Perth, more than just koalas & kangaroos

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 01/14/2007 4:08 PM  |  Life

Sudibyo Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Perth, Western Australia

My first and recent visit to Perth, Western Australia, was not only exciting but full of wonderful surprises as well.

When it comes to Australian wonders, I was full of thoughts about seeing kangaroos and sleepy but cute koalas in their natural habitat even when I was aboard the Qantas Airways flight that took me to Perth.

However, on my short trip to Perth in which I had a glimpse of the city, I found that there is so much more to see than kangaroos and koalas, which compelled myself and two friends from private television station Trans TV to extend our stay to several days at the approval of our offices.

""They're jacaranda trees,"" said Cynthia Dammerer, PR manager of Accor Asia Pacific, who escorted us to the Houghton Winery, built in 1836 and one of the top tourist attractions in leafy Swan Valley, about 30 minutes by car to the east of Perth.

""The park around the Houghton Winery hosts the Jacaranda Jazz Festival in October and November,"" she added.

It was summer and a sunny day and so the jacaranda trees looked amazing. Each of the trees was up to 20 meters in height with spreading branches making a light crown. They have vivid lilac-blue or deep purple clusters of trumpet-shaped blossoms. Birds flew about freely and some perched on the tree's branches and chirped cheerfully. Numerous leaves and blossoms had fallen to the ground, carpeting it in a mass of color.

The sight of the jacaranda itself was indeed my first beautiful surprise. It gave me my first introduction to the wealth of Australia's flora and fauna.

A brief exploration of Perth's flora and fauna commenced with a visit to Caverham Wildlife Park, whose inhabitants are said to represent most of Australia's favorite cuddly animals and exotic birds.

Cynthia drove the car to Caverham Wildlife Park at a medium and sometime slow speed to allow us to view our surroundings, with several stops being made to take photos or film TV camera shoots. Along the hilly, smooth road to Caverham, the traffic was quiet and nice as only a few cars were to be seen. We were treated to views of lush green vineyards, vines bursting with grapes and bushland.

I kept looking at the bushland through the car window, hoping to glimpse a kangaroo. ""If you're lucky, you will see a kangaroo,"" Cynthia said.

After around 25 minutes on the road, we reached Caverham Wild Park. And like all the other foreign tourists, I was amazed by a giant tree in front of the park. I spent several minutes watching the tree, which was full of exotic birds perched on its branches, before entering the park, where my dream of seeing kangaroos and koalas came true.

There, on a spacious grassy area, several kangaroos were relaxing in the shade of well protected tall and big trees. Visitors, especially kids, were having fun with the kangaroos, which sat there patiently as if they knew the kids liked them.

The delight of seeing Australia's wildlife continued when the park assistant escorted us to see koalas in a cage. Like everyone else, I was so excited to see the cute and cuddly animal that I spontaneously shook the sleeping one that I was given to hold.

""No, don't shake the body like that,"" said David Thorne of the Caherham Wildlife Park, reminding me. ""It should be like this,"" he said while caressing the sleeping koala softly and tenderly. ""It should be like the way you caress your girlfriend,"" he said, jokingly.

This is my second wonderful surprise, I murmured to myself.

He said that koalas have a habit of sleeping to save energy. ""The koala spends at least 70 percent of the day sleeping,"" he added.

What he said reflected how animals and the wildlife in general are well protected.

Other native Australian animals include quokkas, emus, camels, dingoes, peacocks, reptiles, wombats and parrots.

Besides Caverham Wildlife Park, we also visited Kings Park and Botanical Garden -- Perth's most visited tourist attraction.

A spectacular panoramic view greeted us soon as we got out of the car. From the seashore and extensive grassed areas, you can see a scenic view of the city of Perth, with the calm and smooth flowing Swan River with modern high-rise buildings surrounded by green trees underneath as a backdrop.

Since it was summer and the sky was clear and blue, a lot of visitors of all ages were relaxing on the grass, sunbathing while enjoying the breathtaking view of Perth. Many also cycled or strolled around the park.

Locals say that the 400-hectare park was formerly used as a gathering place for Aboriginal people and was established as a public space in 1890. ""Special events like the Wildflower Bloom Festival are held in the park,"" said one Aussie girl I met.

A visit to Perth is said to be incomplete without a visit to Fremantle, about 19 kilometers away or around 20 minutes by train or boat along the Swan River. Therefore, we extended our stay to several days to go to Fremantle.

Finding accommodation in Fremantle was another surprise in itself because it proved to be extra difficult to get a room, even a budget one because it was peak tourist season. Thanks to Cynthia's great efforts, we at last found backpacker accommodation there.

Unlike Perth which is vibrant and dynamic, the city of Fremantle, an old port city, has a slow pace. Many old and historical buildings adorn the city that houses several museums, such as the Western Australian Maritime Museum and Fremantle Prison.

But like Perth, the city is clean and environmentally friendly, with tall and big trees, such as jacaranda trees, found in its parks.

Most shops close early at around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. but the city comes alive in the evening and night with cafes, bars and restaurants.

The city, which is frequently called Freo, was alive as the week-long Fremantle Festival was on when we were in the city. The 101th festival -- the oldest community festival in Australia -- was held in King's Square in front the Town Hall.

We did not want to miss the opening of the festival on Nov. 17, 2006 as we were keen to feel the heartbeat of Fremantle and, of course, we also wanted to show our appreciation for the invitation extended by Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferi, whom we unexpectedly met earlier.

King's Square is about 500 meters from the YHA Backpackers Inn Freo where we were staying and so it was nice to walk there and unwind while looking at architecture dating back to the 19th century.

On the way to King's Square, I remembered well how we unexpectedly met with Mayor Peter Tagliaferi. While eating lunch at Cicerellos Cafe at Fremantle harbor, cafe manager Henry Liascos, who accompanied us during lunch, asked if we would like to meet the city's mayor in connection with our visit to Fremantle.

""The mayor?"" we asked in surprise.

""Yes, the mayor,"" Liascos said.

""Sure,"" we said.

I wondered how we, as foreigners, could have such easy access to a high-ranking official like the mayor, especially without a prior appointment. But I stopped wondering when suddenly the mayor appeared and greeted us warmly, ""Welcome to Fremantle guys.""

After we introduced ourselves, the mayor enthusiastically told us about Fremantle as one of Western Australia's popular tourist destinations. ""Besides seeing old buildings with heritage significance, travelers also have fun going to the beach, swimming and surfing. Fremantle is also rich in beaches,"" he said.

According to the mayor, the number of people visiting Fremantle is higher than the actual population, which stands at approximately 25,000.

""You will see a great number of visitors watching the opening of the 101st Fremantle Festival. They come not only from different parts of Australia but also from other countries. Please come and see the festival,"" he said.

There must have been a specific reason that the festival could be kept going until today. When asked about this, the mayor said, ""The festival is a celebration of the distinctive and dynamic culture that enriches Fremantle. It fosters participation of all cultural, ethnic, arts and local groups -- the heart and soul of our community. It is a community party.""

After a 15-minute walk, we got a sense of the festival's atmosphere with young men and women dressed in unique costumes walking in a parade, with several of them beating drums and playing other musical instruments, to the delight of the cheering crowd on the street. The parade started from the Town Hall and moved along the street, encircling King's Square.

After being treated to the delightful and unique sights of the parade, enthusiastic visitors began to gather around a stage set up under a big, shady tree in front of the Town Hall. Colorful and glittering animal-shaped decorations hung on tree branches. Children had also climbed the trees close to the stage and perched in the branches to get a better view of the fun-filled performances. The festival was officially opened by Mayor Peter Tagliaferi.

Various forms of entertainment were presented to please the thousands of visitors. They included choirs, Aboriginal dance and music, acrobatics, new choreographic works and comedy. The program reached its peak when a local band played James Brown-type music: R&B. Many people in the audience got carried away with the music and they mingled and danced until midnight.

Even though we went to bed after midnight after enjoying the festival, we woke up early to head for Rottnest Island, which, according to backpackers we met at the hostel, was worth visiting because of its natural beauty.

Rottnest Island is located 18 kilometers off the coast of Western Australia. It takes about 30 minutes by ferry from Fremantle and about an hour down Swan River from Perth.

The roaring sound of the engine of the ferry that took us to Rottnest Island and the sight of the ferry's crew unloading bicycles and surfing boards slowly disappeared as we walked to the visitor's center, not far from the clean main jetty.

Couples, families and people of all ages in what seemed to be the local uniform -- T-shirts, bathing suits and flip-flops -- strolled around before getting on with their beach activities in the stress-free and unpolluted spot. Children built sand castles and adults had fun surfing. Others just relaxed under a tree or sat on the sand and gazed out at the Indian Ocean.

Riding a bike while enjoying nature is nothing special as I frequently go cycling, but on Rottnest Island it was different and so much more enjoyable. Here, we could ride a bike in comfort without the worry of being knocked over by a motorcycle or a car as motorized vehicles are strictly prohibited on the island.

The cycling track had forest and valleys on either side of it. As we cycled along and reached higher areas, we were embraced by a feeling of total tranquility and peacefulness. As far as our eyes could see, we were treated to the breathtaking sight of valleys, bays and the Indian Ocean, with the only sound being that of ravens.

We were so absorbed in cycling on the island that we missed our ferry back to Fremantle. Luckily, there was another one leaving at 4 p.m.

As our ferry approached Fremantle harbor, dozens of silver seagulls hovered and perched on the ferry for the trip into Fremantle. I stood for moment watching the seagulls as they reminded me of the unique experience we had at lunch at Cicerellos Cafe the day before.

As most restaurants are close to the sea, it is common to see silver seagulls hovering around anchored ships and open restaurants.

A small incident took place at another table, a few meters from the table at which we sat -- a group of seagulls flew to a table with food on it and freely picked at the food. The diners, who had left the table for a while, returned and looked decidedly uncomfortable to see what had happened.

But, in hindsight, it was no surprise since the gulls are protected in Western Australia and have no doubt become brazen.

Many other surprises still linger in my mind but one thing is sure when it comes to Australian wonders ... I am no longer full of thoughts of kangaroos and koalas as that dream has been fulfilled.

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