We decided to try the tour of Fremantle Prison - but then much regretted it. It was grim (there, used that word for the first time on the actual trip) and upsetting, and we really felt we'd wasted one of our precious remaining hours . We left as subdued as the people we'd seen the previous evening, and went straight into Perth and up to Kings Park, which restored our spirits. It's an enormous place, with the Botanic Gardens as part of it, and you look down at a staggering view of glittering buildings and a vast sweep of blue, blue water. By this time it was very hot, so we had a last wander through the Australian native trees and plants and then it was time to head for the airport. There we came across the only real difficulties we had all trip - it was the very first time a flight had been delayed, plus they decided we hadn't been booked onwards from Singapore. That was fine by us, we were happy to stay in Singapore...but they sorted it in the end. Then it was the usual gruelling long-haul flight and landing in the UK at 4.30 am, such joy. Clear of Heathrow by 5 am, all very efficient, train from Marlybone at 6.50 and back in Kidderminster by 10 am, all without a hitch. We were dismayed by what we could see from the train though - bare trees, colourless fields, a grey dawn creeping very slowly towards misty light by 8 o' clock... we longed for a vibrant Southern Hemisphere dawn, full of bright light, colour, noise and life. A lot of adjustments to come...
Trip Summary
How can you summarise such an incredible experience? The transport itself was amazing : 20 airline flights; 13 different types of boat; a light aircraft; a helicopter; a tram; numerous coaches, buses, taxis and cars; a train; a cable car.
We saw 137 identified species of birds, and many more which we couldn't identify;at least 19 mammals and marsupials; 14 types of reptile (only 3 of which could have killed us) and countless insects and water species. Thousands of different plants.
There was a fantastic variety of scenery.
Natural :- Volcanos (active and extinct, vast lava flows), Mountains (Snowy,rocky,forested, isolated or in ranges), Plains,(high and low), Lakes (glacial, volcanic, salt, dry,(even being mown ), Rivers (Dry, Flooding, Torrents, vast gravel beds), Beaches (dunes and sand,(white, yellow, red, black, green) , Rocky), Deserts, Glaciers, Islands, and 4 oceans.
Man-made :- Huge cities (glittering architecture to desperate slums) Lima, Quito, Santiago, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth. Villages and towns (pretty,quaint, bleak, Valpariso and Cusco were all of these in the one city), Cathedrals and churches (beautiful and/or grotesquely extravagant), Fantastic markets, Brilliant museums and galleries, and of course the archaeology (Machu Pichu, Ollantaytambo, Sacsaywaman, Aboriginal rock art)
We met innumerable people, too - and only one of them was anything less than pleasant, and that was just the immigration officer at Sydney who couldn't bring himself to smile or speak. Everyone else was wonderful - helpful, cheerful, willing to answer our never-ending stream of questions, show us the way and welcome us. We were constantly fascinated by all the people who were real experts at what they did, whether it was driving a boat, guiding a tour or running a campsite. And we are endlessly grateful to all the people who entertained in various ways, even if we hadn't seen them for a long time or hardly knew them - Mike and Sarah, Paul and Vanessa, Mal and Colleen, and of course all the family. You all helped us to feel that we were more than just tourists, gave us a real insight into your areas.
FAQs (ones I ask myself) :
Q. Did you ever feel threatened or in danger?
A. Only by the driving of South American bus drivers! And perhaps when in the vicinity of crocodiles...
Q. Where was the best place?
A. We've managed a shortlist of 20 places but can't get it any shorter.
Q. What did you find most surprising?
A. Australian summer weather! Not the endless blue skies and searing heat we'd imagined. We didn't get into shorts that often.
And : no toilets at Machu Picchu.
Q. What was most annoying?
A. Speed cameras and clumsy limits in Aus and NZ! And all the road furniture that went with them.
Q. What things were universal wherever you went?
A. McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks. Airport shopping, Glittering CBDs in city centres (except Darwin) with expensive designer shopping areas. Talk of the world economy and how it was affecting people. Most countries have completely lost their textile trades to China. Alcohol-related problems. Worries about education and behaviour in schools. Lovely toilets (except Machu Picchu.) And the astonishing capacity to live in constant peril from such natural hazards as we rarely or never see in the UK - active volcanoes, earthquakes, huge flashfloods, cyclones, bushfires, poisonous and man-eating creatures - without apparently turning a hair.
Q. What books helped you to understand the countries you visited ?
A. Bill Bryson's " Down Under". THe Trout Opera by Matthew Conlon - fantastic book. Old- fashioned but still giving a vivid picture of Aussie life - Back of Sunset by Jon Cleary and Nevil Shute's Aussie books : In the Wet, A Town Like Alice, Beyond the Black Stump, A Far Country. And re-reading Lord of The Rings while travelling through NZ was great (especially when bought very cheaply from op shops), I know it's all about Birmingham and the Lickey Hills really, but tying it in with the film settings, many of which we saw, made it really come alive.
Q. Would you do it all again?
A. Yes. Tomorrow, without even stopping to pack. But with 4 times as long to do it please.
(We would probably leave out Doubtful Sound and Fremantle Prison though.).
Q. What are you going to do now?
A. Look for jobs. And start planning the next trip in the Southern Hemisphere...
P.S. If you try a similar trip, check your cases before you leave Australia. As we were packing in Perth, Geoff found a largish (but harmless) spider stowing away in his. And when I opened mine back at home, I was immediately covered in bites, presumably a last farewell from the sandflies.
THANKS TO ALL WHO'VE FOLLOWED THE BLOG, SORRY IF WE'RE VERY GRUMPY. . FOR A WHILE. There will be more pictures posted in the next few weeks if you want to keep following.
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