DAY 2 off in Fremantle / Perth

Mon 8th September 2008
Sunny, 20 deg C

Spent the morning organising my departure - particularly, the most cost-effective way of getting my excess baggage home. I only have a 20kg allowance and the bike weighs around 19, plus I have another 20kg or so of stuff. I’ll probably risk getting away with 25kg in the bike box, and send a 10kg parcel back, leaving around 7kg hand luggage - the maximum allowed. It will cost about $240 (£120) for the parcel with a local shipping company, who will also supply a customs declaration form C4 which will hopefully avoid me paying import duty and VAT on stuff that I brought with me - otherwise I would get clobbered for this again on goods which will be worth around £500.I also bought a new Deuter rucksack - 32 litre capacity which I was informed is the maximum size allowed as hand luggage, so I can make full use of that 7kg allowance. It was $180 (£90) but I will be able to use it once home too. The last rucksack I had was a Deuter too, and it lasted for many years - I finally threw it out at Edith Falls when the zip gave up the ghost.

I’ve also got the telephone nos. of a couple of bike shops near to where my hosts for next weekend, Andrew and Joanne, stay, so I can hopefully collect a box on Friday and pack the bike over the weekend. I shall make up the 10kg box by Friday and drop it off at the shipping company here at Freo before leaving for there’s.

After all that I had a good lunch and spent the afternoon sightseeing around Freo. It is a very pleasant and somewhat Bohemian town with lots of character; old buildings nicely restored, and plenty to see and do, and it’s easy to get around on the cycleways. There are some interesting craft shops which I had a good browse around, managing to get some presents at last; things that don’t take much space or weight up. Cafes abound, and there must be a hundred at least. I also did some succesful haggling and got 10% discount lol.

A disabled guy, Scott, in a wheelchair, stopped me to comment on my not wearing a helmet, and I listened to how he was hit by a car as a pedestrian and brain-damaged. He was concerned that the same might happen to me, and I had to agree he was probably right - I have worn a helmet religiously on this tour, but didn’t bother today for just a short while. I will probably wear one all the time back home in future now that I’m used to it.

The rest of the day was spent just relaxing and cycling along the river, out on the breakwater etc. and anothet sociable evening in the campers kitchen.