Part 7 : Perth
22 January 2020
Tigerair flight from Sydney to Perth
We booked quite a few of our internal flights in Australia when we were still in the UK once we had finalised our original travel itinerary.
The reasons for this were mainly based on cost but also on availability.
We didn't want to be in a position where we might not have been able to find a last minute booking or had to pay extortionate amounts for flights once the low cost ones had been sold.
Having said that, it should be noted that flights to Perth available on the dates that suited us were not really that low-cost at all, so our poor experience of this airline was rendered even more disagreeable than it would have been had we managed to secure properly discounted tickets.
Although our actual flight from Sydney to Perth was perfectly acceptable once we had boarded and were settled into our seats, both the booking process and our airport experience prior to boarding were difficult and unpleasant.
After booking and paying for that Tigerair flight to Perth in October 2019, we fully expected to receive an email with our receipt and travel documents within a few minutes of payment as is usually the case.
But no such email arrived.
We decided not to worry too much about this as these emails do sometimes take longer to process with some airlines, so we thought we would check our inbox again the following day.
Nothing arrived that day either, nor any other day that week nor the week after that.
It was after we returned from a mini break to Italy over a month later that we realised that we did not have any documentation nor indeed any payment evidence at all for that flight.
We didn't even have a contact number for them so getting in touch would definitely be a challenge.
I eventually found an email address for them online and tried to contact them that way but unsurprisingly I received no response at all so I then tried an online messaging service which did respond to me eventually and assured me that they would be able to help providing I could forward to them the details they required.
As I had not been sent any documentation at all, this was not easy to do so our first few exchanges were unhelpful and futile.
The only way we could resolve the impasse we were in was by my going through my internet history for mid October 2019 and locating the exact date and time of the booking which I then matched with the payment debit and reference number on my bank statement.
Once that had all been provided, they managed to locate the original email with documentation package attached, but as the email address they had for me did not match mine, they suspected that I wasn't who I said I was.
It was clear that the system or the person responsible for generating a confirmation email back to me after payment, had made a mistake with the spelling of my address which is why that email never reached me.
After much toing and froing, I eventually persuaded them to forward it all to me at that point.
Once that was done I could see that the email address was not just a little incorrect, it was completely wrong.
Our documentation with all our private details including payment confirmation and passport numbers had clearly been sent to a completely different person.
In time, after transferring me from one person to another and another, they did reluctantly acknowledge their error but there was no apology and no written explanation as to how such a mistake could even be made, nor were there any assurances that our personal details would be secure.
That was our booking experience with Tigerair when we were still in the UK.
Our experience at the airport with this airline was equally unpleasant.
Checked in bags were weighed meticulously on arrival at the check in desk and unlike our last two flights with Virgin Australia, we were not permitted to have slightly more in one checked in bag than in the other, even though our small checked in bag only weighted 12 kilos and we only wanted to carry 22 kilos maximum in our larger bag.
Hand luggage was also scrupulously weighed and anyone carrying just a few grams more than the 7kg limit would need to pay a nasty excess baggage fee.
As for customer care; I must say that the Ryanair terminal at Stansted airport feels positively luxurious compared to what we were subjected to on that evening.
Prior to boarding we all had to cram into a nasty little corridor section which had no air conditioning and insufficient seating.
It was stuffy, hot and cramped.
The single worst thing they did after we had been subjected to everything else they threw at us, was to send hostile, unpleasant minions equipped with tape measures, into the stuffy melee while we were waiting to board.
These minions had clearly been tasked with the job of measuring hand luggage that had already been weighed and anyone whose bag was just a tiny amount wider or longer than stipulated in the terms and conditions, had to pay excess baggage rates for it to be transferred to hold luggage.
It was totally disgusting.
A young mother with toys and other essentials needed by her toddler for the 5 hour flight to Perth was reduced to tears by the process.
During one of the lockdowns in 2020, I read online that since 20 March 2020 all Tigerair flights were suspended and that the airline appears to have slipped quietly into obscurity.
Whether Tigerair flights will remain suspended indefinitely I do not know..
But I am sure that I am not alone in thinking that it would be in everyone's best interest if they are.
If they do start operating again then be warned, unless their flights are very cheap indeed, I would advise an alternative carrier.
I should like to stress that I am basing this advice on our own very negative experience with regard to this airline, though since then I have heard of other 'horror' stories with them ranging from payment issues to overbooking, to incorrect names on bookings and more.
Best to avoid them I think
We would certainly have appreciated a 'heads up' ourselves with regard to Tigerair prior to our travels.
From Mascot to Ascot
(www.australia.com)
Our flight to Perth lasted 4 hours 38 minutes.
Although our booking and airport experiences with Tigerair had been decidedly awful, the flight itself was fine.
The stewards were attentive and kind, we were offered food and drinks on a regular basis and they had an excellent choice of in-flight entertainment which I did not expect from a low cost internal flight.
This would be our longest internal flight on our travels, in actual fact our flight from Sydney to Perth was even longer than our flight from Sydney to New Zealand.
Perth is in Western Australia which covers the entire western third of the country.
It is made up mostly of arid Outback terrain, so the existence of a multinational, vibrant, 21st century city like Perth is probably the greatest anomaly on that entire continent.
How Perth exists at all in such an isolated location baffled me then and continues to baffle me now.
79% of the population of Western Australia is concentrated in the Perth area, leaving the remainder of the state sparsely populated.
In the far north, the Kimberley region is home to ancient Aboriginal rock art, the Bungle Bungle sandstone domes and Broome, with Cable Beach camels and its pearling industry.
We landed at Perth airport at 11:30 pm local time, though as Sydney was three hours ahead of Perth, for us it felt like 2:30 am so we were pretty exhausted.
We had booked an apartment in central Perth for most of our stay there but on our first and last evenings we stayed in low cost Airbnb accommodation in the Perth suburb of Ascot.
Ascot is located a few kilometres from Perth's domestic airport so it was an easy taxi journey from the airport to our accommodation.
The Ascot area of Perth and the Sydney suburb of Mascot were both named after the Royal Ascot Racecourse in the UK.
The racecourse in Mascot operated from 1904 to 1941; it closed during World War II when it was used as a military camp.
After the war it was demolished as part of expansion works for Sydney Airport.
Ascot, however, is home to Perth’s thriving horse racing industry.
Perth's racecourse hosts the state’s summer and autumn racing carnivals with some of Western Australia’s greatest horse races held at the venue.
The reason I am mentioning this here is that our Ascot accommodation formed part of a racing stables block located on the banks of the Swan River.
It appears that the owners of that complex also run a side-line in Airbnb accommodation.
Though low-cost and not luxuriously furnished, we could not claim that we were short of space.
it was actually a private two bedroom apartment with an impressively large living/dining room area with extra space for more guests if required.
There wasn't a fully equipped kitchen but the generous landlords had filled the larder and fridge with copious amounts of breakfast and snack options: fruit, yogurt, cereals, bread, butter, preserves, biscuits, cake, tea, coffee, milk, juices and more.
The only problem and sadly it was rather an unpleasant one, is that from the moment we walked through the front door, it all reeked of horse manure.
The old furnishings had clearly become infused with the odour of the surrounding fields and stables.
We tried opening a window to let in some fresh air but it soon became clear that this accommodation was part of the stables complex, so there would be no fresh air for us that evening.
Fortunately I had a large bottle of Olbas oil left which I always carry with me when I travel.
I mixed a few drops with hot water and sprinkled it in our bedroom and bathroom.
As it was late and we were very tired, we fell asleep almost immediately and by the time we got up and dressed in the morning, our taxi arrived and was ready to take us to meet our daughter and partner in the Northbridge area of Perth.
We had been quite comfortable in this apartment in spite of the smell and decided to book it again for our final night prior to our early departure to Adelaide.
If you are a horse person and you like a bargain then this is definitely one to consider, especially if you intend to hire a car and use your accommodation as a travel base.
It is certainly easier to find parking in Ascot than it is anywhere in central Perth
Perth view by air (photo courtesy of strawberrytours.com)
First view of Perth (photo courtesy of hotelmanagement.net)
Cable beach camels (photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
Bungle, Bungle sandstone domes (photo courtesy of pininterest.com)
Our accommodation in Ascot, Perth (photo courtesy of ianglading.com)
Accommodation backing onto race horse stabling on the beautiful Swan River (photo courtesy of ianglading.com)
Horse pool at the rear of our accommodation in Ascot (photo courtesy of ianglading.com)
23 January 2020
Northbridge
As check-out time at our Ascot accommodation was at 10:00 am, we ordered our taxi for 9:30 so we could meet our daughter for brunch in Northbridge for 10:30 or soon after.
We decided not to book a hire car from Perth airport on arrival as we would arrive after their airport outlets closed.
Sadly that tends to happen rather a lot in Australia and New Zealand so it's always worth checking if you're on a late flight.
If you look up Northbridge online you will find a large variety of contrasting descriptions of that interesting Perth suburb.
According to experienceperth.com, Northbridge offers you "a kaleidoscope of food, arts and vibrant night life".
It claims that "this cultural hub, just a five minute walk from Perth City, is renowned for its shopping, cafés, restaurants and entertainment venues".
Australiantraveller.com labels it "Perth's misfit district", explaining that it "has matured into a hipster’s paradise that buzzes well into the night".
Westernaustralia.com claims that: "Northbridge is a cultural feast for the senses within minutes of Perth's city centre.
Showcasing local, national and international art, fashion and history", it describes it as "a multicultural melting pot of flavours blended together with a lively mix of bars and nightclubs".
Wikipedia's entry includes a warning about Northbridge claiming it "posesses a high crime rate and is notorious for stabbings, and assaults as well as clashes between rival street gangs".
I am sure everything is relative when compiling crime statistics but from a purely logistical perspective I would have thought that selecting one of the most isolated cities in the world as ones criminal base would probably be somewhat counter productive.
We certainly did not see any evidence of its high crime rate nor did we witness any street gang activity at all during our time there and we were definitely there at one of its busiest and most crowded times of year.
Northbridge hosts Perth's iconic summer Fringe Festival which attracts visitors from all over the country and even abroad.
As this coincides with its Intermational Arts Festival and Australia Day celebrations, I can ascertain that the city was teeming with visitors for the entire time we were there.
In fact, we did occasionally wonder whether we should have visited Perth at a less congested time of year but since then we have looked back on its two festivals and on its spectacular Australia Day festivities as the last mass gathering events we attended prior to all the Covid lockdowns, so I must say that we think about it now with much nostalgia and we cannot help but wonder if Covid has changed the nature of those events forever.
Our taxi dropped us off outside our daughter's apartment just after 10:30 am.
We wouldn't be able to check into our own Airbnb accommodation until after 2:00 pm so we had to store our bags in our daughter's apartment for the rest of that day.
Unfortunately, our daughter had to cancel our brunch and walking tour of Perth city that morning as she was unwell.
She was taken ill soon after returning from a mini break in Bali the previous week but we hadn't appreciated just how ill she had been until we met her that morning.
She had lost almost a stone in weight, was pale and visibly weak and tired.
It was a worrying moment for us and we resisted the urge to drive her to the nearest hospital for an urgent medical assessment.
She had been well cared for by her partner's family and was clearly on the road to recovery.
At least that's what we were told.
She and her partner had thoroughly enjoyed their trip to Bali and they were both perfectly fine until the last day they were there.
It was actually at the airport just prior to boarding their return flight back to Perth that she realised that this was not just a hangover or a bad case of indigestion.
She felt so unwell at that point that she realised that she must have contracted a nasty dose of food poisoning either from the seafood they had eaten on several occasions whilst there or from the ice which was added to her cocktails which she consumed as part of their sunset aperitivo sessions.
Fortunately she was at the tail end of this illness by the time we got there as they had been back for over a week already but she was keen for me to add it to my travel log so as to alert future travellers to the risks of tummy bugs when stopping off anywhere en route to Australia or New Zealand.
As our daughter also suffers from epilepsy, she had the added inconvenience of not being able to keep her anti convulsion medications in her system which led to a couple of unpleasant epilepsy seizures the evening before we arrived and early that morning.
It took her about a month to feel completely well again which isn't ideal for short stay travellers so her advice is to avoid catching those nasty bugs completely if possible even if it means watching what you eat at all times when transiting and only ordering drinks that are poured straight out of a bottle and never with crushed ice.
Entrance to Perth Fringe in Northbridge
Vibrant Northbridge at night
Yagan Square at night
Yagan Square
(https://archello.com/project/yagan-square)
To get from Northbridge to our own accommodation in the CBD area of Perth as well as to the many pubs and eateries in Perth's fashionable harbourside locations, we had to cross through the comparatively new Yagan Square area of the city.
The square as we experienced it in January 2020, was still comparatively new at that point. Its construction began in 2016 and it was opened in December 2018.
Although ultra modern in appearance, Yagan Square has a significant historical link to Aboriginal history.
It is located in "Perth's former wetlands, a place of hunting, gathering and ceremony.
It was named after Perth's iconic Noongar warrior and as such is a project of local and state significance for both the city of Perth and all of Western Australia".
It is found at "the east end of the new MRA Citylink development and it physically reconnects the entertainment/cultural precinct of Northbridge with Perth’s CBD and the Swan River".
From the feel of the place and from what we have read and heard about Yagan Square, it was clearly "conceived as a natural meeting spot and point of convergence for Perth CBD, Northbridge and the new Perth City Link development".
"The square was designed "to work at an intimate scale as well as for large organised festival events", the city square’s hard and soft landscape provides a welcome respite from the day to day workings of the city".
"Focussed around a large ‘meeting place’ performance amphitheatre, organically shaped shade structures, indigenous flora, a dynamic water feature and an iconic digital tower, Yagan Square can accommodate over 70,000 visitors a day, becoming one of the city’s greatest attractions".
"The design concept imagines Yagan Square as an integral and active part of the city, knitted into, and extending the existing circulation systems and street fabric of its surrounds, while forming new relationships and ways of experiencing the city".
"The square has been designed to host major festival events, as well as cater for day to day busking, performances and activities".
To us it felt like the heart of that multi-faceted, ultra modern city.
It is impossible to truly know 21st Century Perth without visiting Yagan Square.
Yagan Square (photo courtesy of robdose.com.au)
Yagan Square, Perth
Yagan, the Noongar Warrior
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagan
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10585852
Yagan Square was named after "an Aboriginal Australian warrior from the Noongar people".
"He played a key part in early resistance to British colonial settlement and rule in the area surrounding what is now the city of Perth".
"Yagan was pursued by the local authorities after he killed Erin Entwhistle, a servant of colonial farmer Archibald Butler".
"It was an act of retaliation after Thomas Smedley, another of Butler's servants, shot at a group of Noongar people and killing one of them".
"The government offered a ransom for Yagan's capture, dead or alive, and a young settler, William Keats, shot and killed him".
"Yagan's execution figures in Australian history as a symbol of the unjust and sometimes brutal treatment of the indigenous peoples of Australia by colonial settlers".
He was and still is considered a hero by the Noongar.
"He was a leader of his people, a man who fought for his beliefs.......and was killed doing what he believed was right," was the statement issued by Western Australia's indigenous affairs department.
"After his shooting, settlers removed Yagan's head to claim the reward. Later, an official sent it to London, where it was exhibited as an "anthropological curiosity" and eventually given to a museum in Liverpool".
This Liverpool museum "held the head in storage for more than a century before burying it with other remains in an unmarked grave in Liverpool in 1964".
The Noongar asked for "repatriation of the head over a period of many years, both for religious reasons and because of Yagan's traditional stature".
"The burial site was identified in 1993; officials exhumed the head four years later and repatriated it to Australia.
After years of debate within the Noongar community on the appropriate final resting place, Yagan's head was buried in a traditional ceremony in the Swan Valley in July 2010, 177 years after his death".
Statue of Yagan, the Noongar Warrior in Yagan Square
'Wirin' - the eternal sacred force of creative power that connects all life
Statue of Yagan at his burial site on Heirisson Island on the Swan river
The head of Yagan the Noongar Warrior (image courtesy of: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10585852)
The Re Store, Northbridge
adapted from: nytimes.com - the Re Store
Although our daughter wasn't well enough to embark upon a long day of sightseeing under the stifling Western Australian sun, she did introduce us to Perth's iconic Re Store in Lake Street, Northbridge.
This place was amazing.
For a moment soon after we walked in, I really did wonder if I had died and gone to heaven.
The Re Store is an iconic Italian delicatessen par excellence.
It was founded in 1936 by Giovanni Re, the son of a Sicilian immigrant and grocer.
At the height of the Depression, Mr Re pawned his wife’s engagement ring in order to purchase the building in Northbridge where the Re Store still stands.
It was then, and remains now an Italian grocery store.
But WHAT a grocery store.
Who would have imagined that such a place could exist in one of the most isolated locations on earth.
I wasn't aware of it then but since reading several articles on this store online, I have learnt that the Re Store is most often cited as the originator of Australia's continental roll (or the conti roll, or simply: the roll)
The story goes that in the 1950s, the working men who frequented the store would buy rolls and stuff them with meats and cheese bought from the deli, just as they would have done back in Italy.
As a result Mr Re took over the sandwich-making duties from his customers which led to the creation of the 'continental roll'.
It appears that this type of Italian roll is unique to Perth and is not available anywhere else in Australia, even though other cities have much larger Italian populations.
According to several online sources, the Re Store is known beyond its isolated Perth location for its rolls as well as other Italian culinary delights not available anywhere else on such a large scale.
It was certainly crowded on all the occasions we went that week.
On that first day, the lunchtime queue for sandwiches was snaking throughout the store in spite of the fact that they also sell a plethora of other Italian delicacies including a wide variety of pasta dishes prepared fresh on a daily basis, salads for the deli case and a huge assortment of meat, fish and vegetable based dishes that you can have heated to eat on-site or take away.
We stocked up with several boxes of pasta and vegetables to share with our daughter, her partner and their flat mates later that day as well as a bag of 'essentials' to fill the fridge and cupboards in our new CBD apartment.
But at that moment we decided to join the long queue for the famous Re Store stuffed roll.
We were not disappointed.
My husband opted for a variation on their most popular mixed meat roll: prosciutto instead of mortadella, coppa and salami on crusty white bread.
I opted for mozzarella, tomato and roquette on a soft ciabatta base and our daughter opted for an aubergine and pepper roll which we ended up sharing as she could only manage a small section of it.
A cafe area takes up a significant portion of the space, with homemade cakes sold by the slice and an espresso machine that is always in use.
We treated ourselves to a coffee and a slice of Sicilian lemon cake which was heavenly.
The word excellent doesn't quite cover it really
Suffice it to say that we returned on several occasions during our time in Perth and though not a very low cost takeaway option, we did most of our food shopping there for the duration of our stay.
If you're in Perth for a short or a long stay then do visit the Re Store in Northbridge.
I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
The Re Store Northbridge (photo courtesy of nytimes.com)
Extraordinary delicatessen counter at the Re Store Northbridge (photo courtesy of nytimes.com)
The famous Re Store roll (photo courtesy of nytimes.com)
Fresh pasta counter to eat in or take away (photo courtesy of nytimes.com)
Sandwich counter at the Re Store Perth (photo courtesy of nytimes.com)
Aisles and aisles of Italian goodies at the Re Store Perth (photo courtesy of nytimes.com)
Café section at the Re Store Perth (photo courtesy of nytimes.com)
Fringe World Festival Perth
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fringe_World
The reason our daughter was living in Northbridge at that time is that her partner is a part time comedian and was performing at the Perth Fringe from 15 January to 14 February.
Fringe World is an annual multi-arts event held in the Northbridge area of Perth, during the city's summer festival season in January/February.
Fringe World is recognised as the third largest Fringe in the world after Edinburgh and Adelaide.
Fringe World Festival is held prior to and with a two-week crossover to the Perth International Arts Festival, so it works in the same way as the Edinburgh Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.
Just as in Edinburgh, the annual program of events at this Fringe, features artists and acts from a wide range of styles including circus, cabaret, comedy, music, dance, theatre, film and visual art.
Fringe World Perth is produced by Artrage who is recognised as one of the largest and most successful arts organisations in Western Australia.
If you are happy with the bonhomie vibe of large public gatherings then this is definitely one to aim for.
We were there for both the Fringe and the Australia Day Firework display over the harbour so we shared our time in this beautiful city with thousands of other visitors from all over Australia and beyond.
We cherished every minute we spent there and as occurred over and over again throughout our travels, our only regret is that we couldn't stay longer
We heard later that FRINGE WORLD Perth was the first Fringe Festival anywhere in the world to return in 2021 post COVID-19, though I believe it was a very different vibe from that in 2020
As 2021 was Fringe World Perth's 10th birthday celebration, I suppose they had to mark it somehow notwithstanding the social distancing guidelines and the wearing of masks.
Hopefully future Fringe World Perth events will be completely back to normal again so if you are planning a trip to Australia at some point soon then this event in Perth is definitely one to support.
Go to https://fringeworld.com.au/ for booking details and more information.
Fringe World 2020 (photo courtesy of abc.net.au)
Perth Fringe 2020 (photo courtesy of popspoken.com)
British Comedian Tom Skelton at Fringe World Perth 2020
Perth Fringe Launch event 2020 (photo courtesy of businessnews.com.au)
From Perth City to Quest Aparthotel
After lunch at the Re Store we collected our hire car in the gleaming, almost totally glass clad CBD area of Perth then we picked up our bags from our daughter's apartment and went to check into our Airbnb accommodation.
We were booked into a two bedroom apartment which was part of Perth City Apartments on Wellington street but on arrival we were told that we had been upgraded to a private apartment on Murray Street which was in the Quest Aparthotel block.
This apartment was in a far more central location and much easier to access on foot than the one on Wellington street but parking would need to be paid for separately in one of the underground car parks nearby.
It was clear that the owner / manager of Perth City Apartments had double booked the apartment we were meant to be in, so he had to resolve it somehow.
This was not the last time this would happen to us on our travels alas!
Australian hot spots are extremely popular during the summer months and Perth was definitely one of the most popular destinations of all.
On balance I think we did quite well on the deal as the Quest apartments in the block our flat was in, were larger and far more expensive than what we paid for ours.
I expect the furnishings would have been a little more plush than ours but we had everything we needed and our apartment was certainly clean and well equipped so we couldn't complain at all.
I'm not quite sure how it all functioned exactly as although we were in the Quest Aparthotel block we were not part of that hotel ourselves.
We think our landlord may have owned or leased apartments in that same block on different floors from those managed by Quest.
The ladies at the reception desk while we were there were kind and cheerful and very helpful with directions when required.
We had been told, however, that they would not be able to assist us should we experience any problems with our accommodation as we were not renting a Quest apartment, but if we needed any assistance with anything we should telephone someone called Eddie the Winner and he would come to our aid immediately.
Fortunately our accommodation was perfect so we did not require any aid at all from anyone, which was a shame in a way as I quite liked the idea of calling a receptionist and asking him or her to put me onto someone who goes by the name of Eddie the Winner 🤣
Kitchen in our Airbnb accommodation in Quest Aparthotel block
Living area our Airbnb accommodation in Quest Aparthotel block
Bathroom in our Airbnb accommodation in Quest Aparthotel block
Bedroom two in our Airbnb accommodation in Quest Aparthotel block
Our Apartment on floor 2 on the left in the Quest Aparthotel building in Perth (photo courtesy of questapartments.com.au)
24 January 2020
Mount Lawley Perth
Although we had a comparatively early night the previous evening after an excellent Re Store pasta supper in Northbridge with our daughter and her friends, we were definitely not happy when our alarm went off at 6:30 am that morning after what felt like no sleep at all.
We had clearly consumed far more Swan Valley wine than anticipated.
This was the day that I was due to visit a school in the Mount Lawley area of Perth which had a historical link with the London school that I had taught in for over 25 years.
I had met the former Head when she visited the UK quite a few years before and like me, she was avidly interested in social history and the joint histories of our two schools.
The schools in question were founded by the Anglican Sisters of the Church, a religious community which was established in 1870 in the Kilburn area of London.
The sisters supported the education of girls in the UK which at the time, was largely overlooked as teaching girls literacy and numeracy was not considered a priority,
They then opened schools for deprived children in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and more
Although the Head I had met all those years before, had retired quite a few years prior to my visit, I assured her that if I did ever make it to Australia, I would visit our sister schools in both Perth and Hobart as so much of our shared history fascinated me as much as it did her.
What I found especially intriguing in my visit of the school archive in Perth, was the travel log kept by the two young sisters who travelled alone by steamer from the UK to Perth in 1901, for the sole purpose of founding a school which would educate and also feed poor children who would otherwise have no access to education at all.
I will not dwell on this at length on this site as this is primarily a travel log and these schools are not tourist destinations, but from a purely travel perspective, when you consider how difficult it was to journey from the UK to Australia in the early 1900s, the entire undertaking was extraordinary and inspirational.
The log book written by these two young women describes in detail the arduous voyage by steamer to the other side of the world which at that time would have taken several months and which would not have included a fraction of the creature comforts that modern travellers expect today.
It then went on to describe their arrival in Perth, the difficulties of two young women renting living quarters at a modest rent and in time setting up a school in the most trying of circumstances.
Their story is both poignant and inspirational.
It is an admirable testament to the tenacious courage of those, and so many other remarkable young nuns, who managed to achieve all of that at a time when women were generally ignored.
If anyone is interested in learning more about this community of sisters and their extraordinary undertakings in the UK and abroad then do let me know and I will aim to put you in touch with an appropriate contact.
Children being taught to wash clothes (circa 1917)
Break time outside the chapel (circa 1919)
Pupils and staff (photo circa 1927)
School prefects (photo circa 1930)
Lunch at Old Shanghai Perth
My visit at the school in Mount Lawley ended at approximately 2:00 pm.
It had been a long, emotionally charged but extremely rewarding day though we were still pretty tired after our very early start.
I also felt the heat from the powerful Western Australian sun more on that day than before, probably as I was wearing a skirt and a blazer rather than shorts and tee shirt as usual, but I expect it was mainly down to the fact that temperatures in Perth never seemed to drop below 35c the entire time we were there.
Our daughter was feeling a little better than the previous day so she suggested that we should meet up in Northbridge for a late lunch / early supper then go for a harbourside walk and sunset drink.
We would have been very happy to go back to the Re Store on Lake Street for one of their excellent continental rolls but she suggested meeting at the Old Shanghai food court at 123 James Street as there would be a more varied selection to choose from.
She was certainly not wrong.
I counted at least seven different cuisine types available at food outlets surrounding a central courtyard with tables and chairs for a good number of diners.
It took us an age to decide what we all wanted.
I opted for Turkish in the end as I liked the look of their mixed Turkish salads and their pita bread and dip selection.
My husband plumped for Cantonese chicken whereas our daughter and her partner shared Japanese ramen, noodles and dumplings.
I thought mine was delicious; the salad was super fresh and the olive oil dressing was excellent; my husband was pleased with his chicken though he had to wait a long time for it to arrive as they had forgotten his order.
Our daughter and her partner were also happy with theirs though I did think they had been a little too generous with the garlic on those dishes.
This is not high end Michelin star cuisine but it is good quality, low cost street food which was perfect for us that day as we had missed lunch and were too hungry to wait for dinner so this covered both.
At an average cost of under £10 each we certainly could not complain.
Old Shanghai food court Northbridge (photo courtesy of tripadvisor.com.au)
Old Shanghai food court (photo courtesy of alamy.com)
Chinese New Year Lion Dance at Old Shanghai Perth (photo courtesy of Quan Truong7)
The beautiful city of Perth
Our walk through Perth to the harbourside area of the Swan river far exceeded our expectations.
We were overwhelmed at how beautiful Perth city is and how well, its sleek modern towers blend in with and compliment the more historical areas of the city.
I realise I have said this before but Australia is extremely good at marrying new tower blocks with older structures already in place.
St Mary's Cathedral Perth
Adapted from: (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_Cathedral,_Perth)
Our first port of call was St Mary's Cathedral which we found extraordinarily striking.
Officially this is the "Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary" and is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth, and seat of its Archbishop, who at the time was Timothy Costelloe.
The cathedral is at the centre of Victoria Square, on the northern end of Victoria Avenue
The cathedral as it now stands was constructed in three main phases, with the first phase completed in 1865.
Plans were drawn up for the replacement of the cathedral in the 1920s with a larger Perpendicular Gothic edifice. However, construction was interrupted by the onset of the Great Depression, leaving a new transept and sanctuary, with the aisle of the original cathedral as its nave.
After being incomplete for 70 years, with portions of the cathedral requiring extensive repair work, funds were eventually raised in the late 1990s and early 2000s for the completion of the expansion.
A new and very visually striking curved design for the expansion was created, and featured a second spire and underground parish centre.
The cathedral closed for construction in 2006, and reopened in December 2009.
Beautiful St Mary's Cathedral Perth (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
Airy and bright altar at St Mary's Cathedral Perth (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
St Mary's Cathedral Perth (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
The original St Mary's Cathedral in Perth, in 1894. This file is from the collection of the State Library of Western Australia. Author: Alfred Wright (1862-1939)
The Old Perth Boys School and the Old Technical School
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Perth_Boys_School)
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Perth_Technical_School)
The next interesting building we came across on our walk was the Old Perth Boy's School.
This ancient limestone structure caught our gaze as it looked as if it had been uprooted from a quaint Cotwolds town in middle England and set down in this incongruous, antipodean, modern locality.
This and the old Technical School next door were different from other old buildings that we had seen which had been incorporated in some ingenious manner into the modern structures around them or above them.
It was as if these two buildings had been left exactly as they always were and the rest of the neighbourhood grew and developed around them.
We learnt later that The Old Perth Boys School is the earliest government school building in Western Australia.
The single-storey limestone building was designed by William Ayshford Sanford in 1852 and is a significant example of a colonial building constructed in Perth in the mid-nineteenth century.
The Perth Boys School was established in 1847, despite not having a permanent school building. The school occupied an assortment of vacant places, including the Old Court House.
Many schools set up in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries, started life with no fixed abode. They were often run by the clergy: priests, lay ministers, nuns (as was the case with the school I had visited in Mount Lawley earlier that day) and taught the children in whichever locations were available at the time.
The site selected for the permanent school building was originally that of a water-powered flour mill.
Construction of the school began in February 1853 and was completed in 1854.The building was incorporated into the Old Perth Technical School in 1900.
Perth Technical School was the venue for the first tertiary educational activity in the state.
In 1905, The University of Adelaide formally affiliated itself to Perth Technical School and allowed its students to sit undergraduate examinations in mathematics, physics, science, chemistry, geology, mineralogy and botany.
In 1929 the Old Technical School changed its name to the Technical College and later became part of the Technical and Further Education programme. Several other substantial neighbouring buildings were built or adapted to accommodate disciplines such as art and refrigeration.
The college site extended southward from St Georges Terrace to Mounts Bay Road. Its facilities were increasingly supplemented by other campuses including the former boys' school in James Street, where the college principal's office was located in the 1980s.
In 1976, the Public Works Department restored the front fence adjoining St Georges Terrace.
In 1977, the Old Perth Boys school building was used as offices for the headquarters for the National Trust of Australia (WA), with the Trust undertaking conservation work to the stone walls in 1978.
In the 1990s, the building operated for use as a retail shop for the National Trust of Australia and included a bookshop and restaurant.
In 1995, the retail outlet was converted for use as a cafe by a private organisation.
Unfortunately it was not open when we were there but its modest, familiar presence in an area of sleek, stylish modernism, totally captivated us
Old Perth Boys School
Old Perth Boys School in 1861
The interior of Old Perth Boys School (photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
The Old Perth Boys School and The Perth Technical School surrounded by modern skyscrapers (photo courtesy of abc.net.au)
Old Perth Boys School as it looks today
Site of Old Perth Technical School now part of the Technical College (photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org PerthTech8680.jpg)
London Court Perth
The next place our daughter took to us to was rather bizarre.
As she has been an avid Harry Potter fan since she was eight years old, we thought this was some sort of Harry Potter themed shopping precinct. An Australian Diagon Alley maybe, but sadly it was less interesting than that. It is actually called London Court.
London Court is an open-roofed shopping arcade located in the centre of the CBD area of Perth.
One minute we were walking past bright, gleaming glass structures towering above us, and the next we were in an Australian mock Tudor version of Stratford upon Avon.
There's not much to say about this really except that it's a sort of high end shopping folly. It was built in 1937 by wealthy gold financier and businessman, Claude de Bernales. I am not really clear on the reasons why it was built so if anyone has the answer to that then do let me know.
It is definitely worth seeing if you are in Perth but do take care, the comparison with Stratford upon Avon does not extend to the restaurant and café prices that you will find in London Court Perth.
London Road Perth
London Road Perth
Mock Tudor Perth in London Road
Entrance to London Road Perth shopping precinct (photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
St George's Cathedral Perth
Our final stop before our sunset drink overlooking the Swan river was at St George's Cathedral.
St George's is the principal Anglican church in the city of Perth, and the mother-church of the Anglican Diocese of Western Australia. It is located on St Georges Terrace in a prime spot right in the centre of the city.
As with St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney, St George's is another fine example of Victorian Academic Gothic architecture. A very familiar sight to anyone British visiting this most isolated of cities.
It was designed by noted Australian architect Edmund Blacket; and it occupies a strategic position at the corner of Saint Georges Terrace and Cathedral Avenue.
The cathedral is a major element within the Central Government Precinct, and makes a notable contribution to the streetscape of central Perth.
We were not there for very long as it was about to close but we were glad to have a few minutes respite from the intense heat outside in the cool, calm interior of this beautiful cathedral.
According to Wikipedia, St George's Cathedral is held in high regard by the members of the Anglican Church and the general community; and the building is closely associated with the establishment and growth of the State through its role as the premier place of worship for the Crown.
St George's Cathedral Perth (photo courtesy of Mrs S Mitchell)
St George's Cathedral Perth (photo courtesy of Mrs S Mitchell)
St George's Cathedral Perth (photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
Inside St George's Cathedral Perth (photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
The beautiful organ at St George's Cathedral Perth (photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
The Bell Tower Perth
Our walk through this wonderful, modern city culminated into awesome wonder when we reached the Swan river harbourside district.
The fading early evening light rendered the experience even more extraordinary than it already was. To say that we HIGHLY recommend an evening drink or walk or both in this glorious area of this wonderful city doesn't quite capture the sentiment of how much I would like you to do this.
Perth's iconic Bell Tower was the first thing that caught our eye as we wandered into the harbourside area.
I knew absolutely nothing at all about this bell tower but after reading up on it online, I discovered that its full name is Perth's Swan Bell Tower taken from the Swan River, which the tower overlooks.
For anyone interested in bell ringing, you should know that it forms a sixteen-bell peal with two extra chromatic notes.
It appears to be the second largest set of change ringing bells in the world, the largest being Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, which has nineteen bells.
Twelve of the set in the Perth Bell Tower are historic bells from the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London.
Six other bells cast in recent times by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, round off the set.
The St Martin-in-the-Fields bells were donated to the State of Western Australia as part of the 1988 Australian bicentenary celebrations; the additional bells were cast with a subsequent donation of metals mined in Western Australia.
The six newer bells include five that were presented to the University of Western Australia, the City of Perth and to the people of Western Australia by the City of London, the City of Westminster and a consortium of British and Australian mining companies, and one bell was commissioned by the Western Australian Government.
It is a beautiful, modern bell tower, the like of which we had never seen before and its spectacular harbourside location renders it one of the most memorable monuments that we saw throughout our entire time in Australia.
Our first approach into the harbourside area of Perth
The Swan Bell Tower Perth (photo courtesy of Mrs S Mitchell)
Bell Tower detail Perth
The Lucky Shag Perth
On arrival at this interesting and perfectly located harbourside pub, our daughter explained that in Australia, shag is another word for the aquatic cormorant. She was keen to dispel any misunderstandings with regard to the choice of name for this pub which is also an excellent eatery and would be a wonderful place to go and have a sunset meal overlooking the harbour.
Experience Perth.com describes The Lucky Shag as "truly unique".
It goes on to say that "this fantastic waterfront venue, located just a 5 minute walk from Perth's bustling CBD, boasts spectacular vistas of the beautiful Swan River and Perth city skyline".
"The decked boardwalk provides a relaxed atmosphere that is perfect for soaking up the sun during the day and in the evening the venue is transformed to provide a vibrant atmosphere perfect for enjoying a relaxed drink with friends".
"Its great "pub style" menu and extensive drinks list, combined with live music Tuesday to Sunday and a DJ on other nights, make for a perfect backdrop for dinner by the river".
We did not have a meal there when we were there ourselves as we had eaten just a few hours before but we can confirm that it is in a wonderful location and it was the perfect place to come to for sunset drinks.
https://www.experienceperth.com/business/food-drink/lucky-shag-waterfront-bar
https://m.facebook.com/theluckyshagwaterfrontbar/?locale2=en_GB
The Lucky Shag rooftop bar (photo courtesy of https://m.facebook.com/theluckyshagwaterfrontbar/?locale2=en_GB)
The boardwalk restaurant at The Lucky Shag Perth (photo courtesy of experienceperth.com)
Beautiful harbourside sculpture - now a symbol of this area of Perth
Stunning Perth Harbour sunset
Sunset in the harbourside area of Perth
Sunset drinks at the Lucky Shag
Beautiful Perth at dusk
Beautiful harbourside Perth in the early evening light
Waterloo at the Blue Room with Bron Batten
https://www.theatretravels.org/post/review-waterloo-at-the-blue-room
As this was the Festival and Fringe season in Perth we fully intended to participate in one or more events whilst there.
We checked availability for a few classical concerts but sadly they were fully booked on the evenings that we were free to go so we asked our daughter to recommend a few fringe events.
She was planning to go to a show called Waterloo at the Blue Room theatre later that evening so she asked if we would like to join her.
As we are avid fans of the Edinburgh Fringe, we were very happy to participate in a few fringe events during our time in Perth.
We found this particular story-telling performance by Bron Batten especially interesting as it focused on her relationship with a British army sergeant in an increasingly right wing post Brexit Britain.
Reviewer Tatum Stafford described this event perfectly on the theatretravels.org website:
"As we entered the Blue Room’s studio space on Saturday night, the audience seemed immediately on edge.
In the space were up to one hundred blue balloons floating across the floor, with one floating pink balloon attached to a remote controlled car.
Little did we know how on edge we would be for the remainder of this electric performance piece.
The protagonist, host and storyteller for the night is performance artist Bron, a self-proclaimed quasi-vegan who votes for the Greens, who met and fell in love with a man dubbed Sergeant Troy – a militaristic, Margaret Thatcher-loving Tory voter.
Throughout the night, Bron tells us the story of how and when they met, ways they would stay in contact long distance – all before she details an intriguing discovery she makes about him after an intensive Google search.
The show makes great use of multimedia, as well as some alarming DIY science experiments for shock effect.
At the start, end and throughout the show, a video of Bron and a companion going paintballing is shown on a projector, serving a great metaphor for the militaristic and traditionalist storyline progressed through the Sergeant character.
As for the balloons, there’s a portion of the performance wherein Bron stabs at balloons with a blindfold on, and there’s even a finale section where she enters a giant balloon herself.
And as for the science experiment mentioned above, there’s an interesting moment with a pack of ping pong balls and a rubbish bin........."
"As a result, there’s an underlying pressure and tension to this entire performance that serves to amplify Bron’s story.
This enhances the performance perfectly, and provides an excellent subtext to the social and political issues that are raised throughout.
Bron is an extremely accomplished performance artist, so there is no surprise that this performance is captivating and incredibly meaningful.
A morality quiz the audience participate in halfway through is a testament to her creativity and eagerness to hear and become involved in other people’s thoughts about cultural issues.
Hearing her story and how some of her beliefs have been challenged throughout the years only makes me want to hear much more about her interactions with others – and proves why Fringe is such a fantastic avenue of expression and exploration for a range of performers and creativity".
Review By: Tatum Stafford
If you are planning to be at any of the major fringe events in the near future then Bron Batten's one woman show is definitely one to look out for.
Bron Batten at the Blue Room Perth (photo courtesy of https://blueroom.org.au/events/waterloo/)
25 January 2020
Caversham Wildlife Park
adapted from: https://www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/plan-your-visit/
Although we had a later night than anticipated the previous evening, after going to see Waterloo at the Blue Room Theatre with our daughter then joining our daughter's partner and their friends for a late night digestif, we had yet another earlier start than we would have liked on that morning as we had to collect a good friend from the airport who was joining us in Australia for three weeks before we set off for New Zealand in mid February.
She had intended to fly straight from the UK to Perth especially as it would have been a shorter flight but as flights to Sydney were so much better value than direct flights to Perth, she opted to book a return flight from the UK to Sydney then an internal flight from Sydney to Perth.
Her flight actually landed half an hour before its estimated arrival time so she was waiting for us just outside the terminal building when we got there which was good as it saved us a considerable sum on airport parking.
We wanted to surprise her with a truly spectacular Australian experience as her first Antipodean excursion so we drove straight from the airport to the Caversham Wildlife Park.
Caversham Wildlife Park is located in Whiteman Park approximately 16 km from Perth.
Caversham is definitely worth visiting as it showcases the largest by collection of native wildlife in Western Australia.
The park also provides refuge and medical care for animals suffering from the effects of fire, drought and road traffic accidents (sadly there are more of the latter than you may think), so we were happy to support it as tourists and to make a donation to their online wildlife rehabilitation fund.
At Caversham you can hand-feed rescued kangaroos, join in the interactive farm show, touch a possum or lizard, meet a wombat, watch the cheeky penguins at feeding time and have photos taken with rescued koalas.
What we loved about Caversham which was also the case with the Darling Harbour animal sanctuary in Sydney, is that all their shows, interactive experiences, photo opportunities and animal feeding and grooming experiences are included in the entry fee. No extra money is needed once you are in the park.
Caversham Wildlife Park is owned and operated by a Western Australian family, without any government assistance whatsoever so the park and all the excellent care they provide for their animals is solely funded by visiting patrons.
If you care about animals and are in Western Australia then this is definitely one to support.
We particularly enjoyed our close encounters with the koalas and feeding and grooming the kangaroos.
We couldn't have selected a better first excursion for our UK friend than this trip to the Caversham Wildlife Park.
Close encounter of the koala kind at Caversham Wildlife Park
Rescue koala at Caversham
Beautiful Great Egret
Great Egret
Colourful Gouldian Finches at Caversham Wildlife Park
Wombat encounter
Pretty Western Australian Barn Owl celebrating the Australia Day weekend
Blue-winged kookaburra
Rescued kangaroo enclosure
The possum enclosure
Echidna enclosure
Here's a watering hole you don't want to fall into
Dingo as seen in the desert the previous week
Beautiful grey parrot
Straight from London to feeding kangaroos in Perth
Kangaroo siesta time
There is no video clip yet
Kangaroos at Caversham
The Improvised Sherlock Holmes
Adapted from: scenestr.com.au
Time passes very quickly when you're engaged in grooming and feeding kangaroos and being photographed with friendly wombats and koalas who are desperate to reach out and hold your hand or give you a hug.
We remembered far later than we should have done that we were booked into a fringe event that evening and had just under an hour to drive back to Perth, park the car and walk to the venue.
As our daughter's partner (now our son-in-law) was one of the performers we really could not miss it.
Fortunately we were only a few minutes late when we eventually got there which was amazing considering our longish drive from Caversham and the stressful process of finding parking in Perth on a Saturday evening during the Australia Day weekend.
Although we had seen the Improvised Sherlock Holmes before at the Edinburgh Fringe, we had never seen it in Australia so we found the Western Australia references particularly hilarious.
Staff writers for scenestr.com.au reviewed the show perfectly:
"The world's most famous detective throws away the script for a thrilling improvised romp through the underworld of Victorian Britain (in this case Victorian Broome WA), in the 'Adventures Of The Improvised Sherlock Holmes'.
Packed with shady villains, red herrings and the brilliant deductions of London's greatest detective, the show is an engrossing and spontaneous mystery that unfolds right before the audience's eyes.
'Adventures Of The Improvised Sherlock Holmes' features a cast of talented improvisers, including Alice Winn and members of the Racing Minds group Daniel Nils Roberts and Tom Skelton, who also performed their own shows at Fringe World 2020.
The show is about the adventures of Holmes and Watson, but "not just the old existing stories because we create a new never-before-seen mystery before your eyes every night,” Tom Skelton says.
“This is improvised comedy so anything could happen.
Each audience member provides their own inspirational title for a new story and we randomly pick one out of Watson's hat at the start of every show, so each audience member could be our new Conan Doyle!”
Complete with rollicking plot twists and hilarious characters, the family-friendly show is different every day as it is based on audience suggestions.
Who knows what dastardly plot in which Sherlock will find himself ensnared, what pitfalls await him and his faithful companion Watson as they wind their way through a web of intrigue, and how, if at all, they will solve the case.
“Expect surprise, intrigue and mysteries solved with incredible Sherlockian genius. . . Most of the time,” Tom says.
Light your pipe, don your cap and whip out the magnifying glass to find out how Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic master of minds will unravel the clues when there isn't even a script to go by".
This really was very funny indeed especially when 'Victorian Broome' (in the Western Australian outback) was suggested by a member of the audience and much of the action took place there.
I do not know when or if the Sherlock comedians will return to Perth again to perform this and their solo shows but if you happen to be in Edinburgh during the summer fringe season then this is definitely one to look out for.
You will find it intelligent, sharp-witted and totally hilarious
Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes - photo courtesy of scenestr.com.au
Sherlock comedians Tom Skelton and Daniel Nils Roberts welcome their audience to the performance
Improvised Sherlock Holmes - Perth 2020
Sherlock comedian Tom Skelton wins weekly award at the 2020 Perth Fringe
Galleria seating at Francoforte Spaghetti Bar Northbridge
Medical Emergency at Francoforte Spaghetti Bar Northbridge
It was only after the Improvised Sherlock performance finished that we fully appreciated how crowded Perth had suddenly become.
It had been busy all week but the crowds all over the city on this particular evening totally dumbfounded us.
It had also been an extremely hot day with temperatures in the mid 30s or higher and unlike Sydney, Perth did not appear to cool down much in the evening.
We were due to have drinks then dinner with our daughter's partner's elderly great aunt, his cousins and a few other friends after the show.
He had tried to book a table in several restaurants earlier that day but even he didn't realise just how many people would descend upon Perth for that holiday weekend; consequently everywhere was fully booked so we had to take our chances on the walk-in restaurants where you can bring your own alcoholic beverages if you so desire.
We tried several who could not accommodate us all so we even considered splitting into two smaller groups then meeting up again later but fortunately the Francoforte spaghetti bar managed to squeeze us all into the galleria section of the restaurant so we were able to stay together.
My friend and I offered to go and buy a few bottles of wine at the local bottle O but we gave up and turned back when we realised that we had no idea where one in this area would be.
Fortunately our daughter and her partner had also set off on a wine quest and as they knew the area quite well they returned a few minutes later with a good selection for all to enjoy.
Most of us ordered spaghetti with kangaroo bolognese which was excellent as was the Mediterranean salad that accompanied it.
In spite of the heat and the comparatively small space we all had to squeeze into, we were having a very enjoyable evening.
But medical emergencies can happen suddenly and without warning even at the most inconvenient times.
At the end of the meal whilst some people were thinking of ordering desserts, our daughter's partner's elderly aunt appeared to black out whilst sitting at the table still clasping her fork in her hand.
I was the first to notice as she was sitting opposite me at the other end of the table.
Her skin was pale and clammy so I doused a few of the napkins in cold water and placed them on her brow and on the back of her neck.
That revived her a little but her son and daughter-in-law had already called an ambulance so we kept cooling her down as much as we could until it arrived.
The ambulance was with us within five to seven minutes of our calling it.
Considering how many people and cars were clogging streets, pavements and parking spaces, that was an extremely impressive achievement.
In fact when they first arrived they had to double park until we could locate the owners of the car parked outside the restaurant.
Once they had managed to convey our elderly friend to the ambulance, they did not drive her to hospital immediately but proceeded to carry out several tests on her in situ and continued to revive her by cooling her down with ice packs and cold glucose drinks.
Within half an hour of their arrival she was back to her old self again much to our relief and it was only at that point that they drove her to hospital where she was kept for a few hours just to make sure she did not have a relapse.
We learnt later that her blood sugar levels were quite low, so that, combined with the intense heat and quite heavy food caused her to faint.
She was told to rest for a few days and but apart from that all was well.
I was extremely impressed with the efficiency of this entire medical intervention.
The ambulance was with us within a few minutes of our calling it, the excellent paramedics dealt with the patient efficiently and effectively in the ambulance outside the restaurant for about 40 minutes before taking her to hospital where she was then treated immediately without any delay at all.
The UK and Australia have a reciprocal agreement with medical care which is excellent but if you are there for a month or more you should definitely register with Medicare.
What I didn't know before is that ambulance cover is not part of the reciprocal agreement so it would definitely be a good idea to purchase it even if you are just travelling in Australia for a few weeks.
Ambulance cover is very reasonably priced but it could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the event of a medical emergency once you are there.
Air ambulances are far more commonplace in Australia than they are in the UK and they are extremely expensive should you require one and do not have ambulance cover.
Definitely a worthwhile investment for anyone planning on staying in Australia for a month or longer.
Maybe check with your travel insurance providers if Australian ambulance cover is included in your travel insurance package or not.
It was only after the ambulance left for the hospital that I remembered our poor, exhausted friend who had arrived from the UK early that day and had been immediately whisked off to a wildlife park, then to a fringe event and finally to dinner where she witnessed paramedics transporting one of our party to an ambulance outside then to hospital.
All this during her first few hours in Australia.
Lovely Mediterranean salad at Francoforte Spaghetti Bar, Northbridge
Kangaroo bolognese