Mandurah in ideal weather conditions...well we didn't really experience ideal conditions, but nevertheless, the weather didn't really affect our trip...
Where did we go that day?
(in sequence...)
Rockingham, Mandurah, Busselton, Bunbury, Mandurah, Perth
Started off from Fremantle - where the hotel was - and drove through South Street until we hit the Kwinana Freeway. I've been to both ends of the Kwinana Freeway now - travelling North in the direction of Joondalup, and travelling South towards Mandurah (twice). Now we went BEYOND Mandurah - to Bunbury and Busselton! Would like to go to other further places like Pemberton and Margaret River, but we'll probably have to plan a few days' roadtrip for those.
Wildflowers were EVERYWHERE...everywhere! As we drove down the roads we saw so many of them! They were absolutely gorgeous...
Settled down for brekkie at Mandurah when we couldn't find anyplace at Rockingham. I ordered English breakfast tea, and it came with this cute little plate...
My brekkie: 2 slices of toast with scrambled eggs (YAY!!) and lotsa mushrooms!! I can't survive without mushrooms...they are a really important part of my diet. And besides, they're very healthy - containing vitamin B (e.g. pantothenic acid that is good for the nervous system), important minerals like copper, selenium etc., and are a good source of fibre. I love mushrooms very much, and am practically obsessed with them.
As I was finishing my mushrooms (save the best for last!), I spotted this adorable little kitty in the mag. She really looks like a stuffed doll...if she were there, I'd have cuddled her so tightly!! When I saw her picture I was like AWWWWWWWWWW...and then showed it to Steph and Jenny, who did the same. We speculate she is a Himalayan, judging from her colours, but we arent' too sure. We love her eyes, her innocent expression and her fluffiness. She's just...gorgeous...
Had some time to ourselves, so we walked around Mandurah a bit. Didn't go to the city centre, but walked around one of the parks nearby.
Mandurah was really quiet that day (possibly because it was a weekday).
So we hung around the jetty a bit and enjoyed the quietness. I love Mandurah - it's a really good getaway for those who feel like chilling out. Even walking around Mandurah makes me happy. Speaking of which, I went to Mandurah once in April and once in August (or around there). So this was my third time.
Left Mandurah and started our journey to Busselton! We planned to visit Busselton first, then Bunbury, then other places we wished to cover. And surprisingly I managed to get up earlier than Steph - when she usually got up much, much earlier than me!
Anyway...she snoozed throughout the whole trip to Busselton, while I took pics of the countryside...
Two hours later...we had lunch at Busselton, and visited the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.
I've seen pics of this jetty at sunset, on a clear day etc...but here we go - the jetty on a cloudy, overcast day! The clouds made the pics look much more dramatic. And although the clouds looked dense, it didn't rain. Not one single drop!
Why we walked up and down the jetty:
1. We wanted to take the train (below) - but tickets were sold out.
2. We wanted to see the Underwater Observatory (at the end of the jetty) AND wanted to go there by the same train...tickets sold out.
So we were left with only one option - walk up and down the jetty, visit the souvenir shop just above the Underwater Observatory, and then walk back.
Walking the jetty wasn't difficult at all. It was just one straight road that curved later on. Scenery? Well it was kind of similar along the way, but still, it was really fun walking all the way out.
There were rest points along the way (possibly added as an upgrade to the jetty), and as we reached the bend, we saw bits and pieces of the old jetty, affectionately nicknamed Skelly (Skeleton Jetty).
And we finally reached the bend!!!
Oh, and in case you were wondering, this is how walking down the jetty felt like. On and on and on and on....and on and on...
I even mentioned that if I were to live in Busselton, I'd come to the jetty everyday and jog up and down. It'll make good exercise!
Also saw some commemorative plaques along the way.
Anyway, at this point, there were railings on only one side. We were kind of worried, so we walked on the side with the railings.
The jetty train was still at the starting point then, which meant that the tracks were free for us to walk on. So we attempted some balancing acts.
Anyway, this was how it looked like after turning the bend. See how shallow the water is? No wonder they had to build a jetty this long. I'm not entirely sure how deep the water is at the end, but it must be deep enough for the Underwater Observatory to be built. I heard the Observatory can only accomodate 40 people at any one time, and there were guided tours.
Carried on walking...and taking pictures.
"Are we there yet?" "No."
"Are we there yet?" "NO!!!"
"ARE...WE...THERE...YET????" "YES!!"
The building at the end was the underwater observatory! And the terminus was where the jetty train stopped to pick passengers up. So we decided to go in and enjoy some warmth. Walked around the souvenir shop where Steph and Jenny bought some stuff. I got a little shimmery jellyfish plush toy for $10. The jellyfish was designed by Wild Republic - and I love their products! I've got a tarantula plush toy - also designed by Wild Republic - which I got from Melbourne Museum in 2009.
"I shall call you Squishy, and you will be my Squishy." So yup, we decided that my new jellyfish was to be called Squishy. :) The name stuck, and now I still call the jellyfish Squishy. Squishy's sitting happily on my bed now, as I'm typing up this post.
Hung around the end of the jetty, and then decided to walk back - together with my new Squishy in my bag.
There was a young couple walking down the jetty in front of us too...
To be honest the jetty looked gorgeous on both sides - in the direction of the Observatory, and in the direction of the beach.
Walking back seemed easier than walking to the Observatory. After all it was another 1.8km. So we walked a total of 3.6km! Good exercise for the day - after having quite a big lunch at Busselton.
We felt really good when we finally reached the beach. One more tick off the bucket "liszt" - I walked up and down the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere! :D
We walked into the Interpretative Centre to warm ourselves up a bit, and look at more souvenirs. There was also an exhibition on the history of the jetty, and we examined it in detail.
And here is the jetty in all its full glory.
The drive to Bunbury took about one hour, and when we reached, we climbed up the observatory tower, where we were greeted with wonderful views of the town.
Oh - and the checkered lighthouse here - was the main trademark of Bunbury.
It was getting colder...so we had to rush down the observatory. But first...
Drove past the famous lighthouse as we were leaving.
And as we drove down the highway, I was busy taking pics of the sunset, the highway and everything...while Steph snoozed. I didn't have any caffeine that day, yet was feeling really active.
It had been really cloudy throughout, but as the sun was setting, the skies started to clear up.
Had dinner at Mandurah and then drove back to Perth. Had a great nights' sleep, and the next day we went back to Fremantle - this time to the E-shed markets and the Western Australian Maritime Museum - where we went into an actual submarine!! The submarine visit was the coolest EVER!
Stay tuned!