It's been about one and half months since I returned to Perth! And over the summer (January to February), I've been going to a number of places in Singapore...and will post those pics soon! Right now - here's a sneak peek of what's to come in the near future - pictures from the annual Sculptures by the Sea at Cottlesloe Beach, here in good ol' sunny Perth! I really had a nice time at Cottlesloe - went twice, and managed to capture pics of almost all the sculptures. Good way to de-stress.
Before I post pictures from the Sculptures by the Sea exhibition, here's a "throw-back" to last spring - I finally made a trip to Araluen Botanic Gardens with my mates!
Araluen Botanic Gardens is a sprawling, spectacular-looking garden situated in the Darling Range - some distance outside Perth. It's actually pretty accessible, and it took us about 30 minutes to an hour or so to get there (traffic was quite light). Araluen Botanic Gardens was established in 1929 by J.J. Simons - the founder of the Young Australia League. He set aside this area - which was meant to be a youth holiday camp, and named it Araluen (Aboriginal word for "running water" due to the creeks running through it). Araluen has since been maintained by volunteers and is really popular amongst visitors in spring due to the tulips in full bloom...as well as other events. The annual Araluen Chilli Festival is held in Fremantle.
Anyway - we reached Araluen in the middle of the day, so it was actually pretty warm. Took a walk around the Rose Garden and the sprawling fields...and hung out in this shelter here...
I spotted a tourist train not too far away - it was not in use now, but I reckon it's in use in spring when lots of people flock to Araluen to view the tulips and other flowers. I hope to come to Araluen in spring - would love to take pics of the beautiful spring flowers! But first - save cash for a car!
When I went there - it was actually mid-November (late spring), so I was quite surprised that the roses in the Rose Garden were still fresh! I thought they'd be withered, but they still looked so pretty!
Along the way - I also spotted these makeshift chairs - made entirely out of tree trunks!
Heard the sound of running water, and decided to go take a look. But first...down this tree-lined path...
Ended up at a bunch of rapids. The water was so fresh and clean, and it was so cooling and refreshing to be under the shade! So I decided to hang around longer...and also scaled the rocks for more pics...
Time to walk back to the car...and of course I had to take a few more pics of this area because it was so beautiful. Araluen was so big and hilly - and we were too lazy to walk. So we took my friend's car and drove to different parts of the garden.
Also spotted a beautiful flower along the way, just before getting into the car...
And after that, we ended up at the main attraction of Araluen - a scenic sheltered area near a lake! The lake was so still that the reflections were almost perfect! This area has been carefully restored and maintained - it looked pretty old but still maintained its charm.
I should also mention - Araluen is popular amongst couples - great place for wedding photos! And that was what I spotted one couple doing! Their wedding shots must have been really beautiful. My friends and I also requested to have photos with the bride...
Passed through yet another sheltered area...and took more pics of roses! These ones were even prettier than the one I spotted in the Rose Garden.
My final stop - the Grove of the Unforgotten - built to commemorate the 88 Young Australia League members who lost their lives in the First World War. The Grove consists of steep steps, pines and a waterfall in the middle, which ends in a calm reflection pool filled with lotuses. It took me a long time to climb all the way too the top! And from the top, I had an excellent view of Araluen.
Time to head off for dinner! My phone had died by then - so I had to head home to charge it.
So I headed out without a mobile phone...and had really good hot chocolate and dinner. It was probably one of the rare times that I went out without a phone. I had a really chocolatey dinner indeed...and of course, ended the day by watching the sunset.
And that's it for Araluen Botanic Gardens! I hope to go back there again, hopefully this spring...but I have to make sure I save enough money to buy a car! Araluen is definitely not accessible by public transport...
More pictures of Perth coming up soon!