Hello Again!
You know the idea that any task will expand to fill the time
available? Well, that has proven true with blogging recently. As Matt and I are
both currently unemployed and blessed with plenty of free time, I should have
had photos up and blogs posted weeks ago. Unfortunately, between posting all
sorts of things for sale online, Matt selling his car, making plans for our
respective trips back to the Northern hemisphere, and planning meals around
everything in the pantry and freezer, and a lovely 10-day trip to Bali, it has
taken me an inordinate amount of time to get this written and posted. Sorry.
Anyway, we are on track to leave Perth and Australia in a
few weeks. Beginning Oct 4th, I will be traveling through 4
countries in 2 days thanks to Delta (Australia -> Philippines -> Japan
-> USA). Matt contacted Barrick about paying for his flight back to the UK,
as they are supposed to do in compliance with his work visa, and they are
sorting that out for him to leave on Oct 10th. It is really bittersweet
to be leaving Australia this way. Matt has applied to so many jobs and so many
companies, but the mining industry here is really slowing down. There just
isn’t anything for a qualified geologist with his level of experience,
especially on a work visa that requires sponsorship. So we are preparing
ourselves for some time apart, lots of visa applications and paperwork, and
trying to stay open-minded and optimistic about the future.
I have continued to struggle with anxiety and the consequent
emotional roller coaster the last couple of months. Unfortunately, it cast a
bit of a pall during Matt’s parents’ visit to WA, as I was not completely
myself. Nonetheless, we managed to see and do a lot of different things in
Perth and around, and had a fun trip down south. There are some awesome photos
of our adventures. It was great to see Perth and WA through Matt’s mum Jan and his
step-dad Mark’s eyes and experience things new and old with them. The rest of
this post is a description of what we got up to with Jan and Mark.
Click here to see all of the photos from their visit. Sorry they aren't all labeled yet, I will work on it!
Aug 3:
Jan and Mark arrived in Perth very early in the morning
after a few days in Singapore. Matt and I met up with them at the Medical
Center as Mark was bitten all over while they were in Singapore and needed some
attention. After greeting each other and getting all up to date, and a quick
stop at the pharmacy, we headed to the James Squire Pub to sit outside, chat
over a pint and enjoy the nice weather. For dinner we took public transport to
Subiaco and had Mexican at Santa Fe before heading back into town for a beer at
the Belgian Beer Café, and saying goodnight.
Aug 4:
Matt and I met Jan and Mark in the city and we drove to
Kings Park. We stopped to appreciate the awesome view of Perth and the Swan
River – and observe a ceremony at the war memorial before starting on a walk
through the botanical gardens.
Jan and Mark were really impressed by the money
and care put into the park. Living here, it is easy to forget or take for
granted the awesome parks here. It was a nice reminder to appreciate the good
aspects of Perth and Australia before we leave. After a lovely lunch at the
Botanic Café, we drove to Cottesloe Beach and then Clancy’s Fish Bar at City
Beach to watch the sunset.
Aug 5:
In the morning, Mark and Jan checked out of their downtown
hotel. Matt picked them up and they went together to get the rental car. After
a little while to get settled into their new digs at our house, we took off for
John Forrest National Park.
There we walked the Heritage Rail Trail, admired
flora and fauna, especially cockatoos, kookaburras, and kangaroos and had a
great BBQ.
On the way home, we stopped at Mundaring Weir to see the reservoir that supplies Perth with fresh water.
Aug 6:
In spite of the forecast predicting rain, we drove to
Caversham Wildlife Park. While you can’t legally hold a koala in WA, Caversham
promised the opportunity to touch and cuddle them, as well as several other
Australian animals. Jan was really eager to get up close with koalas and we
were happy to oblige.
We had to duck under cover from passing storms a few
times, but it ended up working in our favor. As the koalas are in covered area,
we hung around there waiting for rain to pass and ended up getting loads of
photo opportunities and chances to pet the stinky little things!
It didn’t hurt that the koala keeper was English, either.
After looking at, petting, and feeding lots of animals, we drove into Guildford. Originally, I was supposed to give a Spanish lesson to Peter and Galina there. Once we arrived, it turned out they were too busy getting ready for Galina’s parents to visit from Bulgaria. Galina still managed to meet up with us for lunch at the Stirling Arms while Peter ran errands!
Aug 7:
We began our day at Mrs. S in Maylands for a tasty brunch
before dodging raindrops to get on the train to Fremantle. Once there, with dry
skies, we booked a prison tour for Jan and Mark and walked through town. We
made our way to the WA Maritime Museum where we took a tour of the submarine
HMAS Ovens and took in the displays at
the museum, even testing our skill with periscopes.
After the museum, we walked
to Little Creatures Brewing for dinner, and, of course, beer.
Aug 8:
It was another rainy day, but this didn’t deter us as we
drove up to the Perth Hills for a lovely lunch at Core Cider House. Jan and
Mark sampled the cider while Matt and I enjoyed our favorites.
In the evening
Jan and Mark were able to meet our friends Louise and Ethan and Vince and his
girlfriend Erin at our old favorite Neighborhood Pizza. The pizza and company
were both excellent, and it was nice to take Jan and Mark to a less-known but
well loved restaurant in our old neighborhood of Mt Hawthorn.
Aug 9:
Today, Jan and Mark took off in the morning to head to
Fremantle for the prison tour, which included donning safety gear and
descending down the ladder system into the tunnels built by early convicts to
supply fresh water to the Swan River Settlement and Fremantle. Between tours
they visited the Fremantle Markets. Matt and I hung around the house cleaning,
running errands, and squeezing in a visit to the chiropractor as we have
already done the great prison tours.
Aug 10:
We met Louise and Ethan in the Swan Valley, Perth’s wine
region, and stopped in at several wineries and breweries: Harris Wines,
Laughin' Barrel, Feral Brewery, Olive Farm, and Jane Brook Wines.
Lunch at Jane
Brook wines was excellent. Unfortunately, all of the wine tasting caught up
with me and I ended up feeling ill with a migraine, which didn’t make for a
pleasant end of the day for anyone.
Aug 11:
This was a quiet day spent around the house with a BBQ for
lunch.
Aug 12:
Ready for adventure again, we stopped in at Dubrovnik
Butchers where Matt and Mark bought some sausages and lamb burgers before
heading straight to Bindoon Bakehouse in Bindoon. Matt and I stopped here on
his friend’s recommendation when we went to New Norcia and it is by far the
best bakery I have ever visited in Australia. Full of sugar and coffee, we
drove on to Yanchep National Park.
We visited the koalas there and then walked
around the lake, marveled at kangaroos and REALLY loud frogs, before having a
BBQ.
Aug 13:
We spent today packing and prepping the house for our
departure. In the evening we walked to Il Pasto, our neighborhood Italian
restaurant for as usual, a wonderful dinner.
Aug 14:
The first day of our trip down south! We drove for about
four hours, having lunch along the way, until we arrived in Albany. No thanks
to the directions provided by the villa owners, we arrived at our accommodation
for the next few days. Albany Bayside Ocean Villas was perfect for us as it
provided everything we needed to enjoy our time in Albany, even when it rained
and we had to BBQ “inside.”
This evening, however, we had dinner at Joop Thai
in town and it was great.
Aug 15:
Before the trip, Jan told Matt and I that Mark was excited
to do some whale watching. We interpreted this as going on a boat tour,
completely oblivious to Mark’s struggle against motion sickness. The first hour
of the Sail-A-Way Whale Watching Tour was chilly, but excellent.
Then things
got very choppy and bumpy and Mark began to feel sick. Even though he had taken
motion sickness medicine and was following all of the captain’s tricks for
warding off seasickness, poor Mark was ill the next two hours of the tour. Jan
fared a little better but the turbulent boat ride proved too much for her as
well! Eventually, we did see a whale, which was amazing. Unfortunately, Mark
was much too green around the gills to come out and see it. We did get some
photos, and Matt took a video.
At the end of the tour, the captain offered all
of us a free return on Saturday, when he thought we would see more whales. We
went ahead and declined for Mark, but said the rest of us would consider coming
back. Mark and Jan took it easy that afternoon while Matt and I headed into
town and picked up groceries to make BBQ pizzas that afternoon.
Aug 16:
I was really slow getting going this morning, so Matt
dropped Jan and Mark in Albany where they checked out the Brig Amity and the WA
Museum, before coming back and picking me up.
We visited the Albany Convict
Gaol Museum. The Gaol began as a convict hiring depot before becoming a jail in
1873. Probably the most memorable aspect of this museum is the freaky
mannequins you find in all of the cells. It is made worse by the fact that
ghost stories about cells being haunted are posted all around. Then you enter a
cell and find this.
Or this.
I was pretty on edge by the end! Fate stepped in
and we ran into Jan and Mark at Dylan’s on the Terrace just in time to have
lunch with them. After a while wandering Albany, including photo ops at Dog Rock, we grilled dinner at the
villa.
Aug 17:
Matt and I went on our second whale tour, which was much
more crowded but also allowed us to see lots and lots of whales. Click here for a link to the video on Youtube.
Mark and Jan packed up the villa, drove around Albany and checked out
some lookouts – they could even see us on the boat!
After the tour we drove to Denmark, and checked in at 31 on
the Terrace, our hotel accommodation for the night. We spent the afternoon
visiting Boston Brewery, Bartholomew’s Meadery, Elephant Rock Cider, and
Lakeside Winery. Luckily, I moderated my intake much better and avoided a
migraine! We had a nice dinner at the Indian Restaurant across the street
recommended by the hotel manager. In Denmark, WA, it qualifies as fine dining.
Aug 18:
We checked out of the hotel, loaded up the car, and drove
toward Walpole-Narnalup National Park to visit the Valley of the Giants Tree
Top Walk. The 600-meter walk takes you up 40 meters high in the tingle forest,
above the tingle trees.
I wasn’t
expecting the whole thing to sway as we walked along, which was pretty
exciting. We also walked through the Ancient Empire boardwalk, learning about
tingle trees and the forest region in southwest WA.
We stopped for lunch in
Walpole, drove through Pemberton, and arrived in Margaret River in the evening.
The Tudori family that I worked for last year let us stay in their home there
for half of what they usually charge people – cha ching! It made for a perfect
base for exploring Margaret River last year, and this time with Mark and Jan
along it was no different. We drove into town for dinner at Settler’s Tavern,
which was very good.
Aug 19:
Well, it started out another rainy day, but we decided to
show Jan and Mark Prevelly Beach anyway.
The area is really recovering well
from the wildfire that destroyed so much a couple of years ago. We began our
winery visits at Firetail Wines, a small vineyard with very nice wine and a
nice winemaker. Next we visited The Berry Farm, which makes jams, sauces,
chutneys, wines, liqueurs, and ciders. A woman at the Fremantle Market
recommended the place to Jan, and we were all glad she did. Lunch at the café
there was delicious and memorable thanks to the New Holland Honey Dippers
eating jam and cream from a dish next to our table.
One of the employees
suggested we try feeding the birds sugar out of our hands. Only Jan was brave
enough to try! Man, did they go for it, too!
Once Jan applied some cream to the
rash developing on her hand where the birds had been pecking, we drove to
Watershed Winery for our last tasting of the day.
Aug 20:
We drove south through the Karri Forest, stopping at Red Gate Beach and Hamelin
Bay and then to Augusta, before heading on to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
We
didn’t pay the extortionate price to go in the lighthouse, but $5 each allowed
you to tour the grounds and enjoy some amazing views, including where the
Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean meet.
We tried our best to spot a whale for
Mark, but to no avail. After the lighthouse, we drove to Cowaramup, which is
apparently incredibly dead and boring if you aren’t there during Cowaramup Days
like Matt and I were last year. The cows were still there, though.
After a few
failed attempts, we finally found a winery open for lunch: Hay Shed Hill. Lunch
was pricey but delicious, and the wine was very good. Next we stopped at The
Grove where Matt and Mark enjoyed tasting liqueurs and ports, before ended our
day at Cheeky Monkey Brewery.
Aug 21:
Today we drove north from the house to Yallingup Beach,
which is probably my favorite beach in WA as it is gorgeous in any weather and
then to Cape Naturaliste. We walked on the path around the lighthouse,
venturing down to a lookout and scanning the water for whales but only finding
seals down on the rocks.
After our walk, which was surprisingly warm, we
stopped in the lighthouse tearooms to buy some ice cream treats. Jan and Mark
got to chatting with the cashier, it turned out his parents or grandparents (I
can’t remember) were from Cornwall. He gave us all free tickets to walk up and
see the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse grounds. I can hear my own mother now,
saying this is exactly why it is worth it to strike up conversation with
strangers!
After our lovely walk and meander around the lighthouse, we stopped
at Eagle Bay Brewery per Matt’s request. It really was a gorgeous place with a
lake, a view of the lighthouse, and the sea beyond.
We had lunch at Laurence
Winery, a place I had wanted to visit since the Tudori family had recommended
it last year. It was very ornate and unique, as far as wineries in Margaret
River go. The food was good, the wine was nice, and the setting was memorable.
We stopped at Gabriel Chocolate next door before heading back to the house to
relax.
Aug 22:
We packed up and left Margaret River to head back to Perth.
We stopped at Busselton to see the jetty and use the rest rooms.
Our next stop
was Bunbury, where we had a nice lunch at World Café, where one of Jan’s dental
patient’s sons works. It really is a small world. Really. The best part of
eating there was that at the end of the meal, dolphins were swimming around the
river right in front of us. It wasn’t the same as seeing whales, but finally,
as if on cue at our last seaside stop before the end of Mark and Jan’s trip,
dolphins arrived for Mark to see!
We also climbed up the Bunbury Rotary Tower
to take in the view, and point out Ethan’s house to Jan and Mark, before
driving into Perth.
Aug 23:
Mark and Jan were busy in the morning packing, Matt and I
went to the chiropractor and then we all took the bus into city. I visited the
post office, Mark and Jan did some souvenir shopping and then we headed to
Jamie’s Italian to get our name on the list. After a nice walk around Perth in
lovely weather, our table was ready and we enjoyed a fantastic lunch,
celebrating Jan’s birthday a day early.
With our bellies very full, we caught a bus home and spent a nice
evening sitting around, chatting, and getting everything set for Jan and Mark’s
long haul back to England the next day.
It was really important for Matt to host his mum and Mark
and show them Perth and WA, and his life here. It was exciting for me to see
Matt’s parents again and to have a distraction from being bogged down by worries
over the future and stress. The visit would have been very different if Matt
was still working and if I had been in better headspace, but I am still so glad
Jan and Mark were able to come and that Matt and I were here to show them
around. We ate well, drank well, saw all sorts of things you don’t see in
England or the US, enjoyed nature and activities unique to WA and all got to
know each other better. Regardless of timing and circumstances, that is a good
visit and I look forward to many more with Jan and Mark!
Thanks for reading, next up, our trip to Bali!
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