As Karl is almost a Perth native and I am a newcomer, he is eager to show me around. He points out that the black swan featured in the Western Australian coat of arms and recommends a visit to the swans that lived at Lake Monger, a suburban lake surrounded by parklands. Karl meets my newspaper brief to the letter. His picnic includes German salami, antipasto, strong cheese, and brown bread. He brings a blanket, a cooler, and soft cushions. (For more erotic trysts in the national park, he adds a mosquito net, strung from a convenient tree.) Read more