Australian adventure. October 2010

Diary date 3rd October 2010

Well, this time tomorrow I shall be on the plane halfway to Dubai, for a short stopover before catching the 10.05 plane from Dubai to Perth, arriving at 0055, weds am. Help! I'm losing time from my life!! I am really looking forward to it and may just be a *tad* excited. Weds I shall not do much except acclimatise myself. Thurs I am meeting Nena, at 11.30 pm and we shall be 'Ladies wot lunch' There will be photographs of this historic occasion - the first cross pacific TB meet up in the antipodes!

Friday is scheduled to be a 4WD safari. We journey to Yanchep wildlife park and meet Kangas and koalas, then out to the Pinnacles and walk through part of the area. After that we journey to the sand dunes in Lancelin and have a hair raising 4WD up and down them. The fianl experience of the day is trying our hands at sandboarding. Again, photos will be available. Sometime during that day we get lunch and afternoon tea (and possibly coffee in the morning). Anyway, the case is almost packed, just a few last minute items to go in tomorrow am, and I'll be ready to fly!

Day 1 Oct 6th 2010

Hello, folks. Thanks to you all on talkback for the good wishes. I'm looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, Nena. I have checked out King's Square and found Myers. If pie and sauce is true Oz tucker then, yes I'm up for that. You will have to educate me.

Well, Here I am in OZ, staying at Sundancer Backpackers, in Fremantle. It was formerly a hotel and is very old and quaint. The swimming pool is a bit smaller than I was expecting, but it's there!

Left home at 4.30pm Monday and got to Manchester airport about 6.30pm. It seemed hardly anytime before we were boarding our flight. Emirates is a good airline and I would recommend them. There were the usual sort of flight inconveniences (being herded like cattle to get on, then waiting for 10 years while someone in front had to get their seat absolutely correct, before they could get their fat a*se out of the aisle, etc) The flight left an hour late but the pilot made up time and we were only 15/20 mins late at Dubai. Managed to get a free breakfast at the airport and by the time we had finished it was time to board the next flight, to Perth. This was a very long, boring flight, not helped by the fact that someone in the row behind kept moaning that she was in the wrong seat. It was obvious they weren't going to change it, but she kept moaning. Slept for short periods and there was nothing to see anyway, except sea underneath us. Finally landed at Perth late, at 01.30. By the time we had done customs and quarantine, then met up with Peter's aunty, who met us at the airport it was 0200, then we had to wait for her friend to come back round 'the circuit'. (she kept driving round the airport rather than pay parking fees). They dropped me off just before 2.45 and after checking in I got to bed about 3.30 am (8.30pm English). Woke up at 06.30 (11.30pm) and knew I wouldn't get back to sleep, so sorted out my stuff then got showered and went out for Brekky and a walk around Fremantle. Walking straight down the High street towards the beach I came across a lovely café just below the Round House, the oldest prison in Fremantle (or Freo, as the locals call it) I had a delicious plate of scrambled eggs on toast, the best I have ever had when eating out, and a delicious cup of coffee, before venturing out to explore further. I managed to orient myself fairly well and walked around some beautifully preserved settlers cottages that now are open to the public as arts and craft shops. They had originally been the houses of the Customs Officers and the Round House had been the Customs House for a while. I followed a meandering route back across the green by the Round House, where I watched an aerobics class and a family trying to get a good picture of the eight or so grandkids for Nan's birthday. Unfortunately one child just would not smile! From there I walked along a road which brought me out near the Esplanade and a grand Hotel, one of Freo's oldest and the most prominent in the town. It has recently been refurbished and extended and looks very elegant. One day when I've got pots of money perhaps I'll stay there! As I walked along I kept seeing a wiggly brick path and further research when I got back to the hostel showed that it marks the original shoreline of Fremantle. The whole of the harbour complex, the main road through the harbour area, and the Maritime museum are built on what used to be sea. well ocean if you want to be really exact! From there I made my way back to the hostel via a wonderful shop selling maps.They had some fantastic ones there and I promised my self I would go back and buy an 'upside down' Aussie map. Sadly, I never got round to it. However I did part with a little more of my cash and bought a guide book to Australian flowers, so I could identify some of the lovely plants I saw growing around the area. Meanwhile I am feeling weary, so am going to make some zzzzzs and ensure that i will be wide awake to meet Nena tomorrow. Bye for now.