Tag 76: Perth/Fremantle - Isolated major city in Western Australia

Perth is the capital of Western Australia and with almost 2 million inhabitants, it is also the largest city in the state by far. At the same time, it is one of the most isolated major cities in the world. The closest city is Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, which is 'only' 2,700 kilometers away. Perth is synonymous with the Perth Metropolitan Area, which is divided into 30 independent municipalities. The actual city, like in other Australian major cities, is compact and located directly on the Swan River. In addition to the many sights, you can also find nature in the middle of the city - on the river banks as well as in the numerous parks. The famous Kings Park alone covers an area of ​​400 hectares, including typical Australian bushland, the Botanic Garden, the War Memorial, and fantastic viewpoints. The city park was founded in 1872 and expanded to its current size in 1890. It is even larger than Central Park in New York.

Fremantle, the port city of Perth, is a charming small town with bars, shops, and attractive buildings, but it only really comes alive in the afternoon. In the morning, we take the train to Perth. A friendly employee helps us buy a group ticket (20 AUD), which can be used as a day ticket for trains, buses, and ferries. After 30 minutes, we arrive in Perth and stroll through the pedestrian zone towards Swan River, passing by original artworks and tourist information. Once we reach the river, we admire the public water park in front of the impressive skyline of Elizabeth Quay. We then continue to Kings Park. The 2 km walk becomes more and more exhausting in the shade at 35 degrees Celsius. Petra is getting slower and slower. She vetoed the climb to the Botanic Garden. We continue walking along the river towards the 'Old Swan Brewery'. Cool beer and WiFi rejuvenate us. Then we take the bus to the train station and return to Fremantle by train. The streets are busy, and the shops and pubs are full. After a short walk around the block, we take the shuttle bus back to the ship. It is air-conditioned and the drinks are included.

I accompany Pius to the customs office at the terminal to apply for a refund of the tax paid on the iPhone purchased in Melbourne. It only takes a few minutes, and it is uncomplicated and successful.