It felt a bit like we had driven in a very long, very expensive circle. After travelling over 5000km from our home in Western Australia, we finally arrived in Perth—the Tasmanian version, that is. Lisa couldn’t stop giggling about it, pointing out that we’d come all this way just to end up somewhere with the same name, though this Perth is a fair bit quieter and certainly has fewer traffic jams than the one we left behind.
The town is just lovely, with streets lined with these beautiful, leafy trees that were just starting to show a hint of their autumn change. We went for a stroll to stretch our legs, and Steve was quite taken with the local post office. It is a wonderful old brick building with bright red accents that really stands out against the blue sky. It’s the kind of place where you expect the postmaster to know everyone by their first name.
While we were wandering, we found a few beautiful spots to stop and reflect. There is a pristine white church on one of the corners that looks like it belongs on a postcard. It’s so bright it almost glows in the sunlight.
Not far down the road, we popped into Longford to soak in a bit more of the local heritage. We spent quite some time there just admiring the scale of the place. The local sandstone church is absolutely massive, standing tall over the parklands with a tower that looks like it has seen centuries of history go by. Lisa loved the rose bushes out front, while Steve was mostly impressed by how much stone it must have taken to build such a grand old thing.
Our next stop was Evandale, and honestly, you kids would have a field day here. It feels like stepping back in time. We walked past "The Big Store" and a lovely little cafe on the corner that looked so inviting.
The highlight of Evandale for us, though, was seeing the penny-farthing statue. Apparently, they have races here every year, and we could just imagine the sight of people perched up on those giant wheels. Steve reckoned he’d have a go if his knees were twenty years younger, but Lisa told him she wasn't keen on visiting the local hospital, so we just stuck to taking photos.
On our way back towards camp, we took a slight detour and came across the Carr Villa Memorial Park. We weren't quite sure what to expect, but the main building there is quite a sight. It’s a huge, sprawling brick structure with these interesting decorative patterns along the top. It felt very peaceful, tucked away behind perfectly manicured hedges and tall, skinny trees.
By the time we reached Old Macs Farm Stay, we were ready to put our feet up. We had spotted a roadside blueberry farm earlier in the day and couldn't resist picking up some fresh supplies. We ended the afternoon the best way we know how—with a massive serving of blueberry soft-serve ice cream. It was thick, purple, and absolutely delicious. We sat there in the shade, enjoying the quiet of the farm, and agreed that even if we did end up back in "Perth," this version was a pretty fantastic place to be.
