Monday, July 30, 2007

Farewell Perth (15 hours ahead of VI so it is the 31st here)

Again it is difficult to leave …. But leave we must. Again we look forward to seeing family and friends back home, celebrating marriages, birthdays and just being together.

Before we leave here are a few tid-bits about Perth – As we have often said, it is rather like a park with a city set into it.

With the help of Wikipedia, here are a few facts:
Perth is the
capital of Western Australia. With a population of 1,507,900 it is home to three-quarters of the state's residents. The city is also the fourth most populous urban area in Australia, and the fastest growing major city in Australia.
The
metropolitan area is located in the south west of the continent between the Indian Ocean and a low coastal escarpment known as the Darling Range. The central business district and suburbs of Perth are banked by the Swan River.
Perth is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on Earth. The nearest city to Perth with a population over 1 million is
Adelaide in South Australia, which is 2,104 kilometres away as the crow flies. Perth is physically closer to East Timor and Jakarta, Indonesia, than it is to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

It is loaded with beautiful beaches but swimmers need to be mindful of currents, tides, sharks etc. That being said, it is a paradise and the beaches are enjoyed safely by throngs of people
especially in the very hot summers (Dec to Feb) … Spring brings a fabulous array of wild flowers. Winter is cool and ‘when she rains she pours’. This can also include very strong winds as well as balmy temperatures. The winter also includes fabulous sunny days when a T shirt and jeans will do! We have experienced all of the above! The ‘Perthites’ (not official lingo) take it all in stride and when caught in a downpour they just wait it out under cover or settle in for a flat white … part of WA meaning both Western Australia and ‘wait awhile’. Ron has been using his time well and practicing his flat white preparation skills.

The people are great, uniquely Aussie and very welcoming even if we do speak with a heavy duty Canuck accent! There are lots of great websites like
http://www.westernasutralia.com/ for a little arm chair travel.

We have been blessed to worship at New Life City Church and at YWAM. Youth With A Mission Perth is a dynamic campus with people from all over the world. It is a great place from which to mobilize people to bless the nations. It has been a joy and a privilege to be here. For more info check out
http://www.ywamperth.org.au/.

The time has come to say goodbye so, for the time being, Cheers Mate!
And how about those West Coast Eagles!

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