We found really affordable tickets to Australia from Thailand, however, they came with a price. We had a layover in the Singapore Airport for 15 hours. Let me tell you, if you ever have a long layover - this airport is where you want to do it. There is a reason it has been voted the number one airport for the last few years in a row. We found a movie theatre and watched a movie and a half; we sat in funky chairs and watched HD TV showing National Geographic travel shows; we sent an e-postcard to our daughter; sat in a sunflower garden outside; had foot massages and found lounge chairs in quiet rest areas when it was time to sleep. Everything was free and really helped pass the time in an enjoyable way.
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| We sat in those neat chairs under the arches to watch HD TV |
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| Gardens and fish pond from second floor |
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| Movie theatre seats |
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| Foot massage time!!! |
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| Gaming room that we didn't go in but others looked like they were having fun! |
We landed in Perth and were excited to meet Marilyn from the Couchsurfing network who graciously let us stay with her for a three nights. For those of you who haven't heard of "couch surfing" before, its a network of people who open their homes at their discretion and provide accommodation and old fashioned hospitality. We've had our home open to couch surfers for a while, but have had no takers yet.
The Australians we've met in the short time that we've been here have shown us their quick humour and have been so helpful. Any time we looked a little confused about directions, (unfortunately that happens a lot), people have easily struck up conversations with us. We've heard "How ya going?", "G'day mate" and " No worries" a tonne of times, but will never tire of hearing it.
We had a great time in Perth! We visited some of the downtown sights on our own and then Marilyn and her boyfriend Bevan took us around to visit Fremantle and the market as well as to a beautiful white sand beach, and ending the day with a visit to Kings Park after sunset. The view from the top near the War Memorial overlooking the swan river and downtown Perth was fantastic.
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| Downtown Perth |
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| Visiting market in Fremantle with Marilyn and Bevan |
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| Pizza and beer at Little Creatures Brewery |
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| I asked if we could lock him in, but the guy in charge said no. |
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| Downtown Fremantle |
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| Monument to Bon Scott the original singer for AC DC. |
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| Beautiful sandy beach and turqoise waters |
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| View from King's Park at night |
Unfortunately there have been no real kangaroo sightings yet, but were looking forward to it. We've moved on to the east coast and have rented an "Awesome" camper van in Sydney. So..... as long as the kangaroos aren't on the hood of our camper, we'll be happy. We're heading up the east coast and are hoping for lots of wildlife sightings, good hiking, great views and beaches. The weather is a bit cooler on this coast as it has a nice breeze most of the day. Catch ya latah... G'day Mate!
