Bunbury & Perth, Western Australia

Date: 26th July to 4th August 2009
Accommodation: The Botha's Residence in Bunbury and The Stone cottage Fremantle W.A.
Weather: 20 degrees and above most days
Rain: Hardly
Season: Winter
Agenda: Visit friends and see the Bon Scott Statue in Fremantle for Derrick


The flight from Sydney to Perth seemed long, but eventually we were flying over Perth, looking out the window it just seemed so different from my first trip to Perth. I had visited Perth in the February / March of 1998 and as Perth have a winter rainfall, it was hot and dry reminded me of Bloemfontein in winter, flat and dry. So this time it was quite beautiful seeing it all green and lush.

It was overcast when we arrived and we had been told that there had been a week of rain the previous week, but we were there to visit friends and it did not really matter what the weather was going to be like.

Dave was at the airport to meet us; we had not seen Dave since September 2003 at Liesl and Jay’s wedding. It was good to take up where we had left off, and I really think you can only do that with real friends. Now for the 2 hour journey down to Bunbury, it was a long day what with the early rise, flight and then journey and also time difference, after flying back in time all the way to Tahiti, we were not having the opposite experience of flying forward in time.

We arrived down in Bunbury and Wendy & Dave’s new home, they had moved a couple of times after settling in Perth and decided that Bunbury was the place to live. I should back track a few years though, in 2001 Dave and Wendy came to visit us in Ireland and when they left had said that it was now our turn to visit them in Australia, and then every time that Wendy phoned she would ask me “so when are you coming to visit”, we initially promised 5 years but it took almost 8 years to get us there.

Anyway back to the story, we arrived in Bunbury to find Wendy, bump and Danielle who is the cutest little girl ever! Wendy had made us a welcome dinner, but little did I know that from then on I would be doing the cooking, not that I minded in the least, having not had to cook for over 3 weeks, it was a welcome change to get into the kitchen and enjoy some home made cooking.

After dinner we were soon all in bed, the plan was to spend Monday to Friday in Bunbury and then go up to Perth on Saturday and stay in a rental house in Fremantle. So Monday arrived and Wendy who was almost 8 months pregnant at that stage took us all over Bunbury, on the way back from town we stopped next to a field of kangeroo's, Em had not seen them in the wild before and neither had Derrick. 

Then the next day was a trip down Margaret River which is a bit like the Midlands Meander where you can stop at various places where they make things, wine farms, chocolate farms, ice cream, coffee, liqueurs etc. The rest of the week we just took things as they came, shopping, beach – we saw the most amazing sunset on our ride home. Dave & Derrick built a camp fire on the beach with Danielle and Em and they loved it. Friday, Wendy and I relaxed while D&D took the girls swimming, to the park and then fishing.

Saturday eventually arrived and we had to say goodbye to our lovely home in Bunbury, I forgot to mention that their house was in the sticks, so the stars in the sky were so beautiful. Off we started on our journey to Perth, stopping in Mandurah for coffee and cake on the way. You know I don’t know what it is with pregnant ladies but if they feel like cake, then everyone has to have cake … spread the guilt is it?

We got up to Fremantle at about 12:00 and could only check into the accommodation at 14:00 so last minute, we parked in Fremantle near the market, Dave took the girls to the park and Wendy, Derrick and I went to the market. We then met up with Peta for lunch on the wharf, it was so cool as I had not seen Peta since she left Ireland in December 2002, long story but when I heard Peta was moving to Perth I put her in touch with Wendy and they have been friends ever since, I worked with Peta at the Building Society for a few months and we all went to Brussels for an amazing week-end back in ’02, after catching a quick bite, we headed over to our accommodation which was just up the road.

We had plans to go to Zelda and Rawden for Dinner who I had also not seen for years, her son is already 9 and I have never met him. So after a quick drop off of the suitcases we made our way over to Z. When we go there Rawden was busy preparing the brain and we all sat around and chatted. A wonderful evening and food was had and we promised we would see Zelda and Rawden on Tuesday before we left.

Sunday morning we had planned to meet some of our other friends at Zephyr in East Fremantle, Carol who also worked with me at the Building Society but in 2005 or 2006 can’t remember now, Carol was originally from S.A. as well. Peta also joined us and so did Graham & Colleen whom we last saw in SA when Emily was a baby. It was so good catching up, however the time was just too short as Dave wanted to take Derrick to the wildlife park and he also had to drive back to Bunbury for work the next day.

So hasty goodbyes were said, however Wendy and I had decided we were going shopping instead of the Wildlife Park and Carol and Peta decided to join us. We had lots of fun going in and out the shops and then went and had a coffee, we soon said goodbye to Peta and Carol and headed back to the house in Fremantle.  We had said to Graham and Colleen that we would go up to their place on the train in the evening, but by the time D and Emily got home, Emily was exhausted.

Before I go any further I must tell you about the house in Fremantle which was originally built in 1880 as the police station quarters and is call “The Stone Cottage”, it was a lovely house which I wish we had more time to enjoy, with 3 large bedrooms and wooden floors that were probably the original floors. They creaked every time you tried to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It had a lovely back garden, which we never got to enjoy.

The only complaint was the kitchen was minute and the bathroom was the old bath tub with the feet that had an overhanging shower, which trickled out water very slowly. Also the toilet was separate, however it was attached to the bathroom so if someone was showering there was no way you could use the toilet, but we managed somehow. It really was lovely though.

Sunday night and Wendy offered to have the girls while her and Peta caught up on some girl time and Peta dropped Derrick and I down by the wharf, so we ended up going on a date, in the first time in who knows how many years, we originally started dinner at one restaurant and ended up walking out and then went to a fancy restaurant called the Mussel Bar, it really was very nice. I taxi “Peta” then picked us up later.

Monday arrived and we had decided to take the ferry into Perth, I had done the Ferry ride before but it is always good, it takes about an hour from Fremantle into Perth along the Swan River and you pass all the affluent houses owned by millionaires. After arriving in Perth we split up and Wendy went to meet a friend, and we met Graham for lunch and then just did some shopping – we all met up then and took the train back to Freemantle which took no time at all. The train passes through Subiaco where the Rugby stadium is.

We were then invited to Peta for supper which turned out to be a wonderful evening with lots of yummy food again.

Tuesday and our last day in Perth, Wendy had to make her way back to Bunbury and so Zelda so kindly offered to fetch us and take us back to her place as our flight was only at 23:00 that night. We first went down to the wharf again, we had coffee and Derrick took his photos of Bon Scott, and we said our good-byes to Wendy and Danielle, who knows when we will see them again.

Zelda took us to Kings Park to see the view of Perth and then to Hillary’s beach where se treated us to lunch at the Dome, from there we went back to their house and just chilled out, it was so nice to catch up with Zelda and Rawden and we promised we would stay with them the next time we came to Perth. Zelda then went and got dinner, a stop and Nando’s and the Pizza parlor and after dinner took us to the airport. By the time I got to the airport I was feeling very bunged up and sneezy, I think I was getting sick.

This is a photo of the sunset taken at the beach in Bunbury! There are just so many beautiful photos I want to add to this post, but it just takes too long, so if you want to see them they are all on facebook.

I don't think I will forget Sticky Date pudding for a long time, it seems to be an Australian tradition!