After 11,700 km of dust, salt, and vines, I finally handed back the keys to the rig in Adelaide. It was a bittersweet goodbye to my home on wheels, but the journey wasn’t over yet. I spent a few days exploring Adelaide’s city streets before heading to the airport for a long flight west to Perth.
Perth has a fascinating foundation, established in 1829 as the heart of the Swan River Colony and named after the city of Perth in Scotland. But its history goes back much further; it sits on the traditional land of the Whadjuk Noongar people, who have lived in this beautiful corner of the world for at least 45,000 years.
What I love about the CBD here is the contrast. You’ll be walking past grand historic buildings and preserved facades, and then suddenly you’ll turn into a hidden laneway packed with vibrant, modern murals. It’s like the city is a living gallery where the old and the new are constantly having a conversation.
I also happened to be in town for Australia Day on January 26th, and Perth certainly knows how to throw a party. The scale was massive: nine barges were anchored on the Swan River, loaded with a staggering two tonnes of fireworks.
I joined over 100,000 people lining up along Langley Park to catch the “Sky Show.” For thirty minutes, the sky above the river was a synchronized explosion of drones and pyrotechnics stretching for a full kilometer along the bank. It was a pretty spectacular way to be welcomed to the West Coast!
