Pam and I had a chance to spend two days in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. I’d been meaning to visit here for more than 25 years, to visit one of my longtime collaborators at the university here. So, after a full day of travel from London, we set out to explore.
On the first day I walked the streets of central business district, quickly finding myself along the shore of the Swan River and following bike and pedestrian paths toward the higher viewpoints of King’s Park. There, I strolled among the many war memorials, as a womens’ group associated with the veterans association were setting out hundreds (perhaps thousands) of crocheted poppy flowers in preparation for Remembrance Day next week (November 11). I wandered through the excellent Botanical Gardens, bursting with flowers as spring begins to peak before summer arrives next month.
in preparation for Remembrance Day.
The next day, we met up with our old friends, Chris and Sue, and boarded a tour boat that cruised for an hour down the Swan River to reach the Indian Ocean, then sped across the short gap to Rottnest Island. Although early settlers had tried to make a life here, it briefly became a POW camp during WWII and then was set aside as a park. With just one small village, no permanent residents, and no personal vehicles other than bikes and boats, it is a popular spot for holidays or day trips. We took the hop-off, hop-on bus as it circled the island’s one road, stopping at the west end to explore the rocky shoreline, before returning to the village for lunch.
Quokkas were everywhere to be seen, completely unafraid of the tourists thronging them for photographs. These small – and extremely cute – marsupials exist only here and in one other protected population, having been hunted to extinction on the mainland. Here, they provide endless pleasure for vacationers as they sniff around the outdoor cafés for crumbs. Watch a brief video of one fellow who I found under my chair!
All this walking (ten miles on the streets and in the parks of Perth, and a couple of miles on Rottnest Island) count as my seventh consecutive weekend of hiking! (Last week in South Carolina, the prior week in North Carolina, and the prior month in England.)
These and other photos in the gallery.
David Kotz 
David, thanks for the photos of Perth & Rottnest Island. They brought back fond memories- as I may have told you I worked in Perth for three years, living in an apartment in West Perth right across the street from King’s Park. If you have a chance to travel outside Perth in WA I highly recommend Karajini National Park, to the north.
Steve
And a hike up Mt. Bruce!
Thanks Steve! Unfortunately, our time in Australia is quite limited and we’ve headed south. I’ll keep it in mind for a future visit!