February 25, 2013  Sea Day

For the most part this was a sea day, as we did not arrive at our destination of Fremantle until 3:30pm in the afternoon. The port city of Fremantle is located on the western shores of Australia near the southwestern corner of the country and is adjacent to the town of Perth. Fremantle has a population of approximately 300,000.

We attended a lecture by Bob Tonkinson about the Mardu Aborigines of the Western Desert region. This desert covers one-sixth of the continent. These groups of Aborigines were among the last people to abandon their traditional existence and migrate into settlements in the 1960’s. Bob spoke of his experience in visiting these people in the desert during the 1960’s and showed some photos of them as well. Today several of the Aborigines from this area have gone on to lead public lives and travel the world discussing the culture and life of the Aborigines.

After we arrived in Fremantle we headed out with several friends to explore the town on foot. From the port the town is very easily accessed and is within a ten-minute walk of the port. The architecture is beautiful with buildings from the late 1800’s on. Many of the buildings are built in stone and brick and have exquisite details and ornamentation. The narrow streets of Fremantle are well kept, clean and pedestrian friendly with wide sidewalks and pedestrian only streets.

After exploring some of the local shops, churches and public city center we headed a few blocks to the coast where we found a stretch of seafood restaurants along the wharf. We enjoyed fish and chips along the waterfront, fighting off the seagulls that were looking for handouts.

Docked near us in the port was a very large cargo ship that transports live cattle and sheep to the Middle East. Due to the religious reasons and culture of Muslims, the sheep would mostly be sold live. Some families might buy several and slaughter them as needed. We heard several different numbers as to how many sheep and cattle the ship might carry but it is many thousands.

We were back onboard the ship by 9:00 to check out “The Wadumbah Dance Group.” It was an Aborigine dance troupe which performed a variety of cultural dances including the kangaroo dance. The quality of the show was very poor and many folks walked out before it was over.  However, others who had seen similar shows said that this show was about the same.  Perhaps we can’t judge these dances very well or they just don’t appeal to our taste.

Albany Cemetery

Mark and our friend Jenn

Kent and his new jailhouse bride.

Albany Town Hall

February 24, 2013  Albany, Australia

Founded in 1827 as a military outpost, Albany is located in western Australia near the southwest corner of the country. The military outpost was established to stop the French ambitions in the region. During the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the town served as a gateway to the Eastern Goldfields, and for many years was the only deep-water port. Prior to the 1950’s, whaling was an important part of the local economy, although today its main industries consist of tourism, fishing, and agriculture.

The weather was a mix of rain and sunshine, with temperatures in the 70’s.

We took a short shuttle ride into town with our friend Jenn to explore the town on foot. Being a Sunday most of the shops were closed, but the locals had set up a small craft market with entertainment in the park on the main street called York Street. We walked to the botanical garden, which was more like a small neighborhood park. Nearby was the community cemetery with graves dating back to the late 19^th century. As it rained we ducked into McDonald’s to use the Internet, which is very common at most of the fast food restaurants. The service was slow but allowed us to check emails and to update this blog.

After the rain had passed we continued on to the Town Hall where they were having a nice photography exhibit, as well as stopping in at a few shops that were open. At St’ John’s Anglican Church we came across an Aboriginal smoking ceremony of some type going on. Someone said they thought that a woman of the local tribe who had been separated from her family had been returned home and it was a celebration. There were metal buckets with smoldering and smoking eucalyptus branches. Several people were seated in a semi-circle with a band of white sand placed on the grass under their bare feet. During the ceremony some reddish brown powder was placed on the sand around their feet as well as thrown into the air. One black gentlemen who was involved in the ceremony was dressed in a suit but had very long red hair and a beard.

We took a self-guided tour of the Albany Convict Jail, now open as a museum. The convict system here was based on the idea of rehabilitation. Convicts were transported here from England over an 18-year period beginning in 1850. Most of the convicts were hired to work by the free settlers to perform a variety of jobs. Some manned the pilot boat, some built roads, while others help lay the railroad. Buildings on the site included a barracks, a cookhouse, warden’s quarters, a store, a blacksmith and carpenter’s workshops.

From the jail we walked the short distance back to the ship along the waterfront. The waterfront has a newly built entertainment center and boat harbor, with additional construction underway.  After we returned to the ship, Jenn said, “You know why I like hanging out with you guys?  I can say ‘f%*k.’  I can be myself!  I can’t say bad words with those other old people!”  I guess that’s what we all want, Jenn…friends we can be ourselves with.

The entertainment onboard the ship this evening was a variety show of Laszlo and Claudia the violinists and Colleen Williamson the soprano, all of which are excellent at their arts.