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Travel is full of surprises, and we had one this week that has adjusted our planning a little.
We had planned to leave Yanchep (Perth) on 10th July, but we have found that the Kalbarri National Park road is closed for major upgrade, but provision has been made for access during the WA school holidays. So we will stay here for another week or so.
During the week we made good use of the Perth transport system. We took an early bus from Yanchep to Clarkson station, and then two trains to get us to Fremantle - about 2 hours as the bus does an amazing Tiki Tour. Sorry, maybe Cooks Tour might be better understood.
The days travel was marred by the writer leaving the small rucksack on the bus. (Fortunately we were able to recover this well used pack a couple of days later without any loss.)
Any way, having arrived at Fremantle we took the Blue Cat bus service (free) to the marina for lunch. There are about 20 stops on this circuit, and of course we were heading for stop 17. May have been quicker to walk!
The next dilemma was which
Fremantle Marina
There is a substantial fishing fleet based here, and this has produced a very popular eatery and fish monger.fish and chip shop to buy our lunch. There are three, each supported by their own fishing fleets. The Fremantle guide book had ads from two, both claiming to have been voted the top fish and chip shop in the world. (The world ends at Fremantle Marina, after which you fall off the side of the planet apparently) So, instinct told me to go where there was the biggest crowd.
So Kailis was the go. The establishment had a great variety from simple F&C to exotic lobster mornay etc.
David and Mary ordered just ahead of us, and not long after sitting down at the table, their meal arrived, and we watched them enjoy their F&C. We waited and enjoyed Marlborough Riesling. I went to the counter to see what had happened to our order, and was told it wasn't ready yet. We further enjoyed our Riesling. Again I went to see what was up, and they told me that we had been called half an hour ago. What about the buzzer I asked? That one doesn't work! Great. Anyway they cooked the meals fresh again and gave us a lovely salad to go with it.
David
Sad faces
But only on the fish. Yummy salmon readily available. and Mary just couldn't sit and watch us eat our Tropical Fish Meal (with salad) so went off shopping.
Now that we were well fed, we headed back towards the bus stop dropping in for a quick look at the Ship Wreck Museum at the Marina. If you are into ship wreck stuff, this is a must. The place was busy with school kids, so we only stopped for a few minutes. There is part of an old wooden sailing ship that has been raised and preserved. The ship (Batavia) had 300 passengers if I remember correctly, so the story is worth reading. I heard one of the school kids ask 'Where are the skulls?' To find the answer you'll have to go and discover the history of this Dutch Ship and why it was off WA.
On the bus back to the rail station for our next adventure.
You may remember I had tried out our sons electric bike a few weeks ago. There is a major importer of electric bikes based at Fremantle and they have a show room on the wharf adjacent to the markets. So Marg and I had a very professional sales
pitch thrown our way and I tried out several of the machines. We both liked their X-Blade folding bikes. These are much more heavy duty bikes than our pedal only ones at home, and the level of temptation rose. However, we decided to hold off until we het back home before deciding. I think this might be a good choice which will allow Marg to travel up hills without her painful knees suffering too much. So you will have to wait and see.
From there, a quick trip into the supermarket to get something for dinner, onto the train to the city and then to Clarkson. Who got off the same train? David and Mary. Funny how we bump into each other when out and about.
Perth is also famous for Cottesloe Beach. While we had seen it from a distance, we hadn't been there, so on Sunday, we went with the family for a look see. This is a great beach, no doubt about that. Unlike Surfers Paradise, these west beaches are somewhat protected by reefs about 500 meters or a little more off shore. These are a blessing in that they break the surf protecting the
beach, but have been the curse of many a sailing ship in the past.
Cottesloe Beach is in two halves. The Southern half is rocky and has a good swell for surfies, and then the northern half is an excellent swimming beach with great facilities for families. In the summer, do not expect to find easy parking right at the beach.
Where we were parked was opposite the golf course. There were signs warning of low flying golf balls. I wondered why people would spoil the day chasing a ball when the beach is so great.
On the headland between the swimming and surfing beaches is an ingenious multi million dollar solar clock showing he correct time any day of the year. I found it rather impractical to wear, so will retain my $20.00 wrist watch.
We had a fun visit to Cottesloe and will return.
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Mum & Dad
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Interesting blog
Good photos and good looking F&C must have some time here.