The Suburbia

Away from the City.

After 2 days in the city , it was now time to move to the suburbia. Grace picked Margaret River, a good 4 hours drive from Perth. We were told that there was a beautiful beach to indulge in and folks go there to breathe in unpolluted air and get a feel of the outskirt.

As the journey was a good many hours away, there was reason to occupy the little one with Peppa Pig tales and videos. Eating crunchy noodles was her favourite and all adults had to entertain for peace. When it was nap time, it was truly peaceful. Grace could not stop laughing at the grandmother duties I had to perform.

 Busselton was a stop over before reaching Margaret River.

The clearly beautiful, sandy beach fronting a pier was a sight.

The clean, clear skies allow the scorching sun to dry almost anything that came along its way.
 It was dry and hot. 

Mother and daughter are equally overjoyed having a chance to play on the soft , sandy beach

The sea gulls are also not afraid of the human race.
 They fight fearlessly among themselves to prove their territorial prowess at pecking food.

Yes, they came near enough to us wanting to have their share. Emily was the kindest soul. She happily distributed the fries to the oncoming birds.

You need to pay a fee to be given a tour on that jetty. Apparently species of sea creatures and plants could be viewed. The hot afternoon sun I must admit was a deterrent for us to attempt a walk along it.

I wanted to hold an umbrella but was stopped by Grace.

En route to Margaret River, we stopped by a winery and a chocolate factory. They sell light and dark chocolate from cocoa of many cocoa-producing nations even from South America. The chocolate was palatable. 

Everyone is tempted to buy.

So I bought some too; some for relatives, others for friends.

The chocolate milk was an instant great drink for Emily, sweet and yummy.

By evening, we reached our boarding place. Names to the chalets caught our attention and we were assigned Calgardup. 

Lovely and comfortable, we were provided cooking facilities that facilitated our cooking. It was good to taste the local cuisines of fries, chips and potatoes but after a while you long for noodles and curry. So, it was acceptable to cook. There was reason for it.

Pristine and peaceful, there was hardly pollution at this time of the day and the walk along the street was pleasant and relaxing. So quiet. By five in the evening almost everything was shut down.

It was a breeze walking along the five-foot way. We tried to get wine from the local outlets and the price was really attractive. Cheap and excellent. The wineries there are a competition to one another.

We walked and walked. Early morning walks were a must. We paid to relax and so we must savor in all good things. The landscape was dry and barren unlike the lush bushes back home.Short and stunted , the scrubs must be a result of little rainfall. Perth is Mediterranean in weather; thus accounting for the scrub like feature.

On another day, we move to the caves. Caves always seem to have a story connected to limestone. On most trips where limestone is prominent, we never fail to visit caves. So, what is the difference here?

The climb was inevitable. Well, still young enough for it. It did not pose much challenge but poor Grace has to lug Emily on a child strap. Grace is strong. Climbing up and down those stairs with Emily on her. Why was daddy not doing it? Emily was temperamental; only mama can carry.

Going down was a breeze. Climbing up was not. many hundreds of steps.

 How about the Great Wall? Is it time to see it? It is either now or never, right?

The image is not sharp. But you can imagine if you were to see it for yourself. Majestic and awesome. The rain droplets can create a landscape feature so unique and amazing. We were warned not to touch anything. Nothing. It is so well preserved and a great offence to disturb nature here.

The guide told us stories of the images formed by the stalactites, stalagmites and pillars. Was it a dragon head on the left? But one thing is sure. The cave harbored mysterious streaks and feelings.

The cave was neat and clean; underground stream untouched.

At an outback cultural hut, we saw local crafts and read some history of the place. It intrigued me to have glimpses of Australian way of outback living and practices. Malaysian line dancing is nothing in comparison to the 'line' dance on poles. It is truly outback where courage measured your popularity in ones' eyes.

Fine workmanship on household gadgets and difficult to emulate.

The long coast also meant we had a chance to see the resplendent sea. Actually, the endless horizon only reflects our fragile frame. We are so small in this world. Dad loves nature ; anything to do with the jungle, sea and tree houses. I like the malls.

Father and daughter appreciating the coastal scene while the sun is setting for the day.

The Historic Water Wheel ; an important feature offering water for living, cleaning, agriculture and all. It was interesting to examine how man created solutions to challenges.

The Lighthouse which must have helped seamen in

their sea endeavors. It was still well kept.

Lunch at Cape Leeuwin. Lunch at awesome price. 

I guess the vast, flat grassland can be used for functions of all kinds; weddings, parties and more. Incidentally, we witnessed 2 ladies arriving in a helicopter from Perth? They came for lunch, Fanciful.

Grace and Aaron insisted on breakfast at this place; I have forgotten its name. 

They love to pamper themselves; we just followed suit.

The pier leading to the open sea was a sight.

More wines.

Here, it is wine and chocolates.

Miss Busybody is always so busy about birds, chickens and grapes.

The lush grapevine.

Locally produced products for sale; jams, olive oil, wines, honey and pastes.

We were given a chance to taste all wines produced.

I will miss her growing days.

Though not very attached to me, I love to hear her utterances and see her hilarious gestures.

But these two are great pals. They can do anything together. Grandpa gives in to her at all times.

That is reason why when the video call is on, it is always "Where is Kong Kong? I want to go Kong Kong house..."

Grandpa says she is growing up too fast.

Slow down a little.

The Perth Break

The December Getaway 

Time is running fast; in the blink of an eye it is already about 3 months ago since a trip to Perth. Grace and Aaron were gracious to invite us for a short break to Perth. The family last visited Perth some 20 years ago. The re visitation was timely but not sure if necessary.

We were fortunate as Aaron's student provided us accommodation at a beautiful suburbs. 

This comfortable 3 room house was home to us for many days. It was conveniently located and going to places was easy.

Vivien, mother to Aaron's student lived in Singapore for many years before returning to Australia. Familiar with the Singapore way of life, she hoped to meet her daughters who also grew up in Singapore for Christmas.

Just around where we stayed was Lake Monger where locals exercise, walk and run. Surrounding the lake were walkways so friendly to the most physically challenged ones. The ducks resting and paddling on the lake completed the final touch to the beautiful landscape.

Bougainvilleas in full bloom reminded me of home. The hot sun does its ultimate trick on the rich blooming. This is also a common sight in Brisbane; the tropical climate allows it.

Grace was to meet an old classmate, De Jun at the well known locale. Fremantle Market is synonymous to Perth; both can never been separated. It is the cultural melting pot of the city. You will find local products but all on a commercial bargain. I believe if you are a local, you will not buy items here. But we were here to appreciate, so we did just that.

The atmosphere was cheery and fun-filled. The local artists and artistes were creative and gave a hint of cultural practices and songs. It is good to be on holidays. You switch off and let your mind go numb and just savor in the delights of the moment. 

Creative pots and plates for decor and use.

 The paintings are depictive of local talents and taste.

The baobab tree.

The trunk stores water for survival in deserts. In my teens I learn Geography about the world. The Southern Continents talk of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. How can I forget about the Sahara Desert and the Baobab Tree? So, can I also assume that the tree was physically transported to this park? I think it is true of the Garden by the Bay in Singapore.

King's Park.

Throngs of folks come here to meet, eat, play and rest. Unable to meet De Jun at Fremantle , Grace decided that they should try to meet at King's Park. Here the two old classmates met up with their spouses and babies. Another generation as I watched them hug and exchange stories.

Born Malaysians, both Jun and husband studied in Australia and later decide to start a family in Perth. How time flew.

Little Emily is carefree. She gave a chase at the mandarin ducks and knew no fear. The space was truly good for her.

We find things to do. So the family ventured into a wildlife park.
The Caversham Wildlife Park.

The dry weather is symbolically represented in the charred appearance of the plants in the park at Caversham. Summer droughts and scorching heat were seen and  felt. You are bold to move around without the protection of the sun block. You can experience a shade darker on your skin. 

The park is maintained and lush trees cover its ground. The father, a nature lover examined and opined. I just tagged along and tried hard to be interested. Actually I was thinking about the malls, in particular Target Mall.I loved to shop there in Brisbane when Grace was a student then. I wondered what were the possible changes. 

The signage pointed to the whereabouts of the indigenous animals of the land. 

Birds were colourful and chirpy.

Kangaroos jumped and hopped freely and were not afraid of people. In fact, they seemed presumptuous as they demanded for food. Little Emily is fortunate to be able to feed them. Everyone in fact wanted a chance to do that. Not me though. 

Both grandpa and grand girl were elated that they could go so close to the wallaby. The park were filled with excited adults and children all fighting for an opportunity to be close to them. I felt they were not well mannered.

The kangaroos wrestled and scuffled in a short battle over food or partner? I was not sure. But it was interesting to see animals squabble like human beings. The koala bear was hanging on to the tree for life as it caught our attention. The these 2 species are the country's most spoken animals.

Another furry species, the Quokkas seem to originate from here too. They are species not seen by us before.

Next we watched the typical Australian farmer at his best job; shearing sheep. The merino sheep I learnt in my younger days is a precious animal here. You can tap its milk, fur, and meat for exports and local use. Suited to local weather conditions, the Merino sheep is popularly farmed and reared in the Australian Outback.

This is how vast the outer skin of a sheared sheep looks like. The skilful shearer successfully did the job without a hitch entertaining the spectators. It was thrilling to witness the process.

The sheep-pen where the animals are awaiting their turns to be sheared.

Beautiful thick coat they had.

This is how naked they look after the sheep-shearing process. 

I wonder how long after will they be sheared again.

The miking got Grace excited as she had always wanted a try at it. 

Both mother and daughter had first hand experience.

 Emily is so fortunate to have a chance at her age.

She had a whale of a time petting smaller species and ran around gleefully.

Caversham Wildlife Park is actually a mini zoo where families gather for a day of fun.

Emily with her grandparents.

In the evening, we scouted for eateries and found a restaurant by the lake. We were warmly greeted and had a great, expensive dinner. The truth is food is expensive here. We also felt the cost of everything seemed to have gone up; perhaps it was the exchange rate that caused us to dig deep into our pockets.

That was a short account of out stay in the city.

The next day we ventured further away from the city to its outback.