Fremantle (Perth)

We flew from Bali to Perth in Western Australia. Already on the plane, we were repeatedly asked not to bring in any diseases or prohibited food. For example, it is not allowed to import fruit or dairy products from outside Australia in order to preserve its unique flora and fauna. So, after landing, we walked like everyone else over disinfection mats, so that no potential germs could be brought in with soil residues on our shoes - apparently, there was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Bali. Obviously, Australians take good care of their nature, unlike our impression of Southeast Asia. At passport control - which usually somehow stresses us out, because we always feel like we've done something wrong - we were greeted with friendly smiles. "How was Bali? Good?" we nodded, and then we were simply wished a cheerful "Welcome to Australia!". That's the kind of welcome we like 😊 When we left the airport, we noticed some other differences compared to the last three months of our journey: firstly, nobody tried to sell us a taxi or any other means of transportation, secondly, the air was noticeably cooler and somehow cleaner, thirdly, the streets and sidewalks were huge, and fourthly, there seemed to be hardly a soul around. We felt immediately comfortable, and it was nice to have a bit more space and freedom. As we later googled, there really are very few inhabitants on this huge continent, only 25 million in total on an area 20 times larger than Germany!

From the airport, we continued by bus and train, out of Perth and towards Fremantle, where we were able to spend the next few days at the former host family of a good friend of Jana's. Interestingly, everyone except for the 16-year-old son (Kai) and his bird (Gerald) was not at home. Both parents (Kathy and Marty) were on business trips, and the daughter (Sunni) and the dog (Ziggy) were with their grandmother (referred to as "bloody Grandma" from now on, as she infected Sunni with Covid 😄). Kathy had hidden the house key in a shoe and had written all the information about the house on small post-it notes. Our room was actually Sunni's, who under different circumstances would have stayed in the living room, but was now conveniently relocated for quarantine purposes. We initially had relaxed days, explored Fremantle, went shopping in Perth, and witnessed a mini version of the solar eclipse, which was better visible further north in Western Australia. In the evenings, Jana made Johanna's famous Fanta cake, which was very well liked by the host family back then, and which we wanted to bake as a small thank you for the free accommodation. In contrast to Southeast Asia, prices here are back to European levels, so we have to be a bit more economical, and we were very grateful for the great offer. On Fridays, we took the ferry to the nearby Rottnest Island, where you can see the cute Quokkas. Quokkas are small marsupials, related to kangaroos, and are found only in Western Australia. The largest population can be found on Rottnest Island, which was also the main reason for us to go there. We rented bicycles and cycled around the island. The sea and the beaches were beautiful, as well as the quirky vegetation with trees that had grown crooked due to the wind. We went snorkeling twice, but couldn't stay in the cold water for very long. At noon, we went looking for Quokkas, and it didn't take long to find them near cafes and restaurants, where the little snackers hope to grab a few treats if they smile sweetly enough into the numerous tourist cameras. However, it is actually forbidden to feed the animals, as the government wants them to remain wild and live as naturally as possible, which also means that they have to find food for themselves - like they have been doing for the past 7000 years. We went to other spots where we took incredible photos of and with the cute, smiling Quokkas, especially after dusk when they became more active and hopped around everywhere. It was a great experience and already a major item on Jana's to-do list in Australia. Marty came home in the evening, and we spent a fun evening talking and having a few beers. Marty already had a few things planned that he wanted to do with us. The next day, the weather was beautiful, and in the morning we went swimming, as unfortunately there were not enough waves for surfing - Marty would have been a good surf teacher for Philip, as he has been surfing for almost 40 years. The water was refreshingly cold, and it really woke us up. Afterwards, we attached the boat to the all-wheel drive Toyota and drove to a river, where we cruised around for a few hours. Additionally, Philip, who fearlessly ventured into the jellyfish-filled cold water, was towed on a surfboard behind the boat and tried his hand at a so-called skurfing. It turned out to be more complicated than expected, so he ended up "skurfing" on his knees behind the boat. It was a great afternoon, and we laughed a lot. But the next highlight was not long in coming, because in the evening we managed to get last-minute tickets for a concert by the band "Cat Empire", one of Australia's most famous bands. Kathy and Marty had their tickets for a while and asked us if we wanted to join them. The concert took place in the old Fremantle Prison, which was a cool backdrop. The music was amazing, and we danced and jumped along to the beat and had a great evening. The next day, Kathy had to go back to work - she is a nurse at a large hospital in Fremantle. Marty got us up early again, as we were going for another refreshing swim in the ocean. Then we took a walk to the Fremantle Markets, where you can buy all sorts of things and sample various food stands. In the afternoon, Marty and Kai introduced us to the big world of golf at Philip's request. In Australia, there are also public golf courses where you can play without being a member or having a golf handicap, for a fee. We did more or less well, but we had a lot of fun. Not least because of the stupid hat that Marty had lent to Jana, with a sarcastic "Make America Great Again" written on the front. On the way back home, we saw our first kangaroos from a distance, which are as common here as deer are in Germany. The evening passed quickly again, as we chatted with Marty for ages, listened to cool music, and he told us funny stories.

The next day, we picked up our campervan and bought everything we need for self-catering. In the evening, Kathy and Marty cooked for us, and we spent the evening discussing their carefully planned itinerary for the next two weeks. Conveniently, they used to live in Exmouth until 9 months ago, which is our northernmost destination in Western Australia. So, they gave us many tips and suggested routes on how to make the best use of our time. We almost regretted planning so little time for Western Australia. This time, we went to bed a bit earlier than usual, because the next morning we wanted to go to the sunrise celebrations of the largest national day in Australia: ANZAC Day. On this day, every year, all Australian and New Zealand soldiers who died in war, especially those of World War I, are commemorated. Appropriately, the weather was cooler now and it drizzled while the national anthems played. After breakfast and equipped with all camping and snorkeling gear from Marty's garage, we said a heartfelt goodbye to Kathy and Marty, who are truly kind-hearted people and with whom we felt so welcomed and comfortable. With them, we had a fantastic start to Australia, and we already look forward to seeing them again during their visit to Germany. Now, we're heading north with the campervan!