More Perth, train trip and Adelaide

 This wonderful journey continues through Australia from Perth to Adelaide accross the Nullabor plain which is long and desolate and straight. Met some amazing people on baord, from a Veteran Car restorer to an animal recue farm owner with 94 Kangaroos, many Wallabys, Echidnas, Wombats Tasmanian Devils and various other creatures. an amazing journey with delicious food, a very snug cabin, lets say it was 'tight', and incredibly hospitable and helpful staff. What an amazing country too. Massive, barren, bare, teeming with life, BUT, I have yet to see a live Kangaroo! Do they really exist?

Perth Central Station to and from where I commuted occasionally

Perth Museum exhibit.

A real frog in a pond near the museum.

Arena at the national museum precinct.

Gordon Miles and I off to the Perth Dinner. What a magic host.

Perth SACS OBU Dinner. So good to see everyone and meet a few from the '60's and '70's that I did not know.

South African shop in Duncraig, Perth

Indigenous painting at Perth Gallery.

I love this wooden bench with inlaid rocks.

Beautiful water reflections in this oil painting.

Pretty unique Eucalyptus wood coffee table.

Ferry accross the Swan from the South  Bank. Perth skyline.

Reminds me of Newlands Avenue petrol station!

I went with Bobby Koetser to the top of the bhpBilliton building, highest in Perth. This is one of the shots. Thanks Bobby.

Koala at the Freemantle Market.

I could do with one of these Ford Falcon V8's thanks. And it is blue!

Ascot marina where the Reaper family live.

Actually I will take this one. Seen at Trinity College.

Trinity College Water Polo pool. Matt and Josh Reaper played for the 1st Team. Beat Christ College 12-5.

Classrooms at Trinity College.

How is this for an easy and quick way to wash the salt water off the boats as they return to the boat house. They have direct access to the Swan river from the school. How easy is that. I did a training session with the 1st and 2nd Eights with the 3rd, 4th and 5th Eights trailing and after them two Tenth year (grade 10) boats and then all the Grade 9 boats. It was a magic early morning outing with Trinity College crews.

Row Perfect 'ergo' and a bunch of standard ergo's in the boat house.

Another view of the Row Perfect.

Training room in the boat house.

They have a whole bunch of these trailers.

Each crew has its own 'tinney' and there is still no easy way to put them in the boat house!

South of Freemantle near Maddurah (sp)

Ascot Marina.

Great to catch up with Bruce Ross in Perth. Missed his brother Duncan in London. Boo! Hoo!

Slightly blurry Reaper family who hosted me for a number of days and it was magic to be with them. Taught Matt (rt)briefly at SACS before they left. So wonderful to see him and how he has progressed at Trinity College.

At Eastern Perth station where I met Matt Smith for breakfast. He helped me to give medical care in Bali last June after the scooter accident. So good to see him again. He says hello to the Bali Boyz of 2013.

On the India-Pacific train to Adelaide. This is the many hundred mile water pipeline to Kalgoorlie Mining town.

Wheat 'silos' unlike the verticla ones back home.

Lounge on board the train.

The biggest open pit gold mine in the world. We stopped there at 10pm and did a bus tour of the town and mine. weird doing it during the night, but that is when we reached there.

A very large CAT loader from the mine.

Massive CAT V12 diesel engine.

Sitting in the wheel of a Euclid truck.

Motto of the Kilgoorlie mine.

Another view of the Euclid truck.

The train at Kilgoorlie.

Window to my tiny cabin.

1929 Darraq being carried from city to city where the owners drove around. Amazing to see a car like this used for toruing around still. 2 cylinder engine. 40kph top speed. Immaculate.

Loking down the 734m length of the train.

The single unit pulling us for 3 days. amazing power.

We stopped at the great town of Cook. Population of 4! In the middle of the Nullabor Plain. Hundreds of miles from anywhere accross semi-desert. Here in this tiny twon is a flock of about 30 Zebra Finches. How did they traverse the miles of semi-desert to get there and why?

In Adelaide at the Central Market. Glorious aroma of fruit and flowers.

My first Crested Pigeon. There are so many varieties of Doves and Pigeons here. I love watching them and seeing their 'Pigeon Pair' young being fed.

Tropical House in the Botanic Gardens.

This gigantic Cup of Gold reminded me of the one we had on the farm in Durbanville where I grew up. Ours was also huge spreading accross two massive Fig trees. These flowers are the size of a serving bowl.

My first Panda and I was not disappointed. They are magic animals and this one obliged by walking around and feeding so we could watch closely. They have a couple of them.

Quiet, snuffling, sunbathing Wombat. They are far bigger than I imagined.

Wonga Pigeon.

Eclectus Parrot. There are so many varieties here it is amazing. So strange to see Parrots flying free.

Never thought I would see an Echidna!

Mamma Emu. Keep away!

Giant Galapagos Tortoise. I cannot see them enough. I just love them and Turtles.

Firefly Coach overnight to Melbourne. Goodby Perth and Adelaide and now to the Cape Town of Australia. This journey wends its merry way accross inexorably to the final destrination of Christchurch and then home. I cannot wait. Meeting up with Old Boys in Perth was amazing too. I love all the guys I met at SACS in my classroom, History Society and Archives, the rowing crews, rugby, cricket, javelin, surfing, body boarding, Bali, on and behind the stage, music practices and productions, in the gardens, the boarding houses, detentions and those that needed a shoulder to lean on or to cry on. What an amazing life journey it is. The amazing journey continues.