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March - July 2001

Australia

Brett Voegele
2005-11-14 17:31:04

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experience unlike any other.

Back to Perth

After checking out the Pinnacles it was a short bus ride back to our starting point - Perth. Perth is a fantastic city - one of my favorites in Australia, as it is large enough (approximately 1.2 million people), but still maintains a small-town feel. Our arrival back in the capital of Western Australia signaled the completion of our Australian adventure. I don't think one can ever say they've 'done' Australia - certainly not in 4 1/2 months. What we can say is that, by completing the entire loop - and seeing Tasmania, we were in each of the States and have an idea what each region of the country has to offer. As expected in such an immense country, the diversity is amazing. Traveling by car was good in that it gave us an appreciation for the vast distances involved in Australia. However, to do the country justice one really needs a 4WD vehicle in order to explore the true outback.....maybe next time.

As for general observations, Australian cities have many beautiful, green parks, with numerous picnic tables and benches. Each of the larger cities seems to have the same ingredients - the river, botanical gardens, pedestrian-only malls in the city center, etc. The roads are more like a State/County road back in the States. Most roads are two-lane roads - very rarely becoming 4 lane, and only near the major cities. It can be a bit nerve-wracking to be on a 'major' road - one lane of traffic going each way, and encounter some of the large road trains (semi trucks). Definitely best to give them a wide berth, as they have a hard time staying within the narrow lanes at times.

We primarily camped in caravan parks (campgrounds), as that was the cheapest option. The price for the site - for two people, ranged from US$5-US$10 a night, or only $2.50-$5 per person. Definitely cheaper than I expected.