Day 8 of 10 (9 nights) Sydney to Fremantle.          

Day 68 of 102 nights away from the UK.

Written over breakfast at the Duxton Hotel the following morning, 20th March 2023.

For once, yesterday, I didn’t have to be up at the crack of dawn for my onward journey.  My plane, V717 to Perth, was due to take off at 13.20 hrs. 

Yet again, the hotel in Adelaide, chosen by my travel agent, was gorgeous and less than three years old, having opened in September 2020. The magnificent view from the panoramic floor-to- ceiling window was worth the 20 dollar per night upgrade.

You can see why I was reluctant to leave.  However, onwards and upwards as we head by a Virgin Domestic Fight to Perth, W.A.  Always, my travel agent makes sure that I stay in extremely nice hotels.  The Duxton in Perth has to be by way of a grand finale. The hotel receptionist hinted that the building was originally the Tax Office, but I have yet to find this information on Google. (Actually, I have just found a brief note confirming that the Duxton Hotel is a converted tax office).   Rated as 5 star, there is a “slightly 30s or Art Deco” charm to this very fine and tasteful establishment. I even heard the adjective “Raffles” by a couple I was seated next to on the plane, who coincidentally are boarding Queen Mary 2 tomorrow for Cape Town.  Even more coincidentally, they showed up at the bar at the Duxton at the same time I was seeking an early evening meal! 

I am wearing my silly watch this morning.  It reads 1 o’clock in the afternoon, the time in Sydney.  In Perth, it’s a respectable 10 am.  My sensible head is wondering why on earth I invested in this time-piece, which is supposed to adjust automatically with each time zone.  What the sales assistant was not keen to emphasise, unless asked, is that for the watch to self adjust, it needs to face a direct connection with whatever satellites are floating around in space.  Therefore, it remains useless in buildings or public transport. Ye Gods!

My rough plans for today: Perhaps a cruise on the Swan River, a circuit on the Hop-on Hop-off bus, and maybe visit the Perth Mint. Also revisit Rottnest Island?   It’s going to be 34°C today and not a cloud in the sky!

Below are pictures I took as the sun went down somewhere behind the city skyline near the Swan River.

For whatever reason, yet again, my sleep was interrupted by waking up frequently. This has been a constant problem more or less since before setting off on this epic journey.  Occasionally, and I think understandably, I do become fatigued and heavy-eyed at the wrong times of the day.  Nevertheless, Perth will be the grand finale of this magnificent 10 days (9 nights) in Australia. 

I am finishing this blog at the same time as completing the next blog – if that makes sense.

Many thanks for reading, David 20/3/23 in the Lobby of the Duxton Hotel 21.06 hrs.