2 June 2013 - Advent Park, Maida Vale, Perth, Western Australia

Mid- morning we left the hysterical Christian masses to their celebrations and get-together, one hundred and eighty booked for lunch, according to the aproned maid I encountered on the drive.

Our initial plan to head for King’s Park was abandoned in favour of a visit to the museum at Fremantle, a many times recommended destination. We incorrectly thought that an indoor pursuit would be more beneficial to Chris’s health status.

Tomtom took us down the Roe Highway and across South Road, taking us directly to Marine Terrace. Today many of the streets near the museum were closed off due to a tri-athlon taking place later in the morning. Those that were open all offered parking courtesy of  parking machines that operated on Sundays here as any other day of the week. We drove some distance from the town centre and found a free space, however this did mean a lengthy walk to the WA Maritime Museum, just as exposed to the cold wind as any wander through King’s Park would have been.

The museum is indeed a must-see and we enjoyed all the exhibits very much. While it is a maritime museum, the exhibits are such that you do still get a good over view of the region, because after all, the sea reaches out in one way or another to influence every aspect of life.

Trade was one of the major catch cries, even referring back to historic trade routes from Europe way back in 1400 and forward through history. While you may wonder at the relevance of this, one must not forget the fact that the original trade routes to both India and the East-Indies impacted on this western coast of Australia. There was also significant reference to the sea-slug gatherers from Indonesia who travelled year after year to the northern shores of Australia, trading bits and pieces with the aboriginal people, although I have seen little so far to suggest that these northern mobs made greater advancement than their more southern cousins.

There is a very large section celebrating the America’s Cup saga, the highlight being the actual Australia II taking centre stage in one end of the gallery. Here the exhibition includes sail-making through the ages, the sport of sailing, modern technology and so on.

The museum celebrates Western Australians’ passion for the sea and boats, for testing themselves against the might of the elements and their competitive sporting nature. On 26 September 1983, the crew of Australia II won the world’s oldest sporting trophy, in 1988, Perth’s own Jon Sanders completed a solo, non-stop, triple navigation of the world ( a voyage of 131,535 kilometres) in 658 days aboard the Parry Endeavour. Eight years later, 17 year old David Dicks in Seaflight became the first teenager to circumnavigate the world in 264 days, non-stop and totally on his own. The Parry Endeavour hangs suspended from the ceiling of the gallery along with a host of other special or unusual marine craft.

Other exhibitions deal with immigration, the development of the Port, the Swan River’s role in the region’s development for over one hundred years (not taking into account aboriginal history that stretches so much further back), labour strikes at the port over the years, particularly those in 1909 and 1998, naval engagements, the Sydney II and the pearling industry that have been enshrined all the way down this coast, whaling and sealing, dugongs and sea meadows and the history of the European fishing industry in the region, this latter kicking off when a few Italians jumped ship down in Rockingham and built their own fishing fleet. They were soon joined by Greeks, British and Macedonians, and Perth’s fishing industry thrived.

We had had some trouble finding our way through to the museum, although admittedly, once you identify the building, you would wonder how that could be. Signage is poor, and we were not the only ones to find it so. Our own great experience was called upon by those still wandering about lost, as we left.

By 3 pm we had seen as much as we wanted and set off back for the landcruiser. Chris was not feeling any better for his marine education, so we decided to return to Fremantle another day to explore the heritage area further, and as we drove right through the centre of the town, to return and explore here too. We were quite astounded how incredibly busy the streets were but then that could have something to do with the fact the area is called The Cappuccino Strip and today was Sunday.

Tomtom took us, on our suggestion, back home via the Leach Highway, the Kwinana Freeway where the rail runs between the northern and southern lanes, and finally the Roe Highway.

Tonight we caught up with my parents on Skype, enjoyed some thawed Spaghetti Bolognaise and as I write this, we are being entertained by the band music drifting across the park from the big tin shed. It’s a long weekend here in Western Australia; Founder’s Day tomorrow, hence the three days of Glory here at Advent Park.