Perth, Western Australia
You'll recognize this photo from my Portfolio page (if not, check out my Portfolio page).
The photo is of Perth's Central Business District (CBD or "downtown" for Americans) in Western Australia on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The body of water in the photo is NOT the ocean... it is the Swan River (fyi - they are black swans), which flows through Perth, past the CBD (dividing it from South Perth, which will show up in another photo in this post) and empties into the Indian Ocean at Fremantle.
This is the first of what I hope to be many posts of the "Story Behind the Photo." Every photo is part of a story, and sometimes knowing part of the story makes the photo so much more special.
So, where exactly was I standing when I took this photo? At the top of the hill, at one of my favorite "hang out" places - King's Park. As you can see, King's Park offers a fantastic panoramic view of Perth's CBD and the Swan River.
And how is it possible that I can say one of my favorite "hang out" places was in Perth, Australia?
Because I lived in Australia for six years - three of those in Perth!
Yes, there I am posing on a hill near my apartment in Perth, this time overlooking the Indian Ocean. I lived in the suburb of Mosman Park, which is on a narrow strip of land nestled between the ocean and the river... just a few minutes' drive from Fremantle and just four blocks from the beach.
And no, despite the rumors (and despite the photo), not everyone goes barefoot all the time in Australia. Especially not in winter, when it can be quite chilly and rainy in Perth.
And just to dispel one more possible misconception - there are no koalas hanging out in the trees in Western Australia. I spent the first six months of my life in Perth looking up in the trees trying to see a koala until someone finally told me that they are only native to the eastern part of Australia (where I DID see several - but that's another story). Saw heaps of kangaroos... and wombats... and kookaburras (and got my picnic sausage stolen by one!).
Okay, back to King's Park - a huge park (larger than NY's Central Park) and botanical garden adjacent to Perth's CBD. It was one of my favorite places to relax... close to home, great people-watching, picnic, walk, enjoy the flora, enjoy the scenery, read a book, take some photos.
On the right is another photo from inside the park - the Eternal Flame and War Memorial (with the Swan River in the background).
For the record, all the photos from Australia were taken with one of my Canon point-and-shoot cameras (not sure which - I had several over those years).
And here is another photo taken not far from King's Park. This gives a view of Perth CBD from another angle - taken on the shore of the Swan River in South Perth. I've made this photo available as one of my "Paying It Forward FREE Photos". You can download it from here if you'd like a copy.
I lived in Perth in the early 2000's and since then I have been back to visit once (time for another visit!). Of all the places I've lived and visited for any length of time, Perth is definitely one of my absolute favorites!
Maybe it has something to do with this....
Ahhhh.... one of my favorite scenes ever - a beautiful sunset over the Indian Ocean, and I'm there to enjoy it!
That happened so many times over the three years - but not nearly enough!
That's it for this particular "Story Behind the Photo."
Stay tuned (or come back often) for more stories and more photos.
Until then...
Hooroo!