We returned home last night on a Qantas flight that arrived into Melbourne at around midnight. Other than Jill’s mobility scooter being taken to the baggage carousel rather than being delivered to the door of the plane, everything went well with this flight. We were exceptionally pleased by the service and friendliness of the Qantas staff – both in the air and on the ground. They did a great job.
On our last few days in Perth, I had a little spare time and I spent it walking around some more of the city streets and photographing a few more of Perth’s historic buildings.
The Melbourne Hotel on Milligan Street was opened in April 1897, serving both boarders and visitors to the city during the gold rush. It was still being used as a hotel until the 1970s with the ground and first floors being used as a nightclub and cabaret lounge. It has recently had a $40 million dollar renovation which included the demolition of some unsightly 1990s additions and their replacement with a seven-storey structure that wraps around the old building to form a new five star hotel.
The weather in Perth has been dry for many weeks and temperatures during our visit were consistently around 30C (90F) each day. We used one of these days to spend some time in Perth’s Botanic Gardens.
Sitting on a bliuff above the Swan River by the gardens is the State War Memorial. The Cenotaph was unveiled in 1929 to commemorate those who died in WW 1. It sits above a crypt in which the internal walls list the more than 7000 WA members of the military who were either killed in action or died of wounds or illness in WW1. The outer walls of the crypt list more than 4000 service men and women who were killed in action or who died of war related wounds in WW2.
The Botanic Gardens usually have a wonderful display of native plants. However, right now it is dry and early Autumn. There are only a few plants left in flower. I saw just enough to keep my level of interest alive.
Our last activity on Monday was to get back to our hotel in time to meet up with my good friend Ibrahim Abdullah. We used to both work at Control Data Corporation in the 1980s and we have kept in touch ever since. Ibrahim was a software specialist and is still working a few days each week teaching English to foreign students.
Tuesday saw us visiting Whiteman Park near Morley, to the north of Perth. Much of the natural vegetation around Perth consists of dry scrub with banksia plants and other types of vegetation that like sandy soil, heat and that can survive in a dry climate. Whiteman Park is a green oasis in the middle of all this. I have never seen so many picnic tables and shade spaces as I saw in this park.
The park has a massive area of 3,700 hectares in which these vast picnic grounds, playgrounds and bushwalk trails have been created. It has a craft village and even a dog park. It is home to three fantastic state transport museums – a motor museum, a tractor museum and Western Australia’s only land transport museum.
The little train was not operating for our visit but an historic 1950s Melbourne W7 class tram was going backwards and forwards on a track about 1.6 kilometres long. Believe it or not, this tram was more modern that the ones on which I used to travel to high school.
On our last day (Wednesday), we had arranged to meet David and the boys at the wharf on the Swan River and take them on a ferry ride across to South Perth. Jill and I walked down the hill to the ferry wharf and paid our $1.50 seniors concession fare) for a return ticket. Just up the road from where the ferry docked in South Perth, we found a cafe for a coffee and a snack.
Back on the city side of the river, we explored the new area around Elizabeth Quay. Just a few years ago, this intriguing area was part of a riverfront park. It has now been dug out, filled with water and developed into a waterside area with many cafes and tall buildings.
It was then time to say goodbye and by the time we walked back to our hotel, we were ready to pick up our car and head to the airport to come home.
Gardens
Ibrahim
Whitemans Park
Ferry Ride
Elizabeth Quay
A lovely photo of Jill with the boys.
The gardens must be suffering, they’ve developed for the conditions but the conditions seem to be harsher these days.
Glad you had good service on your flight. See you soon.
Safe travels home, JnB.
Another blog that’s been a pleasure to read. Thank you.