Live from the Port of Fremantle, Perth, WA

We have been in OZ for so long now we know the worth of all the coins at a glance, and the bills with a look. The two dollar coins are the smallest and the one dollar larger with the 50 cent really big and aluminum. The smallest bill in OZ is a fiver. The state of Western Australia is by far the largest of seven states in the country. Think Texas size and then you could put several of Texas inside the WA. Western Australia and Perth are first and foremost mining oriented. The Giants like Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton dominate all a facets of the City, State, and government. This morning Bill set out from the Novotel with a busy schedule including a haircut and a massage which is much cheaper than on the ship. Dawn was off shopping and I went for an epic walk through the city and up Jacob's Ladder to the local mountain and botanical garden, a three hour trek. Jacob's Ladder is rather famous in Perth as a spot for locals to exercise. At 242 steps up a mountain side it's a challenge. The locals walk there just to go up and down, up and down. I asked four young girls how many return trips they were going to do and they said about five. I did some quick age math and decided up once was ok for me. A little lunch at Elizabeth Quay and ferry port we boarded Captain Cook ferry bound for the port of Fremantle. It was a very nice boat ride of an hour and a half.

During our time in Perth we learned many things. We now know how to ride the Red Rat, buy train tickets, and find Cottesloe beach. The Red Rat is the local free bus system and there is Red, Green and another but Red Rat was in our area. Valentines day we took the Perth Train to Cottesloe beach. A local showed us how to work the machine and off we sent, even got the right train. At the station we asked some utility workers which way to go. Later we asked a local watering shrubs in his yard. Ended up talking to him and his next door neighbor for over a half hour about all things, great locals. Perth was hot, the beach was cool with wind off the ocean. Bill and Dawn found a restaurant on the beach and I went off walking. Battery on the surface dies a lot, gotta go.

Black Mcaw in a neighborhood near Cottesloa

In the front yard of a local, Grey/Pink Parrots

Cottesloe Beach

Jacob's Ladder from the bottom

Drinking Steel Roo

JL from the top