Perth and Surrounds

Kings Park overlooking Perth;s skyline

We finally made it to Perth the biggest city we have been in on the trip so far.  A lot of our time in Perth was spent meeting friends and family, sometimes after many years absence and sometimes for the first time but we also saw some other fantastic things.  Pity about the weather though (cold and wet).

We started by meeting my cousin Helen’s son Andrew and his family just prior to him deploying overseas with Army.  Then we caught up with our friend Dale and his PA and wife Joy at their place at Salter Point.  We first met Dale and Joy at Fitzroy Crossing and later at Broome and Eighty Mile Beach.

We also visited one of Marty’s ex diggers Wendy (Cookie) and her family in Mandurah.   Also in Mandurah we met my aunt Laurel and her husband Ron who I hadn’t seen for over 40 years.  My Dad was one of 14 children and Laurel is the second last of the clan that Marty has met.  I had a great couple of days swapping yarns and photos. 

This photo was taken at a family reunion in Snowtown in about 1962?, that is my Nanna in the middle with most of her grandchildren, I’m the little cutie in the blue cozzie in the front row.

Nanna with all here children, my Dad is third from the right in the back row

 Marty, being a Pom, has very few family members in Australia, after all who would claim to be related to him.  However one such person lives in the WA rural town of Wagin so Marty drove out to see her.  He was ecstatic that, after meeting so many of my family he had finally met one of his own, even if she was a third cousin 20 times removed.  After meeting Laurel and Ron we caught up with their daughter Rosemary (my cousin) and her husband Geoffrey.  We last met as little girls but after a few beers and pizzas it was like old home week.

We did a few other touristy things as well. 

We visited Rottnest Island and hired a tandem bike to get around. 

Rottness Express

Marty &  I staring off on the Tandem

The only problem was it bucketed down with rain.  Marty reckoned I didn’t pedal enough and constantly kept looking behind him to check up on me.  It rained so hard at one stage the brakes didn’t work but Marty being the competitive sole that he is had to overtake everybody.. 

One of
Rottnest's unique wildlife - a
Quokka

Our morning bike ride started at Thomson Bay and we rode to the Basin on to Geordie Bay and then back to Thomson Bay just a short loopand then we stopped for lunch.

As the weather seemed to clear up after lunch we decided to ride out to Oliver Hill with its restored WW11 gun and maze of underground tunnels

I did peddled all the way but I could take my hands off the handle bar so that I could take photos

The beacon of the lighthouse glowing through the heavey down pour of rain .

View from Oliver Hill through the rain

on our way back to the mainland after a very wet but enjoyable day

 We also went to Kings Park in Perth which was beautiful l.  Marty made me go to the WA Cricket museum and cricket ground to watch the Sheffield Shield cricket.  We didn’t see a run scored in 15 mins and left!  We also went to the Perth Mint and saw a gold pouring demonstration and the practiced bell ringing at the Swan Bells Tower in Perth.

Kings Park

The Bell Tower, home of the Swan Bells

Marty learning the ancient art of bell ringing

thats me also having a go rining the bells

At the top of the tower

 

Everyone we met on the track told us Fremantle was a must see so we duly braved the weather to do the things that must be done in Freo.  We had a coffee or two on the cappuccino strip and visited the markets and had a few serves of their famous fish and chips. 

We also took a Ferris wheel ride to see the sunset

Fishing Boat Harbour, the place to go for fish n chips, Cicerello’s

Sun set over Fishing Boat Harbour Fremantle

Fremantle Prison

Exercise yard in Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison the largest convict built structure in WA

Fremantle Prison -

The time gun at the Round House Prison Fremantle - at 1pm each day, th round house's signal station fires a cannon - the time gun- once used to give accurate timereadings to vessels out at sea.

Little Creatures Brewing

and visited the old Fremantle Goal complete with macabre guide.  It was all good fun and we can see why Freo is rated so highly.  In Mandurah we went to the miniature village at Abingdon (not a patch on Cockington Green in Canberra) and the old town of Pinjarra.

Now we are off to the wine making and giant forest areas of the South West.