Stop Sixteen, Perth, Western Australia – 19/07/2015 to 24/07/2015
(Written by Him)
(Written by Him)
The Irish perception of Australia, at least for those who have never been, is of a vast, strange, far away land bordered by the ends of the earth. The myths have been well and truly broken down in recent years with so many young Irish people emigrating down under where prosperity abounds for those prepared to leave home and hearth behind. 5 days is all we had set aside for this leg and within that we would be hanging around Perth only. As such we just can’t comment on Australia as a whole and so we say welcome to Perth, lets get stuck in!
| Perth is the capital city of Western Australia (WA) and the fourth most populous city, with 2.4 million residents. While the modern city of today is relatively new and still growing rapidly (it just doesn't have the infrastructure, right Karen?!). Perth has been of great significance for a long time. Formally founded in 1829 as the administration centre for the Western colonies, Perth has grown steadily in importance since that time due to both immigration and the relatively nearby mining activity, a popular trade among young Irish guys at the moment. Of course WA has its own aboriginal background as well, all but destroyed by the colonies, today this unique heritage is well represented in the city's arts and cultural scene. |  |
We flew into Perth about 11pm from Singapore, the longest plane journey we have endured since arriving in SE Asia at 5.5 hours. As with most Irish people today, we have family in Australia and it was their location which determined Perth as our destination city. We met her cousin Karen at the airport and would be staying with her and some very welcoming extended family for the duration. Immediately it felt like a home coming rather than reaching what is the furthest destination from home on our trip. English speaking, first world, western infrastructure and lifestyle meant a welcome break from the hot & humid bustle of our previous 4 months. With an Irish breakfast the following morning complete with copious mugs of Barry's tea (brought over from the old country) we felt like actors in a "Dairygold" commercial, reminiscing of the good times only available in Ireland and only accessible abroad through real Irish produce. We spent this first morning formalising our 5 day itinerary before hitting the highways of WA!
Cohunu
The afternoon of day 1 was dedicated to Aussie wildlife. There is nothing more Australian than Koalas and Kangaroos so it was a no-brainer that an indigenous petting zoo had to be on the list. Like the orang-utans in Borneo and the proboscis monkeys in Brunei there is something very special about seeing an animal in its native environment and while the animals were by no means wild (in fact they were extremely domesticated) it is still much more than the offerings of ones local zoo, miles from the animal's natural context. An hour out of town we pulled up to a austere looking, visitor free Cohunu Park. Inside we were enthusiastically greeted by Trish (good sign already, hi mom) who brought us straight out to the area specifically for the bears.
 | Some territories do not allow the handling of Koalas as there is a perception that this distresses them but WA bucks the trend and for an additional fee we could hold and feed the lil fellas. We decided only one of us needed to actually hold the bear as we could all join in for the petting, feeding and photographing so herself took on the role of koala totem. As with other tree friendly bears (e.g. sun bears, remember those?) koalas have long sharp black claws for hanging on to branches or eager tourists. Trish issued herself with a protective vest and eucalyptus sprigs before coaxing Jasmine, our specially selected Koala (she was the only one awake). "One hand underneath her bum mate!" Jasmine was a heavy little ball of fluff, surprisingly well insulated for such a hot climate. She was hungry too and certainly not shy about grabbing the leaves and pushing them eagerly into her waiting little mouth. |
Koala petting done we grabbed our popcorn (food of choice for Aussie wildlife) and headed out to feed anything and everything we came across. At 4.30pm we had somewhat mistimed our visit as many of the animals were so full of popcorn from a full days entertaining that it was very difficult to entice them with our offerings. Fortunately the parrots seemed perpetually hungry and were our first stop as they called shrilly from their cages. "Hello Darling..." was the most frequent chat-up line but we were also wooed with "Whats happening..." and "Wanna scratch..." accompanied by a head turn. The latter was a little misleading as every time I went to scratch the bird it tried to bite my finger. Moving on from the birds we headed for the kangaroo and wallaby enclosure, round the duck & gull pond and passed the emu sentry.
I for one had no idea that kangaroos predominantly walk on their tail using it to push forward, simply landing on their legs. It was a bizarre sight at first when I had expected to see them hopping & bounding, cartoon-like across the horizon. Both roos and wallabies are very pleasant company, passive and looking somewhere between a rabbit and a dog at least when standing low to the ground. Most were happy to pose for photos none-the-less and the odd rub was always welcome. The popcorn flopped though. In contrast just a few pens over we were delighted to be in such high demand from the goats and donkeys. These jolly guys were delighted to see us and eagerly helped to empty our bags of popcorn. After lots of petting, photos and meaningful chats between man & beast we popped out only to notice the massive black and white sign affixed to their fence, "THESE ANIMALS ARE ON A DIET. PLEASE DO NOT FEED". On the way home I bought some roo burgers and a half dozen "kanga-bangers" to complete the full experience. I fed them so...
| Rockingham The next morning we finished the animals of Australia portion by heading out of Perth to the Rockingham coast line. Sea lions, penguins and dolphins were the order of the day, living just off-shore on the imaginatively named...Penguin Island. Despite our eagerness to get close to nature she turned her back on us, Penguin Island was closed for the Winter mating season. No penguins to be seen at this time of year. Unperturbed we decided to continue with the cruise, having driven all the way there. |  |
We realised that even in Australia we were still the only Western visitors on the boat, surrounded by a chattering Chinese tour group. The water was noticeably choppy after the previous nights heavy downpour as we bounced across the waves to the furthest island, home to a variety of local sea birds.
Sailing back towards the sea lions and Penguin Island, "Ange", our guide had everyone on Dolphin watch. This of course created a little confusion among our fellow seamen who, after a number of false sightings, had to be educated in the subtle differences between dorsal fins and plain old floating seaweed. The sea lions were immense looking, happily beached amongst the flocks of birds. They will travel for miles to hunt so when they return to the coastal islands it is for rest & relaxation. The lazy things barely moved for us! We took a tantalizingly close look at Penguin Island and will just have to take Ange's word for it that the lil' fellas are hidden within the cliffs waiting for the warmer months. Things were looking bleak on the dolphin front too until an actual sighting of two medium sized bottle noses' brought a worthwhile conclusion to the trip. The excitement among our Asian friends was such that the boat threatened to tip over as they ran back and forth from port to starboard to catch a fleeting glimpse.
 | Fremantle For lunch we headed to the picturesque port village of Fremantle (or "FreeO"). This area was the very first to be colonised in WA. In 1827 Fremantle was to be WA's link with the rest of the world. However, things didn't go exactly to plan. The harsh land and climate meant that the colonising British found it very difficult to prosper in this unforgiving environment. |
By 1832 it became too difficult to recruit new people willing to relocate to the area. The only solution was to transform Fremantle into a prison colony and have the convicts build the much needed infrastructure required to survive comfortably. As I said, even to this day, we are reliably told that Perth still "just doesn't have the infrastructure!"
Fremantle became home to one of the most notorious prisons in convict and post convict Australian history. Finally closed to all prisoners in 1991 this imposing 6 acre heritage site and buildings provides a number of different tours for those interested in prison life. We booked ourselves in for two half days to complete the "Doing time" and "Great Escapes" circuits. After local snapper n' chips down by the pier we headed through the intimidating 6 foot iron gates for our "Doing Time" tour with Steve, a former Fremantle prison guard. After recalling the initial strip search, compulsory shower and prison rule recitation all prisoners underwent upon arriving we moved on from the processing area to the kitchens. Kitchen jobs were for those prisoners who could be trusted with knives and fire (interestingly, mostly murderers) the kitchen staff also got a shower every day for hygiene reasons, unlike their contemporaries working elsewhere and showering only once a week.
The vast limestone cell block is four storeys high and 500 feet long. This building, which could hold around 1,000 inmates, was separated into two wings by a central building, which served as the administrative heart of the prison. All of this was constructed by convict labourers. The cells were small during convict times but when the prison became too crowded during modern times these small cells were split into two! Among the more gruesome features on display were the solitary confinement cells, pitch black with walls so thick they were nearly sound proof. The flogging post came next where prisoners would receive punishments by way of lashings followed by rubbing salt in the open wounds to prevent infection. Finally we visited the death row cell block and the hanging room. The tour was heavy going in some parts and potentially quiet upsetting if one were to consider some of the men themselves. I was thankful that our modern prison system is focused so much more on rehabilitation that brutal, inhuman punishment. I firmly believe that if you treat a person like an animal there is little incentive for them not to become one.
| We did not complete both tours on the same day but as we are at it I'll discuss the "Great Escape" tour here as well. We saddled up with tour guide Steve again, this time taking a walk mostly around the outside areas of the prison where various escape attempts were made and foiled. From simple runaways to commandeering laundry trucks and from scaling the walls of the yard using a tennis net to being recaptured in the the pub next door, the prison certainly has some stories to tell. |  |
One inmate having escaped several times was brought to Fremantle maximum security in the hope of holding him permanently. Triple bars were affixed to his cell windows and the walls reinforced with Jarrah wood, the strongest timber available. The man escaped after 17 days. Fremantle prison maintained a "flawless" record in terms of escapes with all attempts either prevented or the prisoner being recaptured and returned to serve the remainder of their sentence. There is one exception... Irish man John Boyle O Reilly's story is enough for a separate blog so stay tuned for that.
Kings Park & City Beach
Part of what makes Australia unique is the outdoor lifestyle passionately practiced by its residents. Perth is built at the convergence of two rivers and possesses a nearby coastline. The city also has huge green lungs where residents can picnic, bike or take long walks through some of the carefully preserved and promoted indigenous foliage and fauna. We spent some time wandering around the war memorial and nearby walkways which make up the King's park area of the city. There are spectacular views over the city and harbour and it is certainly worth any visitors time.
The coast is equally impressive with a number of well kept beaches offering bustling and sandy, more laid-back surfer or public BBQ fun. Visiting during the Aussie Winter we obviously didn't get the full down under beach experience but we did see a surfer and a shark tower so really all we missed was the sun. On the topic of sharks we had set ourselves the mission of eating some while in Australia. It turned out to be quiet a treasure hunt but we finally got our hands on some "flake n chips" for dinner beside the beach. Delicious!
Swan Valley Tastings
Swan Valley is Western Australia's oldest wine making region at 181 years young. A short 30 minute drive outside the city and your on the wine trail. As travellers on a budget, now well into our 4th straight month on the road, we are always looking for those money saving opportunities. We might take an extra banana from the breakfast buffet to munch later or we dice with diarrhea at the dodgier street-food vendor rather than fork out for the fancier fare.
Wineries give free samples... thanks again for driving Karen! We avoided paying for lunch by guzzling fists of free chocolate samples, chutneys, biscuits, spiced almonds,nougat and jams. All washed down with snifters of the cab sav, the sav B and the cabernet don't you know. We did pay up at the Cheese Barrel however, goats cheese, a soft blue and a caramel cheddar all locally produced and excellent quality. We are still debating whether it is too ridiculous to have the blue delivered to us once we're back home - it was that good! If you visit, be sure to check out Swan Valley's invisible reptile farm. You will see signs for it everywhere but its nowhere to be found. Its free though, unless you find it!
City Centre
On our last full day we decided our guide probably needed a few hours to herself so we hopped on the local bus heading for Perth city centre. Getting off at the cactus (it's a Perth thing) we spent a couple of hours simply browsing in the shops and soaking up the street scene of this great city. We are probably city people more than anything else and having visited over 20 cities throughout Asia since we were eager to spend some time in Perth's central business district.
We stopped in for lunch at Jaws sushi. Real Japanese staff with an actual proper sushi conveyor belt service. The different sushi is on plates of different colours. Each colour signifies the price of the dish. You simply grab a stool by the belt and take off as many plates of whatever you feel like. It's very easy to bite off more than you can afford. At the end the cashier counts your plates for the bill and you're outta there. Unbelievably Jaws sushi had no shark?! But it was great fun, delicious and so quick!
| There is a long & complex history between the indigenous Aborigines and the rest of Australia. We were eager to find out a little more about the people who started it all and so we dropped into an Aboriginal art gallery and shop in the city centre. This chilled out morning was a great way to unwind and enjoy the calmness of the laid back Aussie attitude before heading into the madness of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. |  |
P.S. During the course of our time in Perth, our host Karen bested the author in a dubiously regulated game of Scrabble. Of course she was more than surprised and impressed with herself at achieving what will no doubt be her finest feat! She robustly declined all offers of a rematch, fearful of the certainty she must surely have felt that such success was a fluke and that lightening does not strike twice. Karen aggressively insisted her win be recorded here. You're welcome, Karen.
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