Day 206, Wednesday, 21 October, 2009 to Day 215, Friday, 30 October, 2009

Perth

Our original plan was to stop in Perth for only a week to allow us to service the bikes and plan our route to Adelaide. However, we decided that we wanted to take the opportunity of being in a major city to double check the diagnosis of asthma that Denise had been given in Carnarvon. Therefore, shortly after arriving we visited a doctor who organised for Denise to complete a stress and lung function test. The results then take 5 days to get sent back to the doctor, hence the reason for our two week stay here in Perth. The good news is that all these expensive tests showed Denise to be in good health and not suffering from asthma after all. No reason could be found for her exhaustion on some days. When we tell the different medical practioners that we are cycling around Australia and Denise is getting tired they look at us with a little smile as if to say well that is most probably perfectly normal. We hope this is the case.

The extra time has given us the opportunity to explore Perth a little more than we have done on our past visits.

On Friday, 23 October, we rode into Perth along the Swan River and then up into Kings Park for a photo opportunity with the bikes and the Perth skyline in the background. On our way home we dropped into Bikewest at the Department of Planning and Infrastructure who were very helpful in providing us with information on how to get around Perth by bike. The Perth bike map series is a very detailed resource and after nearly two weeks of travelling around the city we now have some very used looking maps. Perth’s bicycle network is very clearly sign posted and based upon our experiences, Perth is by far the easiest capital to get around on bicycle. Our hometown Canberra is well known for its bicycle network but there is a lot that can be learnt from how Perth promotes and sign posts its network of shared paths, bike routes and on road cycleways.

On Monday, 26 October, we rode from Ascot to Fremantle. It was a rather overcast day with some light rain. After a stop at Deep Water on the Canning River for coffee we arrived in Fremantle for lunch. One of the places we wanted to visit was the Maritime Museum and Oberon class submarine but as it had taken us so long to ride to Fremantle we decided to come back later in the week by train so we would have more time to look around. Click to watch "Denise Cam" as she rides around Fremantle (6 min - no commentary).

We returned to Fremantle on Wednesday which as it turned out was another very windy and rainy day. We took a ride on the Fremantle Tram, really a truck made to look like a tram, for a tour of the major attractions. This was very interesting and kept us occupied for most of the morning. As we wove our way through Fremantle we were surprised to smell wet sheep poo until we realised they were loading a ship on the other side of the docks. Later the wind made it challenging to find a café where the aroma of wet sheep did not over power the flavour of our cake and coffee. We got off the tram at Victoria Quay and dashed to the Maritime Museum in the rain to discover that the museum was closed on Wednesdays, a point that is nicely hidden on the sign next to the front door.

The two week break has been good for us. We are now finalising the plans for our journey to Adelaide and will leave Perth on Saturday.

Oh. We keep getting asked by Email and phone if we are still getting on with each other! The answer is yes but Denise seems to mumble a lot and she says I am going deaf. Two attributes that seem to help us get on with each other.

Denise is making and cooking real rissoles tonight!

Zoom into the map and use the 'Satellite' layer to see our new location.

Subiaco

Subiaco

Subiaco Railway Station

We found this warning sign on one of the shared paths beside the Swan River.

The two of us at Kings Park with the Perth skyline behind.

Coffee and cake on the lawns of Kings Park

This boab tree was moved from road works near Warmun in the Kimberley and transplanted here in Kings Park in 2008. Most of the roadhouses we stopped at on the Great Northern Highway had photos of it on the truck taking it south.

Perth from Kings Park

Denise in front of the Leeuwin II at Victoria Quay, Freemantle. A sheep transport ship is being loaded in the background.

The two of us outside the Maritime Museum

London Court 'arcade' in Perth

London Court 'arcade' in Perth

Fremantle Tram on Monument Hill over looking Fremantle, complete with rain drops on the camera lens. Denise stayed in the dry.

Denise at Fisherman's Wharf, Fremantle

This reminded us of a friend about to start his own trip around Australia. What do you think Lorraine?

High Street, Fremantle

Denise in one of the many cafes along the 'Cappuccino Strip', South Terrace, Fremantle

White swans on top of the Fremantle Railway Station. We thought WA had black swans!

Mark's cycling shoes. Note the difference in colour. The right shoe (left) has faded whilst the left shoe (right) remains black. This has been caused by the sun which has been mostly on our right hand side since we left Cairns. Denise's shoes have faded in a similar fashion. Previously we reported how hot the sun was on our right hand side during the afternoon. These shoes show how harsh the sun has been.

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