Dodging the rain showers in Perth - 30 July

We all had a fantastic night sleep in a proper bed for the first time in 3 weeks.

Lazy morning for adults (kids played hard on the trampoline)  then we borrowed Tania and Tony's car and headed into Perth (or at least followed Tony into Perth who kindly showed us the way and where to park).

First stop the fantastic Kings Park where we walked around the botanical gardens, enjoyed the waterfalls and the parrots that fly around - hard to get used to parrots being normal wild birds! A couple of short but sharp rain showers need dodging in the park, but luckily we found shelter each time.

Then we went into Perth centre and looked around the 2 cathedrals, and the main street. Interesting contrasts of architecture from the earlier part of the 20th century, 1960s and the present day - all juxtaposed between themselves, + a couple of quaint shopping arcades which we had to take shelter in during the occasional heavy rain showers.

Went to a ticket shop to try and get tickets to this evening game - Australian Rules football the Freemantle Dockers against a team from Tasmania. Only the most expensive tickets were left, so we gave it a miss. As it was the Perth team were well beaten, and we would have got soaked to the skin with the rain - so in retrospect not too disappointed not to get tickets!

Back to the park via "Jacobs ladder" - 240 steps, which Perth citizens (including Tony we are staying with) utilise as exercise by running up, walking down several times., Tony did it 10 times this morning. The Hopkinsons each did it twice this afternoon, which we calculate makes an aggregate of 10 so evens us up!

In the evening we found a catholic Church for mass, but could not hear the sermon as it was drowned out by the sound of heavy rain on the church roof.

Then we shared Australian style fish and chips, before bed called. We are exhausted from our trip up Jacobs ladder twice, the Branias are still getting rid of jet lag from their US trip.

Bad news: No photos today - too wet.
Good news: at least we have made use of the rain coats we have been dragging around for the last month.