I had a good feeling the moment I set foot in the large, airy, new railway station at Perth airport, it was a great first impression of the capital of West Australia. And the good impressions continued, from the friendly, chatty locals on the train to the helpful people along the way when I couldn't find my hotel. I had arrived mid evening on a Saturday night, the streets were thronging with good natured people out for the night and, as it turned out, my hotel was hidden down a side street. There was a good vibe about the place and I was looking forward to exploring the city over the next couple of days.
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| Perth from King's Park |
First off, the next morning I did as I usually do in a new city, I took the Hop On, Hop Off bus to orientate myself and see a few of the sights. Our first stop was at King's Park, reputed to be one of the largest city parks in the world at 400 hectares. It is perched high above downtown Perth with magnificent views of the city and the Swan River. You could easily spend a day in the park with its beautiful gardens, bush areas, cafes, restaurants and shops, or you can take a walking tour with one of the volunteer guides. I spent about an hour strolling around, enjoying the gardens and views before getting back on the bus.
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| The Perth Bell Tower |
Below: The Anzac Bell
Then it was off to the Bell Tower, located close to the river in downtown Perth. It is a stunning modern tower housing mainly ancient bells. Unfortunately I had just missed a guided tour and the chance to ring the bells which would have been fun, nevertheless I climbed the tower and viewed the set of 14th century bells which came from St Martins -in-the-fields, London. St Martins had had a new set of bells installed so these were restored and gifted to Perth to commemorate Australia's bicentennary. On the 5th level of the tower I saw the massive 6,500kg Anzac Bell, cast in Perth as a tribute to the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It rings every midday for one minute. On the 6th level there is a viewing platform offering panoramic views of the city and Swan River and a coin operated 26 bell carillion. At night, when lit up, the tower looks like an enormous jewel in the city scape.
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| Perth Mint |
From there the bus took a winding route through the city centre, out to the casino and stadium and back to the Perth Mint where I got off to take a tour. This was a fantastic tour, it covered the discovery of gold in Australia, countless examples of gold nuggets, some very large, and the amazing one tonne gold coin which is 99.99% pure gold and is valued at 90 million Australian dollars. Needless to say it would be impossible to move. In one room you can view, and drool over, the glorious Argyle Pink Diamonds, some of the rarest diamonds in the world, and there are plenty of jewels and jewellery for purchase The highlight of the tour, though, was entering the smelting room to watch molten gold being turned into a gold bar in a spectacular performance. I even had the opportunity to weigh myself to see what I am worth in gold. I highly recommend this tour. Make sure you include it in your trip to Perth.
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| The One tonne gold coin - at night it sinks down into a secure vault. |
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| In the smelting room making a gold bar |
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| And here it is |
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My weight in gold - who said I wasn't precious?
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So all in all I was highly satisfied with my first day in Perth and looking forward to what the next day would bring.
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