We left our beautiful campground early in the AM. Had an exceptionally good night of sleep. Our destination, the city of Perth, 340 kilometers to the north.
We reached Perth around 2 PM, after stopping for a bite to eat in the town of Bunbury. We immediately checked into our hotel, the Flag Motor Lodge, near the airport. It is a surprisingly cozy place, with many trees into which, a local artist has carved amazing artwork of Australian wildlife.
The first thing we wanted to see in Perth was, as Bill Bryson puts it, one of the world's largest and finest parks, Kings Park. And he is absolutely correct. The park is spread along 1,000 acres, overlooking the Swan River basin. It is magnificent! Within its confines are thousands of flowers, bushes and trees native only to Western Australia, each carefully named and sublimely cared for. Lawns within the park are lovingly maintained and paths are clearly marked, each guiding you to displays of flora according to geographical zones within the state.
Many types of birds inhabit the park joyfully, some of which are incredibly colored.
The flora is most unique, as well. I would love to be here during a different season when more native plants are in bloom.
From Kings Park you also enjoy some outstanding city views. Perth is the most isolated major city in the world, a mere 1,700 miles separating it from Sydney. What gave rise to it is the immense mineral wealth of Western Australia, which funded its growth.
Like its neighbor to the south, Fremantle, Perth is not particularly fond of being photographed. We toured its downtown area and I did take a number of pictures of its buildings and monuments, but nothing that says "Wow". It is however a very, very clean city, and vibrant with excitement. Pubs and restaurants abound, people are well dressed; innumerable pedestrian, open-air shopping areas can be found anywhere. It is, by every description a veritable metropolis.
This will be our last night in Western Australia. Since the time we arrived we have covered thousands of miles of it, but barely scratched its surface, the place being so incredibly vast. Still, there is so much more of Australia to explore, and we will be approaching it from the other coast, where we hear the forecast is rain, rain, rain. Yes, it is much needed, but I bet it will take some getting used to, after having lived with nothing but sunshine for the last three weeks. Our flight is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 PM; next stop, Sydney, New South Wales.
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