Pictures

This conference is literally the furthest away I've ever been from my daughters. At five timezones and over 5,000 kilometers Perth is almost a quarter of the planet away from Wellington.

Neither Rosa nor Ada were best pleased to be seeing me depart for the week, although the blow was somewhat cushioned for Rosa by the chance to spend time at the airport, a new favourite treat.

The climate is stunningly different - stunning being the only adjective that comes to mind to describe the heat in Perth. Ranging from the mid 30s to the mid 40s during the week I was there the temperature was an affront to my cold-climate physique, although a joy to those attending from the snow-bound northern hemisphere.

The soil in Perth is dry and sandy, and giant eucalyptus trees are everywhere; some days their distinctive smell was so thick in the air that every breath seemed like a cold remedy, and the air was a thick with their haze.

There were fewer parrots than Ballarat, but crows everywhere; big, smart, stroppy birds that strut about with a challenging look in their eye.

The University of Perth campus that I spent most of my time at is comprised of many sandstone buildings and mock-classical statuary; quotes are chiseled into many surfaces. The effect, no doubt intended, is of a site transported from a different era to the opposite site of the world.