We have been interested, some may consider rather sadly, to see the differences in fuel prices. We expected it might be more expensive in Tasmania at around A$1.32 per litre and were therefore pleased to discover as we drove through Victoria and on into South Australia that, even in some of the really remote towns, prices had dropped to A$1.24. Imagine our surprise on driving through the suburbs of Adelaide that the price had risen to A$1.43. I know that compared to UK and France that's still cheap, but why so expensive in a big city? Oddly, yesterday, out in the wilds of the Adelaide Hills at a tiny settlement called Meadows only 40km from the city, we bought fuel for A$1.34 again. Just as a theory, I wonder if tax on fuel drops the more remote the community.
Now that was interesting wasn't it! Just of note too, when we started planning this trip, the exchange rate was about A$1.80 to £1. Now, after Brexit and current uncertainty, we are getting less than A$1.60 for £1. Australia is not a cheap destination for British travellers.
Having handed in our Hyundai Elantra SE at the rental returns, we walked to check-in and got rid of our bags. The Elantra was quite a comfortable car both to drive and sit in and had a larger boot/trunk than the ASX. That said, I preferred the raised driving position of the ASX! 'Soft-roader '.
The airport at Adelaide is very modern looking and wasn't too busy. The majority of flights here are domestic, but we did see a Singapore Airlines flight take off just after we arrived. It didn't take long to get through security, grab a coffee and settle down and wait for our flight to be called.
Now, having departed on time at 1250, our flight time is 3 hours and we are due to land at around 1320 in Perth. The time difference between the two cities is two and a half hours. After muddling through the maths, that will mean we are just eight hours ahead of UK time. We've also seen the weather forecast for Western Australia and there's only one word for it, "Scorchio"! Temperatures are in the high 30's at the northern end of our trip. I'm certain the a/c in the car and various hotels will be earning their keep. With luck, as we are on the coast for the next two weeks, sea-breezes might help it feel more pleasant. I think the sun screen supplies will be depleted too!
After about 2 hours of flying over open ocean, we crossed the southern coast of Western Australia well to the east of Albany. It's a sobering thought that due South from here there is nothing until you reach Antarctica.
Compared with Adelaide at 21C this morning, Perth is rather warm at 34C. It didn't take long for our bags to appear on the baggage carousel at the airport and we set out to pick up our rental car. Today's rental is with Hertz and we got a free upgrade to a Hyundai Tucson. It's a bit of a beast, but at least it has high clearance and a good view.
It didn't take long to drive into the centre of Perth crossing the Swan River on the way. Our hotel, the Sage, is on Hay Street in the business district. It's very quiet here as it's the weekend, but the downside is that not many eateries are open nearby. It's only an overnight stop, we will see more of Perth when we come back in two weeks time.
No comments:
Post a Comment