after collecting the bicycle and a check at the customs if any soil from another continent was still sticking to my tires, i rolled out the airport just before sunrise. one feels immediately that it is another continent. the differences aren’t that big. there are still trees, houses, streets and people but the vegetation and smells are unique, the faces different as well as the crisp blue sky.
i asked for directions from the airport into perth and made the first experience that people are as helpful over here as i encountered mostly on this trip. two people were taking their time to explain the best way by bike and organized a map for me. as i made a detour over a median stripe, i made the first encounter with the different vegetation, seeds with spikes that are worse than driving through glass shards. i had two flat tires within the first hour. i used the break to calm down and take in the new impressions. afterwards i was driving through the suburbs of perth. everyone was still asleep and it was an unreal feeling passing all that houses that looked alike with their neat lawns, fences, gardens and 2 cars parked in front and not a soul in the streets.
i ended up in northbridge, the hostel area of perth. i wasn’t that happy in the first days about the change from indonesia to australia. the hostel life with people mostly occupied with themselves, about their job, money and not knowing where to go next or how to get their second year visa had little to do with why i went travelling. after 2 days i had enough and continued along the swan river.
one of the good things in australia is the infrastructure which includes cycle paths. there was one all along the river towards the sea and then straight into the centre of fremantle.