Guildeton to Perth

Day 186

Wake up and as it looks like a nice day we decide to stay another night at our Guilderton campsite so go to pay and are told that we can stay but will have to move sites as they are fully booked as today is the official start to ‘schoolies week’.

For our European readers ‘schoolies’ is when the high school kids finish their exams and go off for a week of partying and generally getting drunk and causing a nuisance so as you can imagine we were both overjoyed at the prospect! I seem to remember when I had finished my exams we all went to the pub and had a drink but now it seems to have grown into a week-long booze cruise.

As before we packed up the bare minimum (chucked everything in the back of the van) and drove across the campsite with the pop top up and the solar blankets still on (I at least removed it from part of the windscreen so I could see where I was going) to our new position and unpacked everything again.

This over with we decided to have a look round at the sights of Guilderton. Literally 5 minutes later, having walked to the petrol station we were back at the campsite and thought we would take advantage of the (somewhat) calm day and hit the beach

When we got there the surf was most definitely up and the waves were huge, dumping right on the shore and so as Carmen decided to sit this one out, I (bravely) stripped down to my shorts and was in. The waves certainly weren’t any smaller when you were in either and after being caught out by a few and turned over and over like I was in a washing machine a few times I had enough and retired back the safety of the sand to warm up (good fun though).

Back at the campsite and it was certainly filling up but these were no ‘schoolies’, they were all families from Perth down for the weekend and just about every car that pulled up seemed to have a boot load of screaming kids with them (I think we would have preferred the schoolies) and so before long it felt like we had parked in a school playground.

The good thing about kids is that they go to bed early.

Day 187

The bad thing about kids is that they get up early and so we were packed and on the road bright and early, heading for the bright lights of Perth (glad we had not booked in for the whole weekend).

As we approach the city the traffic suddenly increased to epic proportions and at first we thought there must have been a natural disaster or some mass evacuation taking place because everyone drives like it is there last day on earth and every set of lights (and by God there are one or two) seems to be the starting grid of a grand prix! You can tell it’s a while since we have been in a big city.

We left the motorway and decided to take the beach road into the city and after driving through endless outer suburbs for what seemed like hours we stopped at City beach and got out to have a look.

The wind had picked up again and the sky was a bit overcast so it was a quick look and we were off to find our new home. We had picked the closest campsite to the city thinking we would be in the heart of the action but as we got close we realised all we were in the heart of was a giant industrial area!

Luckily we hadn’t booked anything so out came the map and we drove back across town to a suburb called Gwelup and the ‘Karrinyup waters caravan park’ where we got a nice spot right on a lake with ducks and swans swimming about in it.

We soon realise that the ducks are quite used to people as no sooner had we set up than we were visited by a whole troupe of them (collective noun for ducks anyone?) all sniffing around for a crumb or a crust.

Strolled off to find the shops and a pleasant ½ hour walk later through a nice park and past Perth’s answer to neighbours we arrived and duly stocked up.

Day 188

After a good night’s sleep it was time to hit the city and so we set off walking to the nearest train station (very few busses on a Sunday).  40 mins later we arrived and vowed to find out about the busses as neither of us fancied doing that walk too many times.

Three stops later and we are right in the heart of the city and luckily find that as we approach the tourist information we are just in time to join a guided ‘city orientation walk’. The woman takes us along the main shopping mall and to Perth central railway station where we get a demonstration of using the ticket machines and which tickets to buy (very useful) and learn about the free busses that operate throughout the city centre.

Then it was out of the station and along Perth’s Cultural precinct containing the museum and various galleries and back along another mall to London court, which as the name suggests is a little slice of London in the middle of Perth!

Then it was on past the town hall and down to the supreme court and the old botanic gardens and a bit further down to the banks of the Swan River and the Swan bells. The bells were donated by the city of London and apparently are bells from St Martins in the Field (I think they must have had some spare bells lying around). Finally we looked across the way to Kings Park and the tour was concluded. The woman had rambled on a bit and got side tracked pretty easily but it had been worthwhile and we both felt pretty orientated.

Not wishing to backtrack (we were both knackered) we took advantage of the free busses and had a seated tour of the city’s highways and byways and alighted at the station to get the train home only to face the 40 minute walk back to the campsite.

First impressions of Perth were good, after endless suburbia the city centre actually feels very compact and easy to navigate and get around and all the main attractions are close at hand.

Day 189

Another trip into the city and this time we were getting the bus. Of course when we arrived at the stop we had just missed one and had to wait nearly an hour for the next (still better than walking again). With our new found knowledge of the ticket machine we were at it like old hands and before we knew it we were back in the main shopping mall.

Carmen went in for her job interview and I had a stroll round, finding myself in a games shop eyeing up the latest releases (Christmas coming up) and when she was out we had a further browse around and after a constitutional pint in the pub brought some groceries and headed home.

Day 190

Polly is due her next service (including new timing belt)and so after ringing around to get some quotes (ranging from $750 to $1400!) we booked her in at the local Mitsubishi dealer and headed out for a driving tour of some of the cities beaches. First stop was the petrol station and we were amazed at the $1.28/litre price so a full tank later ($40 odd!) and our first stop was Mettam’s pool.

The wind was up again and the beach looked quite rocky so we sat in Polly and had some lunch and continued along the coast to Scarborough beach. The wind was still blowing but the beach was lovely here and there were quite a few people sunbathing and splashing about and so we walked along the front and sat in a shady area for a while people watching.

Continuing on we came to Cottesloe beach, the nicest beach so far with perhaps the grandest surf lifesavers club in Australia (so far).

Again it was very windy but the beach and foreshore was lovely with a good looking pub and at least one fish and chip shop and I think we will be back here (minus Polly) if the wind ever drops.

Our tour complete for the day we stop and grab some shopping on our way home and return to find the ducks are out in force again, sniffing about looking for scraps..

Day 191

With Carmen due to start work next Thursday we extend our stay at the campsite till the 20^th December (and probably to the New Year) and so we now have an address to send all those large gifts (both birthday and Christmas) to:

Karrinyup waters resort

467 North Beach Road

Gwelup

Perth

6018

Back into the city and time to tackle our first gallery, the W.A. state gallery in the cultural precinct. The gallery is split into 4 periods and has some good pictures and sculptures by some of the big names and we happily loose ourselves for a couple of hours.

Back outside and with the wind dying down the temperature is (finally) rising and it begins to feel much more like summer and so we sit in the City orchard and admire the view before continuing on to have a look at the party capital of Perth, Northbridge.

Much like Kings cross in Sydney we surmise with a multicultural range of eateries, bars and clubs and a few groovy shops (although it’s not exactly kicking off on a Tuesday afternoon).

Head into Paddy Palin outdoors shop and finally (there are only 4 shops in Australia) get to spend my gift vouchers which I  got as a leaving gift form my old job and with it get a new pair of sandals (thanks SDS).

Head home on the train with our newly purchased ‘Smart rider’ cards (think Oyster card) and seem to have sorted the bus timetables (after collecting armfuls) as there is one waiting for us to whisk us straight home.