The day before we flew out of Perth towards our South-East Asian travels we spent the day on Rotness Island. Thanks to Louise who kindly booked our boat over there and bike hire for the Island we enjoyed a fantastic day on Rottnest. First thing we were up and drove over to Cottosloe Beach where a sunrise festival was taking place representing the first day of the Perth Festival of Arts. We got there a little too late but enjoyed the early morning appreciation of the beach and many people were swimming or enjoying breakfast on the banks. There were also a few photo shoots taking place that couldn’t help catch our eyes.

When we left the beach we drove onwards to Shed (3) where the boat to Rottnest Island leaves, we found all day parking and promptly queued for the boat. It takes around 80 passengers perhaps more and it was pretty full, people were also bringing their own bikes with them which is a much better way if you want to save the pennies. It only takes around half and hour to reach Rottnest and once we arrived we were quickly instructed to where the bikes were, again getting our bikes didn’t take very long so we were all geared up and ready to go.

We cycled around the east side of the Island first passing by The Basin and a few other lovely bays, we decided to stop at one of the smaller bays and got out the snorkeling gear straight away. There wasn’t that much to see in terms of marine life, if you go deeper in then you’ll see more but we were happy to play in the shallow waters, plus you never know if a shark may rear its ugly head! The bays are beautiful, nearly all of them are small alcoves and so they are very private too, we made our way to Little Prakeet before lunch. We came across a few Quakkas which are only native to Rottnest, they are very sweet creatures belonging to the Kangaroo family and they don’t have any fear of humans so it’s easy enough to approach them although you’re not recommended to feed them.

We biked up to the highest point on the Island at Wadjemup lighthouse. Our last stop was at Parker Point and Dave and I snorkeled out quite far above the kelp and there was more to see. On our way back to Perth Louise had booked us onto the fast boat, more of a thrill experience. Not quite as rough and ready as the other fast-boat experiences we’ve seen in New Zealand and in Oz but it was a nice bit of fun and a small thrill for us! We were back at the sheds for 5pm and not long after that we were home.

We decided to eat at a Mexican restaurant for our last night in Australia called Zapatas, the atmosphere was good as was the food and the cocktails. We enjoyed our time in Perth and on the whole Australia has been really kind to us, especially our friends and family who have helped us out along the way.

From our 5 week experience in Australia and on the route we did these are the following highlights:

• Freedom camping in camp sites listed in the official Camp book 6 (on the Great Ocean  Road we had a fantastic spot right on the beach for free!)

• The Great Ocean Road is a must if you’re in the area, the beaches, the 12 Apostles and camping was a real delight.

• Getting tickets to the Melbourne Open Tennis Championship, we got the opportunity of a lifetime to watch the world number 1 and 2 in the men’s singles finals, it was an amazing 6 hour epic match.

• Visiting Wilsons Promontory National Park, we felt like this is what we had been waiting for. Fantastic beaches, mountains and forest all there to see and explore.

• Margaret River and Rottnest Island, equally beautiful and appealing. Again the beaches hit the mark here and the colour of the sea is mouth-watering.

We hope this may help with any plans you have to visit the areas we’ve explored and written about. Our next stop is Ubud, Bail, we’re ready for culture, more beaches in paradise and Asian delights.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3)

We decided to have a “sight-seeing” day, and luckily for us we were able to borrow Jason’s car so we took ourselves off to the highly recommended area of Margaret River. It was quite a drive to this region south of Perth, taking over 3 hours to reach our first port of call at Cape Naturaliste. We had higher expectations of this particular area looking out to sea, but it was disappointing. The walk around the Cape is okay but doesn’t really take in the views until much further round and we were constantly beating off flies! This was the worst part and perhaps the biggest memory of this area…the flies. Perhaps it is the season for them but we were covered and they wouldn’t leave us alone, we were glad to leave. One of the positives was that we were able to have our own pack-lunch inside the cafe area. The Lighthouse was closed for refurbishment.

Further down the road we found a spot of paradise in Yallingup Bay. We’d stopped to take a few photos of the ancient coral and rocks before looking over at the beautiful bathing spot and so we decided we would spend a few hours there, swimming, sunbathing and reading. The water is crystal clear in these parts (and for much of what we’ve seen in Australia) along with a gorgeous aqua colour it just tempts us every time. So in we were, it was much chillier than expected but a relief from the hot sun. In some parts of the bay the current is very strong and there is quite a bit of rock on the ground but there are some great spots for swimming and the surfers were there too lapping up the waves.

On our way out of the bay we stopped at a quirky grocery store offering anything from souvenirs to ice-creams, umbrellas and camping food and they had quite an extensive menu. The air was very back-packer in vibe and we couldn’t help but sit and enjoy our ice-creams at this pleasant place.

Moving on along our drive we took the road to Margaret River and stopped off at one of the many many vine-yards in the area. Margaret River is renowned for producing great wines and so it would have been rude not to. We chose to stop at the very grand Laurance Vineyard and were greeted by a slightly out of place statue of an angel in the air along with fountains in the lake at the front of the property. The cellar door is a restaurant and they offer wine tastings including 6 taster of choice for $9 or 3 tasters, olives and bread for $9. They charge because they can, the location is beautiful and the venue is very appealing with large wooden furniture, big swinging doors and the toilets are particularly nice! We went for a tasting of 6 between us with Dave’s favourite being the Chardonnay and Helen’s the Rose. All wines were very good though and even in our post-beach scruffiness we felt quite grand sitting in their luxurious surrounds.

Our next stop was at the River Mouth of Margaret River where huge sand-dunes build up around the beach and river area. Helen’s brother had talked of the sand-dunes and so we were hoping we would find the right place. The ocean here is perfect for surfers, wind–surfers and kite-surfers and we watched in awe taking in the speed of which they were travelling. Further round by the sand-dunes we enjoyed a windy walk taking in more dunes, grass and waves. It really is a beautiful area.

We ended our day at the fish and chips shop in Margaret River, perhaps the cheapest place to eat in what is a busy tourist town. We didn’t spend much time in the town itself but the region is beautiful and we could see why so many people had recommended us to visit there. The drive back to Perth was another 3 hours plus and so it was a long day indeed, but well worth it.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3)

Perth was our last stop in Australia before making our way back into South-East Asia. We were feeling ready for a cultural change having been spoilt with the Western world for so long. For our last week in OZ we stayed with Dave’s sister Louise and her other half Jason. They are really well located to the city with only a 10 minute walk to quirky William Street lined with boutiques, vintage clothing stores and Vietnamese Restaurants. That first night we went to What the Pho along this street after having a good snoop around the city.

On the Saturday morning we went to the local Chinese market, which infused Asian charm and food goods. It was a real bargain to buy fresh fruit and veggies for the week. The market is on William Street and opens Friday and Saturdays. Later in the day we went to Kings Park, probably THE place to get panoramic views of Perth City and suburbs. We enjoyed a nice little picnic and were introduced to some Aussie Rules Football action. Kings Park also hosts a big Botanical Garden but we didn’t quite have enough time to get around it all, instead heading out to see the plot of land that will form Jason and Louise’s new home, exciting times for those two! That night Rod Stewart was playing at the Perth Oval so from our balcony we could hear Rod belting out the hits whilst enjoying a barbecue.

On the 6th we took a drive out to Swan Valley and participated in some Supa Golf at one of the resorts. It was pretty tricky for Helen and Louise getting used to the golf clubs and just having the patience to concentrate on hitting the ball not too hard. After a spot of expert teaching from Dave both Ladies improved their game! Jason enjoyed fetching out his ball from the shallow lake whilst a few of us got stuck in the bunkers. Dave came out top after 9 holes with Jason 2nd, Helen 3rd and Louise a humble 4th. So if we’re talking couples teaming up together…we won! he he! Sorry guys!

After leaving Supa Golf we enjoyed some wine tasting at Little River Vineyard and The Ugly Duckling down the road as well as a few others. We bought a bottle of Ugly Duckling Rose which was very nice indeed. We also went to a chocolate tasting factory and to the Yahava coffee shop which offers tasting sessions too. So we had enriched palettes by the end of it all! Later on Helen managed to skype home and had a lovely sing along with her beautiful niece Sukie over breakfast, a real taste of home!

Back in the city the next day we explored the city some more and took in the Perth Museum of Contemporary Art which was a nice breather from the increasing outdoor temperatures. The Fringe Festival which was now in full swing were hosting events throughout the city and every so often we would come across one of their quirky caravans, performances were going on all the time and it looked like a good thing to be involved in. Skyscrapers, buildings, skylines and sculptures caught our eye as we strolled the streets of Perth.

The next day we didn’t do too much because we were busy sorting and planning for our next journey but we did do something that made us feel very good at the end of the day. Helen’s best friend Lois had asked us to do a favour when she’d heard we were coming to Perth to see if we would visit her Nana and Gramps who’ve been living in Perth for 30 years.This was no biggie for us and we were very happy to see them with flowers, chocolates and Pink Lady Apples. We really enjoyed spending time with them and wish them all the best for 2012.

They also gave us some vouchers to eat at their favourite restaurant in the city, Miss Maudes, a Swedish inspired eatery offering a huge smorgasbord of goodies. We couldn’t quite stretch to the buffet but instead enjoyed burgers and sandwiches and even had enough left over for a tart from the nearby bakery. Something else we’d been wanting to do whilst travelling in Australia was to visit one of their open-air cinemas. They have them in nearly every city an we’d been looking at going to one in Melbourne so when we found out what was screening in Perth the 4 of us went to The Moonlight Open Air Cinema in Kings Park and enjoyed the novelty of sitting on our picnic blanket watching the humorous and slightly awkward ‘Carnage’. How luck they are to have the opportunity to sit on beanbags, bring their own food and enjoy a movie in the outdoors. It was great.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3)