The last few weeks I’ve been in Australia. Western Australia, to be specific, meeting up with family (in-laws) and discovering Perth and its surrounds. There’s a feeling of isolation in Perth, given that its closest city is Adelaide a three and a half hour flight away, with Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore even further afield. There’s a feeling of the vastness of the Indian Ocean at its west, and the barrenness of the desert to its east. But the city itself, we discovered, is vibrant, beautiful, and oozes wealth from the mining businesses in its hinterland. It is nestled around river inlets, and so has beautiful beachside suburbs, parks, and restaurants.
We stayed with my husband’s brother and family, and another brother and his wife flew in from Malaysia. My sister-in-law was an amazing host. She had an itinerary (based on the Travel unpackaged itineraries I had written for her years ago for her trips to France and NZ) prepared, made all the necessary restaurant bookings, and willingly handed over car keys to her visitors. She was cheerful the whole time, and kept us moving … and eating!
The Malaysian part of the family was there for a wedding, and that had spurred us to visit at the same time. It was a reunion of sorts, the type which last happened for a funeral, but now that the parents are gone, it is going to be less and less likely in the future. Unless there are weddings, of course. But no pressure on the young members of the family!
One day, when the hosts were at work and the others were meeting friends, the Husband and I took off on a trip north. We’d heard that the Pinnacles were something to see. We were up early due to the differing time zones, and we set off. We hadn’t quite considered the distances in Australia. Two hours in, and still with another hour to go, we noted that by this time in NZ we would have crossed a mountain pass, driven through various types of terrain, and stopped multiple times. But in Australia, it was pretty much the same vegetation and outlook the entire way. Except where there were magnificent white sand dunes shining in the morning sun. They were a highlight in the otherwise monotonous flat road. Still, everything was new for us – the grasstrees were fascinating, and the road signs kept us alert in case we saw some of the local wildlife. We did not.
The Pinnacles were interesting, it was strange to walk in a desert when the rest of the landscape was filled with coastland shrubs and grasses, and the rocks were fascinating. We loved it. We had of course made a rookie mistake. We forgot to take water bottles, and by the time we got to the Pinnacles we were very thirsty, because there was nowhere to stop and buy anything! We won’t make that mistake again. Likewise, on our way back we got to Yanchep, a beach community that is a favourite of our hosts, and looked for petrol. Our tank only had about 50 kms to go! Another mistake not to be repeated.
We explored our hosts’ favourite places: a cool wine bar with amazing food, wine and good music that allowed us to have a conversation (what a concept!), Thai restaurant, French restaurant on its experimental tasting menu night, a selection of breakfast cafes, beaches, markets, sandwich bar, and a Thosai stall. We visited the park in the middle of wildflower season, with its spectacular views of the river, and walked through the museum, reminded of how very different Australia is from our country, even though we share so much too. We got to experience Perth both as visitors, and as locals. That’s my favourite way to see a place.
Rottnest Island is a must-visit destination. I knew it as the home of the quokkas, an Australian marsupial much like a tiny kangaroo. Perth residents know it as a playground – where you eat craydogs (crayfish filled buns) for breakfast, dine at Isola on the beach with the most divine gamberoni in cray butter, go surfing or swimming at the many little coves and beaches, or where you might cycle around the island, and finish later with an ice-cream before catching the ferry back. But Rottnest was also a place with a dark past, and we learned about the poor treatment of the indigenous people in the museum. It’s name comes from the Dutch, meaning rat’s nest, as the first European arrivals thought the quokkas were rats. They are far cuter though! Quokkas popped up all around the main village – it was baby season, and so many of them had little joeys in their pouches. They were hard to snap, but my sister-in-law managed this one. It’s the perfect pic.
Then the adults set off on a road trip to Margaret River, the famous West Australian wine region. I remember drinking too much of a particular Margaret River wine with my friend in the 1980s, when she cooked and I made a chocolate mousse with chocolate palm trees. I’d been keen to visit the region since then. My sister-in-law had rented us a modern house just a few minutes outside the town. It sat on a hill, overlooking a meadow filled with arum lilies and buttercups, surrounded by trees that gave a glimpse into the river rapids we could hear from our rooms. It was perfect. We managed to sit in the sun outside on the deck in between the rain showers, cooked meals at the kitchen, and chatted on the couches around the fireplace. Those not suffering from my cold took walks along the riverbank, and spied kangaroos grazing in neighbouring properties.
We visited wineries, of course. We had two spectacular lunches with superb food and wine at local winery restaurants, and to recover in between we visited art studios, as we had conveniently visited during an Open Studio event. It was a good thing the studios weren’t at home – I might have spent our travel budget and more on the art. Of course, we bought wine to consume back at the house in the evening, and later back in Perth we had a delicious chardonnay from Cape Mentelle, the winery of my 20s reminiscences. The others drove down to a lighthouse and visited other studios for a day, while I convalesced on the couch. All too soon it was over, and we had to make the drive back. A stop on the way provided a highlight. As we drove towards an off-the-beaten-track bakery my sister-in-law loves, a mob of kangaroos hopped across the road in front of us. At last!
And then before we knew it, we were having final meals, saying good-bye to the family and new members, and of course, Archie the dog. Lots of deep and meaningful conversations, jokes, laughter and love. Two weeks, three brothers and their wives, three adult and teen kids and their partners, roadtrips and meals together, and no fights. That was a major accomplishment! Well done to us all.
PS. You can find more pics (I need to upload some more) on Instagram where I am travellingmali
I lived and traveled in Australia for 1.5 years in the mid 1980s. How is it that I never heard about quokkas? Fantastic photo—they are indeed adorable.
And another fantastic sounding trip! (Sorry—before I leave another comment I will search for a synonym for “fantastic.”)
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