hooroo - Australian slang term for goodbye.
After 365 degrees of Australian coastal exploration, we wound up spending a final day on the continent, touring the sister cities of Fremantle and Perth, West Australia. My first impression of the port in Fremantle had more to do with my home state than of Australia as when I stepped out onto the balcony of the stern down the hall from my stateroom, what should I see but the stern of a Sicilian container ship by the name of Grande New Jersey. Ha! One never knows what one will find halfway around the world.
I pretty much knew this area of the country would be extra friendly from the second we stepped onto the gangplank as we were greeting by a local band playing a rock 'n roll classic from the 1960s. Our German (?) tour guide Ingrid met us at the bus driven by a young woman from Africa. Needless to say, Australia is a country of diversity. An Australian resident since the 1980s, Ingrid had memorized all of the ins and outs of the area. As we rode through Fremantle, a small town reminiscent of Skagway, Alaska (but not as rustic), she pointed out the jail, which convicts from the U.K. built in the 1800s to house those guilty of minor crimes (the murderers were hanged). The prison was in use until an uprising closed it in 1992. At present, it is the primary tourist destination in Fremantle other than Cottesloe Beach, famous for sharks and surfing. And no, the two don't go together well. Ironically, there was a shark net cordoning off the water, but no surfers as there wasn't any surf. (Wrong time of year, maybe?) What stood out for me were the colorful, modern art installations right on the beach and the throngs of school children, all dressed in uniforms. Apparently in Australia, both public and private school students wear uniforms except the private school students have the advantage of donning "designer" looks for the sake of class differentiation. Personally, I'd rather be an unobtrusive, public school Aussie kid.
On the way to Perth, we drove through Billionaires' Row, a neighborhood similar to Beverly Hills composed of fabulous multi-million-dollar homes of various architectural styles, ranging from Tudor to ultra contemporary. Like much of urban Australia, the gold rush made the inhabitants rich. Apparently, the largest nugget in this area weighed 75 kg (I weigh 52 kg). So yes, it was massive for a solid gold rock.
About an hour later, we arrived in Kings Park, way larger than Central Park, overlooking the skyline of Perth. Most of the park is still bush although part of it houses the Western Australia Botanical Gardens, an expanse of beautifully sculpted areas of rocks, ponds, grass, and indigenous vegetation, including the 750-year-old Gija Jumulu (Boab tree). (It looked its age.) After a side trip to a wonderful gift shop selling gorgeous local artisans' wares, we re-boarded the bus for Perth. We spent the next thirty minutes touring the town, taking in all of the sights of Perth, a very clean city. (I only saw two homeless people.) The weather, like that of SoCal, is moderate all year round as Western Australia has a Mediterranean climate.
On the way back to the ship, we took Canning Highway, the inspiration for Australia's Bon Scott's AC/DC hit, "Highway to Hell." According to Ingrid, underaged Bon had visited his favorite bars along this highway, often getting in trouble with the police. Sadly, alcohol poisoning eventually took his life when he was only in his early 30s. But the song most certainly lives on and on and on.
Overall, Australia as a country met my often grand expectations. If all goes south in my neck of the woods, I could easily see myself living in Melbourne, which was my favorite city destination on this expansive leg of the journey. Hooroo, Aussies, kangaroos, koalas, cockatoos, etc. I will miss you all.
Stay tuned for adventures in Bali, Indonesia.
#WesternAustralia, #Perth, #Fremantle, #travel, #cruising, #PrincessCruises, #blog, #blogger
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