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Published: February 21st 2018
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Mandy at the entrance.....Is this really it? Can we really be at the last stop on our Great Antipodean Adventure? The last 3 days before we return to good old Blighty? Well, the great Frank Sinatra once said, 'And now, the end is near', but not only is our trip coming to an end, so is this blog and 'my friends, I'lle say it clear'.....this is the final episode......a sadness to some perhaps, but a relief to many, I'm absolutely sure! But, before I end, we have three final days in Perth to enjoy and as I am writing this on our flights home via Singapore, I'd better get on with it, so I can grab some shut-eye!
Our flight back from Learmonth, was a 90 minute jaunt, in a Fokker 100 which had barely 30 passengers on board this time, allowing plenty of room to spread out after take off. For a short internal hop, the steward (Everson) and stewardess (Sandra) were a right laugh, with Everson particularly, a real bundle of fun. While Sandra did the safety briefing, Everson was doing the 'demo' bit and although he was completely professional, it was done with a real smile on his face and
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....and showing William's plot from the grave next door! a bit of fun; so much so, that it generated a round of applause from us passengers when they finished, which Everson and Sandra loved. From that moment on, they couldn't do enough for us........a shame the flight was only 90 minutes!
On landing at Perth, it was back to the Pan Pacific hotel and, true to their word, the bags we had left behind, were already in our rooms, which were now on the 21st floor - a general upgrade on our rooms from last time. It was around 3pm by the time we had checked in and Mandy and I had a very important date that afternoon. In a previous episode, I mentioned that we had built our itinerary around The Ghan train, which was, of course, true. However, it is also true that the whole itinerary was structured around a desire to end up in Perth.
The reason behind this is particularly important to Mandy, because her paternal grandfather happens to be buried in Perth. The story, as best we know it, is very sad, with William George White leaving the UK at the end of 1914 to join up with the Australian Imperial Forces
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Here we are..... to fight in World War 1 - why he went to OZ to join up remains a mystery, but he did. He fought at Gallipoli and was wounded and invalided out, with suggestions from his military file, that he was also showing signs of shell shock. He returned to the UK, but went back to Australia in 1917 and joined up again as an engine driver, seeing service in France, ferrying troops to and from the front line......this was clearly, one brave cookie!
As WW1 ended he was hospitalised again in the UK and whilst there, met Mandy's Grandma Maud, who was a nurse at the time. Now Maud passed away long ago, but it's fair to say that she was a funny old stick and by that I do mean 'funny peculiar', although perhaps her early life with William may have been a factor in this. You see, our best guess from the papers and dates that we have, is that Maud and William 'got it together' around the time he was hospitalised and it seems that Maud fell pregnant with Mandy's Dad, John. Whether, William had connections back in OZ, or whether they had to 'flee' the
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.....our powerboat for the 'thrill' ride... UK, because Maud was pregnant out of wedlock, we are not sure, but they got married and then left for Australia on a troop ship, returning home.
However, William clearly wasn't well and soon after arriving back in OZ he was hospitalised with shell shock and delusional tendencies, or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in modern parlance. And when I say 'hospitalised', I mean a mental institution, or more correctly a Lunatic Asylum as they were then known. Maud and baby John returned home to the UK, although we don't know when for sure - it must have been very soon after John was born, because he had no recollection of ever having been in Australia and, in fact, had always been told by Maud that he never had been. What's more, John was always told that his father had died when he was two, i.e. in 1921.
That is all very sad, but it's not the end of the story, because when Maud died, Mandy's Dad found some correspondence in her effects, between Maud and the institutions in Perth, giving updates on William's condition on a number of different occasions, which was basically 'no change', until the last
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.....and the map of our route round the island. letter she received in 1964.......saying that William had died, aged 82!! John would have been in his forties then, but he had no idea that his father had been alive all that time. Maud clearly had her reasons for saying that William was dead and maybe it was the 'shame' of him being in an asylum, but she obviously still cared about him, because she was clearly keeping in touch.
All this is by way of background to what Mandy and I were planning to do, the afternoon that we arrived back in Perth, which was to visit the cemetery where poor old William is buried. Before we came away, we had found out that he was laid to rest in a cemetery in a suburb of Perth called Karrakatta, the largest cemetery in Western Australia and we had discovered the section of the site (ZU-Anglican) and plot number (223). So, off we trotted to catch the train out to Karrakatta, five stops down the line towards Fremantle and costing a mammoth $3 each. The journey took about 20 minutes and when we got off the train, the gates of the cemetery were right outside.
The office was
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A New Zeland fur seal at Cathedral Rocks... closed (which we knew would be the case), but there was a notice board with a map of the site and guess what..........section ZU was right at the far end of the place. The cemetery is massive, with sections allocated to different religious denominations and it is beautifully kept and very tranquil, with nobody else about. We 'marched' down to section ZU and then worked our way along the grave plots to find number 223, but when we found it............there was no grave stone and no plot number. Section ZU is on sandy ground and although the plot numbers are metal, number 223 may well have been buried over time. Also, we suspect that although the State paid for William's burial, their support didn't extend to putting a grave stone in place.
This was all very disappointing, but we nevertheless, found the plot, were able to take a few pics and Mandy was able to shed a few tears and say 'hi' and 'goodbye' to her grandad. A really sad tale, but at least we can say that we popped by to see him and that he is not forgotten.
While we were away, Tim and Sue had
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.....and some playing in the water. Apparently they usually keep one flipper out of the water when floating like this, to help keep l popped out so Tim could get a haircut and very sharp it looked too! We got back to the Pan Pacific around 6pm, just as Tim & Sue were walking back through the doors. So.......we went to the bar and had a drink for William. Dinner that night was at a place a couple of blocks away, before we played our last few hands of cards of our trip (Mandy won with the best aggregate score over the whole holiday!) and then to bed.
Our penultimate day in Perth was an organised trip to Rottnest Island, a summer playground for the residents of Perth. We were picked up at 8.15 am and then taken a short drive to the jetty, where we picked up the Rottnest Express a fast catamaran, to take us to the island. The first leg of the journey goes the same way down the Swan River to Fremantle that we took on the cruise ship a week ago. However, this vessel goes a bit quicker and once it gets out of Fremantle harbour, it really picks up speed, arriving in Rottnest at 10.15 am.
Rottnest is a relatively small island, about 11 km east/west
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A couple gulls on a nice rock.... and 5 km north/south and was named by a Dutch explorer who discovered the island and who mistook the island's resident creatures for rats, hence the old Dutch name for 'Rat's Nest'. These creatures are, in fact, Quokkas, very cuddly looking creatures that are sort of a cross between a rat and a wallaby. They are everywhere on the island and not particularly timid, although you are advised not to touch or feed, because they can nip and can carry Salmonella. Having said that, we got some lovely pictures.
On arrival at Rottnest, we had about 45 minutes to kill, before we boarded the Rottnest Island Adventure powerboat for a 90 minute, high speed ride around the island. During that 45 minutes, Tim was on a special phone linked directly to the ferry company, switching our return journey from 3.55 pm to the later time of 6.25, in order to give us more time on the island.
We boarded the powerboat and took seats in the middle to get a reasonably smooth ride, although once again, this was to be no pleasure cruise! There were about 50 people on board and a young chap was doing the driving,
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Fish Hook Bay......beautiful water..... with a young girl doing the nature commentary at various stops - our life in the hands of 'mere babies', once more! With the weather set fair, they expected to be able to circumnavigate the whole island, which is not always possible if it is too windy. Then we were off.......and boy did it shift, doing a top speed approaching 40 knots or 45 mph, the boat bouncing over the waves and leaving the water altogether pretty regularly. It was great fun and a real thrill and even this poor sailor loved it........clearly, I am better, the faster we go!
We stopped off at a number of points, to see some of the beautiful beaches of Rottnest and to watch New Zealand fur seals at a place called Cathedral Rocks and just before we reached there, we had a great time watching dolphins surfing and playing in the big waves crashing on the rocky coastline. Fish Hook Bay was a lovely limestone cove, with an Osprey's nest on the edge of the cliff as we entered the cove and another smaller island is home to the Australian Sea Lion. As we approached the island, we thought we were going
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....and beautiful rocks at Fish Hook...... to be out of luck, because what we thought was a sea lion, turned out to be a rock! But then, with perfect timing, a young male swam ashore and posed for some great shots!
The water around Rottnest is wonderfully clear and this is apparently due to the fact that, there are no rivers on the island bringing silt and debris into the sea, coupled with the modest tidal movement around the island, of less than a metre. Rottnest is a Mecca for boat owners and there were hundreds dotted around the island, although this was probably because it was a Sunday and Perth was 'out to play'! Boat owners are not allowed to drop anchor anywhere around the island to ensure the protection of the coral reefs, but there are over a thousand mooring buoys they can attach to. There is a 10 year waiting list to acquire one of these buoys, but if you don't have one, a boat can be moored to an empty buoy as long as the boat owner leaves their name and phone number clearly visible. If the buoy owner then turns up, the 'user' then has 30 minutes to leave, or
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....yet more beautiful water around Sandy Bay.... they are fined by the Park Ranger. If they don't display their name and number, they will be fined anyway!
Our 'thrill ride' over, we pulled back into harbour, disembarked and then went for lunch. Incidentally, the tour was described as an 'Eco Ride', quite how this can be, with three damned great 300 bhp outboard motors blasting out, is a bit of a mystery, although perhaps it was the way they respected the wildlife and coastal waters that made it 'Eco friendly'. In any event, it was a pretty good trip. Lunch consisted of excellent, pulled pork sliders and if you can't remember what 'sliders' are........please feel free to reread The Ghan episode!
Following lunch, we had a little stroll around the Thompson Bay 'settlement' as it is described, avoiding the multitude of cyclists that swarm around Rottnest. The bicycle is a favourite mode of transport on the island and there are so many, it's a bit like Cambridge on a bad day! We opted to take the hour long bus tour of the island rather than cycle; the route pretty much follows the coastline all the way round and the driver's commentary was pretty good and
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.....and two gulls trying to decide which way to surf.... I got a great shot of the Osprey sitting on its nest, from the bus! We decided to get off the bus a couple of bays from home, in order to walk the rest of the way (about 30 minutes) and just before we got off, we saw it.......through the bus window.......our first and only wild snake of the trip, slithering through some tree roots. I managed to get a picture (just), but whether it was venomous or not, we had no intention of getting near enough to find out!
It was a lovely stroll around the two bays and partly beside the island's golf course (now......golf......what's that game again??) and we saw quite a few Quokkas, with one very nearly trying to pinch Sue's phone as she took its picture! At Basin Bay (cracking beach) the route split, with Mandy and Sue taking the tarmac path, while Tim and I followed the edge of the coast, across a couple of beaches, passing the lighthouse and then across Thompson Bay beach itself (where we saw some more Pelicans), before meeting up with the girls back at the jetty, for an ice cream and then ferry back to the mainland.
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.....and a pelican wondering whether to join in..... This particular ferry only went as far as Fremantle harbour, so we had to get the train back to Perth, although we were old hands at this by now and we got back to the city without a hitch. It had turned 8 pm by the time we reached the hotel and although we didn't need a meal, a snack was called for and with us all feeling a bit weary, it was in to the Irish pub over the road, which worked perfectly for us, to eat, have a couple drinks and then scoot off to bed!
Our last day had arrived and we had a final plan! We wanted to go to King's Park for the morning and then the girls were going to do a bit of last minute shopping, while we boys did our own thing, including finding somewhere good for our last evening meal of the trip.
We picked up the free bus, just around the corner from the hotel and we were at King's Park in no more than 10 minutes. King's Park was originally called Perth Park, but was renamed after the visit of King Edward VII to Perth in 1901.
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......no Australian Seal, just a rock..... It is considered to be the biggest inner city park in the world at over 4 sq. km, compared to Hyde Park at 2.5 sq. km and Central Park at 3.4 sq. km. It is a beautiful place, high on a hill above the city, with fantastic views and it is kept in absolutely immaculate condition. We made our way to the Visitor Centre, which had a cracking cafe attached, where we had a good breakfast. Then we popped into the Visitor Centre for some directions and a map.
We followed a route, which took us via a lovely area devoted to a war memorial and eternal flame, before entering the Botanical Gardens (all free by the way), passing by a super, silver coloured entrance sign and through an intriguingly designed, silver gateway. Whilst most of the flowers were past their best, the gardens and especially the trees, were still absolutely stunning and a definite 'must' for anyone to visit. There is also a raised walkway, including what they describe as a glass bridge, taking you through the treetops, or very nearly. The glass bridge is actually 'glass sided', but really nicely done. We loved King's Park and after
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.....but here he comes.... a fabulous time at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore at the start of our trip, it seemed fitting that we should end the trip here.
After an excellent few hours or so, we caught the bus back to the city centre and got off by the shopping area. We popped into a bar for a drink and Sue tried to throw hers over Mandy (by accident!), but Mandy moved like a gazelle (by the way, we haven't seen any of them!) to avoid it. We were, in fact, drinking one of our favourite Aussie beers called '150 Lashes' and named after the sentence given to a chap called James Squire, for stealing from his brewery employer; after the lashes were carried out, Squire then started his own brewery in the 1880s and 150 Lashes was his first ale and very nice it is too! After drinks, we split up as planned. Tim and I made our way down to the waterfront (via some really excellent kangaroo statues) and I decided to visit the Bell Tower (which you may recall we missed last time we were in Perth), while Tim chose to give the Bells a miss and
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......now, that's definitely no rock! instead, had a look around the wider waterfront, including the Elizabeth Quay area, one side of which is undergoing massive construction of new hotels, restaurants and bars.
The Bell Tower was ok, but I'm not sure it's worth the star billing it has in some of the guide books. Whilst the tower itself reaches very high, visitors are only allowed to go six floors up to a viewing platform. The part of the platform facing the river has some great views, but pictures are hopeless through the glass screen, because it was too mucky. The platform extends round the back of the tower and is open to the elements, with a barrier up to just over waist height. The 'Doctor' was really whipping round the tower and until I reached the other side and it was then blowing me away from the barrier, I have to say it really put the 'wind' up me!!
Twelve of the bells came from St.Martins in the Field church off Trafalgar Square and it turns out, that this was because the bells had always been too big for the St. Martins church tower and were apparently causing damage. It was planned to
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Just a lovely view..... melt them down and recast new ones, but the designer behind the Bell Tower got to hear about this and suggested that St. Martins gift the bells to Perth to mark Australia's 200th anniversary in 1988 and in return Australia supplied St. Martins with the copper and tin to cast some new bells. The tower also has on display, the oldest bell in Australia, cast in 1550, although this is a bit of a cheat because the bell is actually 'on loan' from St. Mary's Church, Upton St. Grey in Hampshire where it was in situ as a church bell, until it cracked some years ago.
Bell Tower done, I met back up with Tim and we both walked around Elizabeth Quay to see what restaurants were around. The answer is not many, but we did eventually find a good looking one called The Revelry and booked a table looking out over the Quay, for our last dinner. Elizabeth Quay itself is really nicely done with a very modern, helix design footbridge over the river entrance and some jolly interesting sculptures.
It was then back to the hotel for us, to enjoy a couple of beers, while I
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......and the Osprey on its nest. blogged away as fast as I could! The girls returned a while later and we all retired to our adjoining rooms to check out their purchases and start the packing for the journey home tomorrow. But then.......a very unwanted crisis! Tim and Sue couldn't find Sue's IPad anywhere in their room. They were convinced that Sue had used it that morning but, by mistake, had left it out in the room during the day, rather than in the room safe. They turned the room upside down and emptied their suitcases, without any joy. Then Mandy and I checked their room as a fresh pair of eyes, but still no joy. It had gone!
To cut a long story short (with discussions taking place that evening and the next morning), the hotel were very good and checked out who had been in both our rooms during the day and without accusing the chambermaid of anything, Sue was able to ask whether she remembered seeing it in the room, which she didn't. The hotel also provided a car to take Tim to the nearest police station so that he could report the loss for insurance purposes. The only other thing that
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....it could be a killer, I suppose! might shed some light on the loss is if Tim can find a device number for the IPad when we get back to the UK and then the hotel can check on their wifi records to see when that device was last used in the hotel, which should be able to confirm for certain, whether it disappeared in the hotel or perhaps was mislaid outside the hotel, which Tim and Sue consider to be very unlikely.
A very disappointing end to the trip, which inevitably put a dampener on our last night, although we still enjoyed an excellent meal at The Revelry. Tim and Sue were otherwise occupied for a fair bit of the next morning, but we did all manage to have a last breakfast together in a cafe just down the road. The cheesy scrambled eggs were yummy!
And then, all too soon, it was time for our taxi to pick us up and take us to the airport, for our ninth flight, a five hour journey back to Singapore, followed by number ten, a 14 hour slog from Singapore to London, after a two and half stopover at Changi airport. But here was some good
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A very cute Quokka.... news......our 'bids' that we made prior to leaving the UK, to upgrade to Premium Economy for the last leg, had been successful, so hopefully we will have a little more comfort for the final leg. I am writing this particular part of the blog as we near the end of the Perth to Singapore leg, so I'm looking good for a snooze on the Heathrow flight.
No quiz questions this time folks, but just a simple summary and some much needed thank you's. Having said that, I'm really not sure how to sum up this adventure in a few sentences, other than to say that it has been truly epic. We have done and seen so much and to pick out highlights and lowlights is really difficult, save to say that there have been loads and loads of highlights and very few lowlights! Personally, I will never forget that awe inspiring road trip from Franz Josef to Queenstown in New Zealand and the magic of Uluru, with the stunning night sky. The Ghan was amazing and to see the iconic landmarks of Sydney was really emotional......and as for the Sydney Bridge Climb.....well, what can I say!! I think that
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.....and another... the best way I can sum up the whole trip, is that it was everything we hoped it would be........and a whole lot more!!
As for our travelling companions, true friends and 'brother and sister' Tim and Sue, we have had an absolute blast and a trip that has been a long time in the planning has, in our view, been a complete success. To be together, pretty much all day, every day, for seven weeks, is a real test of any friendship, but a test that I think we passed, with flying colours. Obviously, Sue's knee injury was a real shame, but she soldiered on regardless, and it didn't stop us doing anything in particular, just a bit slower on occasions, that's all. Thanks so much to two lovely people.
As for Mandy (don't worry, I'm not gonna get gushy!), but I'm really glad that we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to do this and it's been so fantastic to share that opportunity with you. And just think of the tales we will have to bore the grandsons with!
Finally, as for all those of you who took the time and trouble to read
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.....and the potential phone thief! this blog and, indeed, add a comment or two, thank you so very much. I really enjoyed putting it together, but it means so much more if others enjoy reading it too AND if you have had even a fraction of the fun reading about our adventure, as we did experiencing it, then I can ask no more than that.
So.......for one last time....That's all folks!! And as they say in the Antipodes......G'Day!!
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Christopher Bresnahan
non-member comment
We will miss your blogs for sure
Hi Guys, I tried responding on my phone and then lost my text so if you have already received my lovely comments apologies they have arrived again! So as I was trying to tell you earlier hope you were successful in achieving your upgrade that would be a nice piece of icing on the cake and obviously have a safee journey home. We really have enjoyed your blogs Paul it brought back great memories of our own trips and we could visualise where you were in a lot of the areas. You have some great memories and sights stored away. How you found the time inclination and energy to do the blog is beyond me. Your trip truly has been Epic and we hope that in some small way our input helped you along the way. The girls were so pleased to see you both, it was nice of you to take time out to meet with them. We hope the jet lag isn't too bad and you soon settle back into life back in blighty. It will be a shock that's for sure but you will be pleased to see the family. look forward to catching up with you both once things have settled down for you. Cheers for now