Perth

When you visit or discuss Perth you really need to include Fremantle as well. Fremantle is the Port city that you arrive in on your way to Perth (about 30 minutes by road) and is worthy of a separate discussion. We’ve chosen to do just that and have a separate post for Fremantle.
Known as the “friendly city” among its many fans, Perth enjoys more sunny days than any other place in Australia, according to city leaders. The city anchors South Western Australia and is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas in the world. It is actually closer to Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia, than it is to Sydney or Melbourne. It was a full 3 day passage from Adelaide through the Indian Ocean for us by ship. Perth became known as the “city of light,” when residents lit their houselights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth in 1962. The city repeated this tribute again in 1998 as Glenn passed overhead in the Space Shuttle.
As the pictures show it is also one of the most beautiful cities anywhere. Marie and I agreed that Perth would be the San Diego of the U.S., sitting on the West Coast, with fishing villages surrounding it. It has a distinct culture of its own with some Western and Aboriginal influences; more laid back than the eastern cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Paired with Fremantle it has about everything needed in a metropolitan area. The Swan River adds greatly to this city and this Salt Water Lagoon stretches from the Indian Ocean to downtown Perth. Along the Swan is an array of fishing, boating, eating and waterfront housing. We were able to take a cruise on the river and the pictures will give you an idea of the pristine nature of the River. No docks are allowed in order to preserve the shoreline.
Like other Australian cities, the town center incorporates a “Pedestrian only” shopping area they call a mall. However, it is not enclosed and looks more like a modern city shopping area without cars. You can buy anything in this area that you can buy in the U.S. We even saw a Target store (thankfully no Walmarts’).
We began our day with a bus Tour of Perth. Our tour guide said we were just teething since our cruise was only 25% of the way along. The bus passed underneath hundreds of Peppermint trees on our way to Kings Park and the Botanical Gardens. Although all of the cities seem to have their own gardens, Perth’s seems even more because of its native plants. These plants are basically from the Outback or Great Sandy Desert. Very unusual and similar to what we will see in South Africa since the two continents were once joined. The city is 100 miles long and fairly narrow. It extends along the Swan River that cuts through the city and then North and South along the Indian Ocean. It can’t grow eastward because of the desert and other inhospitable geography. This was Feb 19 and the temperature was in the high 80’s. Generally, February is the hottest month and July is the coldest. Obviously this is the direct opposite of us folks who live above the Equator.
We ended our visit to Perth with a 90 minute cruise down the Swan to Fremantle. We will review this city in a separate Post.