I love travelling on my own…I mean when else are you going to get the opportunity to woo three middle aged women on a train with your “sexy Irish accent” and your “20 year old” boyish good looks..??..now if I can just try the same only aim for 20 years younger I might be getting somewhere…
Anyway, back to reality…I’ve had a good couple of days, still in Perth, visiting a few of the sites and whatnot, but there is one common theme no matter where I go…you know the way back home we have crows…and they are sometimes quite noisy…but we generally learn to cope with their constant cawing…well it seems that everywhere I go in Perth there are crows (well I guess they are…definitely look like a corvid of some type anyway…havent bought a bird book yet , sorry Marc!)…and these crows are very vocal…and the problem is…I kid you not…they ACTUALLY sound like a babies crying…..and it’s really starting to FREAK ME OUT!!..I managed to catch a photo of a couple yesterday as they cried at me in Kings Park…
Crows crying like babies in Kings Park
So anyway, yesterday was quite interesting. It started off with a tour of the Perth Mint…well I had to see where my gold coins had been made, come on!?..we even got a demonstration of a guy pouring 6kg of molten gold into a mould to make a big bar…no photos – they weren’t allowed…but I got one of the building..!?..
Perth Mint…gold baby GOLD…
I then went to Kings Park which is a massive park/botanical gardens just on the edge of Perth on a big hill…it was immense – stunning views over the whole city and the river…and look who I found…!?…
Me in Kings Park with Perth behind me…
…and guess what else I saw today…in Kings Park…?…my first fish…!!…(well apart from the tilapia in a tank in an Asian restaurant…). Small fish basking in the sunshine in a small pond…can you count them..??…I already know the answer…(obviously…)
Count the fish – answers on a postcard to Australia
As I was walking out of the park there was an old Australian couple walking in complaining about the fact that the park only has one and the same road in and out…and apparently this was the worst thing in the world…”This place just really annoys me…” he says…Tell you what mate – away and go for a walk with yer wife in the rain in Botanic Gardens!!…gees I don’t know…anyway, cultured as I am I finished off the day with a trip to the museum…wasn’t great…that just about sums that up..!?..
So, today, buoyed by my first fish sitings yesterday, I decided to get a train out north of Perth to the Aquarium of Western Australia…the biggest aquarium in Australia they tell me…it was quite big…but I would say the one I went to in Valencia was definitely bigger…there was a 98m long underwater tunnel though that was pretty impressive…difficult to take pictures, but here’s a shark anyway…
Big nurse shark swimming towards me – you can see the tunnel continuing round on the other side
And I also found the next fish tank project for when I get back home…I will have to consult Steve about converting his front living room into am aquarium, but I don’t think he’ll mind…
My next fish tank
I then got the train back to Perth but decided on a Swedish guy’s recommendation last night that I would continue on down about 40 miles south of Perth to a town called Mandurah…which APPARENTLY is really nice…like ‘Venice’ I was told…with lots of little inlets from the main river where people brought their boats in up to their houses…hmmm…I was disappointed…yes there was a river, yes there were inlets where people drove their (very expensive) boats up to their (very expensive) houses, but not exactly what I expected when he said VENICE..!?…ah well, I spent a couple of hours dandering about, got a bite to eat and got back to Perth, eager to update my blog…yeah yeah yeah…right…I guess it wasn’t a total waste of time because I did meet the three crazy women on the train on the way down..!?..
I’ve had a few good days in Perth – great city…and met lots of random people, but I am now looking forward to heading up the west coast tomorrow…at 7.15 in the morning (not so much looking forward to the 7.15 bit – easy on the dry sherries tonight)…
Oh by the way Phil – I was out on Saturday night and couldn’t get into a club because of my SHOES…I knew I should have brought that other pair…and no it was NOT to do with the fact it was 2am and we had already had enough..!!..
Can’t think of anything else to say right now…every time something interesting or funny happens I think “oh I should remember that for the blog”…but never do…on a non-interesting or exciting note, I really wish I had got my eyes lasered before I left – the sun/wind is killing my eyes with my contacts..!?..not good…
Oh yes – one more thing…Tommy and Mat – you’ll be glad to see that even you guys will be welcome in Perth if you’re ever over this side of the world…
Mon 1st December, 2008
at 9:20 pm
You setting your alarm for the pool match? Sure get up a few hours earlier – will hopefully put you in a good mood for travelling….
Mon 1st December, 2008
at 11:17 pm
I would but there’s nowhere near here showing it…kicks off at 5am..!!..I’ll be up at about 6 though so text updates much appreciated anyone..!!
Tue 2nd December, 2008
at 1:16 am
I think that idea of the large fish tank would be a good idea for these fish of mine. By the time you come home they will be like sharks! Good project for dad when he’s off at christmas! We don’t really need a snooker table after all! Why don’t you invest in a cool looking pair of prescription sun glasses. You’ll not need your contacts and you’ll look good enough to attract these “younger” women! A bit of advice from someone who as you know can be forgetful – You know that little notebook you brought with you? Well buy a pen to go with it and write all the funny things down as they happen. This problem could run in the family! So could a few others which I will not mention! Glad you are having fun, but go easy on the dry sherries. x
Tue 2nd December, 2008
at 1:43 am
Well I’m glad you’ve done all those things in Perth that I could never be bothered doing when there!lol! Theres one thing you didn’t do that I did though but I’ll say no more. I am enjoying the blog and photos are good, however the one of the pub!!!!!!!!!!………think I remember seeing that photo before somewhere!!!!!!!! And anyway I thought we established that Mat is French! Very much looking forward to read what you think about the West Coast and dont forget look out for snakes on the beach in Exmouth!! Oh and theres 3 fish in the picture
Tue 9th December, 2008
at 10:23 pm
Listen to your mum. Buy the sunglasses and a pen. There are 98 fish.
Tue 9th December, 2008
at 10:25 pm
by the way, the crying birds would freak me out. Your first scavenger hunt item will follow shortly