07 March 2016:-AUSTRALIA :- Perth >>Cervantes, Pinnacles

AUSTRALIA & NZ :- Perth (The Pinnacles Tour)

2nd Day  : 07.03.2016

In order to be picked up by the ADAMS Tour (www.adamspinnacletours.com.au) at 07:00 o’clock, I woke up early in the morning at 06:15 and went downstairs to the breakfast hall of the Hotel. Breakfast is served on the ground floor looking to the Street. Breakfast is well enough and is responding to my tastes: Plain egg, cheese, croissant, boiled mushroom, some fruit, toast bread and cafe.

While drinking my coffee I saw a man walking on the street in front of the hotel. I have got the impression that he is looking for someone to pick up. He passed the hotel. In the following two minutes I saw him again walking the other way round. I went out and asked whether he is looking for me. Yes. I was right. I jumped into the coach waiting at the corner on the William Str.

The bus started to go and collected guests from some other hotels,too. Finally we arrived at the Convention Centre on the Esplanade. This is the place where all the guests are gathered and distributed to the adequate ADAMS Tour busses depending to the place where to go.

I climbed into another bus which was a little bit different then the modern coaches. This one was a 4x4 MAN modified bus. The weather is nice and warm but not hot and the sky is clear. We are approx.14-15 people on the bus. We departed at 08:10.

First we drove to Caversham Wildlife Park in the Swan Valley. It is a ½ hr drive from the Convention Centre and we stopped there. We saw koalas and kangaroos. There was also a wombat which is a native animal.

Kangaroos in the Caversham Wildlife Park, Perth

Wombat and the ranger, Caversham Wildlife Park, Perth.

We spent approx. 45 minutes there and then departed to the fisherman’s village “Cervantes”.

It was 12:00 when we reached to the town. Cervantes is a small village there are a few lobster companies. These are fishing lobster and processing them professionally. We stopped at the company “Lobster Shack” for an informative talk about the lobster industry. We visited the facility and saw every phase of processing clearly while walking on the grid floor construction above the lobster pools. After grading they ship them in big boxes alive to their customers all around the world. We sat there for lunch and I ordered lobster. I enjoyed the grilled lobster very much.

Lobster Shack:- Lobster Industry, Cervantes

Biggest size lobster, Lobster Shack, Cervantes

Lobsters alive; ready to be shipped, Lobster Shack, Cervantes

Lobster ready to eat, Lobster Shack, Cervantes

Indian Ocean from the coast of Cervantes

After the lunch we moved with our bus to the mystical “Pinnacles Desert” in the north of Perth. The Pinnacles is around 260 kms in the north. Our driver was also giving us information about different facts. The Pinnacles is very famous with the earth formation. The soil is sand and there are 2-3 meter high sand stones eroded within time. The landscape was very fascinating.

After a short visit at the Pinnacles Museum we headed to another place close to this site. On the vast sand dunes of the town Lancelin we enjoyed 4 wheel driving with our own vehicle. Our driver has got stuck at one of the sand dunes because of a mistake in changing gear. Then we rescued the vehicle and moved further on the sand dunes.

Our bus driver has stopped at a sand dune and took out several sand boards and we had experienced sand boarding, too.

Joel is on the sand board

Mia is climbing sand dune

Mia, on the sand board

Our bus driver and guide is trying to inflate the tyres

After all, around 17:40 we departed for Perth. It took around two hours to reach to the City Perth. The ADAMS Tour bus dropped everybody at their hotel and it was approx. 19:00. After having a shower in the Hotel I went out for dinner. 

08 March 2016:- AUSTRALIA & NZ :-Perth>>Fremantle>>Perth

3rd Day : Local Tour :- Perth>>>Fremantle>>Perth

In order to be picked up by the ADAMS Tour (www.adamspinnacletours.com.au) at 07:00 o’clock, I woke up early in the morning at 06:15 and moved to the breakfast hall of the Hotel. Breakfast is served on the entrance floor looking to the Street. Breakfast is well enough and is responding to my tastes: Plain egg, cheese, croissant, boiled mushroom, some fruit, toast bread and cafe.

At 07:00 o ‘clock I stepped into the coach waiting for me. The old bus driver who was a well experienced and funny guy (around 70 years of age) collected some more people from various hotels and took all of us the Convention Centre where all the tour passengers of the day  accumulating.

I remained in the coach and some others who were also taking this “Half Day Morning Perth and Fremantle City Explorer” Tour came to my bus.

At 08.10 we departed to see the highlights of the City Perth. Our bus driver took us first to the Riverside Drive. Perth is located at the Swan River approx.20 km away from the coast. It is an internal city like Lisbon, has a connection to the sea but not at the sea coast.

All along the Riverside Drive we saw a lot of parks, Langley Park –maybe in length of 1,5 kms-, WACA (=Western Australian Cricket Ground) , Gloucester Park Race Course and then East Perth. Our driver took the Hay Street from the east end and drove up to the pedestrian zone in the middle somewhere. Hay Street is the longest street of Perth.

From Kings Park to the South (All water is Swan River)

From Kings Park

Second bulb (=enlargement) of the Swan River on the downstream side.

Perth City is located right at the Swan River. The river makes a wide enlargement and both banks of it is populated. There is also a narrow part on the river and then it enlarges again in the west direction to the Indian Ocean. Nights are similar to our Istanbul Bosporus. Lights from both banks of the Swan River makes the city beautiful.

Perth City by Night

At 08:50 we were at the Kings Park which is the most famous and biggest green park located around at 60-70 meter from the river’s water level, at the west end of the City Perth. It is a kind of botanic garden, with long walking lanes through the green trees and gardens maintained in a very good condition against this much warm weather conditions. There are also lots of birds belonging to this fauna.

Birds in the King's Park

Flowers in the King's Park

Trees of this region are under protection

Another beautiful flower in the King's Park

Dedicated to those soldiers died in the World War 1 (Gallipoli etc.)

Perth City in the backround from King's Park

Other side of  the Swan River

After finalizing our free time in the park we all came to the coach at 10:00 o’clock and our tour continued in the direction to Fremantle.

We took the Stirling HW and first saw the Swanbourne and Cottesloe Beaches. On the West Coast there are a lot of public places free for the people who want to step into the Ocean: Long and wide beaches at the Indian Ocean just in the north part of Fremantle.

Finally, our funny bus driver drove us to Fremantle Centre. Fremantle is a port city and was established most probably close to the end of 19. Century (?) There are a few buildings of the colonial type from the beginning of the 20.Century. Two storey buildings out of brick with a balcony is the typical view. Some shops on the streets are still resembling old fashioned shops serving to the sailors.

Fremantle-From the café where I wrote my postcards.

Fremantle-Old Brewery

Frematle-Town Center

Fremantle-From the Round House over High Street

Fremantle-One of the sculptures in the towncenter

Most of the passengers of the tour bus decided to stay here as I did, too. The weather is hot (around 30-31 deg C) and the city is friendly giving some flavor from the old maritime life. There are almost 10 cranes at the port and this port is in great portion handles containers. This port had been designed by a Japanese Architect.

As I saw the main post office in a refurbished but old looking building at the entrance of the Market Street, I decided not to share any picture on Facebook and neither to send picture on Whatsapp and bought some postcards and stamps in a small local shop.

I sat quietly in the shade of the Back Café on the South TCE, having café latte and lemon pie I wrote my postcards to my family and friends wide away from Fremantle-Perth. Most probably they will be surprised as soon as they receive them in a couple of weeks.

It was around 11:30 when I paid the bill. I walked to the old fashioned post office and let the postcards go. Then I walked to the “Round House” which is a round building out of stones at the sea side just behind the Bathers Bay in the type of a small fortress. Having inside circumferentially 8 separated cells was used as a prison. The people have refurbished and cleaned the building and is now an attraction for the visitors.

Frematle-Round House from High Street

Fremantle-Inside of the Round House (previouly had served as prison)

Exactly at 13:00 o’clock every day, they also use the canon in front of the building to make a fake

Shot which makes only sound. There is also a time ball showing the time to the ships (of the old times).

After the visit of the Round House –old prison- I walked to the corner of the High Str with the Market Str. There is a brewery there and I would suggest to have cold beer there. It really has a recharging effect.

I bought some souvenirs and walked to the Fremantle Rail Station. The train took me in 30-35 minutes to the Perth Station. It costs 4,50 AUD. There were a lot of high school boys and girls getting into the train on various stations. The summer holiday is finished in Australia and the schools are open after 7 weeks of break.

In Perth, I walked in the city heading the Kings Park which I saw in the morning as well. I am sure that the sun shine will be on the opposite direction and it will give very nice color to the city.

From the St. Georges Str. I took the bus 37. It is very practical and nice that some buses on three routes in the city are serving for free to public. And 37 is one of these lines running to Kings Park.

I was approx. 16:40 when I was at the top in the Kings Park. I took some pictures. There is also a memorial obelisk to the honor of the victims of the Western Australia during the 1^st WW between 1914 and 1918. Most of them were fighting in Gallipoli against our Turkish soldiers headed and commanded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Memorial dedicated to Anzac soldiers died during WW1

Around 18:30 I walked down to the city. I walked through the streets all the way down to my Hotel. There were altogether 23,670 steps done today as my IPhone tells me (?).

Just before entering the Hotel I made a stop at the Vietnamese Restaurant at the corner to my hotel. Chicken soup with sour veg and stirred lamb with veg and garlic was nice after this long day in Perth and Fremantle. A glass of red wine left also a nice taste in my mouth.

Tomorrow morning at 08:30 I will have the flight to Darwin.

05-06 March 2016:- AUSTRALIA & NZ : İstanbul >via DUBAI>PERTH

1st Day  : 05.03.20156 – 06.03.2016

It will be a long day on the Emirates Airlines. My first flight is at 15:30 from Istanbul to Dubai.

It is EK 124. The weather is clear and cool in Istanbul.Taxi took me to the Ataturk Airport.
I was lucky; there was no heavy traffic on the way to the the airport and we reached around 13:40.

It was an easy and comfortable economic flight. They served nice food and tasty white wine. It took 4 hours to the Dubai Airport after our punctual take-off from Istanbul. The distance is around 3,000 kms. There is 2 hours time difference between Dubai and Istanbul.

                       [Emirates Flight]

I need to wait at the transfer lounges for the flight to Perth which is scheduled for 03:00 o’clock early in the morning of March, 6th. I took short dinner package which was offered by the Emirates Airlines and then a small Carlsberg beer to enjoy (?) waiting at the airport.

Dubai Airport is big and crowded as well. Big duty free shops are selling any kind of luxury stuff. As I saw the sculpture of a contemporary young Turkish artist of Izmir in the Centre of the Terminal A , I was excited and proud. “The businessman “was made of lace and embroidery.

I spent a few time at the Asian Bar just facing the gate A8 of my flight to Perth. Having two small pints of beer and having connected to the internet I spent almost 1,5 hour there.

Two beers are 13.-USD almost.

Around two o’clock they took us to the gate. I was astonished when I saw passengers queuing in three lanes in order to be checked for spirits and cigarettes. Australia is restricting the amount of alcohol and cigarettes to be taken by passengers. Punctually, we have been taken to the plane. It is an A380-800 aircraft. Huge and with double floors.

I have my economic seat at the row 45 but I was just 5 meters behind the cockpit door. Most probably the upper floor was allocated to the business class.

A380-800 Airplane of Emirates from Dubai to Perth.

After a long flight approx. 10 hours we arrived at Perth Airport around 17:30 with local time

(Istanbul 09:30 am, Dubai 11:30 am). Total flight time from Istanbul to Perth is something around 14 hours but with stops it took 19 hours.

At the border control they asked me to wait even other passengers mostly went through the border easily. After some time, maybe in ten minutes one border police came to me and asked some questions politely. He wanted to be sure that I will not stay in Australia permanently. I think, since I am alone and coming from Turkey they wanted to check my situation. Showing my travel plan and bookings of hotels at various cities of Australia the guy let me through. I collected my luggage in a short time and then I was outside waiting for the shuttle to the Perth City. It was approx.. 18:45 and the shuttle took me to the downtown for 4,50 AUD. The taxi ought to get something around 40-45 AUD.

When I was at the Great Southern Hotel it was dark outside. Having things laid down in the room I left for dinner. The Hotel is very close to the William Str. which is the heart for having food and bars/cafés.

I had got limited AU Dollars in my pocket. I had changed at the airport only 100.-USD.

The reception of the Hotel took 50.-AUD as a deposit mentioning that they will give it back by check-out. 

On the William Street there are many restaurants and bars. Most of them are serving dishes of the Far East kitchen. There are many people from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and India as well.

I sat in a Chinese Restaurant and ordered chicken soup and boneless duck on noodles.

It was around 22:00 when I came back to the hotel to sleep.

Tomorrow I have got organized tour to the small lobster fishing village 'Cervantes' and some other visits are also covered.

Good night, 

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND Introduction

This time I am flying to discover (?)Australia and New Zealand: the continent on islands.
I have planned to fly to the West Coast of Australia and to enter the continent at Perth.
Having the flight on March,5th, 2016 at 15:30 from Istanbul will arrive at Perth next day 
on March, 6th, 2016 around 17:35 with the local time. I will overnight at the Dubai Airport because my complete travel has been booked on Emirates Airlines.
It costs me 2,500.-USD for 12 destinations at all.
My route will be as :
ISTANBUL-via Dubai-Perth-Darwin-Cairns-Brisbane-Sydney-Auckland-Sydney-Ayers Rock- Sydney-via Dubai-ISTANBUL. I will be back at home on March, 27th,2016.
Within the routes, at the points mentioned, there will be some organised tours for trekking, hiking, diving, and mainly for photography. I will share my experience and info but not the smell of the air and taste of the food and drinks (Sorry !). 
I intend to write my notes for each day starting with March, 5th,2016 as I did it also in my previous publications.