australia Maritime Museum but housed in an old 1850's warehouse as befits a display of history and old seafaring disasters.
The most impressive display in the building is the raised and preserved hull of the Dutch East Indiaman, 'Batavia'. This vessel was wrecked on the coast of Western Australia in 1629, and was made famous by the mutiny and massacre that took place among the survivors.
The raising of this 400 year old vessel ranks in importance with both the Mary Rose in the UK and the Vasa in Sweden. The timbers have now been preserved to the stage where they can be shown without elaborate sprays or chemicals.
As mentioned above, the history of the wreck, the mutiny, the rescue of the survivors and the on-the-spot trial of the mutineers as well as the rediscovery and subsequent retrieval of the cargo and part of the hull deserves far more than can be covered here. I would refer the reader to The Batavia web site.
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