Perth presents a pretty (affluent) picture

It's always a delight when travelling the country to reconnect with people you haven't seen for a long time.

After spending time on the south coast of Western Australia as far as Albany, we backtracked 420 kilometres to Perth for 10 days.

Carol took time out to fly back to Sydney for a scheduled medical checkup.

Jordan waiting to take the field.

I tracked down family friend Merelyn Kelly's son Jordan, a promising cricketer doing an apprenticeship in Perth with his dad Jack Mast, one of Perth's top painting contractors (Port Macquarie-based Merelyn and her sprightly mum were featured in our March blog).

At this point I should mention that Jordan was first introduced to cricket at age six playing with our grandchildren, especially Luke, also six, in the driveway of our home in Hunters Hill, using a dustbin for wickets.

Back then Luke's dad Jeff Mannering took note of Jordan's natural action and gave him a big tick for the future.

Now both aged 18, Jordan and Luke are playing competition cricket, Jordan in Perth and Luke in Dubai.

Right and below, Jordan at the crease.

So on this leg of our trip it was a great joy to be able to watch Jordan score runs for Midland Guildford against Scarborough from the vantage point of the Scarborough clubhouse, with a cooling sea breeze waftong over the ground.

Unfortunately Jordan was caught for 28, but not until he'd demonstrated his prowess and smashed a few fours.

In the meantime, the surf was up at Scarborough Beach so that's where I finished up along with thousands of others escaping the 35 degree-heat.

The money's on Perth

I must say it was an eye opener rediscovering a city we hadn't visited for several years.

It doesn't take long to figure out that this is a very affluent part of the nation.

The magnificent homes, well maintained, well signposted streets, the beachside infrastructure and facilities, the busy shopping centres, the still evolving CBD landscape, all point to WA's earning power.

Hay Street Mall - clean and tidy with lots of restaurants serving mouth-watering Western and Asian food.

But there are some standout signifiers -- like the Burswood Casino.

We decided to watch the Danny Green v Roy Jones title fight there (before Carol departed for Sydney). Or rather I, bored by poker machines, would watch the fight, and Carol, bored by boxing, would play the pokies.

I have never seen such a crowd queuing up to pay upwards of $7.50 for a beer that would cost half that at a pub, and then squeezing in to a small precinct to watch the fight.

Perth's beautiful old Melbourne Hotel.

Like me they were after a bit of big-screen atmosphere I suppose. But then I looked around when it was all over and found the whole place chock-a-block with gamblers of all ages.

It tells me one thing -- a lot of people have a lot of money to burn.

By the way, was the first-round KO of Jones such a shock? Who in their right mind steps into the ring at age 40? Jones should have swapped his boxing gloves for gardenng gloves ages ago. And Green at age 36 should be contemplating that now.

Endearing Albany

Of great fascination visiting WA thus far has been the southwest and southern coasts, with their excellent beaches, pretty wildflower heathland, spectacular cliffs, and inland, giant old-growth forests.

Point D'Entrecasteaux, showing erosion of rocky outcrops by wind and rain.

No-one warned us about the winds and changeable temperatures, but you learn to live with them in these parts.

This is especially so at Windy Harbour, where we stayed a couple of days, from where we walked the trails around Point D'Entrecasteaux, a massive high cliff that offers a magnificent view of the rugged coastline on both sides.

Wildflowers on coastal heathland.

Of more than passing interest is that the van park at Windy Harbour is powered by two large banks of solar collectors linked to a large number of 48-volt batteries. Residents are discouraged from using appliance with elements.

From there to Peaceful Bay, where we spent three days 'at peace' including a diversion inland to do the Giant's Walk, which features a suspended steel walkway high among the tall Tingle Oak and Karri trees that protestors fought to protect against logging.

Walking trail at Point D'Entrecasteaux.

We found Albany (pop. over 30,000) of particular interest. With its colonial facades and absence of high-rise buildings, it reminded us of Brisbane in the 1950s.

At peace at Peaceful Bay.

The harbour - King George III Sound - is huge and truly spectacular, with the authorities having done a stirling job developing walks and trails, and protecting the bush environment from human and feral trespass.

In 1826 the British Government sent the brigantine Amity here from Sydney under the command of Major Edmund Lockyer to establish a military post and forestall French settlement.

Walking among the giants.

Although only 23 metres long, the brig carried around 50 people, including 19 soldiers and 23 convicts, and several animals. I went on board the replica and found I had to bend almost double to get around below decks. It must have been incredibly claustrophobic, stuffy and smelly for the passengers.

Also, to get the maggots out of the 'hard tack' (wheat based biscuit), they used to place it near a rotten fish. The maggots would climb out of the biscuit and head towards the fish, which would later be thrown overboard.

Replica of the brig Amity.

Albany (originally Frederickstown) later became a whaling station and was expected to be the capital of Western Australia, but eventually lost out to Perth.

Poet Henry Lawson, who worked on the local paper here, said:

'Albany will never change much - it is a pretty town, but vague. It seems to exist only in a somewhere-on-the-horizon sort of way; I like it all the better for that.'

Not much as changed since then!

York Street, Albany.

Finally we were told by all and sundry that we simply had to visit Little Beach, about 20 kilometres east of Albany, as it was without doubt the best beach in Australia.

So off we went, and yes, we agree it is a truly beautiful little beach. But we also felt the wind was so strong that any swimmers leaving the water would need to dry off quickly, or risk being frozen in their tracks.

Little Beach, near Albany.

Maybe we were there on the wrong day.

From Perth, we plan to head south east for Esperance, then north to Kalgoorlie, where we'll spend Christmas.

As this will be our last web log until the New Year, we'd like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a Safe, and Prosperous New Year.

Happy Christmas also from Harleyboy (pictured). He and master Rossco Cornwall have been following our blog all the way from Cardwell in Queensland.