Blogs from Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania - page 5

Perth – Fremantle We arrived early in Freemantle and were able to leave the ship by 11:00. We hooked up with Frances and Susan, Aussie sisters, and made our way to the train, a short 15-minute walk. It was interesting to watch the towns go by and strange to see immaculate stations and lively areas around the tracks. No trash or dilapidated buildings here. This place is booming. There is construction everywhere. Perth is a modern city with skyscrapers and a very young vibe. All the major accounting firms are here in close proximity to the headquarters of the large mining concerns. WA (West Australia) is rich in natural resources and that wealth is reflected in the city. Perth runs complementary buses on three different routes. We picked one that we thought would take us to ... read more

Well yesterday we took the bus and then the train to get into Perth City Centre to check out what Perth has to offer. We had read in our Lonely Planet guide which is starting to be our travel bible that Kings Park was supposed to be one of its highlights. So get to Perth and another bus needed to be taken to get to the Park. The park main attractions were its botanical gardens and its lotterywest federation walkway. The walkway is a long glass structure that allows you to walk among the treetops. I also read somewhere which I think must have been from the internet that the walkway sways so I was a little bit worried as I do not like heights. Anyway we found the walkway it was ok but to be ... read more

Freemantle Mum and I flew back to Perth. James and Dad were already there because they had caught an earlier flight and thought they were so cool. Mum watched a movie called the Black Balloon on the plane and cried because the family in the movie reminded her of our family. One of the kids was normal and the other one had autism. When we got back to Perth we moved our caravan to Fremantle for 2 weeks. I met friends yet again who were in the caravan next to us called Karl and Sontier. It turns out they saw us on the Gibb River Road. They recognized our car and Mum’s red dress. First we went to the zoo in Perth. It was amazing and we had a great day. We caught the ... read more

Not much to report on Day 4 but preparations! Typical in a way I suppose it all comes down to the last day to get our house in order! Camping supplies, food and anything we thought we’d need we scraped together today. First stop was Harvey Norman to Price an inverter to charge laptops off the 12V cigarette lighter in the car! A vital tool for the modern day backpackers! We were a bit suspicious when the salesman offered us the inverter for $90 straight off the mark even though it was priced at $100 but sure we said we’d take it anyways! Next stop was Kmart and camping supplies were the target. Fair play, Kmart isn’t known for quality but we’re on a budget so tents, tarps, cookware and even fishing gear was purchased here! ... read more

Day 2 of Colman and Gaffers Most Bogus Adventures is the day that the car actually came into our ownership. The pair of us, it could be said, maybe, overindulged in Fremantle the night before. We were possibly celebrating the purchase of our new car or maybe Colman was introducing himself slowly to the Aussie way of life, again, after his stint in the Philippines. Either way, Day 2 started off with a pair of sore heads! Waking up late and realising that the car would be dropped off soon and the owner would be requiring payment, we struck off looking for an ATM, only for both of us to have trouble getting the money due to Daily Limit withdrawals. A dash back home and after a few “quick” phone calls the Daily Limits were adjusted ... read more