In and around Perth

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I have been in Australia almost a month now. How on earth am I supposed to tell you all about this beautiful country and its towns and cities in just one blog post? I guess I will have to pick and choose my favourite moments. There are a lot of them, so I would like to apologize in advance if this post seems a little overwhelming and a little piecemeal, but I will do my best to stay on track. I have been taking little notes here and there, so that I do not forget everything after I leave a place. With that being said, let me get started!

I am currently in Perth, Australia and am having the most amazing time. This city is full of life, love, beauty, and adventures. I can actually see myself living in this city sometime in the future. I am not normally someone who likes big cities, but Perth, which is a city of 1.6 million people, sure doesn’t feel like it. Each community within the city has a completely different feel to it and is like a separate city. Staying in Perth for close to a month makes me feel less of a tourist and more of a local. know that if I was trapped somewhere, I probably could find my way to a train station and make my way back to where I am staying. When I overhear people mentioning King’s Park or Subiaco or Fremantle, I know where that is and how to get there.

I have also had the opportunity to go exploring the area around Perth too. I have been to Jurien Bay, Margaret River, Augusta and probably one of my absolute favourite places in this world, Rottenest Island. Jurien Bay is located about 3 hours north of Perth. I went for a little bit of wading in the Indian Ocean, but in all honesty, I didn’t really see a reason for making the trip to this tourist destination. It is not an interesting place. It can easily be missed. I know now to recommend others to go somewhere else. On the other hand, Margaret River is beautiful. It is a 3-hour drive south of Perth, and is a place that cannot be forgotten! It is a blend of a winery centre mixed with a surfing town. The scenery at the wineries actually reminded me of Wales, as there were sheep playing on the fields and the grass was as green as can be. I also had the opportunity to go surfing for the first time ever! Surprisingly, it was harder than I thought, but I am pleased to tell you that I stood up and rode the wave into shore! After sipping some delicious wine and climbing a 72-metre tree with no harness, I headed even further south to Augusta, which is the town where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. Augusta is also considered to be another surf town with some cute little cafes. The people were so friendly and welcoming.

After heading back to Perth for a few more days, and puttering about and finding new places to explore, I took a 35 minute ferry to Rottenest Island. I seriously have no bad things to say about Rottenest Island. I am in love with this place. So far, it is my favourite place that I have discovered in this world! You may ask why I love it so much? It is because no cars are allowed on the island. It is all about walking or riding a bike. So, I packed a picnic of delicious vegetables from the Fremantle Farmers Market, which I bought the previous day and went for a bike ride around the whole island. I experienced one of the best feelings in my life, the view of the turquoise waters, the warm air hitting my cheeks and the freedom of riding a bike. It was a moment in my life that I will never forget. As I was returning to my hotel, the sun was setting and the most beautiful colours spread across the skies. Warm oranges, vibrate pinks, and luscious reds; simply beautiful! After meeting a couple of quakka, (a native creature found only on Rottenest) I thought it was time to head back to Perth and wander downtown and throughout a few more communities.



Next stop is Bali, Indonesia… tomorrow!

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