Australia - Peggy and Fremantle

After landing in Perth we enjoyed a scenic drive to my Aunt Peggy's house. She actually lives in Beaconsfield, but it close enough to call it Fremantle. The last time I saw Peggy was in England in 2004 when my Mom and I surprised her on her 80th birthday. Smiles and hugs were abound as she met Jo. Mom and Peggy had fixed us a late lunch and expected us to crash after eating. I was surprisingly energetic considering I didn't sleep much on the flights over. We enjoyed a lunch filled with laughs and stories and spent a couple hours catching up.

After lunch, Mom shuttle us over to a flat she had originally rented for herself and Bill, but decided to let us use when Bill stayed in the States due to a stomach flu. The flat was on the top floor of a five story building perched on a hill over looking downtown Fremantle. There was a World War II Submarine Monument on top of the hill directly behind the building. Don, our landlord told, me that at dusk if I came out to the railing and made a "bl'l'l'l'l" sound a wild Kookaburra would come and eat steak out of my hand. I tried that night, but no Kookaburra.

Our Flat

Sunset Through the Clouds

Our View of Fremantle

Fremantle, or Freo as the locals call it, is just Southwest of Perth at the mouth of the Swan River. It was first settled in 1829 and served as the first major port for Western Australia. In 1850 the Fremantle Prison was built by convict labor and remained open until 1991. It wass located 1 block south of our flat. In World War II Fremantle was the allied force's largest second largest submarine base, hence the monument behind our flat.

Jo and I had an early night as the 14 hour time change and lack of sleep caught up to us. Thursday I woke up at 7:00am ready for action. We were undeterred when we heard that the forecast for the next 4 days was scattered showers. It was a mile walk down a shallow hill to old town Freo from our flat, one that we would get to know well. Jo found a coffee shop and had a "long black" while I sought out some Mountain Dew as my source for caffeine. It looked and tasted the same, but by afternoon I found myself short and irritable for no reason. It didn't take long to figure out that Mountain Dew is caffeine free in Australia, what a cruel joke. We spent the afternoon wandering around Fremantle and taking a quick train ride to downtown Perth. We stuck out like sore thumbs in our green and orange mountaineering shells. We were the only ones wearing jackets, it seems like the locals just get wet when it rains.

Fremantle

Fremantle Market

Jo and I at Swimmers Beach

The Round House

Freo Sandstone

Hmmm

Jo Dipping her Feet in the Indian Ocean

Esplanade Hotel

Swan River

After finding some caffeine and wandering around town for the afternoon we met up with Mom and Peggy and headed to the coastal hills for dinner with Peggy's friends Georgia and Peter. Georgia and Peter are Dinki Di Australians, meaning they were born and raised there. The have a beautiful house and gardens in the hills east of Perth. The sun was setting as we arrived and Georgia wisked us off to the bush to try to spot some kangaroos before dinner.

We drove for a while until my Mom spotted one in a clearing. It was dark and I only managed the pictures I posted previously. Although being warned that they can be vicious (like all wildlife in Oz) and can disembow you with their rear feet I tried to get close for a good shot. It was a mother with a joey grazing in the thick shrubbery. After loosing them briefly Jo and I were able to get within 30 meters, but it was too dark for a good shot. They were aware of us, but undisturbed other than being a little stand offish. Since we didn't get that close Georgia stopped on the way home so we could feel a flower called Kangaroo's Foot, that feels just like a Kangaroo.

Blurry Kangaroo

Kangaroos Foot Flower

After our adventure in the bush Georgia and Peter treated us to fantastic dinner, one of many rich meals we would enjoy down under. It was a great evening with more laughs and stories.