Down Under Revisited

by Lynn Hurton

I was based in four cities at different times, though I did venture out. They made excellent bases for exploration. All long distance travel around Australia was carried out by train. Fun! You never know who you might meet.

Perth is the fabulous capital of Western Australia, with the famous port of Fremantle a mere 19 km. down the coast. It is sunny for a mere 9 months of the year and the winter temperatures average a balmy 18 degrees Celsius. Perfect! As for Fremantle...it is one definite alternative place. I love it! Try Prescos or The Hubble, both in East Freo, for a delicious and very cheap breakfast too.

Sydney never sleeps... the noise in the centre is testimony to that. It is vibrant, yet fascinating, with something for all tastes. I was in my element sitting under shady boughs in the Botanical Gardens, eating my lunch and watching the masses teem out of the nearby offices and Government buildings to capture fleeting moments of winter sunshine, before returning to fulfil their roles as cogs in some well-oiled machine. The city has some of the most amazing free lunchtime concerts.

Melbourne remains my favourite city. I stayed in the centre and was never at a loss for things to do. The Yarra River offers superb tours too, right past the MCG, (Melbourne Cricket Ground).

Adelaide is almost the city that time has forgotten. It feels 30 years behind everywhere (well it is 30 minutes behind Sydney and Melbourne), but that is a huge part of its appeal. It is a shame that the taxi drivers have no desire to come to the train station since they consider the 3 kms into the city to be too short a journey to gain a decent fare. Thank goodness for one very crowded shuttle bus...

Motels and a hostel

The Sydney Central YHA is exactly what it says...opposite Sydney Central rail terminal. It has brilliant laundry facilities, a restaurant on the ground floor, a travel bureau and Internet access. Perfect for me... the down side was that one has to share a dorm and the iron frames of the bunks are so easy to bang one's head on, not once, not twice, but three times.

The City Square Motel on Swanston Street, Melbourne is in the very heart of the city. I had a back room, weirdly the same one as two years ago, and did not notice the noise. It had easy access to everything and everywhere and I stayed out late most evenings, as there were so many people around. One had a feeling of total security. I did not care that the room's hairdryer was unusable, as it could not possibly reach any electrical socket. Apart from that small inconvenience, it was by far the cheapest motel in which I have ever stayed and one of the nicest, in an uncanny kind of way.

The Festival Lodge in Adelaide had clearly not decided whether it was a motel or hotel, but it only had one washing machine and no microwave/cooking facilities in the room, and it was the gloomiest room in which I had ever had the pleasure of staying. The bed was rock hard (and I had nightmares every night), I had to show ID that I was me before even starting to book in and one had to pay bonds for everything. It was pretentious and unnecessarily so. It was close to North Terrace and Rundle Mall, but so are many better places in Adelaide.

City Waters Motel, Perth has a good laundry and dryer. It was green, very dark green and oh so gloomy. The heater did not work and the window did not close...fine until a huge storm descended! It was noisy too. Even worse: its beds were on very loose castors which loved to roam across the floor. The only problem occurred on the night that I tried to read in bed and change position. The bed flew one way and the mattress a second and me a poor third. I banged my head twice on the brick wall and once more on the floor (along with certain other parts of my anatomy) for good measure. I developed concussion, although only realised it a week later when I stopped wanting to sleep all the time and having a feeling of complete unreality. Scary! The walls were hard, but were also thin. I could even hear bags being zipped up in the next room, not to mention conversations and other things...As for taking messages...all too often the retort was "ring back later".

By contrast Bailey's Parkside Motel was undergoing renovations in Perth, but it was still welcoming and very professional. I felt totally at home there. The rooms are a decent size, the bed is mega-comfy, and there is a restaurant on site. It is opposite a lovely park and it is close to the free CAT buses. No problem there. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Music

I saw, and heard, so much music: from corny buskers ("How much is that doggy in the window?”) to pan pipers, pianists, guitarists, violinists, accordionists and the downright out of tune. There was even the piano that played itself. Then there was the jazz combo across which I stumbled when I had intended to frequent an Adelaide cinema. All such thoughts flew from my head. I bought a hot chocolate, sat on a comfy sofa and indulged in 3 hours of an excellent 5 piece band. Later, youngsters were playing outside the museum... a worthwhile initiative by Adelaide City Council.

In Sydney my musical delights were beheld in St. Andrew's Anglican Cathedral, the home of many (free) lunchtime concerts. The RAAF band performed on my first lunchtime there. I never knew that Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition could sound so good.

My musical highlight was a performance by the Melbourne Millennium Choir in Hamer Hall: Mare Profundo. The performance consisted of singers, dancers and groups, as well as the 500 voice choir, giving a rendition of songs, shanties, medleys and dances from all parts of the globe and in languages which all had a connection to the sea. The choral music that I had encountered in Melbourne's St. Paul's Cathedral earlier that day was beautiful too...it was a shame that the congregation was so unwelcoming to a visitor. One would have thought that I had six heads!

Beaches

I loved them and had some interesting encounters on them too. The Great Ocean Road is so atmospheric, as is Mordialloc Creek in a gale. I sat on rocks in Glenelg and contemplated the roaring ocean and as for the West Coast...Cervantes, Peron Point and Shoalwater were just three of the highlights! There were interesting rivers too...the Yarra for its sporting venues tours, the Murray for riverboat cruises where wildlife abounds and the Swan which has excellent luncheon (wine) cruises.

Tours

I underwent far less official tours this time, but I made a welcome return to the Yarra Wineries and to Puffing Billy. The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's top tourist experiences, different every time it is encountered. The Benedictine Town of New Norcia fascinated me (especially the former boys' school outdoor showers) as did the wildflowers in season and in abundance. The Pinnacles guided desert tour was both awe inspiring and eerie. I was glad to get back to the coach. One could have been lost out on the sand among those identical, and yet diverse, monoliths for ever. Wave Rock was worth a second visit too as was the delicious 5$ afternoon tea, served and prepared by the Country Women's Association members of the five house village of Babakin in the heart of the W A wheat belt. The dog cemetery visit earlier that day could have been omitted though. Some things are better unseen...

Planes

I encountered four; two to Australia and two back. Singapore Airlines were their usual efficient and professional selves. I love their Krisworld choice. One no longer feels in Economy class. Other airlines could learn a lot...one feels a valued passenger rather than one of the herd/bum on seats. I had aisle seats on three of the 4 flights. I check in early, as soon as it opens, which gives me more choice and which allows me to relax without the encumbrance of heavy luggage before the flight, even with the new security measures in place. I only had to queue and queue at Singapore Airport on my return journey, but better inconvenienced than dead! By contrast, I cleared Heathrow's passport control and customs a mere 15 minutes after stepping off the plane.

Trains

I tried the Indian Pacific across the country again (twice) between Perth and Sydney. I enjoyed the food and the company and the novelty of my own tiny single cabin/cell, but the staff ranged from good to functional. The Overland train from Melbourne to Adelaide was much more fun and had much more character. I had my own compartment, containing pull down bed, pull down toilet and pull down washbasin. I realised that the walls were reasonably thin, so people would be able to hear me doing anything personal. Good job there was no one in either adjacent compartment and that one can play one of the three channels of piped music at whatever volume one desires. Why a bed in the daytime? Well, the trip is a mere 11 hours, give or take, so one might want a siesta or two. In fact we were given morning scones, a superb luncheon and afternoon cheese and biscuits and one could make endless cups of tea or coffee too. I was in seventh heaven. The lounge had plenty of daily papers & comfy seats... and one's fellow passengers. I spent a pleasant time there too, chilling out, holding some incredible conversations and forgetting about life for a while, in between. The Sydney to Melbourne train, by contrast, happened! I gained a double seat courtesy of the fact that a passenger got muddled. I did not complain. By the time the mistake was realised we had been travelling for 6 hours and she refused to move! Can't say I blame her and I did not object.

Of course I must mention Puffing Billy, the lovely old steam train that ventures through the Dandenong Ranges close to Melbourne. I have been on that train three times now and would do it many more times if I could. It is special and spectacular.

Boats

I went on a few of them too...the Swan River luncheon cruise (twice), the Yarra River and three hours of pure pleasure down the mighty Murray in the M.V. Jester with only six other passengers, one coach driver (Prime mini tours, Adelaide) and the husband and wife crew. The lunch was delicious and the commentary incredibly informative. I took the ferry to South Perth a few times too: just seven minutes for the crossing.

Trams

Melbourne has them in abundance and I love them. Hopping on and off is easy with a day pass. The pressure is off and one can explore with gusto. Adelaide has a single tram.. .to Glenelg. It's fascinating, but I wanted more! The Perth Explorer Tram seemed expensive at 24$ but it has unlimited use, so I was able to use it on consecutive days and then over a month later. It does give an excellent tour of King's Park too (wildflowers, wow!). I loved the Fremantle tram tour with its chocolate factory tasting session! Then there was the Melbourne free tourist tram...

Flora and fauna

I saw so many animals, birds, flowers and trees etc. in the wild, (as well as more animals in Perth zoo on my final full day in the country) Kangaroos at dusk on a golf course, seeing whole families waking up and doing all the things kangaroos do, was rather special and has to rate as the top sight. However, there were wombats, dingoes, emus, wallabies, eagles, koalas and so much more. The W A wildflowers in spring are legendary and they didn't disappoint me. Botanical Gardens in each state came in very useful as far as really seeing an abundance of trees and flowers was concerned. The slow growing ferns fascinated me too, especially seeing how much, or little, one planted in Adelaide by Princess May of Teck (later to become Queen Mary, wife of King George V), had grown in 105 years.

Food and wine

I tried wines in every state I entered, with the Western Australian ones being my favourite, especially a Rockingham verdelho. I spat a fair few out too in tastings, but that is all part of the fun. My favourite food remains things with pumpkins, unusual breads, a decent steak, fresh fruit and vegetables, pavlovas and Lamingtons! Vanilla milk shakes in Perth seemed to taste rather good too! Then there are the legendary breakfasts, particularly in Sundays, at Good Reasons, in Mordialloc, a fascinating Melbourne suburb.

Activities

I visited museums, Art Galleries, Old Melbourne Gaol (Ned Kelly was so tiny, as his armour and death mask demonstrate), churches and so many other fascinating buildings. Shame about the overpriced Picasso Exhibition in Melbourne! I saw films, exhibitions and concerts, visited friends, had meals out and in, walked along empty beaches, traversed the land twice (and the Nullarbor Plain), met an abundance of friendly souls, had vignettes of incredible conversations which all add to life's rich tapestry, saw markets and inns and, yes, even went shopping! The weather was brilliant, an ambient 18 degrees, and I shone. I even featured on Channel 7’s pre-advertisement shot one evening before the weather forecast, when I'd been sitting in a T shirt in a South Perth park overlooking the jetty one winter's afternoon. The locals had been muffled up in coats and scarves, but for me, 18 degrees signals hot and I was! Shame no one else knew of me or saw my moment of fame (2 seconds!) Weird how I had to travel 12,500 miles to appear in TV!

Of course, not everything ran smoothly on the trip. The fall from the City Waters motel bed had to be the low point in all senses. Then there was the time I booked a tour with APT and awaited a courtesy pick up from my motel for 35 minutes near the busiest and most polluted intersection in Adelaide. It never arrived and the retort was "Well, you can do the same tour on Friday, can't you!" No I couldn't! I was crossing the Nullarbor by train by then. I did not even get an apology. As for a refund... I'm not holding my breath! Then there was the morning that I was awoken at 7 am in my Melbourne motel room by a very loud radio. Painters and decorators had descended on the room next door. My old fleece coat met its end too, over the Nullarbor, when its zip got caught in the train carriage door & was irreparable. I had to find a rapid replacement once I had arrived in Sydney, but a poxy blue fleece sporting an "Australia Outback logo" and a debatable Uluru picture is not quite the same thing. Still, it was cheap and it did serve its purpose.

As to my head, I bumped it too many times to mention! Then there was the day the wheely chair decided to slide across the tiled floor rather too fast whilst I was trying to sit down in an internet cafe...it was only my pride that was hurt on that occasion! One Saturday morning I fancied a film in Perth's Cinema Paradiso. The receptionist/usher failed to turn up for work. A popular preview was no more!

Still, as Ned Kelly said at the moment of his execution: "Such is life!"

First published in VISA issue 75 (Oct 2007)