At the beginning of the month I had an overnight stay at the Crown Perth with my lovely friends. The hotel sits right by the Swan River and even though none of us had taken the correct walking shoes we still managed to have a wander by the water.
I was happy to see some sculptures along the way too.
Matagarup BridgeLittle Pied ComorantSpanish Black Granite Sculpture Oushi ZokeiIconic Black SwanDame Mary Durack – Australian HistorianLisa and Willem de Vlamingh
Willem de Vlamingh was a Dutch sea captain and arrived in Perth during the late 17th century. He named the Swan River after the large number of black swans he saw. He and his crew first landed on Rottnest Island and saw numerous quokkas (a native marsupial), and thinking they were large rats he named it ‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottenest (“Rats’ Nest Island”).
The reason for our stay was to have our last girls’ hurrah before the lovely Lisa departs for good back to the US. A few photos below of the fun we had.
Having our own rooms was a luxury.
High Tea complete with gluten free and vegetarian options.
Next was a swim by the pool and then off to the casino to try and win some of our luxury stay back! Sadly we didn’t hit any jackpots.
Then some fun in our rooms before checking out.
🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂
With school holidays on at the moment I thought I would take the munchkins to Heirisson Island where there is a kangaroo sanctuary. It’s not far from us but never having been there I asked Anthony along to be the driver. We easily found a carpark and proceeded along the river in search of kangaroos. Rosie didn’t bring shoes so all I had to offer was an old pair of Lachie’s wellies, which were a tad tight! After walking for ten minutes she started to cry saying her feet hurt, so onto Anthony’s back she went.
With the extreme hot weather Western Australia has been experiencing, everything was very brown and scrubby.
We walked along the river for a while and there was a lovely breeze blowing off it, but once we were in the middle with no shade it was fairly hot.
Still excited and not too tired yet!
We finally found a bench to sit and have some snacks but no kangaroos had been sighted.
Yagan, Leader of the Nyoongar people
Thinking we would have to walk back we came across another family who were looking at their phone. I went up to them and said have you seen any yet, and was informed that the husband had found a group but we had better hurry as they were bounding away.
Happy chappy
They were hard to spot, being camouflaged by the brown grass. As you can see Lachie was very happy that we finally found some.
Heirisson Island was named after French midshipman François-Antoine Boniface Heirisson in 1801. It was once home to the Nyoongar people.
On a hot sunny Monday, a public holiday here in WA, we set off to find some of the Giants of Mandurah. Checking the website for these huge wooden trolls, offered no clues and it stated that we could grab a map from the tourist office to walk the trail. It also said “please do not reveal the locations to others”. However, being the cheat that I am – sometimes – I did a quick google and found some of the locations. They are all fairly far apart, so not sure about walking these great distances.
First though we found a waterside restaurant and had lunch and a drink. As you can imagine everywhere was busy and the boardwalk was humming with people. We sat and watched a bunch of youngsters jumping from tiny wooden posts into the water below.
Mandurah is just over an hour’s drive from Perth and it’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Walking around the canals that form part of the town or along the estuary to see if you can spot a dolphin.
It was around a ten minute drive to the first Giant, and at first I thought we had gone wrong somewhere! We ended up in a cul de sac with a small garden in the middle, that was chockablock with cars parked, it must be so annoying for the locals. Seeing everyone walking down a small pathway, we just followed and hoped for the best.
The Giant below is called “Santi Ikto”. He was at the top of a large sand dune and I suppose ten to fifteen minutes from the car.
These figures are all the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo and were created to celebrate the diversity, beauty and importance of the natural world, with his works handmade using recycled and locally sourced materials.
Santi Ikto
I didn’t have to wait too long before all the kids and even adults had stopped climbing over him to get a decent photo.
Views from the top
Our next one was also off the beaten track and had to follow google maps very closely to find him!
I wasn’t brave enough to clamber down onto the rocks to see the face. This one is called “Seba’s Song”.
We were also lucky enough to see a dolphin, only the one though. A short video for you. Warning – turn sound down!
One lonely dolphin!
On our way back to the car we stopped and watched the kite surfers jumping over the white horses that were being whipped up by the wind, then skimming back towards the shore. Perfect weather conditions for them today.
By now Anthony said time to head back, the other Giants will have to wait for another day. Happy that we managed to see two of them as I thought they were very impressive. Sadly one has already been destroyed deliberately by fire. Some people just can’t help themselves.
Making the most of our time with Laurence and Maddy, we all decided to have a day trip to Rottnest Island. I had not been to Rottnest for over 15 years and it was a high time for a visit. We were booked for the 8 am ferry and they all wanted to hire bikes. Rottnest has a no car policy, navigating the island is by bike or on the island bus. I declined the bike riding, can’t remember the last time I was on a bike, and did not want to chance any mishaps before my trip to the UK!
A map of Rottnest Island, the ferries dock at Thomson Bay. Some of the beaches and also the shopping area are within walking distance.
The Quokka Explorer
Arriving into Thomson Bay
One super excited boy
The ferry is around a 30 minute ride over and can at times be quite bumpy. As there were no online bookings for bikes left just walk-ins, Laurence and Maddy headed off super quick to get in line. They were successful.
After hiring the bikes we headed into the main settlement to have breakfast and decide on the day’s itinerary.
Two very happy munchkins in their wagon
We went to The Basin as our first stop, a few minutes ride and a ten minute walk for me. By the time we arrived around 10.30 am it was pretty packed. A spot near the water was found and it wasn’t long before we were all in. The water is very shallow and you have to walk across rocks and seaweed to reach the deeper parts. I attempted this but then realised I wouldn’t be able to haul myself out onto the rock again! What a waste of effort.
The Basin
The water is crystal clear and various shades of turquoise
We parted ways after this and agreed to meet back at the pub for lunch around 1.30 pm. I decided I would walk to the next beach and they headed in the other direction to Parakeet Bay. I was wearing my new solar top for swimming as the sun is so strong here.
Pinky’s Beach
This was a much better swimming beach and I was able to swim without my feet touching the sand, also no rocks. I had a glorious swim here, but wanted to see more of the island so thought I should get a move on.
There aren’t too many affordable places to stay on this island so most people come for the day. There is a very expensive hotel called The Samphire. In the high season it’s around AU $800 per night. Other options are glamping, also expensive, camping and cabins. For people who have their own boats, it’s a wonderful place to anchor for the day.
About Rottnest Island
The island is a Class A Reserve, home to the Quokka. These small marsupials roam freely around and are very tame. There are notices everywhere not to feed them, they can be found around the bins and under tables in the cafes! You can pet them although there are warnings not to go too near, it is hard to resist though.
As you can imagine Lachie and Rosie were beside themselves looking for them. Not just the kids though, I saw many people in the strangest poses, lying on their backs to get selfies with them.
Rottnest has a very shameful past and was originally called Wadjemup, meaning “place across the water where the spirits are”, and belonged to the Noongar People. From 1838 until the 1930s it served as an annex of Fremantle Prison. It was used to incarcerate thousands of Indigenous men and boys from the ages of 8 to 70, often for minor offences such as stealing food. The name Rottnest came from the Dutch invaders in the 1600’s who thought the quokkas were rats and called it Rat Nest Island.
My husband’s family has connections to Rottnest, with one of Anthony’s Great Uncles (times 3 or 4) being the second Governor of Western Australia from 1839 to 1846. By the time he was Governor things between the indigenous people and the settlers had deteriorated very badly, with extremely harsh punishment meted out by the previous Governor. John Hutt implemented a policy of protecting the rights of Aborigines, and educating them where possible.
Most places in Australia have a dark history I’ve found, after travelling to many of the states.
The top left photo is the Wadjemup Museum for Children. The top right photo is The Chapel, built around 1860, not just a place of worship but a school too. It was constructed by Aboriginal prisoners. The two bottom photos speak for themselves. I had a wander around but this was the only grave I could read, quite sad.
Salt Lakes
As you can see from the map the island also has many salt lakes dotted around. This one was called Garden Lake. There are 12 in total and have four times the amount of salt that is in the ocean. Despite this the plant life continues to thrive.
The church was next on my walk around and I saw that it was open so went in to look at the fabulous stained glass windows.
By now it was time to meet up for lunch. The sun was beating down and I needed to sit after walking so much. I didn’t get to see half the island and definitely making plans to come back.
Photos from Elena of Parakeet Bay.
Our ferry back was leaving at 4 pm, so time for a leisurely lunch, where many cocktails and beers were consumed. My dear son ever the prankster filled an empty beer bottle with sea water and said to Damian I can’t finish this, so Damian said I’ll finish it! Laurence laughed just in time that he didn’t swallow any. Revenge is being planned.
We all had the most wonderful day and I’m so glad I motivated myself to go.
I hope this post “piques your interest” I’ll be linking it to Marsha’s Wednesday Quotes.
I had been meaning to visit Hyde Hall Gardens for some time but the weather was always against us or we had other plans. So on the first fine day we decided to drive over and have a look. My dear husband seemed aghast when we arrived and found out it wasn’t an old building we were visiting but a vast garden!
Hyde Hall Gardens is owned and managed by The Royal Horticultural Society and covers more than 365 acres of land. It is divided up into different types of gardens ranging from Mediterranean, Australian/New Zealand, Winter, Vegetable and Dry gardens. There is a large nursery from which to buy plants from. There are panoramic views of the rolling hills and the Essex countryside. We had an amazing morning here walking around and marvelling at all kinds of plants, trees and flowers.
Views from the top
Sculptures by David Watkinson
Coppiced Willows “Allow yourself to bend like a willow in the wind, so that you will not break”
“Daffodils, That come before the swallow dares, and take The winds of March with beauty“ ~ William Shakespeare ~
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope” ~ Lady Bird Johnson ~
As you can see it was a glorious day, bitterly cold but the sun was shining making the water glisten and the flowers look brighter.
Blooming magnolia tree
The old farmhouseOne of the old barnsGabion Wall A gabion is a cage, cylinder or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road building, military applications and landscaping. – Source: WikipediaA Koala in the Australian GardenA Performing Red Robin
Finally time for a rest!
We enjoyed our time at Hyde Hall Gardens, it’s a great place to visit to stretch your legs and get your daily exercise. A place of peace and tranquility with many places to sit and rest and enjoy the magnificent views.
“Cheerio everyone”
This is the last post for the “Enjoying Essex” series as we are now back in our homeland of Perth, WA. I hope you have enjoyed travelling along with us in Essex.
I’ve linked this post with a few challenges that I’ve enjoyed over the years.
