Day Two

We are awakened in the morning by the local birds, one of which--a big black bird that looks like a crow or raven--has a call that sounds like a yowling cat. The first time we heard it, I wondered if it was the kookaburra, but it's not; it's just a common bird in the area. Of course, now whenever we hear the call, the song "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree" jumps into my head, so I'm singing it a lot!

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So, the only time (so far) that I'm freaked out by the traffic moving in the opposite direction from what we're used to is when we are crossing a street on foot. I always look the wrong direction, which is a very dangerous thing to do because drivers do not yield to pedestrians here, and they drive pretty fast. Plus there are lots of curves in the roads and it's hard to see them coming sometimes. I'm pretty sure I'll be nearly killed at least once before I learn!

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Today, we walked to King's Park, a 990-acre park in the middle of the city. Lots of memorials to people who died in various wars, a pioneer women's memorial, aboriginal art gallery, beautiful walks (including a high bridge walk) and plenty of vegetation. Flowers are not so much in bloom right now, as this is the fall season, although roses are very plentiful year round. We see them everywhere we walk, along with hibiscus. One of the trees common here is known as the paperbark tree, so named because the bark can be peeled off in strips. In fact, each year it sheds its bark, leaving a very smooth, almost white trunk.

Here are a few pictures from today's walk:

This giant Boab tree was moved nearly 2000 miles to Kings Park:
http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/horticulture/botanic-garden/the-giant-boab

 Banyan tree in King's Park

 Pioneer Women's Memorial Park.
The figure represents a mother with an infant in her arms, stepping forth to meet her destiny. It stands on a stepping stone in the pond surrounded by five other stepping stones and fountains, and is the centre piece of the Water Garden.
The symbolism of the three minute sequence of the water fountains begins with the bubblers representing bushes to be negotiated on the way to opening up land, rising to taller spouts representing trees around pioneer homesteads.

 Memorial to the Great War (WWI)

Downown Perth from King's Park