Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
I survived my first lone plane journey with ease and was in fact treated like royalty, being one in a handful of people that got served dinner which was very tasty and free drinks (I assume as I booked my RTW ticket with Quantas and this flight was with Jetstar, technically a downgrade!) the people sat around me where wondering who I was and why I was so special, little did they know I am actually a backpacker.....
My first impressions of Australia were good, western toilets with toilet paper and had soap at the airport, people very friendly and smiley and even go out of their way to help you. Arriving in my first "proper" backpacker hostel was an experience which I liken to entering the big brother house, ok granted people didn't cheer and run up and hug me and there was a severe lack of camera crew. There were people every where in the giant converted house, some cooking dinner, others sat reading, playing cards or on their way to the bathrooms all apparently with their groups of friends and then there was me looking a bit scared and trying to locate reception. It's expensive in Oz (well in comparison to Asia) and $20 gets me a bed in a dorm room with 10 beds not much bigger than my bedroom at home, but it's clean and homely so I feel quite pleased with my internet selection. Starving hungry I head out to find a shop, which is surprisingly hard everything shuts here at 5! so I settle for a small corner store and a feast of crumpets, tinned spaghetti and a yoghurt.
The next morning getting the hang of this hostel thing i find the shower and investigate the kitchen and head downstairs to book in to stay for another few nights. However, it's Australia Day weekend so everywhere is fully booked! Luckily I obviously look suitably like a rabbit in headlights so the husband and wife combo that run the hostel turn a room that they don't normally use into a dorm for the night so I can say on, relieved I head out to plan my next few days with the mental note that I need to be more organised in Oz and plan ahead, I'm not in Asia anymore!
Perth city centre really isn't that big so I can walk everywhere and I do. I head through town straight to the water, stopping enroute to post off my first journal home and purchase some new leggings as mine now are frankly embarrasing! I come across the bell tower and learn that the bells actually came from England, St Martin in the Fields Trafalgar Square none the less in 1988 to mark Austalia's bicentenary. A gift from us to them. Whilst checking out ferries to Rottnest Island i find that they also do river cruises along the swan river that look very pleasant so I sit in the park enjoying my first real Ozzie meat pie, which i have to say was very tasty although not quite as good as my Mums steak and kidney, waiting for the next one to depart. The river cruise turned out to be hilarious, with a captain who did the commentary as he went, telling us about the history (which mopstly dates back all of 100 years!!), pointing out places of interest and dropping in loads of jokes on the way. I jumped at the chance to have my photo taken driving the boat, but ended up a source of ammuement for all on the boat as the captian announces over the speaker that he is going to take the chance for a cheeky hug.. hence why I'm not looking at the camera in the picture, I'm laughing at the heckling crowd!!
That night I enjoy cooking for myself, vegetable chilli and even treat myself to some wine, they sell clear skins over here for $10, basically wine with no branding, I am surprised at how much wine costs in this country not sure why but I had the misconception that it was going to be cheap, so it looks like it's clear skins or nothing for me! Over dinner I meet some french guys that are supposed to be working out here for 6 weeks to improve their conversational english, sponsored by their engineering school, in reality though they have been simply travelling. I help them write part of their presentations for school and also write a reference letter as if I had employed them, which I have to say showed them in very good light! So as a gesture of thanks they take me out to the pub for the evening and shout me my drinks, so already I manage to sample non clear skin wine!!
The next morning I am up and about early to head to Rottnest for the day. Bless the girls staying in my room had left a little note with their email addresses so that I could meet them for a picnic and the Perth Australia day fireworks and celebrations when I am back. It doesn't take me long to find a friend for the day, Jennifer from London ditches her physiotherapy friends (she's over here on a 4 weeks course) and hires a bike and snorkel to head out and explore with me. We ride, snorkel and sunbath our way around the island. Sad not to be staying for the night as there is loads to see and the sea is so clear, although blinking freezing I thought I was in Oz not England, I actually swore as I jumped into the water for the first time! Just before I move on though I will give you a little history, The Dutch claim discovery of the island in 1696 and named it "Rats Nest" because of the kingsize Quokkas they found there, but actually aboriginal signs of occupation date back to 7000 years ago. Anyhow those Quokkas I saw where giant, a cross between rats and kangaroo's, I even saw one carry a baby in it's pouch, not so cute! I wave goodbye to Jennifer and head off to Freemantle a brief stop to go and visit the very famous prison. Arriving after 5pm of course the supermarkets were again shut! so I head to the fishing boat harbour for good old fish and chips, the dorm here isn't great so I waste as much time as possible wandering the town and head straight for bed.
Rise at the crack of dawn and head to the prison to see what they have on offer, I'm in luck they have a tunnels tour that leaves in 5 mins! So I get issued with my white jump suit, wellie boots, crash helmet complete with light and harness and head underground.... In summary, in the early 19th century the WA settlers were struggling, clean water being their major issue. As with many Oz towns convicts were brought over to help set up the infastructure as there were only 5000 people here at the time and their manpower was clearly limited, Their first job was building the prison which took 8 years by hand, but then they moved onto wells. Then an aquaduct underground project was started which proved really successful and for many years provided the prison, the town and the port for docking ships with all the water they needed. Then the demand got too much and they started tapping into seawater as they weren't giving the fresh water long enough to replenish before the automatic pumps they now had (the prisoners used to have to pump by hand!!) went for more water. They were on the way to fixing this problem when an oil leak ruined any chance these tunnels had of supplying more fresh water again, so they turned it into a tourist attraction and here I am! The tour was fab and I learnt loads, we crawled through parts, got little boats through others and they even turned all of the lights off at points. I have never been in pitch black before, I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face!! Sad to leave my jump suit behind, I head off back to meet the girls in Perth for the Australia day celebrations.
The Australians turn out to be extremely patriotic and are all out cladded in whatever Australian regalia they can find, armed with picnics to get a spot and wait for the fireworks. It truley is Carnage! We watch some aboriginal bands on stage for a while and it becomes really clear that there is a massive divide between them and the Aussie's, they generally sang songs about wanting their country back. Whilst I understand that there was some really bad treatment in the past, christ Oz is huge more people commute to London everyday than live in the whole of Oz, can't they share it??? However, some of them are pretty scary so I will reserve this comment for my blog only!! The fireworks were the best I have ever seen and the walk home included whole seas of people but it was all well worth it! Thanks to the girls for inviting me out for the afternoon I had fun!
The next morning brings my first hostel washing machine experience (which means my clothes will no longer be funny colours as I am in charge!). I head on out to the Aquarium which is very well hidden, but when I get there I am rewarded with a 98m underground tunnel. Swimming over my head are gargantuan turtles, 2m stingrays, Sharks and plenty of fish. I stay for a good few hours learning about the sea life in different areas in Oz which is pretty diverse! but my favourite by far have to be the sea dragons (crazy plant looking creatures, ornate floating dragons) and the moon jellies(which billow iridescent through their giant cyclinder home).
Back at the hostel I cook for the girls in the hope that they will go to the airport a bit early so I can meet Linds, which works! So a few hours later a screaming Lindsay (in both shock and delight) is greeted by my smiling face.
- comments