Kitty's George trail

So yesterday was not enough for us, today we plan together with my colleague Bjoern and Kathi our first hiking in Australian bush - Kitty George's trail. Lining the River this walk promises a beautiful panoramic view of the serpentine National Park with nice waterfalls. So much  the introductory word from our friends B + K, reality proves how it truly was.

We meet at Bjoern's home at nine in the morning for breakfast. We brought some stuff from home, they prepared also something and thus again we enjoyed a relaxing German-Slovak Sunday breakfast. We stayd about an hour at home and it is about time to go slowly. So far, Bjoern help us with everything so I decided maybe I can take our car, so I can pay it back at least a litle. So we got in the car, I'm turning the ignition key switch, and ... and nothing. Car strikes and does not start. I'm trying again and it's clear. Battery is discharged, nothing out of it. So change of plan - first we have to go to the store to buy a battery charger and then we will go with Bjoern's car. In the evening we will start up my car using cables and then at home I will charge my battery. So the trip really start nicely...;)

aargh, give me a break, no waterfalls!!!

The road to the park took about an hour, it's about 60 kilometers south of the city. We come to the park around eleven, we left the car before the gate, because the park closes at five and we certainly won't be back. The whole circuit should have 14 kilometers and I look forward to the serpentine waterfalls.

hm,...and where is the water?!?

At the start there were two events - coming to the park is great, picnic benches for families with children and live kangaroos hopping around! Well what a stunning and amazing view. They are so used to people that are certainly not afraid and leave themslesves even pet. The latter event was hardly a pleasant. As soon as we started, Slavka was bitten by a bee in the hand. As it happens, chance is a fool and who fears the most, eventually gets it always at first. Slavka screamed, jumped but it was too late, there was a sting :)
Our hike otherwise continued without other surprises, just one more ... It is summer, dry season, even the oldest natives don't remember the last rain .... and from the thrumbling river there was not even a stream left, even an indication, just dry riverbed. From the waterfalls were left only the murmurs of water echo in the trees, so at least we have solace ourselves that at least something was left here after those waterfalls.

no water just people instead

and we made it!!!

The first part of trip was on a beautiful path, but this was later changed to fight through the pavement full of overgrown grass, thorns and bushes. The only one who had long pants was me and Bjorn, while Bjoern had a shirt with long sleeves - and so he won, and as leader of the group he took his own body the way ahead. Instead of passion for waterfalls only slightly hooray remained, when we arrived to the end of the trek - hence to the imaginary half. On the way back it is just to follow the same path, so that we will move faster, as we already enjoyed the beauty of nature through the way up here.

Enhanced with lunch (or dinner) at around four we head back another seven kilometer trip down along the river bed towards the beginning where we raided. During the way we are talking about various things of seen and unseen, and in about two hours we have arrived. Park is already empty, there are just us. So at the end, we took at least some nicely pictures of kangaroo, at least something, when the waterfalls didn't work.

All photos can be found on:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101430570008874668546/20120226_kittysGeorgeTrail

Fremantle

Week at work walked over and we have again the weekend. At work is fine, I'm pretty used to the new office and new people and also a different way of working. And I quite like it. In short - people here are much more relaxing and don't stress about anything whatsoever. When it does not go, so it does not go ... for what to stress in addition?
So I started to practice this method also and truly I must say that it's totally great No stress, just peace, relax ...

Slavka is still trying to find a job, but it's not so simple as we first thought. She was interviewed by two employment agencies, where we received good but also bad news. The good news is that agencies assess in terms of work experience, knowledge and also the English language, everything is ok. But bad news is that here is coming almost half of the Europe because of the crisis, so these people, jobseekers is so many - for one position feel free to get 250 CVs from the people!

So the chances of employment are lower than we expected. Another disadvantage is that Slavka has no occupational experience within Australia, and this is required terribly much here, local referenceseven for a cleaner. So the worst is probably that first job, first chance, then maybe it will improve ... for now we just look for and see what happens.

Well, let's go back to the subject - Fremantle, a port city one of the largest intact prison in Western Australia, which was functional until 1991. Also, city food markets with almost everything. So, here we go. Since we have a direct bus just outside the house, we decided to use public transport instead of auto-transport. The way shouId take about an hour on the bus, so it should be piece of cake. Hm .... Well who would say that we choose a bus that has broken airconditioning! So once again this was trip. Sweaty, tired from the heat we come to Fremantle.
The town itself is quite pretty, has also tiny historic center - if this can be called historical, since everything here is up to 200 years old. But here it is very nicely maintained. Than our steps aims to the information booth, where we take the maps, brochures and advertising materials as much as we can. It's quite nice here, afterwards you can choose where to go and what to see.

At first we planned to visit the prison, but eventually we refrain from that, as we will surely return here ... maybe with someone who is just reading this blog;) A short walk from prison is major street market, where they sell vegetables, fruits and many other delicatessen from all over the world. This is pretty big change compared to Slovakia, a lot of people shopping in the markets and the markets are here almost everywhere. Although the vegetables / fruits can be found in supermakrets, I feel that on markest there is much more choice.

We walk through the city and in a while we are in the park adjacent to the harbor. We take a break in the park for a moment and then go to check super yachts and boats that are parked here. Such a typical small-town dock. The harbor is full of small and large restaurant and people sitting and drikning various drinks. We, as a classic Slovaks - packed sandwiches;))) Well, we have to save some money first but surely there is time we return for some great grilled fish;) Without that this wouldn't be worth it.

In the evening we discover that although it initially seemed that sun was not so strong, the opposite was true and not to take the suntan lotion in this country is equal to the fatal flaw, which is not be forgiven. So we come home slightly burned and I put on myself after-sun lotion with aloe vera, hoping everything passesuntil morning and my red arms and neck get nicely brown. Yes, it is clear to me that I'm dreaming a nice dream. The only thing the I'm glad that I'm not alone in this ... even our boss - born Australian forgot last week to put suntan lotion and his whole face had a nice burned and peeled ... so, it can happen to anybody here if you don't pay some attention :))

All photos can be found on:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101430570008874668546/20120225_fremantle

Kings Park

It's Saturday, again a beautiful sunny day so we decided to spend it in the biggest park they have here - Kings Park. Situated only a short walk from the CBD - the city center. Many people spend their free time here. The park is actually more or less plain forest with roads for cars, footpaths and cyclists.
Probably the most beautiful part of the park is the Botanical Gardens, where apparently situated over 3000 different plant species - well I'm not sure, I did not count them all;)

But the fact is that this is really a beautiful part of the park. The whole botanical garden is actually a park full of maintained lawns, trees, gardens, flowers, along with various benches, bridges and seating under rotundas. We went to the park by car - no other way in this beautiful country;) It is great that you can go directly to the park by car and also parking is free (at least somewhere, since everywhere you have to pay for everything). Our plan for today is simple - a few hours stroll around the park and at night to move a little to one remote parts of the park for dinner - barbecue grill at the park - this we like here verey much, just to bring a meat and some vegetables and dinner on the grill is done.

In the park we spent about two or three hours what is enough to pass a whole botanical garden. Only one part with a fountainwe we couldn't see, because there just has held open-air concert of some domestic rock band, so it was closed off for non-payers.

We just ran up at the DNA-tower - the tower in the shape of DNA. Entirely up using each branch there are 101 steps, Slavka even verified that with complex mathematical calculations;) Then we sat on the grass with a ducks for a while, it has been almost five hours in the afternoon - a time for barbecue in nature.

So we returned to the car and moved to the opposite side of Kings Park and let'sgo grilling chicken legs with sweet potato - yum yum sweet potatoes, grilled is best. We sat on our blanket  not even for an hour and everything was pretty much grilled - ok, ok, the potatoes were a little for the carbon diet, but whatever... not everything always comes out on the first time, but even so it was delicacy;)

All photos can be found on:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101430570008874668546/20120218_kingsPark

Beach and grill

What is here totally cool, are parks and beaches. And everywhere there are the grills, where you just push the button and grilling can start. Gas grills are free, no need to pay anything, just bring your own things and lunch or dinner can begin. So we yesterday, together with Bjorn and Kathi, his girlfriend, we went for a barbecue at South Perth with beautifull view of the "city". This I like here very much. And the same you can enjoy on the beach looking at sunset, which we have also managed once - to enjoy one of the many beaches surrounding the whole city.

Driving down under on the wrong side;)

During test drives, I actually taught how is to drive on the opposite side. What can I say... Well everything is up side down. I'm sitting in the car, ok, I have to get in from the other side, this I figured out due to natural intelligence. In the car some parts are being replaced, but most of it remains normal. Pedals are as in our cars, the clutch on the left foot. The same with the gearshift. But by sitting on the other side, the first gear is actually like our fifth gear back at home. But when I'm properly focused, it's ok. But they exchanged levers on the steering wheel as well! So instead of turn signals there are wipers and vice versa.
So my first ride looked like this. Immediately at the first intersection I turned on wipers and delaer is looking at me, if I'm ok, that there is no rain ... but what shall I tell him when theya have everything opposite. But what concerns the actual driving, that is quite easy. The center line is back in the driver's side, so that it goes more or less. Just not to forget and don't go from first gear to the second via reverse, as I managed that few times already. In the city there is 60 everywhere, like the old days at home. Only they are quite sensitive for speeding. A colleague went about 7 km/h more  and already been fined 80 dollars. Outside of the city on the highway they drive max. 100 km/h, so it's so slow here to move from place to place.

Searching for furniture

that's it, at the back

entrance and double-garage

Although we have already found our house, there are still many things  we need to arrange for. One is to arrange the furniture and home appliances, because everything here is mostly rented unfurnished, with the kitchen only but no fridge. The good news however is that everything here can be bought used for relatively little money and still good quality. There is a great webpage, called Gumtree where people advertise everything possible and impossible. So we began to look for everything.

living room

Over the weekend packed with lots of ads, we have started to search. Some of the pieces we did not like much, so we just looked at, thanked and went away. But it did not take long, and actually during one day we could find everything we needed. From the older Australian we bought the bed, and we got a free TV with stand as a gift. From the Chinese we got our washing machine. The sofa we bought for $ 30 from a young modern Indian, and only 3 years old refrigerator from the young man from Ireland. Yes here are really all nationalities one can think of. Other things like microwave, dishes and so we normally bought new, because that is not worth buying old, not very expensive. They have a lot of shopping centers, almost every district has a center with some shops and for such a things for home the best is either BigW or K-Markt. There you can buy everything. Then there is Bunnings, something like our Baumax. So to buy anything is not really an issue.

part of the kitchen