Six Days in Perth: A Photo Essay

We have been in Western Australia for six days and our skin is fried. Once concealed in the cold of a New Hampshire winter under jackets and hats, it is now exposed to the rays of an Australian summer–rays that inexplicably penetrate the layers of SPF 50+ we keep dutifully applying.

In short, we are a bit red.

The sunburns are only skin deep, though. Mentally, the heat is a welcome change and has inspired us to see a lot in a short time. Below is a collection of pictures from our first six days.

Walks To and through King’s Park (January 18, 2018 and January 22, 2018)

King’s Park is a gigantic urban park within walking distance of our apartment in Subiaco, a suburb of Perth. The park is not unlike Central Park in New York City. (Frangipani photo cred: Syd)

Fremantle (January 19, 2018)

Fremantle is a pretty little coastal suburb of Perth easily accessible by a train we can catch close to our apartment. We only went for a very short day trip; I am sure we will have more adventures here in the coming months. For example, this time we didn’t have a chance to visit Fremantle Prison (no longer a working prison, now open to the public). This cute, picturesque town is now the site of music festivals, beachgoers, and foodies.

 

Cottesloe Beach (January 20, 2018)

This is an amazing beach we can also reach easily by train. One of the best features is the terraced area above the beach with shady pine trees. Other features: white sand, areas in the water with waves and no waves, some coral reef, and a gorgeous building (that you can barely see behind Rich in the first picture below) with a restaurant, food counter with fish and chips, and changing/shower rooms.

Perth City (January 21, 2018)

On this day we spent our time in the central business district (CBD), or downtown, of Perth. Here you find the expected large office buildings, but there is also a mall, restaurants, a museum, and cafes. In addition, on this day we walked a short distance to the Elizabeth Quay area near the Swan River. (The Swan River is connected to the ocean, much like a harbor.)

At the Art Gallery of Western Australia, we had the opportunity to visit a temporary exhibit honoring Heath Ledger who was from Perth. The exhibit–lovingly put together–was packed with people who were moving through it with silent reverence. It was clear that he was one of Perth’s favorite sons. The exhibit had screens with cuts from his movies, the actual costumes he wore in many of his movies (e.g., Brokeback Mountain, Monster’s Ball, The Dark Knight, and Ten Things I Hate About You), objects from his youth (showcasing his athleticism), and a room showing music videos he directed (for artists and bands like Ben Harper and Modest Mouse). He was also a photographer and chess player. No one was taking pictures, so we didn’t, either. Instead, we joined our fellow visitors in just quietly reflecting on his work . . . we were not sorry we did.

We did, however, take pictures during other parts of our day . . .

 

We are enjoying Western Australia very much . . . and we can’t wait to see more.