A Western Australian Tourist

At The Pinnacles

Roo on road

   Recently a Canadian friend, Mike, came to visit us.  He had been hobnobbing around SouthEast Asia and made the detour to Perth before flying back to Alberta.  Mike did the usual touristy things: visit some natural phenomena, take photos of exotic road kill, check out what the foreign grocery stores have, buy some souvenirs and taste the local cuisine.  Standard recipe for a short stay in a foreign place. And we were happy to be his hosts.
    Where all this became unhappily memorable is the experience he has doubtless  shared with many tourists to the state of Western Australia.  It can be wickedly expensive.  For his greater comfort, Mike had opted to stay at a hotel shortly after his arrival. The few rooms listed at $100 a night had booked out weeks ago. Many, MANY phone calls later, we found a hotel at the fringes of downtown that actually had openings for several days... at any price.  Sunday's bed at The Melbourne came with a price tag of $160. O.K. but there is no such thing as a 'weekly rate' and the final bill for four nights came to over $1000.  The staff was friendly enough but not really knowledgeable about what was beyond their doors. And the serious skewer came when Mike needed a few pairs of socks and underwear laundered to get him through the end of the trip. The Hilary & Kev Laundry Service is free but the laundry service at the hotel was more immediate and potentially less embarrassing.  And it was considerably  more expensive.

Comparing prices

    To the tune of $5 PER SOCK. 

    Hotels always charge a premium but this boggled the mind. They insisted that they receive not a single cent from the outside service that picks up the laundry orders.  Mike's irate calls to the Tourism WA office, Better Business Bureau, Mayor's Ombudsman and anybody else who would pick up their phone came up with the same answer.  "It's a 'boom' economy. It's what the traffic will bear."   And it is complete and utter nonsense.  The 'boom' isn't that big and there is no fine line between what the traffic will bear and wanton greed.

    Tourism WA is trying desperately to get Sandgropers (residents of WA) to vacation in the state.  Who are they kidding?  One can fly to Bali with five nights in a hotel for the price of two nights in a Perth hotel.  It is trying with all the energy and lack of circumspection of a 13 year-old to court moneyed Chinese tourists to come here as well.   The Chinese, with their fabled business acumen,  won't need too long before they figure out that making money by doing the same for less here is a better plan than endlessly dropping dollars at overpriced establishments.  Once a destination gets a reputation for "shaving the heads" of  its tourists ( a very popular sport in Vietnam) it can be hard to shake.  Word of mouth and tour books  can do damage to a place's image for years beyond the actual fact.  Tourism WA needs to work more on the experience tourists will have once here.  The Australian attitude of  "if you don't like it, lump it" has no place in the hospitality industry--especially in this state.

   It turns out that Mike was charged $5 per pair of socks.  And if you are a guest of ours, count on free laundry (Kev will do it if guys are sensitive about their unmentionables)  and a far greater sense of hospitality. Everyone else...well, do come to see some of WA's natural wonders but with a little more money than you might think.

Time Affects Our Vision

     Funny how Time can affect our vision.  Take today, April 14, for example.  The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the unsinkable ship HMS Titanic.  Far from being just another ship going down in an ocean,  this maritime disaster has spawned an industry of its own.  Treasure hunters, movie makers, playwrights, song writers, museums and uncountable romantic tragics  have elevated this incident from a cautionary tale of marine safety into a full blown fairytale.  Beyond fairytale...we were, nay, are there...dressed and setting sail a full century later.

    April 14 marks another big day :  my arrival into Australia in 2008.  Has it really been four years?!  Where does time go?  I arrived in Perth in the middle of the night and when I woke up in the morning I dashed over to the library to get my library card. That day, and each day for several weeks beyond, was filled with discovery and new things for the mind to digest.  But even then I feared it all becoming too commonplace. That is when I started these postcards--before this city and country lost its 'newness'.   Familiarity may or may not breed contempt, but it sure does promote tunnel vision. And recently I became all too aware that I have become as quite myopic as the locals.

   I was returning from a quick errand on our side of downtown.  It was such a nice day that I decided to walk home rather than take a bus.  Taking a shortcut to the bridge would have me avoid playing chicken with cars at a major traffic circle.   It  would also expose  a piece of the city I had never seen before.  From the elevated seating of a bus, this small strip of land looks like a tree-lined bike path next to a municipal parking lot.  From ground level, it is a hidden park complete with an extensive playground set, Aboriginal interpretive center and a bike & kayak rental barn.

    This park is but a half mile from my home.  However did I miss this? I feverishly thought of excuses: tree cover keeps this hidden from commuters, my left knee keeps me from bicycling on the bike paths, it's the "wrong side" of the river, etc.      The truth is that I have put on the same blinders that so many others  wear.  We each follow our same path each day without variance , without seeing what we look at.   A life of routine.
     Routine is a voracious eater of Time.  I shouldn't wonder that four years have elapsed without me noticing.  So I vow that I will get off the same over-trodden path or vary my routine on a regular basis from here on out.   I am looking forward to more discoveries.

Farewell, Trusty Steed

Trusty Steed,  1988-2012

       Farewell, Trusty Steed.  Our faithful companion on many an adventure has gone on to automobile heaven.  Born Toyota Corolla 4WD in 1988,  he ran a career total of 216,531 kilometers/134,249 miles in some of the harshest conditions Australia has to offer with sometimes less than gentle drovers.  

       T.S., as his friends called him, saw plenty of action in the northern part of the state.  The Outback was his friend.  He reveled in taking on the open, gravelly roads and bathing in the ubiquitous fine red dust that defines the Pilbara area.  In complete defiance of the odds-casting coworkers of his drover, he never  broke down or even trembled when out of reach of civilization.  A true Australian outback thoroughbred.

     But T.S. knew how to handle himself in other environments as well.  He captained his way along the Indian Ocean  and shared the road with passing wild kangaroo and emu.  Going camping? Load him up and be on your way.  Heading south to wine country and hills with tall trees?  T.S. matched the majesty and had plenty of space to carry  wine, produce, eggs and other treasures found at roadside stands & thrift stores along the way.

     Alas, a hard long life took its toll.  T.S., after suffering from chronic pains and overheating during the last several months, succumbed to the Grim Knacker on Tuesday.  His drovers, Hilary and Kev, gave him a final cleaning up and pat down (found 65¢ in the process) and bade him farewell.  Also in attendance was TransPerth public transportation-- a regular consoler of T.S.' now wheel-less owners.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your preferred auto mechanic.

     Farewell, Trusty Steed.   You were a good friend.

Kosher for Lent

     Fish on Fridays.  A time honored tradition especially during the Lenten season--the forty days before Easter. Actually, any vegetarian dish will do when you're at home.  But what happens when one goes to an exciting food festival like the  Eat Drink Perth  celebrations which last the entire month of March?  The Twilight Markets are held every Friday in the center of the shopping district.  Lots of different food stands from different nationalities serving up wildly different dishes.  It's a challenge for the taste buds and Lenten reserve. What constitutes kosher for Lent?

Croc   &   Roo

       For example, the Australian tent is serving up Skippy-on-a-Stick (a skewered kangaroo sausage) and  Croc-on-a-Stick  (lose a fight with Mick Dundee and you, too, could find yourself on a short pole).    Pretty safe to say that kangaroo is not a 'legal' option.  But what about crocodile?  Do reptiles count?  And that brings amphibians to mind.  Frog-on-a-stick.  Those toads spend as much time in the water as fish do...and so do crocodiles  come to think of it.  The discussion of how these water animals did or did not qualify went up and down the line waiting to be served.

      I tried the Croc-on-a-Stick.  Slightly gamey  taste (it's those four legs) but the texture was rather mealy (I'm thinking grain here). 

Japanese dim sums

genuine paella

     Of course  there were other choices. It was fun watching the lady in the Japanese tent turn over the pot stickers in their individual cooking cups with speed and grace. The mystery contents were enough to rule it out.   
     The Spanish paella was gorgeous, colorful and legal. But all those mussel shells get in the way of serious chowing down.  Not to mention that the last time I ate mussels I ended up in a hospital emergency room.  I gave it a miss.

East Indian in Copper kettles

   Look at the beautiful color here at the East Indian tent.  I happen to be looking at those handsome copper pots.  You might be looking at the colorful contents.  All legal at this stand but truth is I don't like curries. And I abhor the smell.  Curries are banned from our house although Kev will make one when I am out of town on business and then fumigate the house before I get home.  This is a real big miss.  Have I pointed out those really lovely pots yet?

      We took stock of the situation and decided that speared reptile was enough, all sorts of vegetables at home just waiting to be eaten. .  The food and festive atmosphere makes this a great event...just on the wrong day of the week. 

Writing Postcards When Abroad

    I have a lot in common with elite athletes.  O.K. stop laughing already. World class athletes employ visualization techniques as part of their preparation for competitions.  I use the same methods to imagine things in my life.  I didn't buy my first car until I could see (in my head) images of me in responsible ownership of a vehicle.  I didn't start my small stationery business  until I could dream myself in at least part of the role (hey, too many surprises in starting up a business to catch the entire picture.)  And, I didn't start writing this blog until its mission was a clear as black ink to white cardstock.

    This pretty much how my picture postcards get done when I'm on vacation.  I have a list of people and their addresses as a guide. In fact, I used to make labels of addresses & just peel  each address as needed.  It's like checking it off my list --a perfect way to remember to whom one has written.  But paper sizes are different here, so the addresses weren't plumb with the labels and I don't have a printer to regenerate a regular list that has been X'd throughout.  

   So I went mental.    I mentally wrote the postcards, addressed and mailed them.  Then I mentally crossed names off the list.  I have to tell you the downfall of all this visualization  is  the lack of space between image and reality   and  its lack of memory.  I find myself asking, "Did I write to so-and-so yet?" and  answering, "Sure you did, I saw you do it!"   So not efficient a system.  

   Some loved ones received no postcards and other people received two.  Do not put much stock  into this. If you received no postcards, that means I am always thinking of you.  Feel special because I sent two? Ummmm, more like, I can't imagine writing you.  (heh heh heh. ahem)

   I'm going back to checking off names on lists. A lot less mental gymnastics and happier folks at home.

Tasmania : Animals and Architecture

Peacocks everywhere!?

     Tasmania has some gorgeous vistas, but as I review my photos of our recent trip there I noticed that a lot of animals and structures keep popping up. Clearly it all made an impression so I'll share.

Cape Barren Geese

You know all the usual OZ animals but what about these birds?  The Cape Barren geese with their fluorescent green noses reside on Maria Island.  Peacocks seem to be everywhere. Somehow I have always thought of them as rather exotic but  one sees them strolling along so many places in OZ it is no wonder that natives don't give them a second thought.

       What you don't expect to see is a Tom Turkey overseeing an Evandale pub's backyard.  Who shipped turkeys into OZ? Why do I keep thinking of Benjamin Franklin whenever I see one?  What is that poofy white chicken doing in a pub yard, also?  And finally, after spending an hour watching the tom turkey strutting and preening to a supremely disinterested hen,  don't guys ever take the hint and give up?

Echidna

beer swilling pig

 Enough birds.  I was thrilled  to catch an echidna by the side of the road. Those spikey quills stopped me from touching.  I'm thinking maybe pigs do fly, especially Priscilla, the beer swilling mascot at Pub in the Paddock, after a few obliging guests have come around.

Pyengana dairy line-up

Mooooove on, Elsie

 Down the street from Priscilla in the beautiful valley of Pyengana, is a small fully automated dairy. The cows have learned to follow the queue into the milking area and are free to do so 24 hours a day. Milk production is up 20% since this was instituted.  The cows are happy. There is a treat waiting for them at the mechanized milking station. And you can see the massaging brush they can walk through after milking.   This cow really loves this part. Eventually the cow behind her head-butted her out of the way. No need to be a pig about it.

Port Arthur

Bridge in Richmond

Isolated even in prayer at P.A.

 Gotta love those convicts. Built their own prisons and the escapes for everyone else.  This convict-built (who else?) bridge in Richmond is one of the oldest bridges in the country and is still used today. Want to buy a convict-built structure?  Cough up 
big bucks, friend, even for the most simple and derelict of buildings. Heritage comes at a price.

Launceston convict church

We toured a lot of churches. These two are churches for convicts.  Attendance was mandatory and a very different experience depending on where you were. In Launceston, you would sit next to other inmates. In Port Arthur, everyone stands in isolation in their own cubicle.  The ones I feel sorry for...the poor chumps in the microscopic cells underneath the church in Launceston. Coffins for the living, I'd say.

Launceston door knocker

Queen Victoria Museum restroom

   And these last two shots just because I like them.  This is the mother of all door knockers. You can hear it throughout the building and half way down the block. Doubtless the inspiration for Dickens and his Jacob Marley ghost.

   This sink in the ladies restroom was the coolest thing ever.  Hard to see the angle of slope on the bottom marble but there is no splash, no dripping anywhere just a super high-end version of a playground washing station that adds to the Queen Victoria Museum experience.  

   And no, this employee didn't mind washing her hands for me.

Tasmania - Hitting the Highlights

Port Arthur

      The best time of year to visit Tasmania is during its summer, December through  March .  The temperatures are mild  and there are a lot of festivals and events on offer during this time.   If you have lots of time, just follow your nose on roads less travelled for some great discoveries-as you might do anywhere else.  But just like most trips we take, time is limited so let’s hit a few highlights:

     Port Arthur.   You can’t visit a penal colony like Tasmania without visiting at least  one prison and Port Arthur is the best preserved of the lot.  A prisoner’s life was a wretched one and that is abundantly clear here.    No walls or fences and yet, no escape.  Great vistas, though.

     Salamanca Markets.    Go Bohemian, go local, go cheap…just go to the Salamanca Markets every Saturday in Hobart.   Natives and tourists alike enjoy this experience and bargain hunting opportunity.

        Cadbury Chocolate Factory.    Located in suburban Hobart, this is a hugely popular attraction.  It costs $7.50 to  see the high school science lab type presentation of how chocolate is made (hey, no one does factory  floor tours anymore) but the bonus is the huge shopping area with all of the products Cadbury offers.   Locals pay the fee to shop here for their cheap and fresh chocolate.  Cadbury will even mail a huge box of goodies  you’ve  picked out right from the sales floor. Alas, only to an Australian address.

      Hobart Regatta.    A horse race stops humanity in its tracks in Melbourne.  Far more natural for a boat race to seize the public  on an island state.  It’s not just a boat race in February, it’s a long weekend of activities for everyone.  Lots of shoreline to watch the regatta.

      Launceston.      Launceston, at the confluence of three rivers,  has charms Hobart seems to be lacking.  Historic buildings in great condition abound.  The state’s viticulture industry is centered here.  The Cataract Gorge is a lovely place to spend the day.  And my personal favorite Tasmanian National Trust site:  the Old Umbrella Shop.

     Evandale.    Location of the National Penny Farthing Championship Race, home to the Commonwealth’s most decorated soldier,  also home to famous landscape artist Glover, a colonial mansion sits on the hill (Clarendon), an old-fashioned general store anchors the town shopping section and , in general,  looks more England than England.

    Faery Penguins.     Head north to Burnie or Stanley to see faery penguins come out of the sea at night to tend to their nesting chicks on shore.  Vigilant volunteers  are quick to point out the rock-hopping penguins to visitors and quicker to make sure visitors don’t mess with the penguins.   Flash photography is not allowed so the lasting images of this neat experience will be in your head.

    Of course this isn’t an exhaustive list of things to do in Tasmania. But it will get you started  on your journey through this beautiful state.   If you are a walker, you are in great luck.  There are numerous hikes of all durations  here.  Indeed, some of the best places are accessible only by foot.

WHERE TO SLEEP?

     There is no shortage of hostelries in Tasmania although finding an ensuite room (bathroom inside room) for under $100 a night can be tricky.  If you don’t mind a bathroom down the hall, plenty of country pubs offer decent accommodation for less than triple figures.   Three unique options :

      The Empire Hotel.    In Queenstown.    Showing her age a bit but still a treasure.  The central blackwood stairwell is listed with the National Trust!  Supper in their intimate restaurant upstairs is worth while.

      Pendragon Hall.    In Hobart.    So many decommissioned churches are repurposed as art  galleries, museums or homes.  The undercroft of this church is rented out as lodgings.  Awaken to sun filtering through stained glass windows.  Ideal for multiple-day stays as multi-media entertainment and food preparation is possible in this self-contained unit.

      Jail Cell.        Maria Island.     Maria [ma RYE ah] Island is a national park with no services (you pack in, you pack out-including trash) but with an opportunity for people to enjoy plenty of hiking by staying overnight in one of their jail cells.  Surprisingly spacious with a fireplace for cooking and picnic table inside. Coin operated showers in the next building.  A unique experience.

    Pub in the Paddock.   Pyengana near St Columba Falls.   A true country pub—out in the bush, old and with lots of character.  Close to the St Columba Falls and near an excellent dairy which brush massages its cows.  But they’re not the only ones pampered.  Pub in the Paddock has Priscilla, a beer swigging pig.  For a mere buck, you too can share a drink with Priscilla, queen of the paddock.

    

       It is so easy for visitors to Australia to catch the big eastern state cities like Sydney and Melbourne while ignoring gems like Tasmania.   I can’t    guarantee that a Tasmanian Tiger will come out of extinction long enough for you to take a photo of it, but the detour here will be memorable nonetheless.  If nothing else, come here for the only tolerable summer in OZ.

Waiting for my massage

Arrow: Mark of the Convict