THE BIG DASH: Big smoke

At times over the last few months we’ve felt like we’re the only people on the planet. No chance of gaining that impression in Perth.

The capital of Western Australia is indeed a huge place. Its population of 2.45 million isn’t anything special by global measures, but how much they have spread out is.

New York fits nine million people in a land mass eight times smaller – thanks Google.

Yep, Perth is very much spread out. A sea of tiled rooftops, spacious parklands and never-ending freeways.

Unlike the east coast, the fancy suburbs are in the west and butt up against the Indian Ocean. Or you can head east into the hills and vineyards.

It always feels like there’s a lot going on here. Freeways gridlocked, trains rumbling, jet engines roaring, police sirens. And all the rest of the cacophony that adds up to city living.

It’s cool to have so many services, recreational outlets, food choices and everything you need and want to shop for so close at hand.

But we’re ready to move on. We’ve done what we’ve come here to do. The road is calling us back.

Mid-trip service

One key job in Perth was getting Tas the Tasman serviced.

Kia recommends 15,000km service schedules unless you’re doing a lot of heavy work. Then you should do it at 10,000km. We fit that description.

The first service was done right on the 10K knocker in Darwin in May, while in Perth the second service was a little bit overdue at just under 23,000km.

But no issues were reported by Midland Kia, so on we press. Thanks to Kia Australia for again covering the service cost ($583).

Tas has been doing suburban duties over the weeks we’ve been in Perth.

The comfort and drivability continue to stand out, the bings and bongs and the arduous switching process continue to annoy and, now, so does the process of getting CarPlay navigation to connect properly.

Once running, its fine, but it seems to get fouled up by Kia’s onboard Wi-Fi system. We had an Over The Air update recently so maybe that’s created an issue?

One very nice thing is the reduced fuel bill made possible by not having to drag the caravan around. In fact, because we fuelled up immediately prior to parking up and immediately before we headed off towing again, we’ve got some decent unladen fuel numbers to share.

Litres consumed: 135.04
KM travelled: 1314
Consumption average: 10.277L/100km
$ paid: $327.45 (best price paid: $2.373 per litre)
KM per $: 4.01km (was 2.29km per $ last time)

Nostalgia rules

So I’m originally from Perth, born but not bred here. We left when I was three and I have no memories of the first house I lived in.

I know that because I went and looked at it last week. It’s in West Perth, which these days is a pretty trendy place with views to the city skyscrapers. Mum and Dad paid 2000 pounds for it in 1962. Today it’s worth more than $2 million.

According to the Reserve Bank calculator, Mum and Dad’s 2K translates to $67,000 AUD today. So real estate pricing has far outstripped inflation. But you didn’t need me to tell you that...

Kings Park would have to rank up with Central Park in New York and Hyde Park in London as one of the great areas of open ground within the downtown area of a major city.

Spread over more than 400 hectares it has a combination of both manicured gardens and wild bushland. The views out over the Swan River and the city to the Darling Range are extraordinary. We wandered for hours. Lula and Eddie sniffed for hours.

I love mountain biking. I started in my early '40s and it rekindled a passion for bicycles I had as a kid. The last few months have been pretty light-on for anything but riding along dirt tracks, but the Perth hills are an absolute MTB mecca.

There’s everything from family-friendly rail trails to black-rated downhill gnar. Special shoutout to the Kalamunda MTB Collective which runs the Kalamunda bike park. Superb trails, beautifully built and extensively signposted.

The good news is the whole WA south-west is criss-crossed by great trails.

Very excited. Jane less so.

My old mate Steve Lague took me to see his beloved Fremantle Dockers play the Adelaide Crows at Optus Stadium. This is Aussie Rules footy talk for those who maybe aren’t following.

The warm-up was spectacular with a guitarist and bagpiper perched up near the roof on a balcony playing AC/DC’s Long Way to the Top. The game itself was a ripper and Freo look set to finally deliver a premiership south of the river to Steve and thousands of rabid Dockers fans.

Speaking of Fremantle, that’s where we took off to Rottnest Island from. The 9.30am ferry was absolutely jam-packed on an August Thursday morning, which surprised us. But that’s still low key compared to the craziness of summer when boats jam the various harbours and people vie in ballots for accommodation.

It’s a beautiful place, ringed by coral and gorgeous white sand beaches. Buses loop the island, dropping off and picking up at 16 stops. Or you can ride a bike (electric or analogue), or even walk. It’s only 22km.

At the end of it all the ferry drops you back in Freo just a short walk from the spectacular Gage Roads brewery, where you can enjoy a bevvy as the sun sinks over the water (and Rotto) in the west.

On-the-spot maintenance

Perth was also time for the MDC Forte SR19 to receive its 20,000km service.

Grant, the friendly proprietor of Travel On Caravan Repairs, came out to Discovery Swan Valley caravan park to do the deed for us.

His verdict was pretty positive. Like Kane, the mechanic who did the 10,000km service in Darwin, he warned us about MDC’s proprietary hubs that cannot be replaced by aftermarket items. When they wear out you buy more MDC hubs. Seems like a good business strategy… for MDC anyway.

Otherwise the front left electromagnetic brake was out of tune and not doing its share of stopping, so the rear left had worn excessively. The front-right tyre was also showing some inner shoulder wear, so another wheel alignment is in order. The van has to go to a tyre shop for that.

Otherwise Grant was pretty happy with what he saw in terms of bearing life (Aussie Timkens) and he generally gave the solidity of the van’s structure the thumbs up, albeit with the normal warnings about soft Chinese steel.

PS: You remember I wrote about tyre squish the other week? How in the tyres (and the suspension as well), prompts the caravan to move sideways when it’s taken off the hitch.

This had become a frustration because our Trail-A-Mate hydraulic post leaned at an unacceptable angle when that happened.

The advice from Trail-A-Mate was to drive back and forth straight a couple of times before unhitching to expel the unwanted energy.

Well, I tried it and it worked. The van hardly moved as it came off the hitch and the post sat almost vertical. Almost. Grant the mechanic says there’s an aftermarket clamp you can buy that ensures it stays completely upright.

For now I’ll just try and avoid the squish without spending more money on jacks and jockey wheels.

Solo time

Jane was absent for a few days when I had to shift caravan parks in Perth (long story). So I had to reverse Tas on to the hitch alone and then reverse the van on to the site unassisted.

Part one of the job was completed with little drama, just a couple of minor corrections after jumping out for visual inspections.

TBH I was much more worried about reversing without Jane. I’d even rung ahead to warn the park I might need someone on-hand to help out.

But I needn’t have bothered. While the access into the site was squeezy with cabins and rubbish skips on the other side of a quite narrow road, I made it just fine.

I was a bit too wide on attempt one, a bit narrow on attempt two and then nailed it on three.

I then did the squish thing, which obviously prompted my neighbour to conclude I was struggling to get it right. “You got there eventually,” she remarked to me later.

D’oh!

My solo time coincided with some shocking weather in Perth. Heavy rain, low temperatures, strong winds. But the van has proved up to it all. No leaks, lovely and warm. The reverse cycle air-conditioner is a ripper.

But Jane’s back and we’ve had enough of Perth’s busyness and changeable weather for now. We’re packing up and heading north for one last shot at the sun before turning inexorably for home.

We’re not sure where we’re going to land over the next few days. Stay tuned...