Perth

Thurs., Oct. 31 - On Thursday, we took a stroll on the Hay St. Pedestrian Mall downtown. Then we rode a double-decker sightseeing bus. We exited at 2 stops.

The first was called Harbour Town and consisted of an open-air factory outlet mall. The second was at the Barrack Street Jetty and Bell Tower.

The Bell Tower plays "Swan Bells", although we weren't there at the time they rang out. But the Jetty area was quite nice, with lots of green park areas, beautiful Palm trees, gorgeous flowers, and a bike/rollerblade/walking/jogging path that runs right alongside the Swan River.

We walked along this pathway to return to our hotel. Perth is a great city. The climate is warm and sunny, but dry, and very pleasant. There is a cool breeze most of the time. In fact, they speak here about the "Fremantle Doctor", which is not a doctor at all, but which is a term for a wind that blows in from the Indian Ocean every day from 12 Noon to 3 p.m. No explanation as to why it's called the "Fremantle Doctor." Two more things about Perth - one good and one bad. First, the good: the Jacarandas are back! Apparently the weather in Perth is cool enough for Jacarandas. They are not as abundant as they were in Brisbane, but we see them occasionally and they are still beautiful.

Now, the bad: the annoying, pesky flies are in Perth also. They are almost as bad, if not more so, than in the outback. They are the scourge of the continent!