Silver Cloud Live ... June 9-19 from the Kimberley!

[jpalbny]

On 6/22/2024 at 2:20 AM, Port Power said:

“Petition” is a well known, top restaurant.  I think we last went there for my son’s 30th birthday.  Did you read all the information in the paving outside? Think courts and petitions.

 

It was dark, and we were exhausted. So, we didn't read the pavement. I saw some of it the next day but didn't take it all in. 

 

Perth and the surrounding area were great - will certainly look forward to a return visit some day!

 

On 6/22/2024 at 10:16 AM, highplanesdrifters said:

What a fun journey!  Can't wait for the next installment Chris has planned .  Hope you take us along.

 

Will do at some point. We had a great time but we are pretty wiped out. Just got home about 3 hours ago and have to get stuff in order so we can go to work tomorrow. Luckily only 5 months before we can retire. I've had about enough of this work nonsense!

[Lois R]

Hi JP, welcome home and I also want to thank you for the wonderful "live from"........

Glad you both had such a good time😀

 

And I didn't realize you are retiring this year! Congratulations a few months early!!!!😀

[FlyingScotSailors]

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

Luckily only 5 months before we can retire. I've had about enough of this work nonsense!

Great.  Then you will be able to really start traveling! 🤔

[highplanesdrifters]

The haul back from OZ is a tough one. And work right around the corner, ouch. We patiently await any travel gems you care to share.😃

 

What's next during retirement,  JPTravel dot com?

[jpalbny]

1 hour ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

Great.  Then you will be able to really start traveling! 🤔

 

38 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said:

The haul back from OZ is a tough one. And work right around the corner, ouch. We patiently await any travel gems you care to share.😃

 

What's next during retirement,  JPTravel dot com?

 

Sure - our retirement plan would be for both of us to work a little, and by a little, I mean just enough to pay for more travel.

[drron29]

59 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

Sure - our retirement plan would be for both of us to work a little, and by a little, I mean just enough to pay for more travel.

That certainly is the way to go JP. I "retired" at  60 but 3 weeks later was on my first locum. It was basically 6 months work, 4 months travel and 2 months to check whether our home was still there.

I originally intended to fully retire in early 2020 but Covid intervened. One of the tasmanian hospitals emailed me to work full time over the pandemic. I agreed to do 3-4 monts woring and a month off before going back again. What else could I do. That time has paid for all the travel in the last 2 years.

I finally retired on the first of March 2022. 53 years of Medicine was enough. But I now miss it. Particularly teaching the young doctors and following their careers. On the other hand I know that I retired at just the right time as my skills had begun their downward spiral and had I continued I wouldn't have felt right.

 

And thanks for this report with the wonderful pictures and videos. It was a lovely trip down memory lane.

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

Sure - our retirement plan would be for both of us to work a little, and by a little, I mean just enough to pay for more travel.

I’m glad you had such a good experience in the Kimberley.  These long haul flights can certainly be exhausting, but worth it in the end.

[Host Jazzbeau]

JP - Every cruise ship has a doctor, and I believe this is a part-time post-retirement gig for many.  [When I cut my foot on lava rock in Hawaii, the ship's doctor on NCL Pride of America was a retired Seattle ER physician – apparently the best training for ship doctors as you're used to seeing everything in the course of a week.  I have no idea how you connect with the booking agency, but I'm sure you'll figure this out if it sounds interesting.]

[highplanesdrifters]

On a different note, this story popped up on my news feed.  When we were there last year I was fascinated by the saltier explosion.   Still happening.

 

Thought you might find it interesting. Glad they didn't get you! 😃

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-04/saltwater-crocodile-numbers-survey-bigger-kimberley/103406240

[RachelG]

JP and DrRon, all this retirement talk has me jealous.   As is now, I do take 2 months vacation per year, but it has to be pretty much in 2 week segments to keep the office running/overhead paid. . Can't wait to be able to take off more at one time.  

 

JP, yet another question.  The packing list they sent me mentioned a waterproof jacket and light jacket/windbreaker.  Do I really need such a thing?  It seemed to me that it was hot your entire trip..  And it is the dry season. 

[Gourmet Gal]

17 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

JP - Every cruise ship has a doctor, and I believe this is a part-time post-retirement gig for many.  [When I cut my foot on lava rock in Hawaii, the ship's doctor on NCL Pride of America was a retired Seattle ER physician – apparently the best training for ship doctors as you're used to seeing everything in the course of a week.  I have no idea how you connect with the booking agency, but I'm sure you'll figure this out if it sounds interesting.]

Even better, every group jet journey has a physician and they only consider ER doctors as they have such broad experience.  They aren’t even necessarily retired but still working otherwise.

[jpalbny]

22 minutes ago, RachelG said:

JP, yet another question.  The packing list they sent me mentioned a waterproof jacket and light jacket/windbreaker.  Do I really need such a thing?  It seemed to me that it was hot your entire trip..  And it is the dry season. 

 

Very unlikely that you will need those articles of clothing in the Kimberley. If you do, you will need your thyroid checked!

 

But, if you spend any time in Perth, it was chilly there and it does rain during the winter (Port Power can elaborate more, I hope). For our two days it was chilly in the mornings (40s) but warmed to the high 60s during the days. Though we had no rain, we were glad for our jackets during the morning, even though the cold felt wonderful after 10 days of baking in the tropical sun!

[RachelG]

Good information, JP.  We aren't really going to spend any time in Perth, but we will be in Sydney for 2 days,  So I will need to pack a jacket. 

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, RachelG said:

Good information, JP.  We aren't really going to spend any time in Perth, but we will be in Sydney for 2 days,  So I will need to pack a jacket. 

Yes, Sydney in winter is probably wet, so rain jacket and umbrella could be useful.  The temperature is relatively cool, so like everywhere in the world you travel, layers are recommended.  You personally might find short sleeves okay during the afternoon depending where you live, but definitely cooler in the evenings.

[Catlover54]

JP, thank you for all your work putting this together! I just spent a couple hours reviewing your blog and wonderful photos, from beginning to end. I greatly enjoyed  reviewing the visuals and reading the stories, but know I wouldn't be able to tolerate the hot weather in the Kimberly, much less being active in the heat, so I will not be visiting.  It was nice to be able to vicariously enjoy the area through your posts.  

Great job, and good luck to you both in your early retirement from the Albany VA! 

 

 

[QueSeraSera]

@Catlover54 wrote well above, worth repeating, JP your travel posts are a delight, both for me and my wife.  Thank you for taking the time to do so, welcome home. 

[drron29]

At Darwin airport now and noticed 2 people with a familiar sign.

 

Here for the next Darwin to Broome cruise beginning tomorrow. 

[jpalbny]

Thursday, June 20th. A morning wander around Perth.

 

We were up and ready for breakfast at 7AM. Nice spread at the Westin; included with the Silversea night but not with the night that we'd booked on our own, so we'd better fill up now! After breakfast we headed out to see a few sights within walking distance, until we could pick up our rental car at 11AM.

 

Walking downhill from our hotel, towards the water, we stopped to enjoy the buildings along St. Georges Terrace. I think that this was an Anglican Cathedral.

 

 

Across the street, the Council House.

 

 

Kangaroos in the CBD!

 

 

We wandered through Stirling Gardens and saw the Supreme Court (from the outside) and the oldest building in Perth. At the other end, Elizabeth Quay. This looks like a nice tower to climb, @Host Jazzbeau! Too bad it didn't open until 10AM; one advantage of getting an early start! But you can bet it's on Chris's list.

 

 

From the Elizabeth Quay Bridge, looking landward. Lots of river boats docked here.

 

 

First Contact Sculpture.

 

 

Looking back at the Elizabeth Quay Bridge. Nice design.

 

 

We walked through the quay, looking for different views. The bridge in the picture above is now the two small arches in the distance, in the picture below.

 

 

Time to move back inland. Too bad that it's uphill! There was a hospital museum right near the Westin, so of course that was on our list. As we neared the hospital, we passed by an old fire station.

 

 

The museum was a nice find. It was tucked away on the campus of the hospital, and we had to follow signs through a convoluted route to get there. Once we arrived, we were the only ones there, so one of the staff members chatted with us for a while and asked if we were in the medical field. Once she heard that I was a Pulmonary doctor, she showed us a new exhibit that they had just received, a "clapperboard CPAP" unit that I'd never heard of. Eventually I figured out how it worked and it was interesting to see.

 

Then we wandered through the exhibits on our own. An old anesthesia machine. Looks primitive but less than 50 years old.

 

 

An iron lung. So simple but so effective.

 

 

A portable X-ray machine! This was about 100 years old.

 

 

Some old X-ray tubes from the 1860s, brough to Australia not long after Roentgen discovered X-rays. 

 

to 

 

Good history here. The museum was small and also free.

 

Time to get back to the hotel and get ready to pick up our car. We are planning to try to visit the area north of the city today. We'll start in Swan River for a bit then drive further up to see the Pinnacles. If we get our timing right there should be a beautiful sunset!

[jpalbny]

Thursday, June 20th. Exploring north of Perth.

 

It was about a 20 minute walk from the hotel to the Hertz location in downtown Perth, but they had the car ready for us and soon we were off. A nice Audi Q3. Even though the steering wheel was on the wrong side, the rest of the car seemed familiar so all was well. 

 

Our first stop was Lancaster Wines, where we had a private tasting. Nice setting, just next to the vines. We splurged for the premium tasting (for Chris) and I sniffed the wines. Since I was driving on the wrong side of the road, I needed my wits about me.

 

 

We enjoyed the selections but since we have very little room in our suitcases, we only bought the reserve Cab Sauv and the reserve Shiraz. Both were delicious. Now it was time for lunch!

 

We moved on to Duckstein brewery. They were supposed to have German food and beer, and their menu didn't disappoint. Once I saw Schweinshaxe on the menu, I had to have it. It was a huge serving, so we had to share it.

 

 

I'd say that we did pretty well!

 

 

Now we had a choice to make. Should we stay in Swan River Valley for more wine tasting, or try to head 2 hours north to Pinnacles in time for the sunset? Since we didn't really have more room to bring wine back, we went for the long route, northward along Indian Ocean Drive.

 

The Audi made good time, and we even had time for a stop along the way at a scenic viewpoint. Sand dunes and the Indian Ocean, from the Wedge (Island) Lookout.

 

 

The beach at Kangaroo Point. There were kangaroos alongside the road on the way in, so we knew that we were at the right spot.

 

 

And Hangover Beach. Really, we hadn't had that much to drink with lunch!

 

 

But we were here to see the Pinnacles. Cool rock formations in the middle of a desert. There was a walking path and a driving path. We got there with time to spare, so after a quick run through the exhibits, we did the walking trail first. In the evening light, it was difficult to keep your own shadow out of the picture!

 

 

We walked through the Pinnacles. Otherworldly landscapes!

 

 

 

 

 

Can you tell which shadow is Chris?

 

 

The driving path went through a few different areas in the park, so it's best to do both if you have the time. The driving path is narrow and I was worried at times that I'd scrape up against some rocks at the edges. Luckily that didn't happen!

 

 

 

Some clouds came up on the western horizon to dim the sunset. It made for pretty colors though.

 

 

Since we'd finished up at Pinnacles a little early, we decided to try to get to Lake Thetis. We weren't sure what to expect. But the sunset colors reflected in the lake were stunningly beautiful! And we were the only ones there to see it!

 

 

The moon was almost full. 

 

 

What a gorgeous setting! We were in awe of the colors.

 

 

 

Now the bad part. It was a 2 hour drive home. We hopped into our Audi and set course for Perth. Amazingly, there was no traffic whatsoever in the southbound direction, and we arrived back at the hotel by 8PM.

 

We were still full from the ridiculous amount of food that we'd had for lunch, so a sandwich and a salad from the hotel bar fit the bill nicely. One last night in a real bed before we fly home. Our flight leaves late Friday night (Saturday at 1AM) so we'll be sleeping in airplanes for the foreseeable future.

[highplanesdrifters]

Those pinnacles, worth the trip. And the bonus sunset, sweet.  Thanks for taking the time to share.

[jpalbny]

Friday, June 21st. Shortest day of the year, and last full day in Perth!

 

No included breakfast today so we were up and ready to get a move on before 8:00. We got some pastries and coffee from a shop right near the parking garage, a block from the hotel, then paid the exorbitant parking fee to get our car out of the garage.

 

This morning we planned to go to Kings Park. This is a very large expanse of parkland, just out of town, and up on a big hill. So it would be much easier to drive there. Or so we thought. One of the roads that led to the parking area we wanted was closed! So, I found another suitable place to park, and we made haste along the walking trails to our first stop.

 

The DNA tower! Two spiral staircases opposite each other. Where have we seen this before? Chateau de Chambord, of course, designed by Leonardo da Vinci! One of the signs at the base of this tower gave credit to a French Chateau as the inspiration for this tower's design.

 

As expected, we climbed to the top, but the views weren't so spectacular.

 

 

From here we continued onward through many nice pathways. There seemed to be some light show being set up - is that why some of the roads are closed? I bet this heart tunnel will look pretty in the dark.

 

 

A nice stairway in the gardens.

 

 

The Pioneer Women's Memorial.

 

 

Another nicely lit tunnel. Looks like there will be some amazing light show here in the evening!

 

 

Giant Boab tree. And a beautiful blue sky. Amazing weather for the beginning of winter!

 

 

There were light fixtures all over. Some on the ground, and some on the trees themselves. This seems to be quite a big production.

 

 

 

And beautiful views of the city from the Mount Eliza Lookout. The Narrows Bridge, with the CBD in the background.

 

 

Onward, there was an elevated walkway with glass walls. Luckily, not a glass floor. That might have made me chicken out.

 

 

 

Chris with the Swan River Brewery in the background.

 

 

And yet another view of the CBD.

 

 

Time to work our way back to the car so we could go to our next stop. But then we ran into this handy vehicle. Too bad it wasn't open yet!

 

 

Water garden pavilion.

 

 

This part of the park had been very nice, but it was only a tiny portion of what was here. There was a lot more to see. Back to the car and to our next stop. We don't have all day (well, we do, as our plane doesn't leave until 1AM).

[jpalbny]

Friday, June 21st. Kings Garden, part 2.

 

We drove to another far corner of the park to see "Lycopod Island" which was an area where they'd planted some trees from the age of the dinosaurs.

 

But first, some flightless birds. Not emus. A family of bullockornis!

 

 

A duck, resting on a stromolyte, in the waters surrounding Lycopod Island.

 

 

Lycopod Island looked pretty but where was the famous tree?

 

 

Gee, this looks like one of the plants in my garden. Or, more specifically, this looks about as healthy as most of the plants in my garden! The Wollemi Pine was though to have gone extinct millions of years ago, but a specimen was found in a remote hidden valley near Sydney in 1994. I guess I'll give it a pass for looking ragged after all that time.

 

 

A few dinosaurs scattered throughout the area to go with the old pine tree.

 

 

Since we were close by, we took a quick detour out of the Kings Garden to see a sunken garden at the University of Western Australia. A very peaceful setting - nice shade, quiet, and mostly empty. 

 

 

And a strange-looking statue near by, reminded us of Vitruvian Man on wheels? Not sure about this one.

 

 

Back to yet another part of Kings Garden to finish up.

[jpalbny]

Friday, June 21st. Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, last part.

 

We drove to the main parking lot and found a spot. This was very near the War Memorial, so that was the direction we headed.

 

 

A detour for another Botanic Gardens sign.

 

 

A closer view of the War Memorial and the Flame of Remembrance, on the path leading to it.

 

 

Another lookout over the CBD, below the War Memorial. 

 

 

We strolled along Bellevue Terrace. Aptly named. And the weather remained spectacular.

 

 

Even when you're the King, and the Park is yours, you have to put up a statue of your Mother. Especially if she's Queen Victoria!

 

 

A view of South Perth.

 

 

The Bali Memorial. A monument to those from Western Australia who lost their lives in the 2002 terrorist attack in Bali. One of the openings is aligned so that the rays of the rising sun light up a commemorative plaque on the morning of October 12th.

 

 

At the end of Bellevue Terrace we turned onto Cliff Street. Then we got to Jacob's Ladder. A long staircase which leads to sea level. Looks nice, except there isn't an escalator back up. We didn't go down. All sorts of fit people were climbing up. It looked like far too much work.

 

 

Instead, we enjoyed the view of what must be some very expensive apartments here on Bellevue Terrace. They sure have a fantastic view!

 

 

That pretty much kicked our list for Kings Park. So we headed back towards our car, and got distracted by this nice restaurant, with a beautiful view of the park. It was 11:30, and we didn't have to check out until 2PM, so a leisurely lunch sounded prudent. After all, we might not eat again until we're on the airplane...

 

We got an outdoor table and settled in.

 

 

Entrees were seared scallops, and tuna tataki.

 

 

 

For the main course, we shared this huge serving of chestnut risotto. Delicious, but so rich. 

 

 

It all went well with an Italian white grape varietal, from McLaren Vale - Fiano. It was a long relaxing lunch and we didn't get back to the hotel until after 1PM. Time for a quick shower and checkout, then on to more sightseeing!

[highplanesdrifters]

I want a Prosecco Van.😃