Thursday 8^th March, 2012

Together with Sandra, she joins my trip the next few weeks, I went to another city sightseeing. First we went to London Court, a lane build in English style. At both ends there are iron gratings which were lifted during the day. On one gate the figures of a knight and a dragon should move every quarter of an hour. Unfortunately it seams not to work anymore as we did not see the fight. Then we walked along the different old houses which I visited already before. Our destination was the Kings Park and the Botanic Garden. Here we looked at the great view over Perth and visited an aborigines gallery. We got some information about the park we went to the Botanic Garden and watched different trees and flowers. In springtime it must be even nicer here. In between we stopped at a shadowy place as also today the sky was bright and blue. While walking we saw colourful parrots and a few other birds. Our path went over a glass bridge from where we could watch down to the park at the left and at the right side. At the Jacob's Ladder we went 300 steps downstairs towards Swan River. Along Swan River we walked to the Bell Tower and enjoyed a break nearby in the shadow. After we went on the free bus and looked if there is something we may visit. We took the blue line, but here we did see already everything and thus we went back to the hostel.

Wednesday 7^th March, 2012

In the morning I went into the West Australia Museum to avoid the sun. There are three different exhibitions: the first one is about mammals and their development, the second one about the history of the aborigines and the third one showed crystals from all over the world. There was many interesting things to see and to learn. Shortly after noon I went to the airport. Here I met Sandra which will join me for the next four weeks at the west coast. In the evening we made together a short walk to Northbridge and enjoyed the many lights in the night.

Tuesday 6^th March , 2012

Already at 9 o'clock the sun was sending its rays to the earth. First I bought a pair of sandals which I then kept on my feet. From the centre I walked along Swan River until Heirission Island. The Island is cut half by a road going from one end to the other. I just realized that I made my walk on the wrong side. There should be some kangaroos on the other side according to my city map which I had forgotten in the hostel. Back I took the same way and I tried to keep below the palms whenever possible. I saw jellyfishes swimming in the Swan River. Back in the centre I made a big break in the park and laid in the shadow of the palms. My biggest problem here is that my skin is getting red fast and I do not want to get sunburnt another time.

In the later afternoon I visited the Anglican church in Perth. After I walked towards the catholic cathedral. On the way I found an old fire brigade station beside the hospital. It is the first fire brigade station of Perth. Nowadays they exhibit old fire fighting gear and in the first floor there is much information about the natural disasters which hit Australia from time to time

After I walked to the St. Mary Cathedral. It is very special, then the old cathedral became on the left and right side an extension. The inside is old and at the same time very modern.

Sunday 4^th March, 2012

Konrad hat to be at the airport at 9am as he had to go back to Sydney. The next time when we will see us is when I go to Sydney. With the car I drove to the Swan Valley. My first stop was in Guildford and I informed myself in the information office about what to visit in this area. I already knew that there are many wineries in the Swan Valley. First I walked around in Guildford, then I drove to the Sandalfort Winery, as it can be visited without tasting wine. After I went to Bells Rapid. There I had a great view over the valley and you could also see the skyscrapers of Perth. The next stop was the Honey House. Here they explain how honey is produced and I could tasted many different kinds of honey. With a lovely honey ice and a honey lemon water in the stomach I continued. Passing many vines I went to the Maali Park and walked along Swan River. I had lunch at the Houghton Winery. First I went walking in the big park, after I visited the museum and the gallery. In the gallery they sell glassware and pictures. In a chat with the artists I learned that that Margarete, the photographer, is from Germany. But she understands Swiss dialect very good as she worked for more than 30 years in Basel. She told me that there are not many Swiss in this region. As it was only early afternoon, I was thinking what to visit next. I just continued driving and reached a road sign pointing to the John Forrest National Park. Over a scenic drive it went through the park, but for a long time I did not see a hiking path. At one spot there was a barrier and I had to buy a day pass to enter the park. Also here I went walking. As it was 35° allowed myself something to drink in the bush restaurant. In the garden veranda there were two green parrots walking on the tables. Looking right I saw a few kangaroos which got feed here. There were also some young ones, one I could observe while suckling. As I got slowly tired from the heat, I went back to Perth. Here I will stay the next few days.

Saturday 3^rd March, 2012

In the morning we went to the Shoalwater Bay. Here we boarded the boat and the safari started. Only about 5 minutes out in the sea we already saw a few dolphins. The next hour we followed and watched them. For me it is the first time I saw dolphins swimming in the sea, but not for Konrad. As I had taken my pills against motion sickness I could stand in the front of the boat and take pictures. Konrad could not believe it as he remembered of the opposite in Island were the pills had not helped and I had been very sick. Our ride was not yet over. The boat went to Bird Island were there are cormorants and pelicans nesting. Then we met again a dolphin which was playing with a ray. Next was Seal Island with its seal colony. As it was very warm, they liked more to sunbath than to move around. We often saw flying pelicans. At the end of the tour we left the boat at Penguin Island. Here every hour a ferry goes back to the mainland. First we enjoyed our pick-nick as there is no shop here. We also observed a few of the local lizards. One just walked over the pick-nick area. Then we went onto the two kilometre long path around the island. First we saw a decayed tractor stand in the middle of the nature. Passing nesting pelicans we went to the beach. We enjoyed the refreshing bath and the waves and then we let us dry by the sun. Back at the start we went to see the feeding of the penguins. A few of them live in the visitor centre. They are not able anymore to live in the wild. Four times a day they get fresh fish. After the feeding we went back to the mainland and from there back to the motel next to the airport. As there was still some time left we went to the centre of Perth and walked a bit in the Kings Park. We heard some parrots in the trees and saw them flying away. The evening we closed with a dinner with sight to the city.