Perth & Western Australia: The Pinnacles, Quokkas and Giant Trees

Send us Fan MailPerth may be one of the world’s most isolated major cities, but Western Australia is anything but empty.In this episode, Malcolm returns to 1997, when he travelled from Singapore to spend two weeks with friends living near Scarborough Beach. Dave wasn’t on the trip, so he supplies the questions, reactions and occasional disbelief as Malcolm retraces his journeys around Perth and across Western Australia.The adventure begins in laid-back Perth, beside the Swan River and its black swans, before heading to Rottnest Island for beaches, cycling and an introduction to the island’s famously friendly quokkas.Travelling south brings an unexpectedly green side of Australia: forests, vineyards, wildlife and the Margaret River wine region. In Pemberton, Malcolm tackles the Gloucester Tree—climbing towards its former fire lookout using metal pegs spiralling around the trunk. Going up is one thing; getting down while other people are climbing towards you proves rather more alarming.The landscape changes again heading north. Malcolm visits the strange limestone formations of the Pinnacles Desert before undertaking the much longer drive towards Shark Bay and Monkey Mia. Along the way are Shell Beach, wild dolphins and the extraordinary stromatolites of Hamelin Pool—living structures offering a glimpse of some of the earliest life on Earth.There are also small hire cars, enormous distances, an improvised roadside repair and a confusing encounter with an Australian speeding ticket.Malcolm finishes by recalling later visits to Perth, including watching Ashes cricket at the old WACA Ground, before he and Dave consider whether Western Australia should feature on a modern Australian itinerary.Places and subjects mentioned Perth and Scarborough Beach  Swan River and Perth city centre  Rottnest Island and quokkas  Margaret River and Western Australian wine  Pemberton and the Gloucester Tree  The Pinnacles and Nambung National Park  Shark Bay and Monkey Mia  Shell Beach  Hamelin Pool stromatolites  Western Australian wildlife  Driving distances and road trips in Western Australia  The WACA Ground and Ashes cricketIf you have any question on this or another travel topic, just contact us at [email protected] theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)https://pixabay.com/users/jerzyg%C3%B3recki-2233926/