Honesty (Perth, WA)

Despite the continuous party outside in Murray Street, dear reader, we slept well and struggled to get vertical in the morning, but there were things to be done. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, clear skies with a temperature that made many locals opt for the puffy jacket. Whatever. I conceded and wore jeans. A decision I later viewed as unnecessary. It was crisp, but the sun was delightful and the wind doctor didn't get up until lunch time.

Jayne researched breakfast and off we went. Breakfast is a fraught meal for me. I'm not a big eater. I'm not a fan of eggs. It limits one's options somewhat. All anyone needs, IMHO, is coffee. And maybe some muesli and toast. I don't need a side of bacon slathered in maple syrup covered in poached eggs drizzled with a sauce made from camels that originally 'opened the west' and a side of triple fried wedges. Does anyone?

So. To discover a place that serves toasties AND good coffee. Heaven, I'm in heaven. All within a 5 minute walk of our hotel. In a back lane. How cool.

We arrived at Grillah Toastface and surveyed the menu. It looked the real deal. The hip hop music playing in the open kitchen certainly was. If you love toasties this place is well worth checking out. If you love coffee, prepare for disappointment. It's not often you can get everything you want in the one establishment.

The toasties were next level. Everything you've ever dreamed of in a toastie. Oozy cheese, bits of burnt cheese, crisp, thick slices of sourdough. I'd go back but my cardiologist said no.

One of the regulars.

The coffee not so much. Two small (read normal size, fu America) long blacks please. Now dear reader I'm sure you understand the concept of a long black. It is a double shot of coffee with water. Here, we ordered the second shot because they only make it with one shot. Seriously? Crimes against coffee lovers. Despite 'eating in', drinking also, we were served coffee in disposable cardboard things. No, no, no.

Anyway the locals were lovely and came for a chat and a drink with us.

He wouldn't stop chatting.

Wandering Perth

Post toastie and average coffee we returned to the hotel, sorted the camera (and my lenses) and made our way to the Information Centre. It had been a good morning, sunshine, birds singing, excellent toastie and then reality.

All we really wanted was a map of WA for the road trip north, not a road report that was going to put the rest of the trip in jeopardy. That, however, is exactly what we received, reinforced moments later by a text from a tour operator further north.

Check out the bee.

"How can I help you?" developed into a 30 minute discussion of the places to see in Perth (that didn't occupy much time) into places you can see on your journey to Broome. And beyond? Once again, maybe, maybe not. Climate change ... don't get me started.

Later this month we are supposed to be joining an APT tour from Broome to Darwin. Currently, after flooding again, both roads are closed. Neither with workable detours. And there is more rain predicted. I'm not going to dwell on the what if or what might be, I shall deal with the here and now. Today we are in Perth, bathed in sunshine under cloudless blue skies, let's revel in that.

The flowering gums are so architectural.

Armed with brochures we didn't now we wanted we walked back into the sunshine and turned towards the water and the Bell Tower, one of the few recognisable landmarks from our visit in 2005. The entire foreshore has been developed between there and Kings Park/Botanic Garden/Kokoda Track. Surprised by the last entry? As were we.

The towering landscape of Perth's CBD buildings is dominated by such companies as Rio Tinto, Woodside and Macquarie. Rape, pillage and plunder overshadow the river and the children's water play area, sponsored by BHP Billiton. I sense a theme here.

Old school entertainment for the kids. Or is it?

Elizabeth Quay is a lovely area and was well populated on a Saturday morning. There are sculptures, play areas, restaurants, accommodation, walkways and spaces just to enjoy the surrounds. Before the Fremantle doctor arrives. It's a tad cold in the shade once the wind gets up.

Sculpture near the train station.

We decided to follow the shoreline to Kings Park and the Botanic Garden area. Simple, as they say in the TV ads. Yeah, not so much. Signposting is a curious art. Our destination appeared on one sign to disappear the the next. We followed the signage one way to reach a crossroads and be directed back the way we came, albeit on a different path. Confusing? Damn straight.

I'm sure it has meaning ...

At the point of no return we discovered the entrance to the Botanic Garden, also titled the Kokoda Track. Not trail. Track. In WA, not New Guinea. Confused again. And so we commenced the climb up the stairs of the Kokoda Track. While Jayne did not enjoy the climb, it was hardly difficult. The link with Kokoda was the memorials on the way. It appears that we enjoy a war in WA. The park has memorial areas for many wars, a curious juxtaposition of peace, serenity and beauty with the reality of what is being commemorated. Maybe that was the point.

Look closely. Kokoda Track.

The Botanic Garden also contains areas of lawn. Quite substantial areas of lawn which were quite popular on a sunny winter's day. The people from Perth embrace their sunshine by lying all over their public lawns. Curious behaviour I thought, restricted to the British who have scant of either resource in the country.

Love a bird photo. She/he just demanded it.

The return walk was significantly easier than the climb up the Kokoda Track and we were soon back investigating dinner options, discussing climate change and road closures, and enjoying our complimentary drink at the hotel bar.

The view from Mt Eliza lookout.

Day over

There are many options for dinner or lunch in this area. Provided, of course, it is between Monday and Friday. Our first couple of choices were closed. Our response was to go shopping. We purchased some water, for the trip north, and important things: chips, peanuts, chocolate bullets, items to sustain life on the open, remote roads.

OK, this was from the lookout.

Subsequently we devoured the chips with our complimentary bottle of wine (from the hotel) while I was blogging and Jayne was researching the coming days; weather in mind.

Dinner, we finally decided, should be at the hotel. Miss Mi is the name of the restaurant and we would eat there again. There is a certain hotel style about it, but the food is really good, modern Asian, which we paired with a Grenache from South Australia.

Prawn toast.

Dumplings.

The bill arrived, after it was requested, and we weren't charged for the wine. At a mere $73 per bottle. Nice. How cheap was that meal! Did we tell them? Did we walk? What would you have done dear reader? We told them. At the cash register because it was getting difficult to find a server. The response: "Why be honest?" Really? No thank you. It was clear they would never have known. And so ... but no, that's not how we are. Hence today's title song, a Billy Joel classic from his 1978 album 52nd Street.

I'm watching the cricket as I finish this post and Murray Street seems not to be so 'party city' on a Saturday night. That said it's only 8:30pm.

Tomorrow we head for Kalbarri where the weather is closing in. They contacted me today to see if we could arrive in time for the sunset cruise on Sunday. That is not feasible in terms of distance and drive time. We are scheduled for a Monday cruise when the sunset probably won't be visible. Like much of what is to come, I'll guess we'll see.

Until next time.