In the meantime our dear friends, Ralph and Hanny were returning home from their trip to Darwin. They would be passing our place early Wednesday evening and would love to drop by. We told them to come early afternoon and then they would be able to join us for a meal in town with Clare. They readily agreed and arrived around 3pm, towels at the ready to shower and change clothes. Then we drove into town to collect Clare off the train. She arrived just a short while after we got to the station (just as well 'coz we parked in the 15minute waiting zone.)
We all went to our favourite eatery - Angkor Cafe. Not flash but very good food.
Ralph and Hanny chatted about their trip and Clare told us about her day in Perth, where, as the showers kept sprinkling she went to the theatre to see David Suchet in The Last Confession. Afterwards she got to meet him and had a photo taken with him. How are we going to top that!
(Don't know what showers she was on about, it was a lovely sunny day at our place, I'd done the washing and got the towels dry)
Getting 5 people and luggage in a Getz is very squeezy, just as well that a few days earlier we had bought a Tucson. (Found one on sale on 'Gumtree'. Very nice 2009, automatic, a/c and cruise control)
Plenty of room for us all. We were still fumbling with the cruise control (different to the one in the motor home) but lots of space and very comfortable.
The next morning we had a very relaxed chatty start and after lunch Ralph and Hanny headed south, home.
We took Clare out to Guilderton foreshore and lookout then further up the coast to Lancelin. The weather was lovely, a little overcast but not cold like Canberra.
That evening we decided that a couple of days further north would be nice, so we phoned up and booked into a superior chalet at the Dongara Tourist Park, "your retreat on south beach", for the next 2 nights.
Clare was excited to be having 'a holiday whilst on holiday'.
So the next morning we headed off, back up the Indian Ocean Drive. We stopped in Jurien Bay to have lunch at the bakery and then up to Dongara, well almost, the park is actually in Port Denison, near the harbour.We arrived, as we said we would, around 3pm and checked in. The staff were very, very pleasant (unlike the staff we'd encountered a few years ago at a different Dongara caravan park who were so extremely rude and unpleasant that the overseas couple who arrived after us left in tears).
The chalet was a really lovely size, plenty of room and a balcony out the front with uninterrupted ocean views.
Michael and I struck lucky and got the bedroom with the huge queen bed, (and tv and a/c), Clare had her choice of one of the four bunk beds in the other bedroom.
We drove into Dongara, walked up and down the main street, bought a few essentials, crisps, nuts, wine and (non-alcoholic) beer). Then headed back to enjoy 'happy hour' on our own balcony.
Staying right next to the ocean there really was only one choice for dinner - Fish and Chips.
The next day we were off day tripping. We headed towards Geraldton but stopped off at the Greenough Village, just 25km south of Geraldton. The Greenough Flats form the flood plain of the area near the mouth of the Greenough River. During the 1960s it became a thriving agricultural area and Central Greenough developed as the local administrative centre, with schools, churches, stores and police station and courthouse.
We hadn't actually stopped and had a look around for about 30 years so were overdue a visit. It was a very nice way to spend a morning. There were no crowds and the alpaca kept us company as we wandered around. There are several buildings in the settlement that have been restored and feature displays from that time. In the restored school (just one room) there were sheets of paper with questions in the elementary school bursary exam from "The Education Circular" Western Australia, 1898.
We didn't fare too well - how would you go?
Here are a few examples ....
If 450 people wanted to travel a journey of 250miles at three-farthings a mile, what would all the fares amount to?3
How many hours from 9 o'clock a.m. on the 1st June to 7 o'clock p.m. on the 30th June?
When and where was the battle of Waterloo fought? Who were the commanders on either side? What were the results of the battle?
Whom did Queen Victoria marry? Give a short sketch of his character.
After a cuppa we headed on to Geraldton where our first port of call was the Cathedral. Clare appreciated the exterior of the building more than the inside, she was not a fan of the horizontal stripes. We decided on a 'fast food' lunch, but the queue at the Subway sandwich bar meant it took a while. With subways in hand we drove up the Sydney Memorial and ate lunch in the park alongside the memorial. After enjoying the views out over the town we headed out towards the Chapman Valley but turned Eastwards and made our way out to Mullewa.
We arrived in Mullewa at 14:59 just as the volunteer, church guide and the museum guide were going home. We couldn't blame them and beg them to stay longer because they were both about 80 years old, had been there since before 10:00am and had not had lunch. (we did ask). The church is regarded as the jewel in all of Father Hawes work.
We left Mullewa and continued over the country to Mingenew before heading westwards, back to the coast at Dongara in time for another happy hour as the sun set.
Another take away for dinner, Chinese this time (strangely Clare was able to have Spaghetti Carbonara from the Chinese!)
Our two days had gone so quickly, it was time to head home again. We took the scenic route south so that we could enjoy some wildflowers en route. There were lots around but the spectacular 'wreath flowers' were still a couple of weeks away from blooming.
Another day, another day trip.
We headed off to WAs oldest inland town, York. We stopped for lunch in Northam on the way.
In York we did a quick driving tour of the town and then parked in the main street, outside the Old Gaol. We stuck our heads into the old Courthouse and enjoyed playing Criminal (Michael), Witness(me) and Judge(Clare).
The lady was so friendly and chatty that we paid our fee and went for a tour of the Courthouse complex.
Another day, so another day trip.
We headed south and visited a shop in Kelmscott that sells a huge range of English produce. Clare had limited luggage space (carry on only) but managed to find room for 6 tubes of Wine Gums.
Then we were off to Fremantle, we stopped for lunch at a cafe on the edge of a shopping centre. Clare spotted it as we passed by so we turned around and parked. When we walked in we thought it was a 'book cafe' but after sitting down and ordering we realised that it was a 'Christian cafe'. Nothing wrong with that - the place was very clean, the food was fresh and tasty. If we're ever driving down South Street in that area again at lunch time, it would be our first choice for lunch.
Then we drove to Fremantle. When we first arrived in Australia we lived in a block of flats in the centre of Fremantle. It was great, then the America's Cup came to town and the town got a massive face lift.
It was even better.
But since then it's been slowly going downhill. Fremantle council is 'green', and as such really does it's best to discourage cars in town. As a result the businesses are in decline and quite a few of the big stores have left town for large shopping centres. (this is Australia - everyone has a car, people do not walk to local shops. )
Flying in the face of things Freo, we drove around town. We passed the old Prison, the Warders houses (Jaylu Flats) and the Police Station and courthouse. The Police station is now closed for renovation (as is the whole court complex and some lovely old cottages). We drove down High Street and discovered that the Police station is now in the old Commonwealth Bank building. Not quite sure how a police station on a one way street works.
We drove around the Port and then out of town, across the river and up the coast towards home.
We drove along Cottesloe beach front passing what is likely to be Australia's most expensive home, the recently restored 12 bedroom, Tukurua. We're so glad that it has been restored, it's always been such a lovely house in a fantastic location. The asking price is around $50 million. (we drove on)
The house was built in 1896 as the summer residence of WAs first attorney-general Septimus Burt
During WWII refugees from Singapore and returned servicemen stayed at the house.
Miss Dorothea Cass inherited the house in 1945 (from her mother, a relative of Septimus Burt).
Miss Cass, the first woman in WA to graduate with a bachelor of arts at UWA, left the house to Ted Smith when she died in 1994. She did not have children and had never married. She had met Mr Smith through friends and asked him to water the garden and live in a small cottage, to help her look after the house. Their 22 year friendship was never romantic and Mr Smith feels that he was left the house 'because she knew I wouldn't squander it'.
Mr Smith spent from 2003 to 2009 restoring the house but now he's approaching 82yrs old feels that it's time to 'downsize'.
(photos courtesy 'Perth Now' web site. info courtesy West Australian web site)
One day left. Clare was catching the 23:55 flight so we had a whole day to enjoy. We decided on Hillarys Boat Harbour for lunch despite the rain. The showers did lift enough for us to have a walk along the boardwalk, checking out the boats. It was a bit too chilly to eat alfresco so we sat at a table inside at Dome cafe. A lovely lunch.
Then we headed northwards up Marmion Avenue, past the new beach side suburbs. As it was Wednesday and just after 14:00 the homes in the various Display Villages were open for inspection - in we went.
We built our house about 15 years ago and there was a fashion then for certain things, a 'shoppers entry' doorway from carport to kitchen. All the builders at the time had similar designs. Designs change but the similarity between builders doesn't. The current 'in' thing is a separate preparation area in an area just behind the main kitchen.
We called into one of the land sales offices and looked over the blocks to be released. The block sizes are getting smaller, new houses are almost touching their neighbours when they are built in these developments. There were a few absolute ocean frontage blocks on the plans but their release date was still in the ether, "at least 10 or 15 years away, we will sell the blocks nearest to Marmion Avenue first, where we are building a shopping centre, high school and where the station will be". The railway's extension is still in limbo, so the whole project is slowing. Not for us then, the salesman looked aghast when I asked if any Retirement villages were included in the development!
Then we continued north to Yanchep and turned to follow the coast to Two Rocks were we did another driving tour around the town and marina before heading back out to the Indian Ocean Drive and home.
Clare's 'holidays whilst on holiday' was over.
We took her to the airport, which was as busy as it is in daytime. Perth has midnight flights to Eastern States so that they arrive at their destination after their 6:00 curfew. It works.
Perth people are used to flights arriving and departing in the early hours of the day. They still have one of the world's highest 'meet and greet' numbers. So if you fly into Perth do not feel embarrassed about making your relatives or friends come out to the airport at some ungodly hour - they were expecting it once they knew you were coming.
So we were back home and had no excuse to put off the gardening.....except that we both got sick with winter head colds.
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