Perth

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I had only 3/4 days in Perth, but by the end I wished I had longer. I absolutely loved the place. I prefer smaller cities, so this was just right. The weather was gorgeous, and I really liked the city. I arrived at my hostel at around lunchtime. The hostel was called the Emperors Crown. It was very nice and looked as if it had just been renovated. A brilliant way to reintroduce me back into hostel life! I headed into the city for the afternoon as I knew I needed to buy quite a few things. After the loads of shopping I did, I went to the cinema as it had been so long since I had been to one. I went to see Black Swan - a very unusual film. Still not sure whether I liked it to be honest!

I looked into what day trips to do while I was there, and there were loads to choose from. Unfortunately, they all cost a bit and I was on a really tight budget! I wanted to do Rottenest Island, which was supposed to be a very beautiful Island to visit. But to even just get a ferry there, let alone an actual tour, was over $90! So in the end I chose to do a day tour to Margaret River, which included a visit to the town, a tour around the region, a visit to the town of Bussleton (which has the longest wooden jetty in the world), three winery visits, a visit to Canal Rocks, cheese tasting and a visit to a chocolate factory. It was a very good day and a girl who was in my room at the hostel decided to come with me, which was good. The weather, again, was lovely. I enjoyed tasting the wines and would say that the first winery we visited had the best selection. The reds in particular were very good. The last winery had a cherry wine that was lovely. Me and my roommate ended up buying a small bottle between us. When we went to the cheese tasting, we found a baked ricotta cheese that was delicious. So we bought that with some crackers to go with the wine for dinner that night! Overall, it was a good day.

The next day, I went walking around the city. I visited King's Park, Swan River and then took the train out to Freemantle. This town is very laid back with lots of cafes and quaint shops. I walked around for a while, had a late lunch and then went to Cottesloe Beach, which was on the same line back to Perth. I really hope that I get a chance to come back to Perth if I ever return to Australia. I really like the feel of the place. Mum I may just have found the place I want to move to eventually!

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