Western Australia – Travels with Ali

~ January Adventures – Family Fun in Busselton, Western Australia ~

The first half of January has been busy in the extreme! My son Laurence and his lovely fiancee Maddy tied the knot on January 3rd. Our house was full to the rafters with overseas family staying and various guests popping around to see us. It was the happiest two weeks I could imagine.

Our visitors wanted to visit South West WA for a few days. I managed to book an 8 bedroom house in Busselton. We were so happy that Laurence and Maddy decided to join us as well. I booked a few places to eat and drink as there were 17 of us in all. I couldn’t imagine turning up en masse without a booking. I was teased constantly that everywhere had better be good, otherwise there would be complaints to travelswithali!

To find a house this large and in high season was a feat in itself. There were enough bedrooms to accommodate all of us, so no-one had to sleep on the floor.

Our first lunch was spent at Shelter Brewing Company, right on the promenade overlooking the beach. The food came quickly and the beer was served in paddles, four at a time. Great for beer lovers who got the chance to sample a few.

After checking in and everyone choosing a room, we unpacked and headed to the beach.

Busselton Jetty is the longest pier in the Southern Hemisphere at 1,841 metres long. At the end of the pier there is an underwater jetty and sculpture park. To see the sculptures there are scuba diving tours.

There is a train that goes to the end and back for a fee. Otherwise a walk will take around 30 minutes each way. The beach is beautiful and great for small kids and adults who don’t like too many waves (me). With many restaurants, cafes and bars here it’s not difficult to find somewhere for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

On our second day, a few of the boys played a round of golf and the rest of us drove to Dunsborough. I’ve written about Dunsborough previoulsy. It’s a small town full of quirky shops and small boutiques. We did all manage to buy a few items.

Wild Hop Brewery was booked for 4pm. A fantastic place in Yallingup. By the time we arrived many of the items had disappeared off the menu. Also some of the staff were quite rude. Anyway after a few drinks we still enjoyed it.

On the morning of our last full day, we had a trip to Meelup Beach in the morning. I had booked a winery for the afternoon. Meelup Beach is also a child friendly beach with soft sand and beautiful clear water.

Next we were off to Lentedal Winery in Marybrooke, Margaret River. What a wonderful find this was. We had a table outside but under a shade cloth. Before ordering any food we did some wine tasting. After a scrumptious lunch we walked around the estate to look at the animals.

We had an absolutely perfect time away together. There’s nothing like a family holiday. I’m not sure when we will all be together again like this, living so far apart from each other. People have busy lives and jobs to do. Flights are expensive and holidays are short. We made so many memories to treasure and look back on. I made a Whatsapp group and can look back and read all the hilarious messages that were posted daily.

I did manage a walk to the end of Busselton Pier with Anthony, quite an accomplishment!

~ Postcard from Perth ~ Swan River and Heirisson Island

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.

Spanish Black Granite Sculpture
Oushi Zokei

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.

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.

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.

Also linking to Jo’s Monday Walks

~ Dunsborough Days – Food, Wine, Cocktails and More ~

Over the next couple of days we had many outings planned, wineries, breweries, new and old restaurants, shopping and of course cards would be on the agenda.

Our first stop was a new brewery in town called Southcamp. We enjoyed a delicious lunch with wine and ciders.

They couldn’t resist the temptation to pick up the bats.

Then it was back to the house and straight down to the beach with bathers on. I was definitely going to get in today. Viv and I had a long walk past the sand bank and along the water. Actually quite strenuous pushing through the water. As it’s so shallow I dragged myself back in on my stomach just using my arms, commando style, quite hilarious to watch and very ungraceful.

It took at least twenty shots before I managed the last position.

Before going out for dinner we had time for a few games of cards, glass of wine and snacks on the verandah.

Dinner was in town at a restaurant called Blue Manna Bistro. It was a place I’ve been trying to go for the longest time. We nearly didn’t get in though as the booking hadn’t gone through, but the manager kindly set up a table on the deck outside. Although only a Wednesday night, this place was buzzing.

I’m very happy we managed to get a table as this meal was truly scrumptious.

We were up again early the next day and we took a long walk along the beach footpath.

I had fun with the last photo here, although there were complaints about how uncomfortable it was.

Some more sculptures to play around with, my turn this time!

The gap in the sculpture makes a perfect frame.

Then onto our favourite restaurant, Meelup Farm, which I’ve posted about before.

**Atlantic salmon, green harissa spice, preserved lemon + honey yoghurt**

Wise Winery was our next stop, apparently the only winery in Australia with a sea view. We had coffee here and stocked up on wine.

All too soon it was time to pack up and head back to Perth, but not before stopping for breakfast on the way home.

The four of us all agreed we had an excellent few days. Hopefully we will be able to do the same next year.

History of Dunsborough

Prior to European colonisation, the land was populated by Indigenous people, the tribe along the coast was called Wardandi (sea people). These Indigenous peoples referred to Dunsborough by the name of Quedjinup, which means “Place of Women”
The modern town is named after the nearby Dunn Bay, which was named after Captain Richard Dalling Dunn under whom Governor James Stirling had served in the Hibernia and the Armide in 1810–11.
A general store was opened in 1925 and the town’s first bakery was established in 1930. It seems there wasn’t a school until 1963. During the 1960’s surfing became very popular and the ideal conditions brought many tourists to the region. Source: Wikipedia

Thanks for coming along with the fab four on our journey to Dunsborough

😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

~ Postcard from Perth ~ 28 October 2023

The last week here in Perth has been pretty busy for me and last weekend I was out and about in the hills of Perth. On Saturday I went on an art trail with a friend. In the hills and surrounding areas there are many small galleries, featuring all kinds of crafts, artwork and sculptures. There was an open day so we took the chance to have a glimpse at the work. It was also a great way to see some of the countryside. The weather has been fantastic, but I haven’t put away all my winter gear just yet as it is still very cool in the evenings.

Some of the artwork in the gardens

We saw some beautiful houses, all very different, I couldn’t live up there though with the danger of bush fires throughout the summer.

On Sunday we had our winery date and once again drove out into the countryside, this time to the Wheatbelt region. About an hour and 15 minutes drive from our house. I had booked lunch at Stringy Bark Winery. In the middle of the state forest (luckily we didn’t get lost this time actually in the forest itself as we did the week before!).

It doesn’t look much more than a shack but nice and cosy inside and a good menu too.

**Chicken liver pate with cranberry relish**

This was absolutely delicious which I had with a glass ..or two.. of their Verdehlo.

**A bottle of their Cabernet Savignon to take home**

🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫 🟫

Monday I drove over to Elena’s and had lunch with her and Rosie in a cafe on the river. I saw some amazing murals on the toilet block. Better than having them look like a concrete grey block. My feature photo is looking across the river.

Beautiful mosaic decorated box

The parks and reserves on the river banks in Perth are great places to visit. There are always bbq facilities, picnic areas and of course intricately designed playgrounds for kids. There are also purpose built playground equipment for wheelchairs. A day out doesn’t have to be expensive, who doesn’t love a picnic.

Linking to Pull up a Seat and Weekend Coffee Share/PPAC

~ A View Through a Web ~

I was at the park the other day with my granddaughter and this view caught my eye. I like a photo to be naturally framed.

This was taken with my Samsung S22, I didn’t edit it but did use Ribbett to frame the frame – so to speak. I like the sectioned views of the Perth Skyline.

Perfect for John’s Cellpic Sunday and Debbie’s One Word Sunday – View.

~ A Day Trip to Mandurah, Western Australia – Following in the Footsteps of Giants ~

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.

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.

Posted as part of

Natalie’s Public Art Challenge
Jo’s Monday Walk

~ A Jewel in the Ocean, Rottnest Island, WA ~

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 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 did a fair amount of walking so I will link to Jo’s Monday Walk. As it was an island a link for Jez’s Water Water Everywhere.

☀️ Thanks for reading ☀️

~ Gallivanting with Girlfriends – Road Trip to Dunsborough, Western Australia ~

We finally set the dates and found accommodation to suit all our needs – basically a room each and at least two bathrooms. I had booked a fabulous house across from the beach with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. This trip was a celebration of Cheryl’s ??th birthday and we had been looking forward to it for a while. So with the boot jampacked with bags, cases, snacks and wine we set off around 9.30 am. The drive is approximately 3 hours, a bit more with a coffee and lunch stop along the way.

Our first stop was a farm shop with a cafe where we had coffee. I’m a bit wary of horses so I thought I was quite brave to go in for a stroke, but this horse was just too adorable not to.

**Happy Wives at The Happy Wife, Bunbury**

Second stop was a lunch break in Bunbury in a place called The Happy Wife with a view of the water.

We arrived at the house just before the check in time but luckily the keys were in the box already. After we had sorted out who was to sleep in what room, with Cheryl having the best of course we set off for Dunsborough to do a spot of shopping, as you would on a girls’ trip. We all love the shops here as they are very different from Perth and no big name brands. There are some great quirky shops to pop in and out of.

Back to the house and to make a start on the wine and snacks we had brought with us before heading out for dinner.

Here we all are having a gossip on our veranda

Time for dinner at Caves House which is around a ten minute drive away. We have all been to Caves House before either to stay or have dinner. It is set in beautiful grounds so we had a wander before heading in for dinner.

Returning to the house after for – yes you guessed another bottle – and a game or two of Monopoly Cards. I have to say the game took a bit of getting used to without a board!

🥂 Until tomorrow for day two 🥂

~ Hometown Tourist or Worldwide Traveller ~

To stay near or go far that is the question that Terri from Second Wind Leisure is asking this week for the Sunday Stills Challenge.

For me it will always be to travel far and hopefully on a plane to somewhere exotic. But any kind of travelling is okay, as long as it involves a suitcase and a new destination. I love the planning stage of a trip and normally by the end of it I know the place inside out! Sometimes I’ve completely changed my mind after sifting through reviews and images of the destination I had in mind.

During the two year “lockdown” that Australia had – no-one in and no-one out – only the most extenuating circumstances accepted, we did a few “home” trips. By that I don’t mean staying in the house but actually exploring Western Australia. Western Australia was the most locked in state, we couldn’t even travel to anywhere in Australia.

We did most of this travelling in the South West of Western Australia and tried to go to towns that we had never been before, although one trip was to Kalgoorlie which is 600 km east of Perth.

I have written posts about most of these mini-breaks but here’s a gallery of some of the photos.

Mini Breaks – 2020

2020 was also the last year that my parents would visit us, so Covid was good in the fact that they had to stay for five months and not their normal three! My nephew was also visiting and we had some wonderful days out.

Gidgeganup
Gidgeganup
Shelley Beach
Cottesloe Beach
Baskerville Winery

“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.”

A Winter’s Afternoon in Fremantle

We spent a few hours in Fremantle today to enjoy the winter sun. Sitting in a beachfront pub enjoying a drink and watching some children playing in the waves. The sun was shining but the temperature was only 14 degrees! Kids can’t resist the sea and they were all fully clothed, jackets, jumpers and trousers, we watched them squelch past us later dripping wet. They had a blast though.

I took some photos for Debbie’s One Word Sunday – Straight.

**The straight trunks of Norfolk Pines**

It’s the end of winter next week, I’m looking forward to Spring and warmer days.

Tag: Western Australia

~ January Adventures – Family Fun in Busselton, Western Australia ~

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~ Postcard from Perth ~ Swan River and Heirisson Island

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~ Dunsborough Days – Food, Wine, Cocktails and More ~

History of Dunsborough

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~ Postcard from Perth ~ 28 October 2023

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~ A View Through a Web ~

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~ A Day Trip to Mandurah, Western Australia – Following in the Footsteps of Giants ~

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~ A Jewel in the Ocean, Rottnest Island, WA ~

About Rottnest Island

Salt Lakes

☀️ Thanks for reading ☀️

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~ Gallivanting with Girlfriends – Road Trip to Dunsborough, Western Australia ~

🥂 Until tomorrow for day two 🥂

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~ Hometown Tourist or Worldwide Traveller ~

Mini Breaks – 2020

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A Winter’s Afternoon in Fremantle

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History of Dunsborough

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About Rottnest Island

Salt Lakes

☀️ Thanks for reading ☀️

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🥂 Until tomorrow for day two 🥂

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Mini Breaks – 2020

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