If I were a journalist

I arrive into Perth, it’s warm, sunny and welcoming after the 3 days/nights on the train.

The journey across the Nullarbor Plain was actually quite plain.

Out towards a remote place called Broken Hill the scenery began to get a little more of the famous “desert red” style, and we got some fog.

Then empty plains for a good while and then finally some true and exciting red bush.

Though I disappointingly failed to spot any wildlife, I’m told there are camels, emus and kangaroos roaming out there. 

Anyway, when I finally get into the city, laden with all my bags; the first thing I stumble upon is a brightly coloured modern garden in the heart of Perth, nestled between the cities museums and galleries, it’s a rainbow of beauty. 

After much ambling around I found my hostel, down a quiet street in Northbridge. Once I have dumped my stuff it leaves for nothing else other than exploring the streets. I start my pavement pounding along William Street. On this sunny Saturday, the streets are busy and Northbridge is humming. It has a nice multicultural vibe, with a large assortment of eateries with all sorts of different ethnicities. There’s also a sprinkling of trendy (and surprisingly inexpensive) shops to browse. I loved it. 

A highlight in Northbridge was the fabulously authentic Mila Indian restaurant. On my first day I decided to grab a refreshing lassi (delicious) and couldn’t resist nabbing a bargainlicious $2.50 samosa for good measure. 

Two nights later I decided I needed to visit Mila for dinner and ended up meeting a lovely lady called Rachael by chance. We just so happened to be dining at the restaurant alone on that particular evening. 

I ordered a fabulous thali - it was impressive, 2 dry curries, 2 wet curries, a dahl, raita, poppadom, naan and rice, with rice pudding for dessert. All for $15. It was divine! Somehow I managed to finish the lot and was so busy talking to my new pal Rachael that I didn’t manage to take a picture. Rachael also kindly donated her leftover vegetable curry to my cause and I had that for breakfast the next morning - also delicious. 

During my first day I visited the central shopping area, thriving and generic, though I stumbled upon an interesting rally for marriage equality, after which they marched through the streets and disturbed some of the tame locals and tourists alike. 

As usual I decided to check out what museums and galleries the city has to offer. Perth has a small but lovely contemporary art gallery (PICA - Perth Institute for Contemporary Arts) where I donned a babygro-like suit and climbed into a structure like a bouncy castle but entirely sealed apart from some small windows. All in the name of art.

I also made a donation to the Western Australia Museum to take a gander at their collection. For me by far the most interesting thing was their marine research project in north WA (Western Australia) where they are discovering hundreds of new species and some where at the exhibit. Read more about it here. 

Sunday saw a leisurely roam around Freemantle. It had been much hyped up to me and I was a bit disappointed when I got there.

Maybe it’s because I know a million and one market towns or seaside towns in the UK that are similar, and there isn’t much like it over here in Australia - I don’t know, but interesting though it was, I wouldn’t be raving about it like everyone else seems to. One of the highlights was a very jolly Scottish bus driver who drove the free CAT bus loop around town - I sat on for the entire loop as he barked amusing commentary en route. 

I had made a decisive decision to try and head south to Albany on Monday, though after calling the cheery people at Transwa they informed me the bus had already left for the day. Good old rural public transport!

Above: Intended route

So, new plan; I would leave tomorrow. Instead I caught up with a friend a friend, who had offered their sofa as a bed for the night. Fun times enthused and we made an incredible dinner of lamb kebabs with a glorious herb salad, drizzled with a homemade tzatziki style sauce, wrapped in a warm flat bread. A well equipped modern kitchen was a real treat and so was the company.. and I ate the lot before even contemplating snapping a picture.

View all Western Australia photos from my trip here.