Art for Art's Sake (Sydney - Perth)

And so dear reader today finds us in the Qantas Business Lounge at Perth airport. Yes, it’s time for another trip, albeit a brief one. By the time this gets published, we will be back home in Sydney. Today we are heading for a place off the grid. More on that later.

We left Sydney on Friday morning. Unlike our last trip to Perth, Qantas did everything right this time. As you know, I have not been a Qantas fan for some time and despite a smooth journey to Perth, it is still too soon to forgive them. They have much ground to make up.

Unhappily the alarm went off at 5:15am. We had pre-booked an Uber for 6:15am and all went smoothly. We had checked our bag, cleared security and were comfortably seated in the Qantas lounge in Sydney before 7am. Having lost my Platinum status, the Business Lounge is now only an option if we are flying Business Class. And we are today, thanks to my bank of Frequent Flyer points.

Unlike our last dodgy trip to Perth where we were diverted via Melbourne, this flight was direct. It was also on an A330-200 which means space and a flatbed, should my back require a stretch. A much better arrangement than the sub-par Business Class seats on the aging 737 fleet.

The flight was uneventful, although the landing was a little on the agricultural side. Our bag even arrived on the same plane. All was going well. Our first challenge was to find the train to Perth. Signage at Perth airport seems to be for those who already know their way around. We discovered this last year. While there were signs pointing to the trains, they soon disappeared, leaving us standing in a car park wondering where we went wrong.

Ever the problem solver, Jayne decided to ask someone in the terminal. Apparently, the trains are accessed at Redcliffe Station, a brief shuttle ride away or 20 minute walk, if you feel you need the trial of a bag drag. I wanted neither and opted for a taxi. Rome to Rio suggested a taxi fare would be around $35. Not even close and we saw parts of Perth we’d never seen before as the driver went out of his way to ensure a high tariff.

We were at the Adnate Art Hotel on Hay Street by midday. The hotel has a large mural painted on its side, a characteristic shared by other destinations in the group, hence today's title. Art for Art's Sake is by 10CC from way back when I was in year 10. Uncharacteristically, our room was not ready, so we went for a walk prior to finding a suitable watering hole - Willi’s Wine Bar in what was once the Royal Perth Hotel and were soon seated, enjoying a bottle of Fiano.

Finding a pub proved a little more difficult than we had imagined. There is still a pub on every corner in Sydney, not so in Perth. Willi’s was a welcome oasis in a desert of shopping options. 

Once we had checked in and stowed our bags, we decided an early dinner would be a priority. It’s only a two hour time difference but the early start was having an impact on energy levels. There was an Italian restaurant, Simple Italian, in the next block over, that had good reviews so that’s where we dined. Pizza, a pasta and lobster dish and a bottle of Montepulciano in an empty restaurant. Bonus. We wandered back to the hotel and had our complimentary nightcap before crashing (relatively) early.

Our last Friday night stay in Perth was on Murray Street which turned out to be party central. Hay Street was a little quieter except for the multi-story carpark near our hotel. The sound of over-revving cars was clearly heard until I drifted off to sleep.

Saturday morning brought overcast skies and eventually, rain. The latter not until we were safely at the airport. Hay Street was quite deserted. In fact, there were less people than Liberal nominations for the upcoming NSW council elections. Ha, laugh, so funny! And they want to run the state and the country. Anyway, we set off in search of a café for breakfast.

The ‘best coffee’ recommendation proved a dud because there was nowhere to sit. It was very much a take-away service. However, across the mall was Espresso and Prosecco. It had an indoor and outdoor option. It had the usual breakfast menu as well as some delectable Italian sweets. Cannoli for breakfast? It was possible. It was tempting. I remained strong. No cannoli.

Better than Prague and not as far to travel.

The café was next door to the London Arcade which sports a decorative clock above its archway. It chimed on the quarter hour and the jousting knights moved back and forth. Most exciting. Do not mock me, dear reader. Have you seen the Astronomical Clock in Prague? It attracts a far bigger crowd and is less spectacular.

As we were enjoying our coffee, we noticed a shop across the mall that had attracted a crowd, queued up around the corner of the building. This was unusual for this hour in Perth. As the knights jousted and the clock chimed 9am, the doors of YKC opened and the crowd surged into the shop. The queue, by this time, stretched down the alleyway and people just kept coming. Amazing. It is, according to Dr Google, a New Zealand clothing company. Street wear, if you will. The sort left over from the ‘90s, with baggy knee height crotches. Not quite my style.

Queued all the way down the lane they were.

Back to the hotel. Check out time and into an Uber for a much quicker and significantly cheaper trip back to the airport. Driving down the Perth streets revealed statues/sculptures just about everywhere we looked. I didn’t notice them last year even though we walked around the CBD. Must do a proper guided walking tour of Perth on our next visit.

We discovered once we had cleared security, that the Qantas Club was closed and we were diverted to the Business Lounge. Happy days.

Our next flight is to Learmonth, the airport for Exmouth, and the spectacular Ningaloo Reef. This trip is  he final piece of the COVID puzzle. Before the pandemic, I had planned a stay at Sal Salis. When we finally made the journey from Perth to Broome last year, we added a trip through the Kimberley to Darwin and in the re-organisation, Sal Salis got bumped.

Approaching Learmonth

Sal Salis is an eco-resort at Yardie Creek in the Cape Range National Park. Yes, it is glamping with fine dining. The tents are behind the sand dunes and it is a stroll to the water’s edge and the Ningaloo Reef. We will be off the grid for the next 5 days which is why this will be actually posted from Sydney.

The magical colours of the gulf.

Until tomorrow.