Perth

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We flew into Perth Western Australia (from Brisbane & Los Angeles) for an NDRI conference of Kate's held in the Northbridge area of Perth. We've been a few times for Kate's work with NDRI at Curtin University.

Flying over the center of the country we did catch some views of the barren landscape and salt water flats. We crossed that by car back in 2004 on the "Long Drive".

Perth is lovely city -- the biggest in WA and, as cities go, the furthest from any other. I believe the nearest city is Adelaide SA some 3000km to the east. There are other large towns in WA but for cities this is it.

September is their spring so the weather was warm and sunny. They say Perth has a "Mediterranean" climate. It never gets "cold" but it can sometimes get quite hot.

In the photo album there's some pictures of the Northbridge area. There is a lively night life there (sometimes problematic). It's a transitional neighborhood just outside of the Central Business District (CBD). I was surprised to see these old quaint cottages which had been boarded up. I suppose they've been gobbled up for land development.

I tramped through the CBD, to the Bell Tower, along the Swan River bank and up into Kings Park. That's a huge green space with commanding views of the city (see the photo above for example). There's lots of interesting gardens to explore, wild flowers and tree lined avenues. On one long tree lined street each tree had a metal plaque to commemorate a soldier lost to war. There's a picture of a plaque to a boy lost at Gallipoli back in WW I so these trees are quite old. I'm reminded of the Eric Bogle song "Waltzing Matilda" that tells the story, perhaps, of this boy or one like him who sailed off to Gallipoli.

On the day Kate wasn't at the conference we took a "Captain Cook Cruise" on the Swan River from the Bell Tower down to the port city of Fremantle. The cruise continues on another 30km to Rottnest Island but makes a stop in Fremantle. They also do winery cruises up the Swan River, we've done that before.

We had been to Fremantle for a conference back in 2003 so it was interesting to see the town again.

The Western Australia Maritime Museum is a modern structure on the port. I've been before, it's worth a visit. You can even tour an old WW II submarine that's in the dry dock there.

The town is a bit of a coffee culture/cafe place -- famous for espresso bars. The buildings are mostly well maintained two story originals from the turn of the last century. Victorian with fussy details, wrought iron work porches shading the lower street level.

There are two old prisons in Fremantle -- there's some pictures of the historic Round House Prison between the harbor and the port. The Fremantle Prison (which I have toured before) is awfully bleak.

We had lunch at a fish and chip shop on the harbor (the harbor as distinct from the port). Nearby there's some green space with a statue to an early group of settlers who had been "massacred" by the natives. A recent addendum tells the other side of the story -- the native aborigines here and elsewhere in Australia were not treated well then, and are certainly not treated well since then.

It was a brief visit to Perth. Followed by some time holiday on Magnetic Island and some work time for Kate in Brisbane.