Travel blog: At home in Perth
Saturday, 22, Aug 2009 10:48
Hatty James has embarked on a gap year adventure, travelling by plane, train and automobile around the globe for six months before heading to university to study social anthropology.
She spent the first three months teaching English in the Chinese town of Wujiang and is now back-packing from Shanghai to New York via Bali, Australia and Los Angeles. Here is her sixth travel blog:
We were supposed to leave Sydney for Perth at 06:00 and so decided to spend the night at the airport, but (luckily) checking our flights that evening, we soon realised that our flight had been cancelled - despite them sending an email that morning to remind us of our flight the next day.
A frantic call on the payphone outside our hostel later, and we were booked on the next flight, for no extra cost. Seeing as this was at 09:00, we decided to spend the night at 790 on George Street (in the same room, no less), and take the airport bus to the terminal.
We got there a little early (about three hours at least - always err on the side of caution is our motto) and were faced with a question. Can we check in?
Cue airport staff looking at us weirdly, with an answer 'of course'. Felt like idiots, obviously. Anyway, we got our flight, finally, and arrived at Perth midday.
Luckily, Perth is the home of my companion's friends, so one such friend, who was lovely, met us at the airport. A car journey later of stories from their cookery school days and ski season fun and we were at our destination, Ocean Beach Backpackers.
This wasn't actually in Perth, rather at Cottesloe and by the beach, but pretty nevertheless. We were given a room for eight for just the two of us, which was nice, and it included an en suite bathroom. We were then taken on a quick tour of the area - by car - and ended up back at the hostel.
Ocean Beach Backpackers is right next to Madlilys, a gourmet burger bar, which the best burgers and chips ever. They were also incredibly cheap, ranging from $9-12 for a burger (stacked so full of lettuce, tomato and extras that it was sometimes hard to even get in your mouth) with $10 backpacker deal for a beef burger and chips.
Our room was right next to the local pub - and we soon realised that Australians get drunk fairly early in the evening (before eight at times) and that they liked fighting right outside of Madlilys, which we witnessed several times in the week.
We spent a day recuperating from our long flight (about five hours) and time difference from Perth, but the next day we set off for Fremantle. Reassured that it was easy to find, we set off in high hopes, only to eventually get lost and have to ask for directions from a dear old man and woman, who insisted on taking us to it, even though it was just down the road.
Embarrassing, but luckily they were lovely, and we had a nice little chat on the slow walk there. We went to Fremantle for the famous markets, which were up to expectations, and although in dire need of some gifts for family and friend's we ended up buying presents only for ourselves. And then going to the cinema. Again.
Perth itself was on the agenda for the next day, and although it was overcast, we headed off for the train station again (now we knew the way).
We seemed to visit every souvenir shop in the city, before giving up and visiting the Bell Tower. The Bell Tower has around 15 bells, which were ringing as we climbed the tower. We got to watch the bell ringers through tinted glass, and watch the bells themselves, even though they made the whole room shake!
Up another level, and you get views of the city of Perth and even got to walk around the tower on a metal walkway that swayed in the wind.
Leaving the tower, we decided that the next shop we went into, we had to buy something. Which we did, and we met the owner of the shop, who introduced us to some cheeky ducks who actually came into the shop.
The owner reassured us that in summer, the swans were not left out either, as they also came into the shop! For the third time in a row, we dined at Madlilys, enjoying yet another delicious burger.
We had a picnic on the beautiful Cottesloe beach the next day and prepared ourselves for a night out with the friend, where we were promised that we experience the only club in the area, nicknamed 'Clubbers' in Claremont.
We started off at someone's house, drinking goon and Strongbow. We found our new favorite Goon poison, Fruity Lexia (makes you sexier!) and played 'Ring of Fire' which the Australian's called 'Circle of Death' - which is admittedly a much better name!
Clubbers was all we'd been led to expect, and better, although crowed and hot. Our evening ended at an early midnight and we then discovered that we had to walk home, at least two train stops.
Assured by our drunken companions that it was only twenty minutes, we kicked off our heels and set off into the suburbs of Perth. It didn't take twenty minutes, but who's really surprised about that!
We arrived back about an hour later, only to stumble into our hostel room to realise that we now had roommates. We quietly munched crisp sandwiches and went to bed.
Obviously, we didn't get up too much the next day, just waiting for our ride - we were to spend the night at the 'friends' house. After an evening spent regaling them with tales of our travels, eating proper food and sleeping in a proper bed, we woke the next day feeling refreshed and alone, as the family we were staying with were very trusting.
We took off to Perth again, because I had to buy myself a pair of Uggs, and buy my sister and mother some too. Speeding off next to the Post Office I bought a large box and packed away three books, a present and two pairs of Ugg boots. It was about 3 and half kilos and $100 to send home - expecting family to help with that bill!
A McDonalds later (I was feeling very bad after spending that amount of money - although the Uggs were only £75) and we went back. That evening, we were meeting with a family friend of my travelling buddy, who was taking us to Margaret River for a few days.
The ride took about three and a half hours, and was unfortunately in the dark, so we missed most of the views. That evening we were given the nicest bed in the guest bedroom of the amazing house we were staying in.
Given the joy of the beds, I was all for staying in them all day, but I got up and we were taken on a driving tour of the local area and beaches, because the weather was so bad.
Later we took their dogs for a walk along one of the stunning local beaches. The next day we decided it as time for a good clear out and repack of our bulging backpacks, as well as a nail painting session, which took most of the morning.
We then went to a few wineries to try out the local Australian wine. Driftwood and Cullen were two of the wineries we visited, and all in all, Driftwood was our favorite -, actually, at the moment, I happen to be drinking some of their wine which we bought (I hope this is still coherent) and then we looked around Bussleton, a local town with shopping.
Next on our great adventure is our flight out of Australia to LA. At the moment we're planning to spend the night at the airport to catch our 05:45 flight to Sydney, and then catch a 13 plus hour flight to LA. But before that, we have our three and a half hour car journey back to Perth. Let's hope our night at the airport isn't too bad!
Hatty James