Monday 28 February 2011
Slavery to Star Trek (Fringe show)
Wow. I attended a fringe show last night called ‘Slavery to Star Trek’ ($10)… I know what you are thinking, but it was not all about star trek - it was the touching true life story of a lady in her 70’s who had lived through decades of rapid change in the USA before coming to Australia. Her story touched upon the work of both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X on black civil rights and her meetings with them. Then her talk moved on to her role in the first few years of Star Trek production working with Jean Coons. Overall, an intimate and personal insight into a historical period of dynamic change. A wonderful hour which successfully merged entertainment with a history lesson!
A walk in the parks (and cemetery) encircling Adelaide
Today I decided to walk around the cities parks, which completely encircle Adelaide in a greenbelt. The parks are each bordered by major road and rail links fanning out fro the city centre but all have pedestrian crossing points and there is enough to see on the way round that it is not boring! To walk around the parks will take the best part of a day (but if you want to do this in less time it is possible to hire a bike for FREE with ID at the SA cycle centre near to the central YHA and use the excellent network of cycle-ways to circumnavigate the city). Along the route you will see cricket ovals, lots of wildlife, the Torrens river, botanical gardens and the West Terrace Cemetery.
The West Terrace Cemetery is an interesting place worthy of a stop on route to visit with its sprawling graveyards separated into faith zones and lined with gravel. Little disturbs the atmosphere here with rare visitors walking through on the pavement between flanking parks. However, if you take your time here it is possible to read some of the personal stories of the people buried here and view some beautiful sculptures (particularly within the Roman Catholic areas). There is also a war cemetery here with its perfectly uniform rows of sparkling white headstones sheltering under the Australian flag. If you have a small group it is possible to hire a guide to take you around the site ($5.50 each) but if you are on your own, take time out and let history take you for a ride ;)
Going back into the city there is an opportunity to explore the museums along North Terrace - here you find the Museum of South Australia which is FREE and contains a good range of art work and sculpture which will keep the visitor amused for 1-2 hours. My favourite image was the darkly beautiful painting of a visionary seer ’Fate’ sitting on a lion foot chair above a volcanic sulphurous smoking vent but check it out and make your own judgement. Next door to the museum is the State Library, which is one of the few places with FREE wi-fi internet access and flat white coffee for $3.30. The library also contains exhibitions within the fading grandeur of the ‘old building’ which is musty and wonderfully filled with old Geographical books on three terraced levels inside while a statue dedicated to Robert Burns stands outside the entrance where students settle onto the benches enthralled with their electronic notepads and laptops.
The West Terrace Cemetery is an interesting place worthy of a stop on route to visit with its sprawling graveyards separated into faith zones and lined with gravel. Little disturbs the atmosphere here with rare visitors walking through on the pavement between flanking parks. However, if you take your time here it is possible to read some of the personal stories of the people buried here and view some beautiful sculptures (particularly within the Roman Catholic areas). There is also a war cemetery here with its perfectly uniform rows of sparkling white headstones sheltering under the Australian flag. If you have a small group it is possible to hire a guide to take you around the site ($5.50 each) but if you are on your own, take time out and let history take you for a ride ;)
Going back into the city there is an opportunity to explore the museums along North Terrace - here you find the Museum of South Australia which is FREE and contains a good range of art work and sculpture which will keep the visitor amused for 1-2 hours. My favourite image was the darkly beautiful painting of a visionary seer ’Fate’ sitting on a lion foot chair above a volcanic sulphurous smoking vent but check it out and make your own judgement. Next door to the museum is the State Library, which is one of the few places with FREE wi-fi internet access and flat white coffee for $3.30. The library also contains exhibitions within the fading grandeur of the ‘old building’ which is musty and wonderfully filled with old Geographical books on three terraced levels inside while a statue dedicated to Robert Burns stands outside the entrance where students settle onto the benches enthralled with their electronic notepads and laptops.
To Adelaide via Melbourne
At 11pm it was time to depart Perth and start the epic ‘Virgin Blue’ flight to Melbourne which we completed in 3½ hours, then into the transfer lounge waiting for the 190 aircraft to be refuelled. Then we are boarded and take off within 2 hours back towards Adelaide - 1 hour later we land in Adelaide which is 2½ hours ahead of Perth in terms of time. So with the combination of no sleep on the red eye flight, a quick nap on the chairs in the transfer lounge and the time difference my body clock is in desperate need of re-setting!! Still, getting to the YHA is very simple from the airport as the shuttle bus will drop you at their (or any other hotels) door for $10 :)
Arriving in the early morning meant that there was no room ready yet and so it was an opportunity to go and explore the city and buy enough food for the three days. I also notice that the Adelaide Fringe Festival is on and this is only second in scale to the Edinburgh Fringe with acts from all over the world descending on the city and setting up all over town ;) I have already seen a number of street entertainers who are quite brilliant including a comedian/juggler, Balloon artist, escape artist and mesmerising Indiana Jones style magic act - Just amazing and practically free - and better still it continues into March… I celebrate with an almighty big breakfast at one of the many bars ($16) in order to aid the setting of the body clock, then on to Woolworths (yep you heard me Woolworths) for good value food and spend $19 on 6 meals worth of food which should see me through to the end of my stay. The YHA has storage space for food and fridge space with labels supplied to protect your shopping from scavengers ;) It also houses a set of six fully equipped kitchens each with gas hobs and a washing station - just make sure that you clean up after yourselves!!
Central YHA is reasonable value, with dorm rooms starting around $30 a night with a YHA card (membership cost ~$40/year but the card gains you discount on your room bookings across the world and grant discount on travel and some sites). The hostel is also centrally located near to all the major attractions, while being a good place to catch up with fellow travellers. I have one of the acts staying in my room but currently he is suffering from a cold…
Adelaide on first appearance is a very green city with trees lining all the streets and parks spread around the whole city. It is also a sprawling low level city with very few multi-storey buildings centred around the shopping area of Rundle Mall/Street. Most available space within the city is plastered with high art graffiti and posters advertising acts in the fringe all combining to give the streets a patchwork quilt effect. The range of acts is mind-blowing and includes many outrageous and bizarre takes on classic forms of entertainment. Overall, I feel the next few days will be filled with some amazing sites and sounds.
Arriving in the early morning meant that there was no room ready yet and so it was an opportunity to go and explore the city and buy enough food for the three days. I also notice that the Adelaide Fringe Festival is on and this is only second in scale to the Edinburgh Fringe with acts from all over the world descending on the city and setting up all over town ;) I have already seen a number of street entertainers who are quite brilliant including a comedian/juggler, Balloon artist, escape artist and mesmerising Indiana Jones style magic act - Just amazing and practically free - and better still it continues into March… I celebrate with an almighty big breakfast at one of the many bars ($16) in order to aid the setting of the body clock, then on to Woolworths (yep you heard me Woolworths) for good value food and spend $19 on 6 meals worth of food which should see me through to the end of my stay. The YHA has storage space for food and fridge space with labels supplied to protect your shopping from scavengers ;) It also houses a set of six fully equipped kitchens each with gas hobs and a washing station - just make sure that you clean up after yourselves!!
Central YHA is reasonable value, with dorm rooms starting around $30 a night with a YHA card (membership cost ~$40/year but the card gains you discount on your room bookings across the world and grant discount on travel and some sites). The hostel is also centrally located near to all the major attractions, while being a good place to catch up with fellow travellers. I have one of the acts staying in my room but currently he is suffering from a cold…
Adelaide on first appearance is a very green city with trees lining all the streets and parks spread around the whole city. It is also a sprawling low level city with very few multi-storey buildings centred around the shopping area of Rundle Mall/Street. Most available space within the city is plastered with high art graffiti and posters advertising acts in the fringe all combining to give the streets a patchwork quilt effect. The range of acts is mind-blowing and includes many outrageous and bizarre takes on classic forms of entertainment. Overall, I feel the next few days will be filled with some amazing sites and sounds.
Saturday 26 February 2011
Beer Festival - Perth style
Even though the festival is free we are still tagged with a puzzle designed paper bracelet :)
Another day in Perth
On returning to Perth i had an extra day before the flight at 11pm. The hotel allowed me to store my bags which meant that i had a chance to walk around Perth again and return to the walking/cycling lanes along the Swan River. Once again the Jellies are in abundance and darting amongst them are some boxy shaped fish which get a little curious if you stop and crouch down near the water ;)
Walking along the front i discover that the Beer Festival is here (Or should i say LAGER festival as nearly all the 'beers' are in fact lagers!!) however, i do find after gaining FREE access that they have a new 'Black lager' from Guiness so i give it a go and find that it is a little morish. Entertainment is provided by a ear splitting DJ blasting out a range of dance tunes while encouraging the crowd to take part in competitions including dance offs, Limbo (with a beer!) and bull riding ;) My personal favourite as people where flung in all directions... A great day in the bright sunshine.
Walking along the front i discover that the Beer Festival is here (Or should i say LAGER festival as nearly all the 'beers' are in fact lagers!!) however, i do find after gaining FREE access that they have a new 'Black lager' from Guiness so i give it a go and find that it is a little morish. Entertainment is provided by a ear splitting DJ blasting out a range of dance tunes while encouraging the crowd to take part in competitions including dance offs, Limbo (with a beer!) and bull riding ;) My personal favourite as people where flung in all directions... A great day in the bright sunshine.
A word on budgetting in Oz
I am still getting used to the prices and struggling with budgeting - bare in mind that £1=$1.40ish (according to the Internet, but bare in mind that when I enquired at a CHANGE point in Perth for how many Oz dollars I would get for UK £200 they quoted $211 0_0’’!!!!!), and this does not go far here… Take some examples loaf of the CHEAPEST pre-sliced white bread from supermarket $1.65, one 375ml can of coke zero $1.30 ($2.30 from vending machines)... Small can of tuna $1.63... A bottle of beer on offer $3.50... I am sure that you are getting the picture… It would appear that prices have not changed here through the slump of the US dollar and UK pound… therefore what used to be equitable prices are now astronomical - so if your coming to Oz bare in mind that it is going to be expensive and you will need to be harsh on the budget… + accommodation in hostels is going to cost you min. $30+ with internet an extra. Hmm….. As I said EXPENSIVE…
Friday 25 February 2011
Kalgoorlie super pit and other exhibits
final image is from a miners cottage living room - a good value museum in the centre of town where you can see $1m of gold ;)
8 hours in Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is ‘famous’ for having the largest gold mine in the world, and yes it is incredibly big when you stand next to it and see the bucket scoop capable hauling 100 tonnes of rubble per shovel full and trucks lugging 350 tonnes per load on the 1 ½ hour trip to the top using their massive diesel engines (returning to the bottom they run on electric motors which is a nod to sustainability). The husband of the lady in tourist information was kind enough to grant us a personal tour and then drop us at one of the visitor attractions were you can pay $30-60 to go underground into the tourist mines… Bit off my budget… So ended up walking back into the city with a lovely Swiss couple who are on a similar round the world journey to myself :) They were equipped with the Lonely Planet and so we visited another museum in the centre where it was possible to see $1m worth of gold in a vault and then view the life of the average miner and their cottage. Fab little museum well worth a visit if your passing through and the entry price is a donation…
Walking around the city you are struck by the lack of people out and about and the shear number of bars some advertising gentlemen’s entertainment. An interesting settlement closely linked to the prospects of the mine, which is certain until at least 2018 and is thought to have at least another 100 years of extractable gold before requiring to mine underground for deeper seems.
At the end of the day an announcement was made that the train would not depart until 10pm so Greg commented that we should have an evening in the pub - well within minutes we were all under way and had settled into a local bar until 9pm… Great company (A personal thank you to the two Danish ladies who shared their dinner of bread, tuna and vegemite :)).
Walking around the city you are struck by the lack of people out and about and the shear number of bars some advertising gentlemen’s entertainment. An interesting settlement closely linked to the prospects of the mine, which is certain until at least 2018 and is thought to have at least another 100 years of extractable gold before requiring to mine underground for deeper seems.
At the end of the day an announcement was made that the train would not depart until 10pm so Greg commented that we should have an evening in the pub - well within minutes we were all under way and had settled into a local bar until 9pm… Great company (A personal thank you to the two Danish ladies who shared their dinner of bread, tuna and vegemite :)).
24th Feb 2011: Indian Pacific drama - Oh Dear… Track washed out!
Clattering our way eastward towards Adelaide through the night I fail to notice (due to being deeply asleep) that we had stopped or that an announcement had been made over the tannoy explaining why - to me the morning was just a stationary wet 6.30am… Walking through the Lounge car down to the restaurant car for cooked breakfast ($8.95) I enquired as to why we had stopped and the answer was interesting - the track ahead of us had been flooded and it would be some time before we would know what was going to happen… Soon however, we were under way again in the same direction, a promising sign ;) as we pull away I tuck into my breakfast which is pretty good with thick bacon and good portions but I make the effort to try ’Vegemite’, a quick pre-taste shocks my taste buds but I am assured that having it with cheese is the best option, so toast coated in vegemite and a free additional slice of cheese and bizarrely it works J Vegemite and cheese tastes good on toast!!
After breakfast, while relaxing with a flat white, just 30mins later we have stopped again as it continues to gently rain outside (Which is VERY unusual for this area) and the news is that there is a ‘Major drama’ ahead in that the track has been washed away 4 hours ahead of us so badly that it is going to take 4 days to fix!! This means that we are returning to Kalgoorlie (A mining town famous for having the largest open cast gold mine in the world and more than 18 bars to cater to the miners needs. We had stopped here for a tour ($30) last night at 10pm but I was already fast asleep by then after a glass of wine ($8) so did not attend). Arriving at Kalgoorlie, we stop allowing time to disembark and explore the town. Finally, from Kalgoorlie it is likely that the train will be continued to Perth returning through the landscape that I had missed during the night time travel… Well life is an adventure and you can never guarantee that trains will run 0_0’ So, on to ‘plan B’… Now… What was plan B again??
Still the atmosphere on the train is resigned joviality but discussion starts on how people will get to Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, after all many people on the train are not on world trips but have to get to places by a certain date… Options seem to have included: a 4 day drive, trying to book flights with Jetstar or waiting for passage on another train after 4 days…
We are fortunate in that the staff of the Indian Pacific were organised and all passengers were spoken to in regards to their future travels.
On returning to Perth Eastern station I am met with the news that my flight to Adelaide will in fact be via Melbourne!! So my flight is 11pm on the 26th with a 50min connecting flight to Adelaide on the morning of the 27th. We all stand around on the platform discussing our itineraries and finding out that people have been booked on a range of flights while some have complete refunds and are organising onward travel themselves… For those of us staying in Perth tonight the company have organised accommodation at two good hotels with large AC rooms and creature comforts J but no transfer to the airport 0_0
Overall I was pleased with the work of the cabin crew of the train and I empathised with them regarding the difficult job they had informing the passengers of the future transfer plans… Luckily for me the YHA hostel in Adelaide was already aware of the cancelled IP train and so re-arranged the dates of my stay.
Clattering our way eastward towards Adelaide through the night I fail to notice (due to being deeply asleep) that we had stopped or that an announcement had been made over the tannoy explaining why - to me the morning was just a stationary wet 6.30am… Walking through the Lounge car down to the restaurant car for cooked breakfast ($8.95) I enquired as to why we had stopped and the answer was interesting - the track ahead of us had been flooded and it would be some time before we would know what was going to happen… Soon however, we were under way again in the same direction, a promising sign ;) as we pull away I tuck into my breakfast which is pretty good with thick bacon and good portions but I make the effort to try ’Vegemite’, a quick pre-taste shocks my taste buds but I am assured that having it with cheese is the best option, so toast coated in vegemite and a free additional slice of cheese and bizarrely it works J Vegemite and cheese tastes good on toast!!
After breakfast, while relaxing with a flat white, just 30mins later we have stopped again as it continues to gently rain outside (Which is VERY unusual for this area) and the news is that there is a ‘Major drama’ ahead in that the track has been washed away 4 hours ahead of us so badly that it is going to take 4 days to fix!! This means that we are returning to Kalgoorlie (A mining town famous for having the largest open cast gold mine in the world and more than 18 bars to cater to the miners needs. We had stopped here for a tour ($30) last night at 10pm but I was already fast asleep by then after a glass of wine ($8) so did not attend). Arriving at Kalgoorlie, we stop allowing time to disembark and explore the town. Finally, from Kalgoorlie it is likely that the train will be continued to Perth returning through the landscape that I had missed during the night time travel… Well life is an adventure and you can never guarantee that trains will run 0_0’ So, on to ‘plan B’… Now… What was plan B again??
Still the atmosphere on the train is resigned joviality but discussion starts on how people will get to Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, after all many people on the train are not on world trips but have to get to places by a certain date… Options seem to have included: a 4 day drive, trying to book flights with Jetstar or waiting for passage on another train after 4 days…
We are fortunate in that the staff of the Indian Pacific were organised and all passengers were spoken to in regards to their future travels.
On returning to Perth Eastern station I am met with the news that my flight to Adelaide will in fact be via Melbourne!! So my flight is 11pm on the 26th with a 50min connecting flight to Adelaide on the morning of the 27th. We all stand around on the platform discussing our itineraries and finding out that people have been booked on a range of flights while some have complete refunds and are organising onward travel themselves… For those of us staying in Perth tonight the company have organised accommodation at two good hotels with large AC rooms and creature comforts J but no transfer to the airport 0_0
Overall I was pleased with the work of the cabin crew of the train and I empathised with them regarding the difficult job they had informing the passengers of the future transfer plans… Luckily for me the YHA hostel in Adelaide was already aware of the cancelled IP train and so re-arranged the dates of my stay.
Perth to Adelaide 'India Pacific'
The Indian Pacific train runs from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide and takes 2 days. I was booked to travel only as far as Adelaide so have two nights on the train …
Having made my reservation several months in advance I arrive at the station to find a line of people waiting to collect tickets for both Gold and Red service (I am red service and so wait in the longer of the two lines!!). Within 30 mins I am checked into bunk 1 in carriage N of a HUGE diesel train - takes me back to being in India where trains are sometimes longer than the platforms!! Next I needed to check my luggage in… DO NOT make the mistake I made by checking it in before taking out what you need for the journey as you will not have access to this bag until you arrive!!!!! Yep, I had to get the conductor to open up the baggage car to get my pack to extract a change of clothes and wash kit as this had not been explained to me during check in (If you have a car it is possible to have this taken as well!! There are two carriages at the back of the train like open top Euro-tunnel transport carriages and this will be cheaper than trying to ship your car to Sydney)… Anyhow - once the bags are on board all the passengers are boarded at 11.30am when I find my cabin it is shared with a splendid Ozzie chap called Greg, but the space we have is minimal. Squeezing into the cabin there is just enough room to sit on a chair facing my fellow passenger. The cabin has a tiny cupboard for a bag and coat (DO NOT expect enough space here for a backpack!!), two pull down bunks, one electrical socket and a pull down sink (This can only be opened if the cabin door is shut - space is that tight!!).
The train pulls away spot on time at 11.55am and smoothly glides along its rails towards the East Coast passing through a landscape of red earth and gum trees. Strange and alien to me, but for Australians the norm - I am told that the landscape will turn into rolling low hills and flat plains as we pass into the grain belts, but hopefully I will get to see some local wildlife, after all I have not seen a kangaroo yet 0_0
The train has a range of facilities on board including a meal car which serves hot breakfast from 7-8.30am and Dinner 6-7.30pm while providing snacks from a bar all day. Due to having a sleeper Red class ticket I also have access to the lounge car which has FREE COFFEE :) (ok its Nescafe pre-pack but hey its free)… Also with comfortable seats, sofas and plug points for laptops and phones. So time to sit back, enjoy a ‘Flat White’ (coffee with milk) and take in the landscape as we sedately pass by on the Indian Pacific. Meals on the train are also good value considering they are from a train resto-car (cooked dinner $12.50 - $13.50 and full cooked breakfast including eggs, bacon, beans, hash brown and toast $8.95)
Having made my reservation several months in advance I arrive at the station to find a line of people waiting to collect tickets for both Gold and Red service (I am red service and so wait in the longer of the two lines!!). Within 30 mins I am checked into bunk 1 in carriage N of a HUGE diesel train - takes me back to being in India where trains are sometimes longer than the platforms!! Next I needed to check my luggage in… DO NOT make the mistake I made by checking it in before taking out what you need for the journey as you will not have access to this bag until you arrive!!!!! Yep, I had to get the conductor to open up the baggage car to get my pack to extract a change of clothes and wash kit as this had not been explained to me during check in (If you have a car it is possible to have this taken as well!! There are two carriages at the back of the train like open top Euro-tunnel transport carriages and this will be cheaper than trying to ship your car to Sydney)… Anyhow - once the bags are on board all the passengers are boarded at 11.30am when I find my cabin it is shared with a splendid Ozzie chap called Greg, but the space we have is minimal. Squeezing into the cabin there is just enough room to sit on a chair facing my fellow passenger. The cabin has a tiny cupboard for a bag and coat (DO NOT expect enough space here for a backpack!!), two pull down bunks, one electrical socket and a pull down sink (This can only be opened if the cabin door is shut - space is that tight!!).
The train pulls away spot on time at 11.55am and smoothly glides along its rails towards the East Coast passing through a landscape of red earth and gum trees. Strange and alien to me, but for Australians the norm - I am told that the landscape will turn into rolling low hills and flat plains as we pass into the grain belts, but hopefully I will get to see some local wildlife, after all I have not seen a kangaroo yet 0_0
The train has a range of facilities on board including a meal car which serves hot breakfast from 7-8.30am and Dinner 6-7.30pm while providing snacks from a bar all day. Due to having a sleeper Red class ticket I also have access to the lounge car which has FREE COFFEE :) (ok its Nescafe pre-pack but hey its free)… Also with comfortable seats, sofas and plug points for laptops and phones. So time to sit back, enjoy a ‘Flat White’ (coffee with milk) and take in the landscape as we sedately pass by on the Indian Pacific. Meals on the train are also good value considering they are from a train resto-car (cooked dinner $12.50 - $13.50 and full cooked breakfast including eggs, bacon, beans, hash brown and toast $8.95)
Final day in Perth
Perth also has some wonderful churches and cathedrals - one of them ‘St Mary’s’ within 20m of the YMCA. It is a fantastic building, partly 1860’s gothic style and partly brand spanking new glass fronted modernism. Walking into the grounds you are instantly transported to an area of peace and tranquillity walking amongst well tended gardens with interesting works of art around the building. Entering the cathedral you will notice a slight cooling of the air - and then your eyes will be drawn to the alter, which is glowing green/blue post modern set of lighted glass panels. Well worth a visit on any trip to Perth. Also in Perth CBD you will find ‘Ye Olde England’ street with its fabulous jousting clock (check out the video) and many quaint shops selling everything from authentic English sweets/cakes to luxury Jewellery, worth a stroll just to get a view on the Ozzie concept of England.
After just two days within Perth I was finding that I had a little discomfort in areas I should not have!! So another trip to a med centre led to a speedy diagnosis of uncomfortable fungal rash (apparently washing fungal areas with soap is not a good idea 0_0 just rinse with water and dry thoroughly) - cream was prescribed and things are getting better rapidly :) (It will cost you $54 for a consultation but do not delay seeing a doctor if you need to, I cannot describe what a difference it makes when there is no discomfort from walking)…
My third and final day in Perth leads me to a barbers!! After speaking to my fabulous friend Jackie in the UK last night I was shocked to hear that the beard looked ‘a bit of a state’… Well ok… after 5 months it had become a little out of control, so off to have it trimmed and I can say after 30mins of painful tugging and cutting the end result of a $15 trim is a much more formal beard. Thank you to Kamil (Iranian barber) who gave excellent service :)
My final night in Perth was spent in the outstanding Perth Concert Hall, where I got to experience a classical rendition of Haydn’s ‘Creation’ score performed by the “Academy of Ancient Music” directed by Richard Egarr - this purely magical musical interpretation of the Christian creation story brought tears of joy to my eyes as the musicians, choir and soloists gave a staggeringly strong performance. Every single element of the story was captured in the music with Base depicting the motion of whales through the oceans and subtle strings the wriggling of worms ;) The music captured the essence of joy and wonder and left the audience as a whole uplifted with the round of applause lasting for several minutes at the end. It has given me a renewed interest in ‘live’ classical recitals and really rounded off Perth on a positive note. Lovely. (I bought the cheapest available tickets for the show which indicated restricted view - well if you are going for music then the view is not everything and it turns out that these seats are actually like box seats J above the sides of the general audience and with fab views over most of the stage! So, my advise, save yourself some money and book these seats).
After just two days within Perth I was finding that I had a little discomfort in areas I should not have!! So another trip to a med centre led to a speedy diagnosis of uncomfortable fungal rash (apparently washing fungal areas with soap is not a good idea 0_0 just rinse with water and dry thoroughly) - cream was prescribed and things are getting better rapidly :) (It will cost you $54 for a consultation but do not delay seeing a doctor if you need to, I cannot describe what a difference it makes when there is no discomfort from walking)…
My third and final day in Perth leads me to a barbers!! After speaking to my fabulous friend Jackie in the UK last night I was shocked to hear that the beard looked ‘a bit of a state’… Well ok… after 5 months it had become a little out of control, so off to have it trimmed and I can say after 30mins of painful tugging and cutting the end result of a $15 trim is a much more formal beard. Thank you to Kamil (Iranian barber) who gave excellent service :)
My final night in Perth was spent in the outstanding Perth Concert Hall, where I got to experience a classical rendition of Haydn’s ‘Creation’ score performed by the “Academy of Ancient Music” directed by Richard Egarr - this purely magical musical interpretation of the Christian creation story brought tears of joy to my eyes as the musicians, choir and soloists gave a staggeringly strong performance. Every single element of the story was captured in the music with Base depicting the motion of whales through the oceans and subtle strings the wriggling of worms ;) The music captured the essence of joy and wonder and left the audience as a whole uplifted with the round of applause lasting for several minutes at the end. It has given me a renewed interest in ‘live’ classical recitals and really rounded off Perth on a positive note. Lovely. (I bought the cheapest available tickets for the show which indicated restricted view - well if you are going for music then the view is not everything and it turns out that these seats are actually like box seats J above the sides of the general audience and with fab views over most of the stage! So, my advise, save yourself some money and book these seats).
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