Aussie,Aussie,Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!

If, like me, you didn't recognize the phrase in this headline, it's the battle cry heard everywhere on Australia Day, the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on the 26th of January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the unfurling of the British flag at Sydney Cove and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia.

Even though there are some patriotic aspects to it, like July 4th in the US, it is a good excuse to party and set off fireworks. As usual, the Aussies do it up right. This year, the City of Perth spent almost $1.5 million AU on the firework display and it was absolutely breathtaking. They launched fireworks from several skyscrapers and seven barges on the river, plus laser lights. I managed to take one photo that showed something but, to get a better idea of the extravaganza, do visit this link to the West Australian newspaper site.

http://www.westtv.com.au/?Channel=News&ClipId=1416_WAU2003&bitrate=300&Format=flash

We couldn't help join in the Aussie, Aussie, Aussie,
Oi, Oi, Oi spirit with these decorations.

Diana relaxes after working her butt off to prepare our feast.

Custom usually dictates a snag sizzle (grilled Aussie hot dogs) but, being a Yank gourmet cook, Diana put on a tantalizing feast starting with a dip with artichoke and bacon, followed by turkey on homemade scones, a fabulous green bean casserole with pumpkin, cream cheese and pinon nuts, a tangy coleslaw, American-style baked beans, and capped off with her famous chocolate filled individual cakes. I even imbibed in the wonderful slushy Margaritas and strawberry daiquiris, perfect on a hot summer day.

Jets and helicopters entertained us before the fireworks
with a daring display of flying.

The flag is turned around backward as I missed them
when they flew by the window the first time.

As usual, George was working but I truly enjoyed the company. We didn't have any Aussies at the party but had Canadians, English and South Africans as well as we Yanks. I really enjoyed talking with Anne-Marie about their recent trip to Mozambique.

It wasn't crowded at all as we arrived on the foreshore
right before the fireworks commenced.

Thanks to Lisa and Tom, I got there and back unscathed. It would have been a wild night on the bus. As it was, it took forever to return down the Canning Highway. We'd move a few car lengths every five minutes. Lisa joked it was like Houston in rush hour.

Their VW convertible bug is sporty but can't compete with this little roadster.

A Bird's Eye View

What could be better than spending a gorgeous day with friends? Lunch at a vegetarian Indian restaurant followed by a Ferris wheel ride with a panoramic view!

Indian food isn't my favorite but the view made it worthwhile.

The food was served as an all-you-can-eat buffet paid by donation.

These spectacular views are from the restaurant deck.

Didn't see any sharks but lots of boats.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was originally on the agenda but somehow being cooped up in a movie theater on a relatively cool day wasn't appealing. Sorry Brad, you made a little less money this week! I was torn between a chocolate shop and exploring a market with Diana and Sue or riding the wheel with Shirley Kay and Lisa but decided to ride the wheel since George won't be up for it since he is afraid of heights.

The Ferris wheel towers over the Barrack Street Jetty.

Options for the ride included sharing a car with six people to renting the VIP car with the glass floor. They also plan to add champagne (It's Australia! Who needs a reason to drink?) and a DVD player and TV. None of us could figure out who would want to pay for the view and watch TV instead. We shared our car with a couple from Manchester who were very interested to find Americans living here and joked we are back under the reign of the Queen.

Here are some of the photos of Perth from the air:

An aerial view of the jetty.

The Bell Tower still looks high from the top of the Ferris wheel.

The city scape is so gorgeous. I love all the open space in Perth.

The sky here is Colorado blue.