TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

Officially a suburb of the Western Australia state capital of Perth, Guildford is only about 15 minutes drive from the city centre. Besides driving, Guildford is also accessible by train and bus from Perth's city centre. This is a suburban area with nice quaint shops and historical buildings. The Guildford Railway Station is particularly interesting as it is a relatively sparse infrastructure with a small building serving as the hub of the station. It reminds me of those old railway stations seen in movies set in the 1950s and 1960s. Beside the railway station, other interesting historical building include the Guildford Hotel. The present structure is a restored building. Originally built in the 19th century in 1886, it was only reopened in 2016 following lengthy restoration works after a fire in 2008. The hotel is just a short walk from the railway station along the main street.  The heritage building that is the Guildford Hotel, Guildford, Perth, Western Australia,...

Self-Driving during Overseas Vacations....... While I am not a fan of self-driving when traveling overseas, I had done my fair share of driving in different countries while on vacation. These places include France, Germany and Israel. And more recently, in Australia. On the road while self-driving from New Norcia to Perth, Western Australia, Australia (2018) Having your own set of wheels while overseas has its conveniences. It allows you to venture a little off-road to see and experience sights and sounds off the so-called beaten track. It allows you the flexibility to change your itinerary as and when situation and mood necessitates. And it also means that you do not have to plan your travel activities around the operating hours of the public transport operators of the cities you are visiting. Self-driving allowed me to stop and enjoy the natural landscapes whenever I wanted, Negev Desert, Israel (2017) Stopping my vehicle to watch herders near the city of Bee...

One of the things I enjoyed the most when travelling is to spend time in local cafes and eateries enjoying a breakfast or supper while watching the world goes by.  While visiting Perth in June 2018, I had the chance to self-drive to one of its suburbs, Guilford. Known for its buildings with colonial style architecture, Guildford is easily reachable from Perth. It is just a 25-minute leisurely drive away.  I had breakfast at a local cafe, tucking into my meal as I sat watching and enjoying the relatively slower-paced of life in the suburbs.  My simple breakfast of toast, egg, mushrooms and asparagus, Guildford, Perth, Western Australia Australia (2018) My usual cup of coffee, Guildford, Perth, Western Australia, Australia (2018) The small local cafe where I had my breakfast, Guildford, Perth, Western Australia, Australia (2018) Breakfast was followed by a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood, taking in the fresh morning sunshine as I mar...