Busselton

Carolyn at quirky, nearby Cowaramup.

Dusty Peppermint Park Eco Village.

Happy New Year to all, from our new base at Busselton, in Western Australia's South West. We travelled down from Perth after Boxing Day, and have been lazing away in the beautiful South West, right on the edge of Geographe Bay. It is about a three hour drive. This is a rich and beautiful part of WA, situated on the edge of the famous Margaret River wine growing area. Indeed, we are just 30kms from the town of Margaret River. It is a popular holiday destination for Perth dwellers, and the place is packed. Accommodation is at a premium, and we were lucky to get a spot, even though we booked back in September!! Even then, we just got a cancellation, at the Peppermint Park Big4 Eco Village, some 12 kilometres west of Busselton, on the road to Dunsborough. It is an award winning caravan park, which may be the reason they think they can gouge the prices for the holiday season, $70.00 per night, double the regular rate!! You'd have thought for all that money they could have at least watered the grass!! Some regulars brought their own sprinklers to keep the dust down, but I reckon for the money we're paying, they can water their own bloody grass!!

The Leeuwin II at Busselton Pier.

Busselton Pier.

The weather has been lovely. Still no rain, though the nights have been much cooler than we had expected, with minimums getting down around 10 - 12 degrees. For us, that's freezing!!! But the days of 28 to 36 degrees warm us up. Busselton is right on the shores of Geographe Bay. It has a huge jetty, that stretches 1.8kms out into the bay. It is the focal point of town, and you can walk along it, or catch the train, all the way to the end and the Underwater Observatory. People fish along it, and swim off it. Whatever the time of day, it is packed. During our visit, a beautiful 4 masted sailing ship was moored alongside. The Leeuwin II is a training ship based in Fremantle, and has sailed down for a few days. Geographe Bay is one of those few north facing bays on the west coast. It is beautifully protected from the prevailing winds that come off the Indian Ocean, so it is usually smooth and blue, with a huge sweep of white sand as far as the eye can see. There are walking paths and bicycle tracks all along the bay, so little wonder it is such a popular spot with the locals.

Not a bad place to walk.

Some locals take a rest.

Each morning we walk out of the caravan park, and head out over to the bay. Some mornings we walk along the beach, others we walk along the cycleway. If it is hot, we just jump into the clear waters and have a swim. If you have to walk, and believe me we have to walk off happy hour, coffee and cake etc., then this is the place to do it. One morning we decided to take out the bikes. It

Why Carolyn walks!!

had been a while since we'd had the bikes off the bike rack. I had

The train at Busselton Pier.

spent the previous afternoon cleaning off the layers of red and brown dust, and lubricating all the moving parts, most of which weren't moving! Well, the maintenance failed, and we had to curtail the ride as the gears weren't working and the brakes had gone out in sympathy. We limped home, and booked the bikes into the Bicycle Hospital, where a miracle worker was going to perform the impossible! We'll see!! After the long ride back, we headed for our local coffee spot, "Hodge Podge", which is very nice, but struggles to cope with the holiday crowds at peak times. The food and coffee is great, just dodge the crowds! There is also a terrific coffee scene in Busselton itself. So many choices, and really good standard. And, if you like ice cream, and who doesn't on these hot summer days, then you just have to find Simmo's down at the pier. It is an institution, and the ice cream is fantastic, especially the salted caramel!!!

Moira, Carolyn, Di, Graeme & Geoff.

Back at the caravan park, we have met the neighbours, who arrived the same day as us. They are two couples from Perth, who have come down for a week. Moira & Geoff, Di & Graeme, they've been friends for a long time, and have been coming for years, usually with kids and grandkids, but this year it is just the four of them, and Moira & Geoff's brand new caravan. First night, they invited us for a drink at Happy Hour. We hit it off and made some great new friends. Happy hour turned into dinner, and we shared some fantastic evenings, including New Year's Eve, when we all headed off to a local place at nearby Dunsborough, called Clancy's Fish Pub. It is a great place, really buzzing with people. It is a pub on a restricted license, serving beer wine and cider only. The food was good.

Mum duck with her ducklings.

After dinner, we headed back to the caravan park, where there were lots of parties in full swing. We saw in the New Year with some sparklers that Moira had brought with her. Just another great night, though some of the other neighbours got a bit carried away, and just didn't know when to go to bed! I enjoyed a game of golf with Graeme & Geoff at the nearby Dunsborough Lakes Golf Club. It is a nice course, and was surprisingly quiet for the holiday season. While we golfed, the girls wandered up to Hodge Podge for breakfast. We made some other new friends, the local ducks, who every night turned up for food. Carolyn now has a supply of seed, just for the ducks. Some nights we have up to a dozen for dinner, including a mum with her nine ducklings.

The beach at Bunker Bay.

Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.

This whole area is a playground for the old rich, the new rich miners, the famous, and the rest of us. The new rich miners are not very popular with the old rich and famous. This is a classy area, and the old rich don't appreciate the new arrivals with their fast cars, fast boats and fast women in one size too small shorts. They drink Coronas (with lime wedge!) from the bottle, and there isn't a champagne flute in sight! They have been buying up the properties around town,

Looking towards Eagle Bay.

The coastline at the Quarries.

because they sure do have the money, and the Bottle Shops have the mountains of Corona cartons to prove it! There is some wonderful scenery, and some amazing contrasts. At Cape Naturaliste, the lighthouse stands as a sentry where the Indian Ocean meets Gegraphe Bay. On the ocean side, the wind is howling and the sea covered in white caps. On the bay side, the water is calm, and studded with beautiful protected bays. The shoreline is home to some magnificent houses, and secluded resorts. Bunker Bay, Eagle Bay, Meelup Beach, are all lovely spots to have a swim, and Bunker Bay is home to a lovely restaurant, where we took our afternoon coffee and a delightful nectarine tart. We also stopped at Yallingup and Gracetown, along the Indian Ocean coast, and marvelled at the holiday homes and their seven figure price tags!

The Margaret Riviera!

With the holiday crowds around, we've been just laying low. We aren't used to the crowds! We plan to be around this area well after the crowds have thinned a little, so have plenty of time ahead to look around. We did call in at nearby Cowaramup and Margaret River, which are both lovely and worthy of more detailed exploration, but could hardly find a car parking spot! Cowaramup is full of black & white cows. Quite quirky, and great for tourism. We farewelled our friends who were heading back to Perth and their working lives, and started to get our caravan ready to go in for repairs. In mid January we are flying off to Sydney for a quick visit. During this time, we have the caravan booked in for a big repair. Not sure if I've mentioned it, but the large slide out in our caravan has sagged in the middle, and the entire wall on the same side, has started to delaminate near the front. This is all under Jayco's warranty, and the work will be undertaken by their authorised repairer in Perth while we are in Sydney. We have to empty all the cupboards and wardrobes along that side, which is a huge job, and then have to store it all somewhere else in the caravan and car. What a mess!

Carolyn with the birthday girls & mum.

Yummy breakfast at
The Grounds.

We dropped the caravan off at PDA Caravan Repairs, booked into The Pensione Hotel in Perth for an overnight stay, and early next morning headed for the airport and our flight to Sydney. We are staying with Nancy & Keith, and have a busy round of social events as we catch up with family and friends. First up, on the Friday night, was dinner with Cheryl & Chris. It was lovely to catch up after such a long time. Even though we speak and exchange emails and text messages, it is so nice to catch up face to face. 

Dinner with Cheryl & Chris.

John with his mum.

Saturday, we started with breakfast at a new place Nancy & Keith had found in Waterloo. Called "The Grounds", it is on Bourke Road towards the Gardiners Road end, and situated on an old brickworks site. You might have read about a little pig called Kevin Bacon, who got nicked from a cafe in Waterloo, well this is the place. Kevin's back and the place is unbelievable. We arrived at 8.10am and had to wait for a table!!!! If you live in Sydney, or are just visiting, find your way to "The Grounds" for a really unique dining experience. Our breakfasts were absolutely delicious, and a real step up from your average "Big Breakfast". That

John & Carolyn with Marcus.

Belinda, Jenny & Adrienne
with cake.

afternoon, we had a big reunion with John's family, a little bit of a late Christmas, and birthday's for family members Belinda, Adrienne and Jenny. Mum gave us all a shock when she came in looking like she'd done ten rounds! In her true style she quipped "you should see the other guy!", but the fact was she'd had a fall when a hose connection broke apart, while she was putting away the garden hose, leaving her with a nice black eye! After the initial shock, we had a lovely night catching up with the family. Ian & Lynette put on a great spread as usual. Each time we visit we feel a little homesick, and we really enjoyed seeing everyone. We got to meet our grand nephew for the first time, which was a thrill.

Tracey, Dan & Marcus.

Nancy with birthday boy Keith.

Sunday was a huge day. We started with the christening of our grand nephew Marcus. He is such a lovely little guy and it is wonderful to see the joy in Tracey & Dan with their first child. Grandmum Jenny, and Great Grandmum are equally as happy with the new arrival. It is wonderful for all the family. The christening service went well, followed by a morning tea at Jenny's, then it was off to Keith & Nancy's where we were celebrating Keith's 80th Birthday. We aren't old enough to have friends turning 80!! I want to see his birth certificate!! It was a great afternoon, catching up with family members and friends, some we haven't seen for far too long. Cousins you remember as kids, now have kids of their own who are adults. Where have those years gone?? That night we watched some of the exciting Australian Open tennis, in between naps!

Lindsay & Myrelle take a break
from the farm.

Even on a stormy day Sydney
Harbour shines.

Next morning, Monday, we were up early again as my dairy farming cousin Lindsay & wife Myrelle, were in town to see a show, The Lion King, so we were into the city to meet the entire family for breakfast. This was a wonderful surprise, and real fluke that we were all in town on the same weekend! After breakfast we headed down town to Circular Quay, where we were meeting up with friends Robyn, Bev & Fred, for a ferry ride to Manly for lunch! Talk about a hectic schedule. Once again we were sharing our travels with our friends. This time we are sharing more than travels, as Bev had made us the traditional Christmas pudding, yummo, and Robyn had been busy making her world famous shortbread. Looks like excess baggage on the trip home!! Lunch at the Manly Pier Hotel was good, and the trip home called for ice cream for dessert! We never tire of spending time on Sydney Harbour. It is an amazing sight, and now as seniors we get to enjoy it on the ferries for $2.50 all day!!! The day went all too quickly.

Lunch at City Tatts with Nancy & Keith

Lunch with Bev & Fred.

Tuesday, was Keith's actual birthday so we all jumped on the bus and headed into the city, for lunch a City Tattersalls Club. This was a walk down memory lane, as the four of us have been celebrating birthdays at City Tatts for years. It was another great lunch washed down with some nice wine. We waddled out and headed home to nap in front of the tennis on TV. Wednesday was golf day. John & Keith joined the rest of the crew for Wednesday comp at Moore Park. The rain stayed away, and to John's surprise I played good, with 40 points in the stableford event. Not good enough to win, but the best round I've played for a long long time. The girls made it to Peters of Kensington for lunch and a little retail therapy. Next morning we were up really, really early to catch our cab to the airport for our really, really early 7.00am flight back to Perth.

Robyn joined us for lunch at
Manly with Bev & Fred.

We can't thank Nancy & Keith enough for their hospitality. They are

Ice Cream for the ferry ride home.

wonderful friends and fantastic hosts. We had a fantastic week, and slept most of the flight home. With the 3 hour time difference, it was the longest day of our life! We had learned that the caravan repair needed an extra day, and it was cheaper to stay at a hotel than pay the extra fees to change flights, so back to The Pensione Hotel. The caravan was collected Friday, we overnighted at a caravan park close to the repairer, then headed back to Busselton next morning, this time to the Kookaburra Caravan Park, situated right in town near the pier, and at only $35.00 a night, with the grass watered regularly.

Now is a time for rest and recovery, before we start to explore the region, without the school holiday crowds. 

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013 was a huge event for us. It was the first Christmas we had spent away from family and friends, in all our lives. We were a little melancholy, perhaps even a little homesick, but with the aid of mobile phones and skype we were able to mostly fill the void, and share some time with our family and friends back east.

The Narrows Bridge in Perth.

Having settled in at the Karrinyup Waters Resort, we immersed ourselves in the region, taking lovely walks each morning through the nearby huge parklands, criss crossed with walkways, that wound their way around Lake Gwelup. Our caravan park itself was very big, and incorporated a big lake and wetland area that teemed with bird life. It didn't take the ducks long to find Carolyn, and her now ever present box of seed, and every afternoon around five, we'd sit and have happy hour with the flock!

The nearby Karrinyup Westfield Shopping Centre had all the big name department stores, and we soon became junkies, walking the retail halls! It was nice hearing the buzz of people and the sounds of Christmas carols, and seeing all the wonderful decorations. We must have looked like old bushies from the country, all wide eyed and awe struck! I joined the queue for a haircut, whilst Carolyn headed for a manicure. The head barber was an eccentric Italian. You know those times when you meet someone, and immediately wonder how on earth they could make a living, well that was the barber. While he had one small victim strapped in his chair, the other

Perth Christmas decorations.

4 barbers were madly cutting away. Maybe it was an infliction, but he couldn't perform more than four snips without breaking off to find a book or magazine for someone, apologise for having to wait, or get someone a seat or drink of water, or heaven forbid if someone rose to take their place in the barber's chair, and their waiting room seat was left vacant! He spent 15 minutes rearranging the seating, asking people if they'd mind swapping seats with little Billy so he could be next to his mother, and then when someone stopped to look in his window, he bounded out the door selling the virtues of some strawberry scented shampoo! The poor little guy in his chair just sat their, resigned to the fact he'd probably miss Christmas! From the time I joined the line until I left, it was about an hour and a half of pure entertainment. As I paid my money, he stopped cutting and came over to shake my hand, wish me a Merry Christmas, and give me a Chuppa Chup. I thanked him, and as I left the shop, gave the lolly to the kid in his chair. He'd need it more than me. He had gotten the chair of doom, and he was in for the long haul! I met up with Carolyn, and we just wandered around among the crowds, and finished our Christmas shopping, then headed into town to look at some more Christmas sights. As we left, and walked past the barber shop, I noted that the little kid was still in the chair of doom!

The Perth Bell Tower.

A couple of old Bell Ringers.

We headed along the River front to the Bell Tower. This is an impressive structure, built to commemorate the Bicentenary in 2000. It is a truly spectacular collection of bells, housed in an equally spectacular building. We were directed up to level 4 as there was a demonstration about to take place. The little lady running the show was a bell ringer. Her face rang a bell (I'm really sorry about that!), and she had been ringing bells for 50 years, which probably explained why she spoke very loudly. Well, we all got a turn to ring the bells. It is a damn sight more strenuous than it looks, especially if you get one of the big bells, and I looked at the skinny little old bell ringer in a new light, after she'd had me pulling on the rope for a couple of minutes! At the end of it all we got a certificate, so I'm quite excited about the next coronation or royal wedding, when I'll be able to apply for a bell ringer's position. Up on level 6 there is an open air walkway, and you get a nice look at the city and Swan River.

Downtown Fremantle

Yum Cha in Freo.

Down in Fremantle, we were amazed at the transformation that has taken place over the last 20 years. The wonderful old buildings have been restored, and the place is abuzz with cafes, boutiques, pubs and all kinds of Hotels and other accommodation. The waterfront has come alive with restaurants and huge marinas. The famous fish 'n chips  of Cicerello's still has prime position. For all you Sydneyites, this is the Doyle's of Perth, and is a must when visiting Perth. We walked the streets and sampled coffee and cake in one of the traditional Italian cafes, and then found a little Asian market for lunch, where we enjoyed Yum Cha. We couldn't remember when last we'd

Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle.

had Yum Cha. It used to be a regular thing back home, where we'd meet up with Cheryl and Chris in Sydney's Chinatown, for Yum Cha and a movie. There is so much to see around Freo. We will spend a lot of time around here over the coming months. The other trendy little suburb we liked visiting was Subiaco. It is a bit like Paddington and Woollahra back home, with expensive boutiques and gift shops, wonderful cafes and restaurants, and price tags that would stop a train. Shops like Simon Johnson The Grocer. Wonderful turkey and ham and cakes and puddings at around $18 a mouthful!! But not for us. We are off to the Crown for Christmas dinner!

Xmas Party at Lake Karrinyup Resort.

Sausage Sizzle was pretty good.

On the evening of 23rd December, the Caravan Park hosted a fantastic Christmas Party for everyone staying at the park. It was held in the Camp Kitchen area near us, along the lake. It was a sausage sizzle, where you could go back as often as you liked, and there was a band belting out songs, both modern and Xmas, and at around 8.00pm Santa arrived in the bucket of the caravan parks tractor! He handed out lolly packs to the kids young and old, and it was a great night for all, even the mosquitos!

The Foyer of the Crown.

Doorway to Heaven.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, we packed ourselves up and headed into the Crown Metropole Hotel and Casino for our special Christmas break. We had the best couple of days! The beautiful Hotel was dazzling, and we had a wonderful big room, looking out over the Perth City Skyline and the pool. We got dressed up in "real" clothes and "real" shoes, and lived the life of the rich and famous for a couple of days. The hotel foyer had this huge white tree and reindeer, that at night came alive with lights. Simply stunning. For our first night we headed off to Rockpool Bar & Grill. Yes, Neil Perry has one of his famous eateries in the complex, and as usual the standard and the fare was wonderful. In the daylight hours we just lazed around the amazing swimming pool area. It is also unbelievable, and it is easy to people watch and be lazy. After dinner we wandered through the casino and had a small flutter with the usual result. On Christmas Eve, the Casino was packed. When we headed for bed just after midnight, they were still coming through the doors in droves. They closed the doors at 3.00am and they wouldn't be open again until 10.00pm on Christmas Night. 

Lazing around the pool.

Xmas dinner at Market and Co.

Our Christmas Day was quiet, and mostly spent around the pool. It dawned a beautiful, sunny day. We were up early Skyping John's mum. His brother Neil takes his computer, and mum marvels at the technology. It is as if we are there in her living room. We chat with all the family, as John's other brother Ian and his family are there as well. It is lovely "being there" on the day. We'll do it all again tomorrow, when we also catch up with John's sister and family as well. They will be enjoying Boxing Day as part of the traditional Anderson get together, this time with a new addition, great grandson Marcus. The wonders of modern technology!! After all the

Traditional Xmas Dinner.

Entree of Prawn Cocktail.

farewells we head for the pool, saving our strength for Christmas Dinner that night, at the hotel restaurant, Market & Co. Here, we enjoyed a traditional Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings. Wonderful staff, didn't rush us. We just had a special night. The menu was, Entree: Prawn Cocktail with Mango, Main: Turkey & Ham with Roast Veggies, Dessert: Gingerbread Santa with Sorbet. It was beautifully presented and tasted as good as it looked. Washed down with a choice of bubbly, white or red wine, beer or soft drink, there were no

Gingerbread Santa.

complaints for us. And of course, no washing up!!! Santa came and handed out presents for the little kids, and the Christmas music played. It was a wonderful atmosphere. The room was a mix of large and small family groups, and couples young and not so young. We joked about how casual our culture has become. We had dressed up, but many had dressed down for the occasion. A good example was the next table, where mum was dressed in a beautiful dress, the little boy of around six was in a tailored three piece suit, his sister in a gorgeous frock, and dad was in jeans with the knees out, a T-shirt and thongs! The Maitre'D should have evicted him, but a quick look around the room, showed that then the restaurant would have been half full! After dinner we headed out into the bright lights and buzz of people. The casino was open for business again, and it was mind boggling to know how many people were in attendance. Has Christmas become just another day?? I hope not.

Next morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, checked out at the latest possible hour and headed back to the reality of the Karrinyup Waters Resort. It had been a lovely escape. I wonder if that little kid is still in the chair of doom? We're off to the Boxing Day Sales, so I'll get to check!!