Tuesday 14 December 2010
After six days touring, I'm now back in the big city - specifically Perth, host to the Third Test starting on Thursday. Here's a brief run-down of my experiences in the meantime:
Kangaroo Island: Even if Oprah decided to give it a miss, a tour of this huge but unpopulated island is worth at least a day or two out of a largely city-based schedule. Approximately 3 hours by coach and ferry from the centre of Adelaide (or a very short flight), KI is easily accessible but far enough removed from mainland life to generate an inner calm as soon as you step onto its shores. As well as providing a home to some of the iconic species of Australian wildlife, the island also features some spectacular – but relatively little known – sights, such as the Remarkable Rocks and the Admiralty Arch.
Despite getting up close and personal with sea lions, seals, koalas, wallabies and an iguana during my guided tour of the island, I was beginning to think that the only kangaroo I was destined to see on Kangaroo Island would be a dead one in the middle of the road. But no – my guide Keith skilfully waited till the afternoon heat had dissipated before taking me to a deserted stretch of farmland which had been taken over by – quite literally – hundreds upon hundreds of kangaroos as far as the eye could see. Breath-taking stuff!
I stayed at the Kangaroo Island Seafront Resort at Penneshaw, a short hop from the ferry terminal. Straightforward comfortable accommodation with an ocean view, supplemented by an excellent restaurant managed by an exiled Brit called Richard, one of island's 4,500 residents. The hotel is also a stone's throw from one of the island's premier attractions – the "Little Penguins" which live on Penneshaw's beach and are best viewed after nightfall. Incidentally, their name until recently was "Fairy Penguins" but this was no longer deemed an acceptable name for modern times – now that really is political correctness gone mad.
Adelaide foothills and McLaren Vale: After returning from KI, I enjoyed a convivial weekend with Sally, Fiacre and Ronan at their home in the Adelaide foothills (thanks guys!). This included a tour of some of McLaren Vale's finest vineyards, a thoroughly agreeable way to spend a Saturday afternoon, followed by an informal neighbourhood party where I found the Adelaide people without exception warm and inviting (unlike the weather which had suddenly turned decidedly British). On the Sunday, we did a whistle stop tour of some of Adelaide's beaches. Turning off the main road towards Hallett Cove, we rather unexpectedly had to give way to a kangaroo hopping down the middle of the other carriageway, apparently on its way to a Christmas shopping outing in downtown Adelaide. If that's not quintessentially Australian, I don't know what is.
Indian Pacific: The experience of travelling from Adelaide to Perth by train was both awe-inspiring and surreal. From the vastness of the Australian continent to the sheer desolation of the 2,000 kilometres across Nullarbor Plain, this was an unmissable travel experience. Nullarbor literally means "no tree" but in reality there was no tree, no water, no anything at all. At one point we passed a former prisoner of war camp - possibly one of a kind in that it had no fences to deter escape (the prospect of certain death on the Nullarbor Plain was deterrent enough).
Aside from several waits at a passing point to let a freight train go by in the other direction (the railway is single track only), the only two scheduled stops were at Cook and Kalgoorlie. Cook was once a thriving outback town with its own school and hospital, but today exists only to service the rail traffic – effectively a ghost town, with dire warnings issued against entering its motley collection of condemned buildings. By contrast, Kalgoorlie remains a hive of gold-mining activity despite being long past its heyday of the early 20th century. However, judging from the barmaids' outfits at one of the local hostelries, there must be a severe shortage of cotton and denim affecting the town.
Accommodation on the train ranges from "red" or economy seats (on which two nights need to be spent) to gold or platinum cabins with silver-service dining cars and lounge areas. I had the good fortune to be upgraded from a single to a double cabin all to myself. One cautionary note though – this is not a good option for anyone with the slightest hint of impatience to get to their final destination or who would rather not listen to serial life stories of elderly folk over breakfast, lunch and dinner. But overall, I would give the Indian Pacific experience a big thumbs up.
Now I have crossed half a continent to arrive in Perth, I feel ready for the comforts of a city hotel again. Since arriving I have learned that Perth is geographically closer to Singapore than it is to Sydney and that you could fit the equivalent of 13 United Kingdoms into the state of Western Australia alone. This is not a small country.
[Original comments]
Strewth mate & that's a brief run-down!!!??
Must be that the Nullarbor Plain lived up to it's "Nullar-boring Plain" tag.... or maybe you ran into the "Nullabor Nymph" and thought you'd better write a good cover story :))
Anyway, looking forward to test match service resuming...
No worries Glenn - I'll email you the longer version - just for you!
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