Pleasant Times in Perth

Monday through Thursday - March 26 to 29

We love the transportation system here. The train station is a 20-25 min walk or 5 min drive from the house and we can get a senior all day ticket for about $2.40 US which is good on all trains, buses and ferries. It's just 25 min on the train to downtown Perth. From there we can take other trains or buses to just about anywhere local.

On our first trip to town, we took 3 different bus routes around downtown just to get an overview. Then we walked around the center and found a wonderful food court with an overwhelming number of food stalls to choose from. I spotted some sushi that looked fabulous. It's not John's thing but they also had some cooked Japanese dishes that looked good to him so that is what we decided on and it was a delicious choice. I have not had a lot of sushi in the past but this was certainly the best I've had so far.

We had done our grocery shopping on Monday so I have been doing a little cooking in the evenings. There is a great gas BBQ out side and nice outdoor spaces in which to eat. We're very comfortable in our Joondalup house.

Across the street from our house is a regional park with a lake. We did a 2 1/2 hr walk in both directions and enjoyed it very much - very different trees and shrubs from what we are used to. We did not see a lot of different birds but there is a crow-like, huge black bird that is very vociferous - we hear and see them everywhere. There's another large black and white bird we also see - a type of magpie. We haven't seen any kangaroos yet but I'm sure they are around. There is a drought here and much of the terrain is brown and dry. It's quite a contrast from very green New Zealand. That may be why we are not seeing a lot of wildlife.

Yesterday we took the train (2 of them) to Fremantle - called "Freo" by the locals. It's a charming seaside town with interesting architecture located just down the road from Perth - two 25 min train rides from the house. We first took a bus all around the town for an overview and then had lunch at the fishing boat docks. The restaurant had beautiful fresh seafood of every kind and was well known for its fish and chips. So, that's what we had except that I had a combination of fish, shrimp, scallops and squid - all fresh and delicious. John had Red Snapper and chips and it was wonderful too. I wish I had taken a picture of their fresh fish counter - everything was so beautifully arranged and colorful - a work of art. After lunch we set off on a section of the walking tour and stopped in King's Square to wander through a market of artisan stalls which they have every Thursday. We also stopped at a jewelry store specializing in opals. They were very beautiful but VERY expensive. We just looked. We really appreciate the availability of excellent tourist brochures and maps - makes it easy to get around and see everything.

Today we plan to check out the local beach. The weather should be quite nice for a walk there.