Observations from Our Two Weeks in SW Western Australia

As the title suggests, the following is a collection of random impressions that caught my attention as Steven and I traveled through a large chunk of southwestern Western Australia for two weeks in late April and early May. We were hugely surprised by how much Perth, the state capital, delighted and impressed us, from the moment we arrived until the day we left about two weeks later!

1. Generally, friendlier people than New Zealanders.

2. Excellent roads almost always in the Outback, with regular bathroom facilities, superb and extraordinarily frequent signs about when passing is possible, signs indicating overtaking is coming up in 3 kms, etc, and the most frequent signs indicating no overtaking is possible.

3. Remarkably little signage for some of the national parks, with no 'Welcome to ... Park,' no Welcome Center, no staff, etc.

4. Frequent signs about driving on the left as well as other signs in German, French, and Japanese.

5. Gas cost about $5 US a gallon in April, although that seems comparatively 'cheap' now because of the worsening war with Iran.

6. Burger King is known as Hungry Jack's. Same logo, etc. Don't know about the menu, though!

7. These beef pies, made with various additions, including mushrooms and cheese, were a staple in roadhouses and downtown Perth. They were a perfect quick and inexpensive lunch for only AUD 7 or $5 US each.

8. Very few public trash cans as people are expected to bring trash home.

9. Huge emphasis on no littering and signs at rest areas forbidding people from leaving household trash. The result was an almost total absence of any litter anywhere.

10. Road trains were a common sight away from major cities.

11. Public toilets were located everywhere, just as in New Zealand.

12. Washboard roads are called corrugated roads for good reason!

13. Lots of Op Shops, aka second-hand or thrift stores, just as in NZ.

14. Water glasses and pitchers of water in all restaurants.

15. Also common to order food at the bar and have it delivered to your table.

16. Lots of amusing rules and signs vis-à-vis toilets.

17. Police advertise what they're targeting on a given basis. Fatigue, seatbelt use, etc.

18. No tipping.

19. Never seen so many directions for cemeteries before! 

20. Huge emphasis on reforestation in WA.

21. Surprisingly few motorcycles in cities or in the countryside. Is the reason for the latter because of the vast distances between towns to get gas?

22. Every town or village had a Community Resource Centre.

23. Few upscale cars. Only 1 Tesla, for example. Possibly because they would be impractical when driving massive distances in the hinterland?

24. Astonishingly few native Australians in shops, museums, etc. I read that WA has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents of any state in the country.

25. The largest coin I recall ever seeing by far was the .50 piece. Conversely, the most valuable coin, the $2 coin, was smaller than an American penny.

26. Anything but boring sound barriers!

27. Absolutely stunning sights in so many parts of the state.

28. I shall never forget the tragic history experienced by Aboriginal people. Fortunately, the state has done a phenomenal job of owning up to what transpired as part of the reconciliation process. 

Next post: Heading far north to Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Posted on September 2nd, 2026, from our home west of Denver. As I always say, take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Perth's Marvelous Murals

Most of you know by now that the longer Steven and I travel, the more we gravitate to a new city's murals. That was certainly the case on April 25th, our first day in Perth, when we scoured the city's sights and unexpectedly came across some exciting murals and street art, mostly in the Central Business District, or CBD.

We soon learned that Perth’s many laneways, which offer delightful examples of street art on more than 80 walls around the CBD and surrounding suburbs, have become outdoor galleries for local and international artists. It was quickly evident why the city had gained international attention in recent years, with works from some of the world’s best street artists gracing its buildings and lining laneways.

The delightful murals along Grand Lane greatly appealed to me, as their lovely flowers reminded me of paintings done by my Denver friend, Ivy Delon.

Credit Perth-based street artist Jerome Davenport, also known as Ketones6000, for creating the vibrant flowers.

Also tucked away on Grand Lane was this nostalgic street art mural painted by Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong and Indonesian artist Leonardo Yuwon. It depicted a Perth street from a past era, complete with a historic tram, local grocery stores, and delis.

A problem, especially as we get older!

As we turned the corner from the lane, we saw even more of Davenport's handiwork: an inquisitive child smelling the flowers!

Prince Lane was another feast for mural lovers!

I'm going to date myself when I say that these 'models' looked like they wore dresses designed by Mary Quant, the 1960s British fashion designer! Notice the measuring tape and pattern markings, too.

Too bad that the shadows partially obscured the mural, pointing to the Bière Garden!

The only reason to wander down Wolf Lane was its captivating murals, which immediately made us want to detour from Perth's other exciting sights. A parking alley had been transformed into an art gallery!

Too bad I didn't capture the mesmerizing mural of the Gecko on its own, as it looked like it was about to leap off the wall. I liked how Liam Dee, the artist, seamlessly created the painting with industrial pipes around it. On the left, his City Labyrinth transformed an otherwise blank slate into a fun underwater landscape!

We had to smile when we saw how Steven Buckles painted the fun-loving Wolf Mural on Wolf Lane. How apropos! We read it was part of the City of Perth Forgotten Spaces Strategy.

ROA, a renowned anonymous graffiti and street artist from Ghent, Belgium, painted one of his signature massive murals, as his specialty is wild or urban rodents, birds, and mammals native to the region.

Two views of another in the city's lane revitalization project: I wonder if the remaining squares will contain murals at some point?

Still on Wolf Lane, this was a snippet of Davenport's Hope mural, which wrapped around a building. The word 'hope' was etched around the corner. The artist declared, "It stands as a symbol of hope in the darkest days, offering light when we need it most."

The bustling fashion scene of nearby King Street had found an outlet here!

With Somewhere Between, James Giddy featured a black swan, evoking the native Derbari Yerrigan species, complementing the building's architecture and colors.

Famous for featuring one of the world's largest mega murals, renowned Australian street artist Matt Adnate completed this masterpiece on the exterior wall of The Adnate Hotel. Known for his supersized murals of Indigenous Australians, the artist took a month to complete the biggest mural in the Southern Hemisphere.

The more we walked through the CBD, more of the mural was unveiled.

If you look closely, you can see that the detailed Seahorse, painted by Puerto Rican artist Alexis Diaz, was a hybrid creature that combined a seahorse with twisting tree branches and hands reaching out!

Aha, another face on the 25-story-high mural was uncovered as we continued our stroll through the CBD!

The end, but by no means a disappointing one, to Wolf Lane!

Located in a Pier St. alley, the Pier St. Trees were designed "to promote wellbeing and lift spirits."

5/3: On our return to Perth from our mini getaway to the inland region of Western Australia, Steven and I happily discovered yet more murals as we walked around the inner-city suburb of Northbridge, previously separated from the CBD by railyards. We had fun roaming around Northbridge; it was a cultural feast for the senses, with local, national, and international art, fashion, and history, and a wide array of restaurants and bars.

Walking around Perth, we didn't need to look for street art as we had elsewhere. There were so many murals that we could stumble across a colorful one splashed across a building or even an underpass like this one in the Subiaco suburb of Perth!

Next post: A wrap-up of our two-week trip to the southwest tip of Western Australia with my impressions and observations.

Posted on August 30th, 2026, from our home in Littleton, as another month is coming to a close. Where has the year gone?! Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.