After returning to Perth I had a decision to make – where to next? There really only remained on major part of Australia that I have yet to see. The East Coast. Actually the most populated and popular tourist area of Australia, I still had not seen a lick of the famous Sydney to Cairns stretch. I decided that would be my next destination, but before then I had a few days in Perth to kill. I grabbed my shoes and headed West.

You might notice the distance walked…it wasn’t a short day. But most of it was city walking. Not much to see or take pictures of, but I was enjoying the stroll. Perth has some lovely suburbs, with tree-lined streets, cafes and parks. I wandered to the top of Bold Park to get an idea of how far I had gone.

Everything looks so small and far away! From there I continued to what had been my original goal – the beaches of Perth.

I had the entire beach to myself for many kilometers. It wasn’t an overly great beach day anyways, as it would cloud over periodically. I wandered up to one of Perth’s more famous beaches, Scarborough (bringing back memories of Toronto for me). From there I originally had planned to bus back, but decided instead to walk. You never know what you might find! I found car dealerships and furniture stores. But it was good exercise and I used the $4 saved on a caramel slice.

My remaining time in Perth was spent indoors. Despite being proud of it’s status as ‘Australia’s Sunniest Capitol City’, I only rarely saw the sun over the 8 days I spent in the city. I want a refund! All kidding aside, the city of Perth was pleasant, if unremarkable. The beaches were great, the city well laid out and easy to explore, but it lacked a lot of character or personal warmth. I had started feeling the distinct pull to settle down somewhere for a while, make some money and rest a bit. Perth wasn’t going to be that place for me.

I boarded the Indian-Pacific train a few days later and began my long journey East.