Australia

Downtown Perth from Kings Park & Botanic Garden

Downtown Perth from Kings Park & Botanic Garden

After six weeks we flew to Perth out in Western Australia for our 11th and final stop in Australia. “Why fly?” you might ask. “Why not take a bus?” As we’ve learned, the distances in Australia are massive. From Adelaide in South Australia to Perth in neighboring Western Australia it’s nearly 1,700 miles. In other words, driving from the capital of one Australian state to the neighboring capital would be like driving from Boston to Wichita, Kansas.

And yes, Western Australia is big: at over 1 million square miles it’s the second-biggest subnational entity in the world after Russia’s Sakha Republic (capital, Yakutsk for you Risk players…). To put that in some context, the two largest states in the U.S. (Alaska & Texas) together are just 932,000 square miles. So yeah, it’s big out here.

Now, as for Perth. Meh. It’s a big western boom town, with over 2 million people in the “Greater Perth” area. It’s first big population boom was the result of late 19th century gold rushes, and mining remains the center of the still-booming economy here. But there really wasn’t much to do out here.

We've seen more interesting street art in Australia than just about anywhere. This snake was just one example.

We’ve seen more interesting street art in Australia than just about anywhere. This snake was just one example.

And then there was this...

And then there was this…

We tried. We looked into renting a car and driving out into the great vastness of Western Australia. The goal, though, was the Pinnacles Desert and it was a few hours outside of Perth and, if that wasn’t bad enough, you needed to be there in the early morning to appreciate it. We weren’t interested in leaving Perth at 3:00 AM, so that was out. Then we thought maybe we’d rent bikes and enjoy some of Perth’s bike trails. But the bike rental place wasn’t where Google Maps said it was and when we walked 30 minutes to where their own website said it was, the hostel there said “Oh, they haven’t been here in months.” And by then it was 90 degrees and we weren’t that excited about biking anymore anyway.

We did, though, take a relaxing boat trip down the Swan River from Perth to Fremantle out on the coast. Fremantle is the main port in the region and we’d heard great things about it. Meh. Nothing that exciting, for us at least. It does has a UNESCO World Heritage site, an old prison that dates back to the age of Australia as Britain’s penal colony, though it operated until well into the ’90s. Worst tour ever!! We didn’t learn anything useful and the guide was way too interested in showing us how witty he was to be interesting. We were so annoyed, all we could think was “God, when can we get out of this prison?” So maybe that was the plan after all, to be so annoying we’d experience what it was like to be an actual prisoner.

Yup, that's a prison

Yup, that’s a prison

There was one nice spot in Perth, the Kings Garden and Botanic Garden. At just over 1,000 acres it’s nearly 20 percent bigger than Central Park though, to be fair, the population in Manhattan is somewhat denser than that of Perth. Nonetheless, the Kings Garden was a nice little interlude in an otherwise pretty boring city.

So. The boat ride down to Fremantle was the highlight, mostly because the cool breezes made for a lovely place to sit and read. Food? There were slim pickings. There was a good enough Greek restaurant, and a genuinely good Thai place, though with prices you’d expect more in Paris. And, to our surprise, a fun lunch place out in Fremantle that we went to twice, the second time just because it made more sense to take the train back for lunch than settle for what Perth had to offer.

Desperate for something interesting to do, we walked out to Perth's modern art museum. To discover that it was closed for a few weeks, setting up the next big exhibit. Instead we want to the Art Gallery of Western Australia. It was ... nice enough.

Desperate for something interesting to do, we walked out to Perth’s modern art museum. To discover that it was closed for a few weeks, setting up the next big exhibit. Instead we want to the Art Gallery of Western Australia. It was … nice enough.

Oh, enough bitching. We’re leaving Australia. It’s been good, despite restaurant prices that were just not warranted given the quality of food. But we’re itching for exotic adventures again so now it’s off to Bali which we’ve always considered one of the nearly perfect places on earth. We’ll come back to Australia in a couple years; we still didn’t get to Tasmania or Uluru in the center of Australia. For now, though, we’ve had enough of everything being in a sort of English. Time for adventure!

I enjoyed getting to know some of the statues out in Fremantle

I enjoyed getting to know some of the statues out in Fremantle

Including this little guy

Including this little guy

The cells in the Fremantle prison were pretty grim. The last resident here, though, was given permission to brighten his up. Pretty nice!

The cells in the Fremantle prison were pretty grim. The last resident here, though, was given permission to brighten his up. Pretty nice!

Some local color, at the entrance to a classy Thai restaurant in Perth

Some local color, at the entrance to a classy Thai restaurant in Perth

And finally, the beach at Fremantle. What's interesting here is that after six weeks and 11 stops this was the first time anywhere that we saw beach chairs and umbrellas in Australia. Alas, the beach was kind of sucky, though, so we didn't use them.

And finally, the beach at Fremantle. What’s interesting here is that after six weeks and 11 stops this was the first time anywhere that we saw beach chairs and umbrellas in Australia. Alas, the beach was kind of sucky, though, so we didn’t use them.

Me & Mark with Pip, Raffy, and Anna

Me & Mark with Pip, Raffy, and Anna

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (the driest state on the driest inhabited continent) completed the Mark & Jim Friends Tour with a bang.

There are a lot of reasons to come to Adelaide. An Australian city that doesn’t trace its roots back to convicts, it has a long history of progressivism: South Australia was one of the first places in the world to give women the right to vote, and it was the first Australian state to outlaw racial and gender discrimination, to legalize abortion, and to decriminalize gay sex. Still, it’s known as the “City of Churches” and has some great 19th century architecture (the 19th century is what passes for “old” in Australia). As we learned, it has at least one remarkable tapas restaurant, making you feel as though you were in Spain for the night, and a nice Argentine restaurant too, with great live rock & roll as the night grew late. And, as if all that weren’t enough, some of the best wineries anywhere in the world.

Adelaide's botanical garden made for a beautiful last-morning stroll before we headed further west

Adelaide’s botanical garden made for a beautiful last-morning stroll before we headed further west

Lots to like.

But we came here to see Pip. We first met her back when our world consisted of our Regent St. loft, our Davis Square office, and Gargoyle’s restaurant, strategically placed between the two. After we befriended her there she eventually came to work for us, left, came back, and left again, this time to return to her native South Australia. With all this time in Australia, no way we’d miss a chance to visit with Pip.

Pip took us for a drive, and as you can see that didn't work out so well. (OK, that wasn't really our car, just a Mad Max-like burned out hulk we found when we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the vast areas south of Adelaide.)

Pip took us for a drive, and as you can see that didn’t work out so well.
(OK, that wasn’t really our car, just a Mad Max-like burned out hulk we found when we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the vast areas south of Adelaide.)

And, to our delight, some of her family, too. We took a train down the coast to Port Willunga where Pip, her mom, and her nephew Raffy met us for a day tour of the area. Beaches, wineries, hilltop vistas – it’s a great area. But mostly just a chance to visit with Pip and her peeps. Her mom Anna was a firecracker; get her on the subject of religion or Donald Trump or immigration and you learn quickly this is a woman I can relate to. Raffy was almost enough to make me rethink my belief that children are more trouble than they’re worth; he even laughed at some of my jokes. And there’s nothing like reconnecting and catching up with a wonderful friend like Pip, now working on a Masters Degree in Education.

Pip's mom Anna and nephew Raffy

Pip’s mom Anna and nephew Raffy

There’s one piece of Adelaide’s history that really struck me. The city is named for Adelaide, queen consort of Britain’s King William IV. He was the third son of crazy George III, he of American revolutionary fame. George’s eldest son, also George, served as regent while the elder George was incapacitated and later succeeded him in 1820. George IV, though, had no legitimate sons and only one daughter, who had died in childbirth in 1817. Thus George III found himself (to the extent he was aware of much at that point) with nine children and no legitimate grandchild. The race was on to see who could spawn a king for the empire.

Did I mention that it was hot in Adelaide? Here's my AppleWatch at 5:30 PM and it's still 102 degrees. And note that wile it's 5:35 PM in Adelaide, it's 2:05 AM in Boston. South Australia is one of those weird places in the world that is a half hour earlier and later than its neighbors. Made it almost impossible for me to figure out what time it was in the rest of the world.

Did I mention that it was hot in Adelaide? Here’s my AppleWatch at 5:30 PM and it’s still 102 degrees. And note that wile it’s 5:35 PM in Adelaide, it’s 2:05 AM in Boston. South Australia is one of those weird places in the world that is a half hour earlier and later than its neighbors. Made it almost impossible for me to figure out what time it was in the rest of the world.

Number One son, George IV, had a miserable relationship with his wife, so there were no more kids coming there. Number Two son, Frederick, had a truly miserable relationship with his wife and they had no children. Number Three son, William, who would succeed George IV, was obviously fertile; he had a long-term mistress with whom he fathered 10 children. But that relationship was a bit on the rocks, and the kingdom needed an heir, so William went searching for a young bride. He found one in Adelaide.

As others in similar circumstances have found, Adelaide had but one duty: to have children. And she got pregnant plenty of times. A premature birth and quick death of the child in early 1819. Another pregnancy and miscarriage later in 1819. A daughter born in 1820, who then died just three months later. Stillborn twins in 1822. Truly a tragic story; ultimately she had no surviving children though she became a highly sympathetic figure in Britain at the time. With William & Adelaide ultimately unable to provide the kingdom with an heir, it fell to Number Four son, Edward, who died before William but had successfully sired one legitimate child, a daughter they named Victoria. And thus history was made.

So that’s Adelaide’s story. The modern city isn’t quite so sad. It was HOT, though, with daytime temperatures up over 100 degrees. Two of our days we spent with Pip & her family, but one day I went down to the local beach where sitting on the sand in the sun was insanely hot. For a while I moved up into the shade of some trees where I saw people out on their daily runs. Seemed a little insane to me.

And thus ends our time in Adelaide. We have one more stop in Australia, Perth way out west, before we move on to Bali. If this heat continues we’ll be plenty ready to leave.

Approaching the beach in Glenelg, a quick tram-ride from Adelaide. Beautiful skies, but it was baking. There is a great Indian restaurant on the main street near the beach, though, if you're ever hanging out in Glenelg.

Approaching the beach in Glenelg, a quick tram-ride from Adelaide. Beautiful skies, but it was baking. There is a great Indian restaurant on the main street near the beach, though, if you’re ever hanging out in Glenelg.

We had some great food in and around Adelaide including this dish at a remarkably authentic tapas bar

We had some great food in and around Adelaide including this dish at a remarkably authentic tapas bar

Did I mention good food? This is from the Argentinian grill.

Did I mention good food? This is from the Argentinian grill.

More great food

More great food

The beautiful beach down by Pip's. She thinks this is "crowded" because of the holidays. We think she needs to get back out in the world more!

The beautiful beach down by Pip’s. She thinks this is “crowded” because of the holidays. We think she needs to get back out in the world more!

There are colorful birds in Adelaide

There are colorful birds in Adelaide

Colorful art in Adelaide's art museum, another great way to spend a hot morning

Colorful art in Adelaide’s art museum, another great way to spend a hot morning

Pip & Anna

Pip & Anna

The botanical gardens

The botanical gardens

And one last shot of Adelaide beauty

And one last shot of Adelaide beauty

And finally, the happiest shot of the month

And finally, the happiest shot of the month

Barbara, Mark, & Lisa

Barbara, Mark, & Lisa

This swing through Australia has been a remarkable opportunity to meet up with friends that we’ve made on the road. Before Australia, only once before – with Meg & Law in Bolivia – had we met other travelers at some point and then met up with them later on the journey. But already here in Australia we’ve reconnected with Piers & Charlotte (twice!) and Philippe and Mandi since meeting them in Fiji. St. Leonards, though, is the way it’s supposed to work: meeting up with friends we biked with in Myanmar three years ago!

St. Leonards was just a little two-day stop to visit with friends from that Grasshopper Adventures tour. There were only five others on the trip and two of them – Barbara and Lisa – were a couple from Melbourne. Well, sort of a couple, but not for long. Today they’re friends in Melbourne and Lisa invited us to spend a couple days at her beachside home in St. Leonards, about 65 miles southwest of Melbourne. So just a day into the new year Lisa and her dog Lucky picked us up at our hotel and drove us down. Barbara joined us the next day, with her dog Lucky.

The beach of St. Leonards, the reason people flock here

The beach of St. Leonards, the reason people flock here

It was a ton of fun to catch up with them. They’re both fascinating in their own way. Lisa, just starting a new job as an assistant principal in a prestigious public school, is finally finishing up a PhD in education and is passionate about the need to find ways to improve the teaching experience so teachers can be more effective. Barbara is a massage therapist who teaches other women in the field how to run their tiny businesses effectively. They’re fun, funny, interesting, and they both love their Lucky dogs.

One of the dogs named Lucky. Apparently it's just a coincidence that they both have Lucky dogs.

One of the dogs named Lucky. Apparently it’s just a coincidence that they both have Lucky dogs.

I, unfortunately, didn’t get to visit much. After the drive down and an evening visit with Lisa, I woke up our first morning there with a miserable sore throat, the certain onset of what would be a miserable cold. So for most of the time we were there I just holed up in our bedroom, sipping hot tea and feeling sorry for myself, listening to Mark and Lisa and Barbara hooting and laughing and having a great time.

Two days were barely enough time to renew our friendship so now we’re going to push either or both of them to join us in Sri Lanka next December, where Grasshopper Adventures is sponsoring another two-week bike trip. It’s a great way to spend time with new old friends!

Mark & Barbara, who certainly seems to enjoy life

Mark & Barbara, who certainly seems to enjoy life

And Lisa - soon Dr. Lisa - ready to grill us some dinner

And Lisa – soon Dr. Lisa – ready to grill us some dinner