I wanna go to Australia again!

I graduated with a Bachelor of Com (Mgt & Marketing) from Curtin University of Technology in Trimester 2 of 2004. During those years, i did my degree fully in Singapore with a local institution, except for 2 summer-intensive modules that i had to go over to Perth, Australia to do it.

That time, young and innocent, and not well-travelled, i went along with about 90 others in the same corhort, travelled on BA-Qantas, sat on the plane for 5 whole hours, before reaching Perth. And from there, it was a 2 weeks of intensive classes from 9am - 12pm, and from 2pm - 5pm, Mondays to Fridays.

It was a time of exploring new ground, living a lifestyle totally different from how i lived in Singapore, and experiencing unknown climate.... Ok! It's not exactly unknown la. The weather in Australia is generally dry. Being in Summer, there was wind, but with the dryness, one can't really feel that they are roasted unknowingly. I got roasted the first afternoon i stepped foot in Perth, and didn't realized it until i stared at myself in the mirror! Haha...

Thinking back, it was really a very fun time for me and my school-mates. Though classes were very very intensive, but the weekends were literally fun times for us. Actually, i think we did visit quite a lot of places.

I remembered visiting the Margaret River, where my schoolmate picked up bricks of white color sand (or was it salt?), and we carried it back with us. The weather was very warm, and the waters soothed our skins at that time. Sigh, that's the only thing i remember about Margaret River.

I visited King's Park on my first day there. And i love the evening scenary from the top of the hill. I took some pictures too but alas, the soft copies were gone together when my previous laptop crashed on me. =(

Not forgetting visiting the Fremantle Prison, which a part of the introduction freaked a lot of su out by having a fake body (made up from pillows) being thrown from a higher storey from where we were. There aren't anymore inmates there anymore, but it serves for a purpose to grab the tourist dollar. Everything there, from the prison cells to the ... execution cells are real and used. Not a very positive place, because it was really errie. And i always remember the place because i had a magnet from there, stuck on my fridge door.

I visited Fremantle City only once during my whole trip there. Well, it's like a big outdoor shopping place, similar to what we have in Singapore, and yet so different. Many people of different ethnic groups are gathered there to shop. And, sadly, that is all i remembered of Fremantle. Oh oh oh!! The Fish and Chips are to die for!! Apparently, if u were to walk along the port, and randomly step into ANY Fish and Chips shop, the fish is definitely fresher many many times than any fish and chips we have in Singapore. I miss Australia's authentic Fish & Chips!!

Final place that i remembered about Perth is taking the ferry from Fremantle and entering into Rottnest Island - the Island named after big rodents (Rottnest). And yea, their rodents are so big, they are as big as our cats in Singapore! That place was sunny, and is another tourism spot there. The ferry ride took about 20mins if i'm not wrong. Sigh, all the vague memories that i'm having. =(

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Many people i know, would rather visit happening places in Australia such as Sydney or Melbourne (very popular place to study!), but i beg to differ.

I love Perth. Since coming back from that trip, i wished i had a chance to stay longer, or even study there (no moolah, no Perth, simple math lah). And that was like 7 years ago. Yes, at times, i do think about the times, though short, that i've spent in Perth.

It's very quiet, very conducive for studying and retirement. But beyond that, i think quietness in itself is a beauty.

I think my Perth trip 7 years ago, wasn't exactly a trip that showed me everything about Perth. There are a few more places of interest that i hasn't visited.
- Burswood (The graduation ceremonies were held there, if i didn't remember wrongly), and yea, we knew it to have a casino there.
-Swan Tower. I think i was at Swan River, but that time, the tower wasn't open for tourists to enter.
- I believe there's more, but up to now, i don't know what else is available. And i wish i could know what else is available.

I want to visit Perth again, this time, to bask in relaxation, feasting on fish & chips, meeting people of different ethnic groups, experiencing other seasons, besides Summer, shopping at Coles Supermarket, and visiting the wine shed and sampling the wines (Haha... got reminded that there was a wine shed right behind the school domitary, and everyone in my dorm celebrated going home to SG the night before with, u guess it, wine. =) )

Some day, I'll wanna be there again. =)