Arrived in the Land of Oz

---

17/10/06 - 20/10/06 Perth

Most of our first 2 days spent in Perth was traveler admin, so we didn’t hit the beaches, Freemantle or cruise up the Swan River. We wandered up and down William Street between our Northbridge accommodation and town, sampling the multitude of Italian and Asian restaurants on our way home, and the Brass monkey pub.

After hours in a travel agent booking flights and in the Air New Zealand office changing our flights (shame on you Air New Zealand for charging us a fee to change our dates, when Singapore airlines had been so accommodating) we walked through Perth’s CBD and into the greenery of the parks, heading round towards Kings Park. Stumbling upon Jacob’s Ladder, the steep staircase heading up to the park, we encountered the health conscious of Perth running up and down the steps for free exercise. We only walked up the once en route to the park but many people were running up and down 10 or more times.

King’s Park was a beautiful place to unwind and see the sunset. The sky glowed pink and the tall glass skyscrapers of the Perth skyline shone in the light of setting sun. A monument to the Bali bombing victims was tastefully constructed in slate, metal and wood with the words “May the river wash away your sorrows” carved into the Perspex on the platform, looking out over the vast Swan River below.

---