Perth, Western Australia (WA)

After 23 hours on two flights and a day lost to the International Date Line, we arrived in Perth in the state of Western Australia. We have now visited all 7 continents. Our first impressions of Perth: clean, modern, and safe. Definitely worth a visit. Our first full day happened on Election Day (50% had already voted and the PM named by 9:30 pm!). Much like recent results in Canada, it was a resounding victory for the incumbent, embracing multiculturalism and rejecting growing nationalism throughout the world. Our first activity was a free walking tour organized by the city. We learned about the prisoners that England shipped here in the mid-1800’s, the two gold rushes of the late 1800s, and a large earthquake nearby the city. The city was named by Sir George Murray, a Scot born in the city of the same name. He was the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in the early 1830s. After lunch, we walked in King’s Park with fantastic views of the city and Swan River. There, a beautiful walk took us through the Western Australian Botanical Gardens which contains flora including sacred Boab trees transported 800 miles from northwestern Australia. They have massive trunks that store water in the wet season and can be 1,500 years old. We had dinner in the Northbridge section of Perth at a Chinese restaurant which had some of the most succulent scallops we’ve ever eaten. In the morning we’ll hit the museums and then off to embark on our ship in Fremantle about 30 min by car.Read more