We landed dead on schedule and this time I'd already managed to shoe horn our belongings into the few bags and so we were ready for a quick departure from the plane.
Having watched many an episode of Australian Border Force I was absolutely dreading going through customs. I was sure we weren’t carrying anything illegal (the list is massive and when filling in the Immigration Card on the plane I learned that even mud on our trainers could be a problem) but still assumed our suitcases would be pulled apart and we’d be interrogated like many of the people I’ve seen on TV. OK, they are mainly from the Far East and clearly don’t understand the questions on the immigration card – although often I think they just don’t want to understand. ie.
- Are you bringing in any fruit?
- No
- Then what is this Durian in your bag?
- Oh, I didn’t know that was a fruit
Bit of an exaggeration but you get the picture
Anyway we entered the Customs Area and it was totally empty, no officials, no sniffer dogs, zilch – bit of an anticlimax really.
For the journey into the city, I’d been keen to try a Uber but Ian wasn’t so sure, so we made our way to the official taxi rank and luckily the queue was very small. Most drivers seemed to be Aussies, strong accents and weathered faces, but unfortunately I think our guy had only recently arrived (from the Indian subcontinent) and he was in flip flops with the seat so far back his arms were completely straight as he drove. We’d hoped for a bit of banter/tips about the country but he was more interested in how much things had cost us; the plane, train, etc.
Never mind it was only a 25 min ride – I only managed a couple of pictures
Crossing the Swan River.
A couple of Indigenous Australians sitting in the park. I don't know enough about the subject to pontificate, and every country has done things it is ashamed of, but the treatment of these poor people firstly by the English and then by Australia is something for which both countries should hang their heads in shame.
When I finally got around to looking at my emails I’d had one from the hotel saying sorry due to an emergency they could no longer accommodate us and so had rebooked us in a different hotel. A follow up email cancelled all that and said they’d sorted their problem. Luckily I didn’t see either as I would have been panicking!
And now for some sleep.