30. Perf, Freo and Rotto. (Perth, Fremantle and Rottnest Island)

On a bicycle built for two, is a great way to tour Perth, along with being chauffeured by friends met earlier in the Kimberley, as well as public bus and ferry.
Perth lays claim to being one of the most remote major cities in the world with its Kings Park being the largest inner city park in the world.  It probably has the most wildflowers in the world as well.

Nature's beauty and architectural synergy combine. 

Kings Park in the background.
Don's Queen in the foreground. 

Separate bike tracks abound making for safer travel and giving great views of the city and river. 

Perth's Swan River.

We entered WA on 29th June, our son Justin's 32nd birthday, and arriving in Perth is a milestone, meaning we are getting close to turning left for the trip across the bottom of Australia.
Meanwhile we enjoyed the tar and cement away from the months of so many different types of environment in the lead up to entering Perth.

Impressive Matagarup Bridge is a pedestrian bridge modelled on the Lock Ness Monster  (actually two flying swans) connecting the new state of the art award winning Optus Stadium to the city itself.  There were many ferry pontoons on the city side making public transport to the new stadium more accessible.

Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists only.
Hence leave the car at home.  

Brilliant bike path along the Swan.
We completed a round trip of 40kms, (after first walking 5km to the bike shop to collect our rejuvenated bike) with only 2kms on the road.

London Court in central Perth visited by Don in 1972  hadn't changed.
The Tudor architecture (1485-1603) indicates this arcade pre-dates Captain James Cook's arrival on the east coast by more than 160 years.   

The buildings had changed since 1972 with minerals being the evident wealth behind much of the scene. 

Another brilliant foot bridge.
Suspenders are big in Perth. 

Chromed duck in brick boat. 

New apartments being built with great views of the chromed duck in brick boat. 

Kings Park features incredible views, flowers and architectural features.

The iconic shot of Perth from Kings Park

Since Don's last viewing in 1972, two extra Narrows Bridges have been built.
2001: a second road bridge west of the existing 1959 structure.
2007: a third bridge for the railway between the two bridges.
Watch this space for future bridges. 

Wild flowers in a domestic setting. 

Impressive walk through the tree tops with views of the city skyline. 

Newcastle's Civic Park needs one of these. 

Insults to this little fellow were like water off a duck's back. 

DNA Tower.
Commissioned in 1966, ahead of its time. 

The park is popular with all ages. 

Feeling a little down in the mouth despite the beautiful day and being surrounded by family. 

Rottnest Island, 18kms off shore from Fremantle, owes its name to William de Vlamingh's visit in 1696 when he wrongly called the island Rats' Nest due to the presence of the quokka population.
Quokkas are small macropods (from the same family as kangaroos and wallabies) and are also found only in a couple of areas on the mainland near Perth and Albany.

Cute!
The quokkas who live in and around the village living off junk food given by the tourists have one third life expectancy of those in the wild. Their coats look tattered and lifeless. 

In the hands of the starter. 

Not lining up for a shot between the goal posts but giving a sense of scale. 

Rottnest Island has a railway set up during WW2 to gun emplacements on the high points of the island.
Again we had no previous knowledge of these facilities on the island.

As the train runs to the gun emplacement, built to carry armaments, it could be considered similar to the Japanese Shinkansen.
(The Bullet Train)

9.2 inch gun battery being shot by a fellow photographer.
The gun barrel alone weighs 28.4 tonnes. 

The hill under the gun was honeycombed in tunnels for the mechanics of the gun and storage of ammunition.
The gun was never fired in anger. 

If looks could kill!
Not happy about us going into the shared quarters of the gun emplacement. 

Perfect cruising grounds. 

Rottnest Lighthouse
First lit 1896
Automated 1986
Flash every 7.5 seconds 

New Zealand fur seals mainly breed in New Zealand, but like so many New Zealanders, the fur seals have established a colony in Australia, specifically, Cathedral Rocks on Rottnest Island.

Cathedral Rocks colonial settlement. 

Relaxing after a night out on the continental shelf fishing and squiding.

Flippers raised to regulate body temperature. 

Synchronised swimming is evidently taught from birth, but takes a while to master. 

A yell of frustration and possible foreign swear words focused us on these fellow tourists as the girl leaves pieces of her tulle skirt on sticks along the ground.
In a previous blog, we noted how so many folk wear completely inappropriate clothing; more suited for the theatre than the bush, beach or outback.
So many also do not take heed to signs in not venturing off tracks in sensitive rehabilitation and breeding areas. 

Chap in yellow communicating with the fur seals by semaphore.
They can be seen communicating back to him. 

AOK

Their main predators are sharks, orcas and sea lions.
This means they wouldn't have enjoyed swimming with the sea lions in Jurien Bay as we did. 

Most New Zealand tourists target Sydney, the Gold Coast, Cairns and Uluru.
These ones are the exception. 

Meanwhile, life goes on for others with some things never changing.

Grovelling won't work 

When Mum says no, she means no!

Finally, time to leave the island for transport back to Perth on dusk.

Our high speed ferry, the Sea Eagle pulls into the dock as a Sea Gull leaves the dock.
Gulls are not keen on eagles. 

Bikes number almost the same as the passengers.
The nineteen square kilometre island sinks in the west.  

Heading upstream on the Swan River, giraffes can be seen in Perth Zoo. 

A hydrofoil surfer joined us for several kilometres up the river.
Propulsion was by bouncing up and down to gain our wake, then occasionally working the legs to stay there.  

Perth on dusk. 

Fremantle has so many different amazing attractions.
The Maritime Museum features an architecturally marvelous building housing some priceless artifacts of Australian maritime history.

Architectural marvel, the Maritime Museum designed to house the fully rigged Australia II. 

America's Cup winner from 1983, Australia II, with a maximum speed of about 12 knots.
Don's nephew, Kyle, was on the Oracle team for the US (along with a crew mainly of Aussies and Kiwis) winning in 2013 and coming second in 2017; with speeds four times those of the old twelve metre yachts. 

The famed secret weapon.
"The winged keel"

Parry Endeavour in which Jon Sanders completed a triple non-stop circumnavigation of the world.
In March 1988 he sailed up the Swan River to step off the boat onto dry land for the first time in 658 days.
He survived solely on three and a half tonnes of provisions taken on when he departed Fremantle. 

From pearl diver to sky diver.
The lugger and whole display was brilliantly done. 

The Shipwreck Museum down the road from the Maritime Museum features many ships which don't quite rate for entry into the Maritime Museum.

Batavia timbers after 343 years submerged following the wreck in 1629.
Impressive restoration work well worth researching. 

Batavia cannon with manufacture date of 1603 or 1605.
The canon we used to photograph this is much lighter and still able to shoot. 

Figurehead of Samuel Plimsoll.
The Plimsoll Line showing the maximum load level of all vessels is said to be one of the important advances in maritime safety of all time.
He is seen indicating the line on a ship to his left just out of picture. 

As we were about to leave Perth for our final run south before turning left for the east, one more important role was required.

Carrol welcoming new immigrants into our wonderful country. 

Wherever you are, do both yourself and someone else a favour.
If you see someone feeling out of it, or all alone, get out of your comfort zone and strike up a conversation.
It generally makes you both feel better, and the other person wanted and welcomed.

Cheers, Don and Carrol.