Boomerang

The facade of the Freo Market, W.A., Australia

February 28, 2011.  I was exploring the Fremantle Market (Western Australia) and was expecting to see the local fresh produce of the region but was surprised to discover that there were also arts and crafts, silver jewelries and a few food stalls around.  And in one corner I noticed this boomerang shop.

Boomerang Shop.  Fremantle Market, Western Australia

Boomerang.  I heard this word when I was younger but couldn't understand when the older folks would relate boomerang with a person's deed.  My mom had tried to explain to me that boomerang is a flying tool that, when thrown, will surely come right back without hitting the ground; but she never showed me a photo nor did she draw the said tool, the reason why I couldn't understand the 'boomerang effect' that they were saying. 

...until I came to Australia and have seen the different designs of boomerang! According to Wikipedia, the oldest Australian Aboriginal Boomerangs are 10,000 years old.













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Sincerely...

I missed the blogosphere and I am planning to be back soon.
Whether to use the same blog name and theme or to change both is what I am currently considering.  But I already love The Chook-minder's Quill, slash Lens.  After I have gone past the major milestone in this Australian migration highway, this is still me- the chicken farmer.  For more than a month after taking my Australian citizenship oath, nothing has changed really, it has remained as a mere piece of document.

And yes I am leaving no stones unturned to achieve some major changes in my Australian life.  I am praying that it will soon be granted, and as it gradually unfolds I simply want to share it to the blogosphere. 

SIDE ALTAR.  St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia

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In and Out

The maximum temperature was 38'C during the first day of my visit to Western Australia last February but the heat didn't stop me from exploring the city of Perth.  I went to Subiaco, the Swan Bell Tower, and the shops at Hay and Murray streets; and in the afternoon, when the daytime temperature was at its peak, I felt a great relief inside The Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum.  It was cool and quiet, and the displays were magnificent!  Cameras were not allowed in the gallery, though, so I decided to take a photo outside.

The colours, lines and shapes outside the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA.

Inside and outside, there's an art in The Art Gallery of W.A.!

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Cygnus atratus

The three black swans on the bridge in Northbridge, near Perth Railway Station.

I was once seriously wondering why Perth or Western Australia, as a whole, is so fond of swans!  The huge and beautiful river in the capital of W.A. is called Swan River, and the bell tower by the river that houses the 18 Swan Bells is called the Swan Bell Tower!  And around the city are dozens or hundreds of swan figurines, sculptures and sketches- most are black and some are white.

The white swans in Freo!

It was the tour guide/bus driver who became the victim of my curiosity.  While we were travelling to the Pinnacle Desert, I asked him why...?

Simon, our friendly guide and my personal photographer, answered, "When the Europeans first came to this place, they were surprised to discover a great flock of black swans everywhere!  For them it was so amazing because in Europe they've only seen silver swans."

Today, black swans (Cygnus atratus) are still endemic in the area, especially in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia though there are reports saying that these large waterbirds are in danger of extinction.  Unfortunately, I haven't taken a photo of a black swan in W.A..  That's one of the good reasons for me to travel back to Perth someday.

A black swan in Adelaide's River Torrens, South Australia

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Three in One

This photo was not taken from India.  No, it's not in Italy!  It's captured from Subiaco- a sub-urb of Perth, Western Australia.

Today, Subiaco (or Subi for the locals) is famous for the Subiaco Oval- a football stadium in the capital city of Western Australia.  Just a few steps from the Subiaco train station (where this image was taken) there are various shops and a market which are popular destinations for both the locals and the tourists.

The Noongar Idigenous people once occupied the area until the Italian Benedictine monks arrived in 1851.  The said religious order named the place after Subiaco, in the Province of Rome in Lazio, Italy. 


source: Wikipedia
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'Between the Flags'

Officially, it's early autumn down under, and before the wintry breeze starts puffing across the southern hemisphere I would like to share some photos I’ve taken during the final week of Australian summer.  

I’ve never been to any of the South Australian beaches last summer, but I was so lucky to visit one of the most famous beaches in Western Australia: Cottesloe Beach- the Bondi of the West!  

Behind the blue umbrella...

The missing ball.

Cottesloe rescuers. 

I visited Cottesloe after exploring the port city of Fremantle, W.A. last February 27, 2011.  I really enjoyed my 2-hour stay in Cottesloe Beach; ahh... I wanted to go back there again. 

...before heading back to the train station to catch the next trip to Perth, I noticed these young swimmers walking along the shores.

Blue and red...

Just a friendly reminder: swim between the red and yellow flags! 

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Individualism

Comfortably standing on top of the hill in Victoria Square- East Perth, Perth, Western Australia is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  From the original Norman Gothic style in the 1865-1930 construction, it was redesigned into an Academic Gothic style in the second phase of construction in 1930-1999; and the current Perpendicular Gothic edifice has been completed during the third phase of the construction which started in 1999, up to the present.  The Benedictine Brothers founded the cathedral in 1863.  

The first spire of St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia.  The second spire which was added during the third phase of the construction is, interestingly, not identical to the first one!  Have you noticed it on the first photograph?

Each of us was specially designed and created; even identical twins have so many differences.  Just like the two spires of this cathedral, we can also stand straight and humbly show the world of our own uniqueness!

The side-altar of St. Mary's Cathedral.  Photo taken February 27, 2011 after the 8am mass.

Then, now and henceforth...

The tower clock of Perth City Town Hall.  An example of a Victorian Free Gothic architecture, the building was opened in 1870 and is the only convict-built capital city town hall in Australia.  Corners Hay and Barrack streets, Perth, Western Australia. 

Learning is a continuous process, and as we learn from our day to day experiences there's always a challenge to improve ourselves and our lives.  Contentment and satisfaction, for me, are words that exist in the dictionary but not in real life; but don't think this as a negative thing because seeking for advancement and growing to become a better person is always a positive thing.  As we progress, however, we should also be committed to nurture all the beautiful things that we already have.


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Bus Stop

After I accidentally dropped and broke my polarizing filter at the Kings Park view deck, I decided to leave and go back to the backpackers resort in Beaufort St..  While waiting for bus number 37, I took this photo:

King's Park and Botanical Garden Bus Stop.  Perth, Western Australia

Weathering

The Pinnacle Desert, Nambung National Park, Cervantes, Western Australia

My hours of stay in Western Australia are numbered, tomorrow at 6:45am a Virgin Blue flight will take me back to South Australia.  Generally, I enjoyed my stay in this state: the locals I’ve met were so accommodating, the transportation was quick and easy which had given me the chance to visit some interesting destinations in and surrounding Perth.  The Pinnacle Desert in Cervantes, the lovely buildings in Fremantle and the very relaxing, eye-satiating beach in Cottesloe are the best three for me, so far! 

I was also blessed to catch the earliest mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral this morning, the gospel reminded me to set aside all my personal anxieties and let tomorrow worry for itself.  

But there’s no such thing as a perfect holiday.  I had accidentally dropped and broke the polarizing filter of my camera down the cliff of Kings Park and Botanical Garden last Friday; good thing the shops close at nine during Fridays so I was lucky to have the time to purchase a new one in preparation for the Pinnacle tour the next day- where I needed to have that accessory the most. 

Before I left the backpacker resort early this morning, I asked the receptionist to secure me a booking for an airport shuttle tomorrow so I could get to the terminal without spending much dollars.  But he said that I could ask another receptionist assigned in the evening to do it for me because, he added, the Perth Airport Shuttle booking service is open twenty-four hours a day, anyway.  

The Pinnacles, Western Australia

And at about a quarter past seven this evening, after being told by the receptionist on duty, I was surprised and terribly upset to know that shuttle bookings are only until six in the evening.  No choice, the fault or laziness of the other receptionist will force me shell out three times the amount of the shuttle service for the early morning taxi tomorrow.     

           

In and out of the workplace, in this life, every person has nowhere to escape from various challenges and worries in this universe!  But look at these attractive limestone formations in the Pinnacle Desert; they were believed to be a mixture of broken seashells blown by strong winds into the location where they are now.  Rain, the vegetation that had grown and died, sedimentation, sunlight, strong winds, and soil erosions that had happened for millions of years were the complex phenomena that occurred to reveal the beauty of these Pinnacles!         

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Two birds at a time

It was 36'C in Perth when I saw this pigeon seeking refuge under the shade of a tree infront of the Western Australian Museum.

 I missed to publish a post yesterday, but yes I pursued my trip and I am currently in Perth.  For two successive days I have been enjoying my stay here as Western Australia gradually unfolds herself before me.  I’ve been in this continent for more than four years now but this is my first visit to the Golden State.  I decided to fly out of South Australia after completing a batch of a relatively successful broiler-growing cycle.   We’ll not be getting day-old chicks until the fourth of March so I considered this as an excellent opportunity to (1) explore W.A. while at the same time (2) recharging my ‘batteries’.

The place is nice and interesting; the city centre is bigger and busier than Adelaide and sincerely- the people are very friendly!  After visiting the Perth Visitor Centre, browsing some travel brochures and seeing a small part of the W.A. countryside up to 270 kilometres north of Perth today, I started to fear that I might eventually fall in love with this state and forget about my long-time stand that Queensland is my most favourite state in Australia.  

A lone seagull on the shore of Indian Ocean; near Cervantes, Western Australia

This is it for now because my mortal physique is screaming that I need to go to bed.  I promise to post some great photos I’ve taken in Western Australia soon...


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