Photos from Perth

I'm getting back into the game gradually, almost feel "normal", whatever that means. I got a good amount of editing work done this morning, then some running around of children and an hour at the gym. So an overall productive day!

But here is a flashback to Perth. It's Australia, but there are different native floral species there than on the east coast. The area we stayed in was particularly pretty, with some enormous trees. I shared a good number of these on social media, but not all. You'll particularly want to see the "Dr Seuss" tree.

No idea what this is, it looks like a version of the
common red bottle brush.

One of the large trees in a local park we visited several times (the park had a significant Pokemon Go attraction for our boys).

Plenty of roses flowering at this time of year.

Another large tree in the suburb that I walked past a few times. I love it that they've
not just knocked these down.

Trying to appreciate art in the local park...

This truly was enormous. Actually there are two or three large trees here, but the one on the left is very large just on its own. Same park as the one mentioned above.

Another rose.

White bottle brush?

This is a bit random. I had lunch with two WA friends I met through blogging. Our families were slightly alarmed that we were meeting up with "internet friends" that we'd never met in person before. This was my view throughout a delightful, though somewhat rushed (it was squeezed inbetween two ministry appointments), lunch.

Our one concession to tourism. We took Friday afternoon to visit Fremantle,
Perth's port, and wandered through this museum. I live in hope that one
day I'll be able to read all the signs in leisure without being pursued
by children who just want to "get onto the next thing".

It may be a little difficult to recognise, but this is the hull of a large ship, wrecked
off the coast of WA (along with many other ships in the last 400 years). The
low-light inside the museum made it exceptionally difficult to get good photos.

Someone carefully made a replica of the ship above that was wrecked.
Actually, it was a retired marine archeologist (if I remember the sign correctly).

An anchor so large they had to cut a hole in the floor to accomodate it.

Back to trees. This one is close to the shore in Fremantle. These aren't native
to Australia, but there are many in this park, I presume, planted by immigrants long ago?

Fremantle shoreline.

One of the many old buildings in Fremantle. I could have taken many more photos, but we had time limitations (and boys who were moving onto the next thing and quick to criticise lagging mums with cameras).

This sunset I snapped with my iPhone as we arrived at a friend's hosue for dinner.

The humble gumnut, but I'm enough of an "expat" in Australia to appreciate that these aren't found often elsewhere.

Another random photo taken as we walked around our local environmnet.
A cactus flower. I'm glad I shot it as it faded quickly in the days that followed.

These seem to be endemic to WA (aother one futher on in this post, with Dr Seuss possibilities).

WA floral emblem: kangaroo paw.

More trees in same park (first one I mentioned). Acutally it's quite hard to capture
the majesty of this tree, I felt quite in awe as we walked under these.

Same trees from the other side.

These galahs are so common but terribly cute (I'm told they are pretty silly too).

I'm amazed that I managed to capture this with my phone as we drove past.
It pays tribute to Fremantle's long history as a port.

Yellow sand seems to abound on the west coast.

Yes, the Dr Seuss-plant!