Australia 1988

Friday 6 May — Perth

Had a long lie, didn’t get up till 0800. Spent the morning wandering around the town, not very large, about four streets in one direction and perhaps about ten in the other. Much multistorey development, still going up. Some older buildings but the multi-storeys cast long shadows. Put four films in for processing.

Leaving the jetties

Wandered down to the Barrack St jetties at the appropriate time for a trip on the paddle steamer PS Decoy, built a couple of years ago but with an ancient 16hp portable engine made by someone in Lincolnshire, originally brought out from the UK for logging operations.

A nice wee boat, intended to operate at eight knots to get to Fremantle and back in an afternoon cruise but there was an erroneous assumption in the design parameters and her economic cruising speed is only five and a half knots. The cruise was just two and a half hours, down the Swan past the back of Dalkeith, the richest suburb in Australia, known as Millionaires’ Row.

In the evening, I drifted around a variety of pubs, not very exciting, all the same unexciting beer.

Saturday 7 May — Perth

Fine morning today, (it’s been a bit overcast since Port Augusta) with more of the same forecast through the weekend. Down to the waterfront to photograph the Decoy with the sun on the right side, then ambled slowly along to the King’s Park (formerly Mt Eliza) above the Narrows. A beautiful park, well worth a few idle hours.

A light lunch at the Cafeteria then down to the Narrows Bridge, carefully timed to photograph the Decoy passing below. Drifted along the foreshore, decided not to try para-gliding, then wandered inland a bit and found the Zoo entrance. Went in for a wander, quite nice, with kangaroos lying about in the sun and koalas sleeping up trees. All the other usual sorts of animals were around. The orang-utans are well housed and one was playing games through the glass with a small girl, making faces and mimicking her movements, much to her delight.

Left the Zoo and wandered around a bit further before heading down towards the ferry terminal. Had to walk very slowly to ensure that I just missed the boat and must, perforce, await awhile in the nearest pub.

Then crossed back to the city, only eight minutes in a fully enclosed bateau mouche type vessel. Asked the driver about weather conditions, he said the only problem was evening mist and they usually managed in that. The largest waves he’d ever seen were about three feet and were caused by a 45’ launch.

A couple of beers on the way back to the hostel, then a bit of a session in the Beaufort Hotel.

Hay Street entrance to London Court

Sunday 8 May — Perth

Wandered down to the jetties looking for a morning cruise upriver to occupy half a day but most cruises go downstream and the only upstream ones were in the afternoon. So I ambled round the city with the intention of photographing interesting buildings bit the combination of high-rises, strong light and heavy shadows made it an unrewarding exercise.

Visited the art gallery while waiting for the museum to open. Very arty, not very interesting, even the Aboriginal stuff left me unmoved. It may be a wonderful achievement for such a primitive culture but it does look very primitive, even stuff produced in recent years and there was nothing to show aboriginal craft-persons adapting to modern materials. It left the impression that the heads are still in the sand.

Went for a bit of lunch then into the museum. Much better. A very interesting Aboriginal exhibit and lots of other stuff too, all being housed in part of the old City Gaol. A few more beers then back to the hostel, wrote some postcards then went out to post them and have a quick snack. Couldn’t do much drinking as most pubs close early on Sundays.

Monday 9 May — To Bunbury and back

Well, now to start the serious travelling, on the Australind to Bunbury and back. Scheduled for two hours but we gradually lost time and arrived 18 minutes late for no obvious reason. The train consists of two driving cars, one at each end, with two trailers in between, all cars having engines. Air conditioned, double glazed, comfortable reclining seats and a mini buffet in each driving car. A very smooth ride if you ignore the rocking that you usually get on narrow gauge.

Rear end of the Australind at Bunbury

I was sitting beside this lad who gave me his window seat and was fairly determined to get drunk. He’d had a few before boarding the train and four more on it. He got a bit louder as the journey progressed and widened the conversation to include half the carriage. Still, he was actually a nice lad, with problems.

I decided against the $1 bus ride into town and walked instead. At a leisurely pace, 25 minutes. The station used to be in the middle of town but they sold off the land. Wandered around the town, pleasant place, saw the Indian Ocean, then had lunch in a gourmet tea shop. Pea and ham soup (excellent) and Twinings Assam, an oasis in the Australian desert.

Ambled back towards the station and arrived there at the same time as the bus (from the old railway station). I didn’t mention that when we arrived at Bunbury, there were several lads off the Bicentennial got off the train. Now had time for a chat with them before boarding. They tell me that 3801 is still sick, there are problems with the wheel itself and the whistles I heard on Saturday morning were from a narrow gauge loco sent in to do duty instead. The problems with the train this morning were due to a defective air bag on the leading driving car, whatever that means.

Anyway, off we went on time and didn’t quite keep up with the timetable. Just before we reached Pinjarra, we stopped. For a long time. Due to signal failure. When we got going, there were fires burning on both sides of the line so it looked as if that might have damaged the signal wires.

About an hour and a quarter late into Perth. Back at the hostel I arranged to leave my big pack while I was away in Kalgoorlie.

Tuesday 10 May — Perth to Kalgoorlie

The Prospector consists of a variable number (three today) of double-ended cars, no corridor between but there are end doors covered with a removable panel to allow the guard to move from car to car. Furnishing was quite comfortable but the quality of the ride was disappointing, more reminiscent of a forty year old DMU than of the Australind. The back of my seat kept reclining unbidden.

We left on time and stayed that way past Merredin but then were held up waiting for a freight, which was late due to track maintenance, which then held us up also, so we were half an hour late into Kalgoorlie. Lunch was reasonable, and they came round again for a second cup of tea.

Owen and Russell were also on the train, I had met them on the platform at Perth, Owen was returning to Perth on the Indian Pacific overnight but Russell was staying in Kalgoorlie and had a car for a couple of days. He offered me a trip to Leonora for tomorrow but, being stupid, I declined, preferring my own mundane plans for the one day I had in town.

I tried the Palace but it was full, so then the Kalgoorlie Hotel which seemed to be being redeveloped but was still charging $22 per night. Not cheap for a slightly seedy hotel but I took it. Drifted around a few pubs in the evening. Fish and chips was $4 so I had pie and chips instead. I suppose it’s all a question of distance from the sea and Kal is a fair distance.

Wednesday 11 May — Kalgoorlie & Boulder

The bed was the lumpiest I have ever slept in! Still, I slept well. Up and out, along the street for breakfast, then walked leisurely down to Boulder, looked around there, had a beer or four, walked out past the Airport and across the main highway just west of Kal to follow the railway track back into town. Roughly a triangle. Weather sunny and warm, ground a bit dusty, vegetation having a hard time although there was a fair amount of scrub and small straggly trees growing out of the red earth.

Back at Kal, I hung around the station to photograph the Prospector leaving at 1425. Two cars only, today, leaving one in the station.

In the early evening, I went out for another pub crawl. In the morning, I had noticed a pub advertising “skimpy barmaids” from 1730 to 2000 so I went along there to see what was what. The first barmaid I saw was far from skimpy, a well built lassie fully dressed. However, up the other end of the bar there was another girl wearing a bikini. Nothing special, just one of the barmaids wearing a bikini and no-one taking much notice. No gogo dancing or other erotic displays. So I wandered off round a few other pubs, no excitement, drifted back to bed.

Thursday 12 May — Back to Perth

Up early and off for the Prospector at 0815. Three cars this morning, numbered, from the front, 2,3,1. Again, I’ve got a declining seat. As we pulled out, I spotted Russell taking photographs from the same position I had used yesterday, but I had better weather. Today is overcast and rain is forecast, thunder-storms even, in Perth.

There was no-one in the front car until we reached the first stop, Bonnievale, in the middle of nowhere, but there was a horde of school kids with mountains of luggage. Delayed a bit by the track maintenance again but only ten minutes as there were no other trains around, and we made that up by Merredin.

We should have crossed the eastbound Prospector there but didn’t, we waited for it at the next crossing, lost a few minutes there. The other would be about half an hour late into Merredin. Lunch was then served, again quite reasonable. Held up on the approach to Perth Terminal and arrived five minutes late in dirty weather. I hung around the station for an hour, smoking my pipe and drinking tea till the weather improved.

Back to the YH and checked in before heading into town to collect the slides I’d left on Friday. Met George and Val in the street, we might meet again in Alice Springs next week. Had a few beers here and there, finishing up in the Beaufort Hotel. While in there, there was a wondrous clap of thunder and a couple of deluges. Choosing my moment carefully, I scuttled back to the hostel.

Friday 13 May — Fremantle

Went down to Fremantle, half an hour on the suburban train. Wandered around the waterfront and the docks a bit. The weather was windy with occasional squalls of rain, which I avoided by ducking into the nearest cover. It might have been the weather or it might have been the post-Americas Cup depression but the whole place seemed very dull.

They don’t have “skimpy barmaids” here, the have “raunchy” ones, but the effect is the same, boredom and congestion along the bar. I came across a pub which brewed it’s own beers, I’ve already forgotten the name which is a fair comment on the beer. Noticed most of the regulars were drinking Swan.

Mid-afternoon, I wandered back to the station. Nice building but gets the sun on the wrong side for photographs. Back at Perth City Station, I encountered Graeme Ferguson on the platform. He has been spending his days in the cinemas, strange fellow. Told him I’d met Big John and some others down in Fremantle.

Back to the hostel just too late to get my washing in dry and decided to leave it out overnight. Went to the City Markets Food Hall for a feed, a large plate of assorted Singaporean dishes for $4. Dined with Peter and Mary, must remember to look out for a blue taxi in Adelaide. Dodged the squalls on the way back to the hostel.

Saturday 14 May — Perth

Washing still damp in the morning, but it felt as if an hour would see it dry. Fifteen minutes later, a light shower so I scuttled out and brought it in. Just as well, five minutes later a short downpour would have got it back as wet as it started out. (The washing machine wasn’t very good, I’d still managed to wring out a fair bit of water after the final spin.) Scattered the stuff on my bed for an hour while I got myself sorted out. Most of it was dry enough to pack, the rest I stuck in a plastic bag till I should have a chance to air it further.

Along to the station and checked my pack through to Alice Springs keeping just the day pack with all my valuables and an overnight bag (for two nights on the Trans Australian and one night on the Alice) which I left in a locker for the day.

Photographed a few suburban trains on my way down to City Station whence I took the suburban train out to Midland.

En route, the guard fell off. He had just belled the train away and was looking back along the platform when he spotted an old man falling out of the rear car onto the platform, so he belled the driver to stop again, without effect. So he fell out as well and, being a bit slow to release his hold on the handrail, he got dragged along for a yard or two, much to the concern of all who saw it. By the time I had realised there was no emergency brake handle near me, a lad on the other side had pulled his.

The emergence brake audibly went on, but the train did not stop until a lady up front stuck her head into the driver’s compartment and told him what was going on. No-one was hurt, but even the guard admitted he had got a fright. Took ten minutes to get going again, I think the driver did not realise that the emergency brake was still on and, while it might not be much good at stopping the train, it was quite effective in preventing it from restarting.

When we finally reached Midland, I went for an amble around. They’ve built a new shopping mall on what was once a railway yard and they have an old engine parked outside, built in 1896 by Dubs & Co, Glasgow. Run by WAGR from 1898 to 1953, ran three quarters of a million miles. I took a photo of it.

Wandered around a bit more, place very quiet, hardly surprising for a Saturday afternoon (shops closed). Only activity was a lot of netball games further down the road, identified by lots of shrill cries. Got the train back to town. Decided not to stop at the railway museum between Ashfield and Bassendean, looked closed and wet. Lot of stuff in there.

Took the next train out to Armadale and repeated the walkabout, then back into the city where I drifted around, pie and chips for tea then off towards the Terminal. As I approached Claisebrook station, intending to refresh myself in a nearby pub, I could see the front end of an Australind car in the lights in the yard beyond, with a lot of black smoke coming from the middle of it. Then it whistled. There was a steam engine standing in front of it. Quick sprint through the dark in time to see a narrow gauge tank engine heading towards the City Station. It moved off a bit then stopped and came back through Claisebrook and headed off up towards the Transit Terminal. Of course, when I got there it was nowhere to be seen, having gone off elsewhere. I think it’s number was 692.

As usual, at the terminal I met some bods off the Bicentennial, Graeme and Andrew, waiting for others. They went off to eat, I went to the bar. As train time approached, I collected my small bag from the left luggage and went off to find my berth. Andrew and Geoff were in the same car, not far away. A number of other steamers had turned up to see them off. There was also an older couple off 3801 returning east on this train.

We departed on time, I went for a beer or three and retired when the bar closed at the back of eleven.

Sunday 15 May — Heading east on the Trans-Australian

GM21 on the Trans-Australian at Kalgoorlie

A fitful sleep, I’m not used to sleeping along the length of the train rather than across it. However, I felt fine when the conductor brought my early morning tea at 0500. This is to allow for an 0600 arrival at Kalgoorlie and a staff change (from Westrail to Australian National). Up and dressed in good time for a walk on the platform. I declined the optional extra of a $5 bus tour of the town, I doubt if I would have seen much I’ve not seen before.

The train moved off on time, ran the five or so kilometres to Petersham and stopped to change engines, for 40 minutes. Then on, into the brightening day. Before very long, I was getting a bit cheesed off with banging my head on the window every time I saw something interesting and tried to lean out of the window for a better view. Saw a couple of kangaroos getting out of the way of the train, and a few green parrots but still disappointed at the limited variety of wildlife visible from the train.

Had a couple of beers before lunch then back to watching the passing scenery, which is actually quite interesting despite what the Australians say about it. Passed through a few houses called Forrest where one of my travelling companions had spent six months as a meteorological observer. He remarked on the increasing number of trees around the houses. Reached Cook after dark, stopped for 20 minutes to refuel and water the carriages. Barely time to walk the length of the train (two engines, thirteen carriages and two car transporters). Time for a clean up before dinner, then a few beers before retiring.

Monday 16 May — Reversing at Adelaide

Reached Port Augusta about 0630, forty-five minutes early and before my morning tea arrived. Getting light but misty. Walked up and down the platform till the train departed at 0745. After breakfast, a couple of beers before the train arrived at Adelaide at 1140, ten minutes early but demonstrating that my timetable is not reliable, it said we were due in at 1110.

Swapped addresses with Andrew who was then planning a European rail tour for the following Northern spring. Merv and Gary were on the platform waiting for the Ghan. I went off to wander around the station, not large, and wait for the Ghan to be platformed. Took a photo or two, the Trans going out and the Ghan coming in, I think. Then boarded, the other two are close by in the same car. An invitation from Merv to drop in to see his 3801 videos if I pass through Rockhampton after mid-June.

Left on time at 1300, waited a couple of times for a freight and the Broken Hill - Adelaide train. On time at Port Augusta. I saw my backpack on a baggage trolley and assumed it would get loaded all right. The sun had now gone down, After dinner I had a few beers and then returned to my cubicle. The conductor had put the bed down. I put it back up and sat in the dark watching the stars for some time. Finally went to bed just before we arrived at Tarcoola at 2330. We sat for ten minutes then pulled forward a couple of hundred metres through the “station” and sat for another twenty minutes. Shortly after that I fell asleep.

Tuesday 17 May — Alice Springs

Woke at 0600 or thereabouts. The promised 0630 tea did not materialise until 0650. An interesting sunrise. When they called the first sitting for breakfast at 0730, the eta at Alice was 1100. When they called the second sitting at 0815, eta had come forward to 0930. We must have been going a lot faster than I had noticed. A regular traveller at the table said that we were not allowed to arrive before 0915 as that would confuse all the tour operators. Shortly after, they announced eta as 0915 but it was 0922 when we pulled in.

My sack had arrived safely and I headed off to the YH to see what was what. There wasn’t an Ayers Rock tour going out later that day so I booked for the morrow. There didn’t seem to be much to choose between the various operators so I picked a small concern that camps overnight at Yulara, rather than staying in dormitory accommodation at the Lodge. There is posher accommodation but it is much more expensive. Paid with my ninth traveller’s cheque. I am using these too fast, must put more on my credit card.

Left my luggage at the hostel and went for a wander around the town. It’s not very interesting. Took a few photos from Anzac Hill, then wandered round the town again. Alice is not a very exciting town, even the railway station is boring during the day.

One odd thing I noticed, the town was quite busy in the morning but very quiet after lunch, which I had in the Old Alice Hotel, the only hotel I noticed in town. Back to the hostel to book in for two nights, tonight and Thursday, cleaned up and sorted my gear for the next two days. Put my big pack in the luggage store till Thursday, went in to town to view Alice by night. Just as boring as in the day. Ended up in the Old Alice again for the evening.