A Whirlwind Week In the West

I have not been back to Perth for many a year, so my friend Yvonne's 80th birthday definitely demanded a visit. And what a visit it was. Brief, but packed with friends, food and fun. Here is my diary.

Wednesday 28 October

First stop was to stay with daughter Sharon. What a lovely three days we had. I was greeted with a cup of tea and Sharon's famous cinnamon scrolls.

And where I also met Pinny, a delightful chihuahua.

And Monty, the very affectionate ragdoll. 

That evening we went to Fremantle to hear Craig Wheel - an old friend of Sharon's - who was debuting his new album of songs that she describes as 'mellow, laid-back acoustic grooves'. An apt description as I enjoyed their relaxed feel. I loved the place, too, a Greek restaurant/bar with a room for music performances; it's called Ode to Sirens. 

The music was great, Craig remembered me, and afterwards we wandered around the nearby streets. There is absolutely nothing better than Fremantle on a warm summery night. 

On the way back home we passed the very new Fremantle bridge (known as the Walyalup Bridge) that will open on Sunday. The pylons were lit in alternating colours of dazzling blue and gold, their reflections shimmering in the dark waters below. 

At night, Sharon's backyard looks beautiful. 

Thursday 29 October

The next day I caught the train to Mandurah to visit my sister. I'd left early for the hour-long trip, taking a muffin and banana to eat on the way. What a surprise I got when notices said 'No eating or drinking on the train'.  I guess it's a good thing as the train was perfectly clean, unlike those in Melbourne, though I must admit to feeling rather peckish by the time I arrived.

Lyn lives 20 or so minutes beyond Mandurah on a 7-acre bushland setting in Bouvard, so she picked me up from the station. As usual, with my disastrous sense of direction and following instructions, I wandered around the car park trying to locate her for quite some time until I resorted to the phone and asked her to wave wherever she was until I found her.

What a lovely driveway.

And there's the house. I had not been here before so everything was a lovely surprise.

We strolled around the property. Luckily the two pythons remained hidden in the wood pile. The bandicoots and possums are nocturnal so the only wildlife I spotted were these frogs.

I loved the native trees and shrubs but Lyn remarked that they had had a very dry winter so there were few wildflowers.

And of course, knowing my weakness for desserts, she had made an extravagantly delicious trifle! 

It was a relaxing, chatty day. We thought it quite funny that we were both wearing the same cardigan (taken off for the photo) - and exactly the same sandals. Sisters.

Naturally, back at Perth Railway Station I missed the escalator I should have taken to meet Sharon, and spent a frustrating few minutes on the phone as she tried to redirect me back to where she was waiting for me. My sense of direction is getting worse.

Late in the afternoon, Sharon's friend Duane arrived. They had cooked up a surprise for me - a ride on his motor bike; a 1972 Honda. They had kept it a secret so I wouldn't get nervous and perhaps pull out. I was soon decked out in helmet and leather jacket and given instructions to 'hang on as if you are my backpack - moving with my moves'.

Ready for take-off.

Off we went. I found it surprisingly exhilarating as we roared around the block a number of times. A video Sharon took brings the memories - and the feeling - back. 

A happy mum and daughter moment.

That night we had a delicious meal at a Vietnamese restaurant in Northbridge.

Friday 30 October

The following day I drove with Sharon to Rockingham while she visited clients. Afterwards, we went to the shopping centre. Although I haven't got much space in my luggage I bought a pair of shoes that were just what I wanted.

In the afternoon we drove to the Fremantle Markets. This next paragraph is included because, for me, I don't think I'll ever forget my search for the perfect earrings. To explain: The reason I had come to Perth was to celebrate my friend Yvonne's 80th birthday. I had met Yvonne at Graylands Teachers College and we have been friends ever since, now 61 years ago. Yvonne had opted for a bush dance night featuring the Mucky Duck Bush Band - a Perth institution - we could all remember dancing to them in the '60s. We were asked to dress appropriately.

When planning what to wear, I decided I wanted to accompany my jeans and shirt with earrings that reflected the bush, such as green gum leaves or gum blossoms. I had my heart set on this and for weeks before I scoured shops and markets to no avail. Sharon was set the task of sourcing them in Perth. But also no luck.The Fremantle Markets were my last chance. We saw some amazing art and craft and jewellery. But again, no gum leaf earrings. In fact, the markets were so up-market I guess they disdained to have anything so common. However, all was not lost as we spied a tiny souvenir stall. No leaves, but we spotted a bunch of cute and colourful kangaroos; however, they were on key chains. 'I could turn them into earrings,' Sharon said confidently. Obviously we wanted two of the same colour, so selected a red one from one of the bunches and a red one from another bunch.  As we went to pay, the storekeeper said, 'Oh no, you get to have the whole bunch, not just one key ring.' So for $12, I had bought 12 kangaroo key chains.  'I'll make an earring set for Joan too,' Sharon says. [And she did and they were a hit and everyone admired them!!! )

That night we walked through the beautiful Hyde Park (two lakes, ducks, birds, gardens) to Northbridge and the Mustang Bar, an American-style sports bar where Sharon works a couple of nights. They had a swing band playing. It was wonderful - just the music I like. It was great watching the many swing dancers strutting their stuff on the dance floor. 

Enjoying the night.

Saturday 31 October
Too soon I had to leave, on my way to spend three days with my friend Joan. I'd met her at Graylands Teachers College along with Yvonne. It was a bittersweet time as Ken, her lovely husband of 61 years, had just died. I remember that I was there on the night they met at a dance. Joan and I had not seen each other for many years, so there were lots of hugs and reminiscences. She lives in Mosman Park, a beautiful riverside suburb on the northern shore of the Swan River. We went for a stroll. Gorgeous river and garden views.

A typical house.

That evening we went to a nearby Japanese restaurant, where the food was delicious.

The chicken teriyaki was served on a hot stone.

Sunday 1 November

An exciting moment - we were among 150,000 people who walked over the new Fremantle bridge before it officially opened to traffic.

And a photo to record that we were there.

 On the bridge was a steel band, exuberantly matching the mood of the crowd.

And the scene below.

After an afternoon nap we were ready to dress for the dance. Here's Joan and me about to leave. Note the earrings. You can see Joan's blue ones a bit better than my red ones. I thought her lovely painting made an appropriately good backdrop. 

And me and the birthday girl.

And with husband Glenn.

What a fun night it was. I even met up with two (I still call them girls) from teachers college who I hadn't seen since 1966.

Monday 2 November

Joan and I browsed the shopping outlet of Harbour Gardens (or Watertown? We never did figure out its name) where she bought me a Christmas present. (I have already packed it away and forgotten what it is.) We then took the train to Claremont where we had a yummy lunch of Japanese sushi. A short bus ride took us straight to her home.That evening Yvonne came for dinner, so we could talk and talk some more. And have another photo.

Tuesday 3 November

(Melbourne Cup Day) 

All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Joan. Friend Julie was coming to pick me up. In fairness to Julie I won't relate the story of how she got lost, couldn't find the address, found it difficult reading the street names (written in dark blue on a black background) while driving and needed a few phone call instructions until we told her to 'Stay put!!!! We will come to you'. Which we did. It all ended happily and Joan went on her way after more last-minute hugs. (Sorry Julie. I seem to have spilled the beans.) However, I sympathised with her as, when Sharon was driving me here, the GPS took us on a very scenic and long drive around the suburb whose streets, to newcomers, seem to curve and wander at will in a very un-grid-like manner. When we finally arrived Sharon was surprised to discover she could have driven from the highway, taken one street and would have been there.) 

We were now quite a bit later than we had planned but continued on our way to Garden City (my old stomping ground) where we bought flowers, wine and goodies for our visit to Lorraine and Colin, my very long-time friends who still live in Bull Creek where I used to live. Julie, Lorraine and I all played tennis at the Bull Creek Tennis Club for many years. Julie hasn't seen Lorraine for close on 30 years, so it was going to be a lovely reunion. And Julie was my doubles partner when we won the Ladies Double Plate in 1981, defeating the reigning champs. I include this photo - my one and only sports trophy. I have kept it all this time, coming with me every house move we made. Note the tennis player is now minus the racquet, plus the feet fell off at some stage and are now blue-tacked on. 

Back to our shopping. We had picked out a couple of fruit tarts to buy, but then decided to get the flowers first. When we came back, the luscious strawberry tart and been sold. As a substitute (a very poor one as it turned out), I chose a Melbourne Cup cupcake piled high with cream, sprinkled with green stuff (possibly to resemble grass) and skewered with the head of a horse - I kid you not. And here's the evidence.

But more drama was still to come as, in the car park, my watch slipped off and somehow managed to slide down between the seat and door - much too narrow an opening to feel with your hands. 10 more minutes passed as we tried everything to locate the wretched watch. Eventually after much seat pulling and scrambling under it, the watch emerged.  

By the time we arrived at Lorraine's house, we were rather exhausted. But what a warm and happy greeting we received. Snacks and wine in the courtyard. Lorraine had cut out the names of the horses in the Melbourne Cup and we each received 6, so we adjourned to the lounge to watch the race on TV.

Julie enjoys the moment.

Lorraine gets her horses in order.

Would you place a bet with this man?

Amazingly, Julie 'won', one of my horses came second, one of Lorraine's came third and Colin's, fourth. Lorraine gave each of us a Scratchy. Not quite the million dollars we were expecting but a lovely gesture nonetheless. More chatting, laughing and reminiscing then it was time for Julie to leave. A wonderful visit.

Late in the afternoon we wandered along the river walk near their home.

And in the interest of historical accuracy I include the fact that we watched the US mid-term election results on TV, something I'm sure many did world-wide.

Wednesday 4 November

Lorraine and Colin had planned a great day for me - a trip over to Perth on the South Perth ferry, and then a tour of Perth city itself, visiting places I remembered and many that were new. Here's a view of the city as we walked along the path that took us to the ferry.

And the ferry comes in.

I was amazed at the number of high-rise buildings, dwarfing the ones I was familiar with. This was the Palace Hotel, a Perth landmark built in 1897 during WA's gold-rush period. It was described at the time as 'sumptuous and elegant'. When the Bond Corporation bought it with plans to demolish the building, there was a tremendous backlash. In the end this is all that remains of the hotel, with the Bond building leering behind it.  

Reaquainting myself with other old favourites. 

The Commonwealth Bank built in 1933 in Forrest Place is thankfully still here.

London Court is a curious arcade squeezed between modern buildings. Built in 1937 in a mock Tudor style, it has a clock with jousting knights at one end, and at the other, a clock replicating London's Big Ben and St George and the Dragon. There are also statues of Dick Whittington and Sir Walter Raleigh. We loved to walk through this arcade as children.

The Perth Town Hall, built in 1870, is another landmark for me. I think it is the only town hall in Australia built by convicts. I used to love spotting the hangman's rope over a window, and the convict broad arrows down the side of the tower. 

 

Council House was built (and opened by Queen Elizabeth) in 1963 and caused a bit of controversy over its 'internationale/moderniste' style. It's now heritage-listed.

 

Can you see the quirky chrome spaceman behind the bounding kangaroos? Here's a closer view.

After a bit of research I found a lot of information about it. Known as Boonji Spaceman: Lightning, it was created by an American who has made a number of astronaut sculptures that have been installed in public spaces around the world. This one was gifted to Perth, the city which has been known since 1962 as the 'City of Light' after residents put on their lights when the astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth. The word 'Boonji is a made-up word to mean 'positive energy'. Figure that out!  Anyway, the sculpture was placed here temporarily and is scheduled to be moved to the nearby Elizabeth Quay soon. 

The precinct that housed the museum and art gallery and theatre were unrecognisable to me with their modern, but tasteful additions. In this next photo you can see how the architects protected the old museum by raising the new roof.

 

Here's the glittering entrance to the Heath Ledger Theatre. Opened in 2011 its name honours the Perth-born actor. The theatre specialises in modern drama, contemporary dance, music and is the centre for local arts organisations. 

Here's Colin and Lorraine walking towards the museum cafe - a welcome stop.

What really caught my eye as we wandered around the city was the delightful landscaping. Western Australian native plants figured prominently. This little gem of potted plants was repeated down the length of the mall.

Outside the old gaol.

And an eye-catching wall mural. 

Shady trees are a boon in Perth's hot summer.

Stirling Gardens was a pure delight to wander through. 

The perfect spot for a restful break.

Kangaroo paws feature everywhere.

I spotted a sweet sculpture of May Gibb's iconic character Cuddlepie nestling in a secluded spot.

This series of kangaroos outside Stirling Gardens must fascinate overseas (and interstate) tourists.

Wending our way back to Elizabeth Quay for the return journey, I spotted Perth's Bell Tower. Nearly 83 metres tall, it houses 18 bells; one is a bell made in 1725 from St Martin-in-the-Field's church in London, and another is a massive ANZAC Centenary bell.  Way up, there's an observation deck providing stunning views over the river and City. Inside there is a story of bells and and the art of bell ringing. You can watch the bells ringing at certain times of the day and even participate in some ringing yourself. We did none of the above.

Elizabeth Quay had this installation but I didn't read what it signified until I read up on it later: It's called Spanda and symbolises 'ripples of connection, linking the Swan River, land and sky'. Development WA website

I found this next sculpture, called First Contact, fascinating, once I learnt what it signified. Created by Perth artist Laurel Nannup, it represents the experience of the Noongar Aborigines when they first spotted a tall-masted European sailing ship floating up the Swan River. They believe that a person's spirit becomes a bird when they die, so these white sails looked like giant wings. Thus they believed the ships carried the spirits of their ancestors returning from the sea. 

Noticeably tiring, I took one last look at the city then boarded the ferry.

Because this ferry is the one people catch to go to the zoo, the South Perth side had a number of animal sculptures, which explained why I wondered what on earth meerkats had to do with WA. Here's a hippo...

...and a rhino ...

...and finally, an Australian numbat.

I'm beginning to think Perth is the 'City of Sculptures'.

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For my last night Lorraine and Colin took to me to a ukulele night. They have been learning and playing the ukulele for a few years now, and, once a month a concert is put on at the East Fremantle Football Club featuring a number of small (4-8 players) ukelele bands. The audience is made up of enthusiasts like my friends, who bring their ukuleles and strum along. There were close to 100 people other on this night. The best bit (for me) was that, along with the chords for the players, the words of the songs were projected on a huge screen and we were encouraged to sing along. With no Steve with me to suggest that I may be a little off-key, I sang exuberantly with abandon.  

What a simply lovely ending to my very brief visit to Perth. I sure packed a lot in though.

Thanks to all my wonderful friends and the marvellous hospitality I received. 

There are many popular inspirational sayings associated with 'friendship', but this is my favourite. 

'True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart.'

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