After a week of being in Western Australia, Dallas and I are both getting anxious to get back to the boat and get going. The cost of living here in WA is quite high thanks to the mining industry, so it’s not the best place to be having an unplanned vacation on a tight budget. Apparently we’re not the only ones finding it “dear” (expensive). There was an article in today’s paper about the way in which the mining industry has created a “two-speed economy”, with those working in mining making almost twice as much ($100,000/year on average!) as those in retail or hospitality. Quite a discrepancy! Fortunately, the sunshine and natural beauty are free.

Monday was a public holiday. Believe it or not, it was a celebration of the Queen of England’s birthday, even though her birthday is actually in June, I think. They must have needed a spring holiday. Anyway, there were all kinds of people out and about in Fremantle, filling the al fresco restaurants and beer gardens and making the town feel even more vibrant than before.

This morning we returned to downtown Perth, dropped off our bags at a backpackers’ hostel, had a bite to eat (more accurately, Dallas had a bite, I had a slurp) and took a nice, long walk through Kings Park en route to the hospital for the post-op check up. The doctors were pleased with the results of the surgery in terms of both the jaw and the facial cuts. They showed us the X-ray on which you can very clearly see the metal plates embedded in my chin. In most cases, these remain for life without any complications. They also removed the stitches, and I dare say that I’m looking much improved. Tomorrow I have one final appointment to get my two chipped molars filled in, and then I should be done with medical care, hopefully for a nice, long while!

Perth from Kings Park

Jaw of steel

The great maxillofacial docs, Nathan and Philippa, and my new face (minus the eyes)

Thursday we fly back to Christmas Island and will be quickly wrapping things up there as well so we can get on the move. The seasonal clock is ticking!