Freemantle and its islands

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Because I love animals and like to get close to them, a bee or wasp decided to give me its sting as a gift. Of course, my foot swelled up quite a bit and I sought advice from Google. Did you know that in the last few years, the same number of people died from bee stings as from snake bites? From 2001-2013, 27 people died from each.

Here's something for the statisticians among you (always on average!): 1-2 people die each year from saltwater crocodile attacks, and 4-10 are injured.

Approximately 3000 snake bites are reported each year, of which only about 200-500 require antivenom. Snakes cause 1-2 deaths per year, the same as sharks and bees. In 2016, a man died from a spider bite, but that was the first fatality since 1979! Horses kill 20 people per year, drowning claims 290 lives, and more than 1000 deaths are caused by traffic accidents.

Enough with the data overload, but I just wanted to point out who the real enemy in Australia is. It's not the venomous creatures on every corner, but the unhealthy lifestyle. 43,000 people die from cardiovascular disease each year. (I'm good at copying statistics, huh!😉)

But let's go back from the afterlife to the beautiful present! We take our time on the way to Perth and visited our first island in Australia. As the name Penguin Island suggests, there are supposed to be 1200 little penguins on the island. Obviously, the brochure doesn't explain how hard they are to find! Between sharp rocks on the beach, I was able to achieve my first success 🐧!

Even without penguins, the island is actually very fascinating with its many giant pelicans and Tannzapfen lizards. But there are two downsides: firstly, all the seagulls that nest on the island and shit all over the place!

The eternal annoying cawing is only surpassed by the abhorrent smell 🤮! It's worse than a train station toilet! This, along with the fact that half a whirlwind blew icy air around our heads, made the trip only partially enjoyable. Fortunately, we didn't book the kayak tour on that day. $180 for a half-day kayak was a bit too much..

But hey, I saw a penguin in the wild in hot Australia. I always thought penguins liked the cold! 😬

The trip to the second island really blew us away! Gianna called the beautiful trip to Rottnest Island the best trip in the world.

This small island is 30 minutes away from Freemantle. The name originally came from Ratnest Island because there are a lot of rats on the island. Or are they not giant rats hopping around there?

No! They're more like short-tailed kangaroos, also known as quokkas. These cute little bunnies can be found all over the island and are very friendly. If you look into it more closely, they are just as a**holes as dolphins! If there is an attack by, for example, a dingo (wild dog), the quokka mother simply abandons her baby and runs away 😅! We think that's uncool, but it didn't diminish our enthusiasm!

Feeding and touching them is strictly forbidden and is punishable by a fine of $150. Apparently, people have even tried to steal quokkas!

The island itself is a true paradise. Beautiful beaches, no cars, and animals everywhere. Dolphins, whales, quokkas, lizards were everywhere!

Fortunately, we were lucky enough to witness a fight between a snake and a lizard! Gianna (the ultimate scaredy-cat) found it extremely interesting, because suddenly, it wasn't so bad with all the creatures when riding a bike.

Since our whole day consisted of cycling, I had to take care of dinner again! Mrs. Berger was unable to do anything and could hardly sit anymore because the saddle was quite hard! Since Gianna enjoys cooking so much, I don't get much practice. Not that I'm fighting to cook, especially since it's very nice to have a delicious meal after a long car ride while enjoying a post-work beer 🍺😬.

So, I wasn't so skilled with the knife. It promptly fell on my big toe and now my left foot looks like a battlefield with a bee sting and a knife cut. Fortunately, it wasn't my Swiss army knife but the blunter Australian version.

Then came a strange day, for once without animals! Yes, it's possible, but it's boring you would think. But Freemantle has more to offer than just a big harbor and the ferry to Quokka Island. Until 1991, Freemantle Prison was in operation. It opened to tourists a month later. Yes, Australians don't skimp when it comes to tourism. We also found information centers in every small town, and every little hiking trail is well-signposted.

But back to the prison! During a 1.5-hour tour, we were able to visit cells, courtyards, showers, and even the execution room. Although our English wasn't sufficient to understand everything, the most important things stuck in our minds.

The room with the gallows is especially peculiar. 44 people were killed in here, and you can still see the notches in the beam that were worn into the wood by the rope over time. When the tour guide explained in detail how much rope was needed to avoid decapitation, it sent a cold shiver down our spines. It's really real and not a movie!

By the way, the women's wing was converted into a hostel, and you can now stay in the former cells! With pictures and files of the inmates in front of each door. Spooky..

Halloween, celebrated on October 31, is also spooky. Madame scaredy-cat had the brilliant idea to go to the cinema to watch the horror movie "Halloween" fittingly. Although she really liked the film, Gianna spent most of the time hiding with me 😜! According to her own statements, she wasn't scared 🙀 but was just very sad that there was no popcorn with sugar. But dear reader, you can decide for yourself what you believe 😎!