050 - Perth to Wilbinga Grove

So today marked our 7 week anniversary of being on the road, and I wish I could say we celebrated it with an array of fantastic adventures and sites seen. But really it was probably the most “normal” day we’ve had since leaving.

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Van was booked in for a service and required us to leave camp early, fight commuting traffic and drop it off at 8.30am.

Check.

I wonder if I should ask for a discount for exposure on social media streams... :)

The rest of the day was pretty much hanging around the local shopping centre whiling away the time. Key points of interest to jog memories down the path were:

• Me twinging my knee simply walking into the shops, despite the fact I’ve done a few Class 4 bush walks up until this point (and it’s taken a week to settle down…)
• Kids watching a movie (Boss Baby) at the cinema with B (I feel as I write this, it’s been spoken by Eric Bana’s character Con from the Castle…”ah… Jumanji”.)
• Me dropping our spare awning out to a mate a few kilometres down the road before returning to shops
• Me getting frustrated with my slowly dying phone and buying a new one from JB
• Buying a new coffee jug percolator thingymajig from Myer care of a gift card won in a raffle but dropping the gift card trying to find a second item after being told it was 30% off all things when to kitchenware items were bought and me telling Evie if we found something for $25 dollars or less then it was for free and then searching for the original sales person who was serving us thinking she had the gift card before Evie found it near a spatula on the floor and us then finalising the deal in what was quite the ordeal (anyone read that without taking a breath?)

And that was it.

We found a nearby park to “lunch in” with an Eco Education Centre nearby which looked good for the kids and were going to run a demonstration of something or other before I got a call saying the van was ready.

Somehow we even fluked a school excursion into a boring "day at the shops"

We picked up the van, with a relatively clean bill of health for the Big Green Lizard. A few things still outstanding but really, they aren’t deal breakers and won’t slow us down so I couldn’t be bothered making a big scene of it.

We then jumped into peak hour traffic and crawled along the highway/freeway for a few hours as we headed North from Perth.

We had planned on staying in the Yanchep National Park, but when we got there we found it was closed for maintenance. Hence why we couldn’t book it through the website I suppose! So we did what we did best and utilised the best feature of having our house towed behind us. We went a few kilometres up the road to the next rest stop, pulled over, made some pasta and went to bed!

OK... so this shot was taken the next morning before we departed but it gives you an idea of where we camped for the night. It was obviously a lot darker when we arrived.

And so ended quite the non-descript day.

But every now and then, you require them to ensure the world keeps turning. It can’t be chocolates and rainbows all the time.

049 - Perth Mint (15/5/17)

The Perth Mint in somewhat not ideal weather

We awoke to another day of rain and wind. Whilst it wasn’t apocalyptic, it did make me feel a little like home that’s for sure.

Our plans for today weren’t particularly strong given the forecast, but B and I had agreed that it was definitely time for a school day. So the morning was spent in the van doing some work, and for a change my lessons with James were within close proximity to the other two.

It was nice to see a formal lesson (as much as we can have one in this lifestyle) as we did some word practice and some basic learning patterns. I got a real appreciation for the teachers at early learning centres and prep grades as to the difficulties and challenges such a task can create. You simply can’t go “why don’t you get it?” to a 5yr old (probably not a great response to any age of learning really). But I also got to see the incredible rewards that come with the job and whilst I’d like to think I’ve taught my kids a little over the years, this was more ‘formal’ learning (there’s that word again). To see actual words being added to a person’s vocabulary was incredibly satisfying and perhaps I got a little insight in to why so many people in my life are teachers.

Mr White and his star pupil playing "snap" with his key words. (Note: folding the bed up creates a really cool space to work on. Much more difficult with an island bed... )

On from there we decided to run back into Perth and go to the Perth Mint given that any outside activities were really ruled out due to the weather.

What an incredibly interesting place it turned out to be as well, and just another bit of Australian History I feel more rounded for knowing. I sometimes wonder why we don’t (or perhaps didn’t) learn more about Australian history in schools these days. There are some really interesting tales to be told I’ve found and I think we’d be better off sharing them.

Even the building itself is incredibly majestic and quite the imposing figure in a landscape full of concrete towers and busy office goers. Ahh… those office goers… a world that looked so familiar and yet, so far away (apologies to any co-workers who read this).

First stop we all walked around the impressive gift shop and jewellery store located at the entrance. I set Sam a bit of homework to find the most expensive item in the first store. Out of interest, the limited edition Golden Eagle coin was selling for a measly $14,999. We then met B and the other two in the main jewellery store section where B did her best to remind me that she was in need of some additional “shiny things” and there were some nice pieces in here. Sure B, why not that pink argyle diamond ring for $109,000 seemed like a nice place to start… I think she married the wrong Poo Farmer if she’s after that kind of thing…

We’d signed up to the ‘tour’ which involved a guide giving us a bit of history of the mint itself and threw in a bit of gold rush storytelling as well. The gentlemen was interesting, engaging and clearly enjoyed doing what he was doing.

Not sure if Evie and James could get closer...

The tour itself was brief, but the price of admission (and a beautiful paper bracelet) did allow us to tour the attractions of the mint at our own pace which in a way was really good. The highlights included:

The “Kangaroo Coin” – Straight off after walking through the doors, you were met with quite literally the largest and most valuable coin in the world. Weighing in at a solid 1012kg of pure gold, this coin was made simply, in the words of the guide “because we can”. It was also done to beat the previous world record (some paltry 200kg or something like that) and to become a shining representation of the rich mining history of Western Australia. Now, given the current price of gold, that made the coin’s current value a tick over $59 million dollars. 59… million… That’s a lot of fuel money. Sitting above it’s own personal safe into which it is lowered each day at 5pm, it certainly is a fine display of excess. I also loved the way it almost dared someone to steal it. It was literally just sitting there. I could have touched it if I wanted to, but I valued my time and didn’t want to be escorted by the sizeable guard I saw in the jewellery store. But ultimately it was a great example of the Perth Mint going “Go on. Have a go. Try and steal it”.

That my friends is a tonne of gold.

I do find it funny that the face value of the coin is $1m (top pic) but it's actual metallic value is the best part of 60 times that. Imagine if all coins were like that? Would make finding loose change in the couch more interesting!

Sometimes I wondered if they truly understand how much that coin was worth. Then I explained to them how many ice creams you could buy and I think it sunk in.

Normandy Nugget – The second biggest gold nugget in existence. Apparently Las Vegas has the largest, albeit an Australian found nugget.

Gold Pour – This was a cool part of the tour in which we were seated in the old furnace room where up until recently gold bars were still poured and made. In this room, which weirdly reminded me of a production of the Crucible (no idea why) a young gentlemen took us through the process of making a gold bar. It was pretty cool to see him make what was apparently a $350,000 gold bar right in front of us. And find out cool things like gold melting at 1012deg and the crucible it was in melting around 1600kg, and when they scraped the paint of the ceiling during the Mint overhall they salvaged a few hundred thousand dollars of gold dust….

It's hot. It's damn hot!

Lift a gold bar – There was a display where you could lift a gold bar (if you could). It was obviously fairly well protected and you could only lift it a few centimetres in a certain direction, but you certainly got a good appreciation as to the density of the metal.

Evie giving it her best shot. Moved it at least...

Your value based on weight and value of gold – Pretty self explanatory and  this was pretty much some jazzed up bathroom scales which simply took your weight and applied the current market rate for gold. Suffice to say that we were all far more valuable than we thought! But I’d say really, we’re all priceless… (aww… cue the cringe music)

James at least ticking over the million bucks. It's a new milestone.

Closing in on $2m...

I think Sam was trying to work out how he could sell off some of himself for the actual gold.

Not often you find a woman smile so much when she steps on some scales, but these scales have a "smile guarantee" I think...

Boo Yeah! 

Overall, a great place and a really cool place to visit. I did enjoy a small moment when I overhead a kid on a school excursion as the teacher why “those kids are in casual clothes and not in school”. I chimed in to explain that they too were at school, just the class size was much smaller, but the classroom was far larger.

Back to the van, we packed up the van and thankfully were able to move the van to a new site where the caravan park allowed us to park remaining hooked up. This allowed us to leave the next day early to fight commuting traffic to drop the van off for a service. This was a highlight for me though as I got to spend a bit more time with James who put in a monster effort helping me to pack things up whilst his older siblings whined and whinged about finishing their classwork on their excursion to the Mint. Of all the kids, I’ve learnt more about James on the trip. His personality, his determination (when he wants to), and his kindness. He’s a brilliant little fella!

Moved across the road, ready to roll... The Rock Truck and BGL still very happy to hang out.

James thought being able to tow the dunny cartridge was pretty cool. He just needs to work on his guns so he can actually lift it and empty it. Got some very funny looks on this walk.

And his reward? A go on one of the arcade games in the arcade kitchen. Was too short for the pedals, so I was his booster seat. 

It's the small moments people. The small moments that you'll remember.

048 - Fremantle & Perth (14/5/17)

Mothers Day greeted us and in true form, I was grossly under-prepared. Normally I can rely on some pipe cleaner structure from creche, some hand painted cards and $5 random gifts from Paddy’s Market at school to cover the requirements from the kids. But alas, none of that this time.

B’s present though? Choice of doing whatever she liked today! What a gift!!

We headed off to the Fremantle Markets which were open. I was a little speculative and expected something like the Vic Markets in Melbourne. Oh how wrong was I… A bustling hive of people, I’m not sure how they did it, but Freo Markets felt very much like a small town market with a diverse range of offerings of gifts, foods and nic-nacs.

I had worded the kids up to watch Mum’s actions and see if there was something that she liked, that we would sneak back and get it whilst she wasn’t looking. I had also worded B up to make it very known (i.e. exaggerated “oh how nice is this” style exclamations) so the kids could pick up on it. My plan worked a treat as B was treated to some very nice smelling soap and an aroma candle from Evie and James. Sam once again was his indecisive best but plenty of time up our sleeve.

The markets really impressed me, and it’s not normally my style.

Strike a pose....

With a little time left in the parking meter we did a lap of Freo main drag and noticed that the town was for more lively and upbeat than we’d previously seen. I’d account all the Mothers Day brunches and lunches to a fair bit of it, but overall, a great town.

Managed to catch this street performer who held most people's attention well. He was OK... but I set a pretty high bar for street performers based on others I've seen elsewhere around the world. The Kiwi accent lost him points... 

This is the second shop that we've seen James run. The other was in Magaret River and sold some very swanky shoes...

As we’d lined up our dinner plans in East Perth (more on that later), we’d decided to head into Kings Park for lunch and then onto the CBD and the Bell Tower for the afternoon’s entertainment.

Kings Park was heaving with Mothers Day BBQ’s and picnics, and even getting a park in such a large precinct proved difficult. Still, we managed to find a spot to have our very fancy Cheese and Bacon rolls from Woollies, and lazed in the sun whilst the kids played in the playground. Listening to the Freo/Tigers game on the radio, on the grass in the sun was pretty damn comfortable.

Before heading off, we stopped at the main lookout spot for a couple of pics of the CBD over the Swan River. An iconic shot I’d seen many times before, it didn’t disappoint. And will also hold a small little humorous anecdote also.

As we pulled into that carpark, it was the dying moments of the footy. For those not in the know, Freo won that game with a kick after the siren to David Mundy. We obviously had parked with it on the radio and windows down. After a couple of “ho ho’s” and “can you believe it” we got out of the car to notice two elderly gentlemen right near our car on a park bench. One bloke was smiling and the other was shaking his head… It turns out, that gentlemen, was a Tigers supporter and had been trying to avoid hearing scores and updates. And we had literally rocked up, and might as well have had the MCG scoreboard on the roof of our car… If his mate wasn’t laughing so much I would have felt really bad.

I know, you've probably seen it before, but really, it is rather spectacular don't you think?

On to the Bell Tower, I took the long way touring up and down the CBD streets such was my want. It was a throw back into a slightly familiar life where I frequented a ‘big smoke’ to commute. Perth is a clean and attractive city, but felt a little soulless on this day. Not surprising really, given it was a Sunday. And most people seemed to be at Kings Park or Fremantle Markets!

The Bell Tower is an impressive modern structure, not too unlike The Shard in London really. Lots of glass and visible structure, I do wonder how these buildings will be looked upon in centuries to come, if they are around. Think about all the historic buildings around the world…  they were all once ‘modern’ and we now look at them with a historic eye for style. Will the Bell Tower just be another style? Who knows, but it’s a pretty cool building nevertheless.

Nothing like some cranes to spoil a pretty good shot. Suppose I better get on with developing my photoshop skills?

We counted the 134 steps from the bottom to the top of the view platform, which slightly disappointingly is only 6 stories up the Tower. The Bell Tower houses quite the collection of bells, including the oldest one in existence in Australia. This bell, made around 1550, was actually rung to welcome Captain Cook back into England on his return from ‘founding’ Australia. Just think about that for a minute…

121... 122... 123...

This bell is 467 years old. These boys sometimes make me feel that old.

B getting in on the Panoramic shots... Nice

I don't know what was so funny, but I found this shot on B's camera when downloading them. This is the real James smile, not that rubbish fake one he puts on when we ask him to 'smile'.

The impressive bells in the bell tower. Some of these babies are a few centuries old and still in use. The big daddy in the middle of the shot weighs a tick over 1100kg... Boom!

Strike another pose...

Up on the observation deck, we found a musical set of bells which, for a gold coin donation, you could get to play a tune off a list of prescribed tunes on a PC. It was here Sam came to the fore and provided his Mum with a lovely tribute for Mothers Day, much to the confusion of others. Not wanting to play the cliché “Waltzing Matilda” or “Advance Australia Fair” or the like, I pointed him in the direction of the traditional songs section where we found the famous Welsh song “Men of Harlech”. Once B clued on what it was playing (a little obscure at the start) a huge smile came across her face. I think Sam nailed that present…

For those not in the know of Men of Harlech, I steer you towards the following clip from Zulu, the tale of the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Quite the film...

With the rain clouds starting to circle and wind picking up, we dashed for the car and headed for our dinner date. Prior to that however a quick stop at another supermarket to pick up some desserts and give Poss a quick Mothers Day call from her #3 son. It was nice also having the call on Bluetooth in the car, so the kids could also wish her a happy “Nanna Poss Day” too.

So from there, we headed out to meet up with an old High School friend Liz Vuletich (nee Morton) and have dinner with her, her hubby Paul and her lovely daughters Scarlett and Charli. I haven’t seen Liz since I left Alice Springs in January of 1997, so a tick over 20 years. But like true Alice friends, it was like it had only been a couple of months (well to me) and we managed to while away a few hours easily before bedtime routines for both sets of kids pulled the pin on an evening.

Whilst our kids watched Moana together happily, we enjoyed a lovely homecooked meal in a REAL house made in a REAL kitchen with REAL pasta and (hopefully) with REAL love! As much as I love our nomadic lifestyle, nothing beats a homecooked meal and this was one of the best.

Liz and Paul have a beautiful little crew, and threw much adversity and difficulty, have managed to fashion themselves a life they should be so very proud of. Of all the things that I was expecting to derive inspiration from whilst on this trip, the life of an old friend wasn’t something at the top of the list. I can only wish them all the best of luck with their upcoming endeavours and developments and hope that they work out as well as possible.

And as we dashed to the car to dodge an amazing downpour, I felt enriched for once again igniting old memories and friendships. My only disappointment was that we didn’t take a photo of us together to mark the moment. Oh well… another reason to come back I suppose!

Back at Woodman Point in Freo, the wind had really picked up and B and I decided to bring in the awning before the van decided to take off and land in Oz.

I rounded out the evening doing a couple of random laps of the caravan park, trying to get the steps on my FitBit up. I’ve got a little challenge going whilst on this adventure to see if I can get to 10,000 steps each day. Most days, even the big car days, have proven to be quite simple, and often achieve without trying. When we got back to the van tonight though, I was still in the high 8000s….

So, there I was, just a weird Victorian walking around the park in the dark, wind and (relative) cold, reading updates on his phone…

Mission accomplished though…

046 & 047 - Rottnest Island (12-13/5/17)

OK... so this one will be different. Rather than wax lyrically on how awesome Rottnest Island was, I figure I'd tell the story through pics, God knows we took enough.

Rottnest (or "Rotty" to the locals) was a place B had been hanging to go back to ever since coming as a backpacker way back in the Ye Olden Days; back when it was all sepia toned and the like. So when we dreamed up this trip, Rotty, was a complete non-negotiable.

So, please, indulge me, whilst I take you on what was simply an awesome trip over to Rottnest Island...

Rottnest is "car free" so you have to carry on everything that you'll need. The smart folk stay in cabins or at the motel. We'd decided that our tents would do. So tents, mats, sleeping bags, clothes and a day's worth of food needed to be carried. Got some weird looks from the Nomads in the Caravan Park as we left our van looking like we'd moved out! Even stranger waiting at the bus stop with it all. Still, the kids were brilliant and carried all their stuff. Well, nearly all their stuff.

"Who's exited to go to Rottnest?!?"

The boys awaiting the Ferry at Northport.

"Where is it Dad?"

"There it is" said James. "It looks fast"

Yep... Sam's ready to roll.

Little did we realise but this Ferry connection came from Perth and Fremantle so all the good spots were taken. Still, we managed to find some seats in the "Upstairs Out" bit.

I wonder who is smiling the most about going to Rottnest..

Yep... I think we all know...

See ya later Mainland. Catch you tomorrow.

As you can tell, terrible day for a cruise across on the Ferry...

Hmm... I think this photo might be slightly over exposed.

This one is definitely over exposed. Subject matter has gone all weird.

Best part of being a kid? Being able to wangle your way infront of everyone to get the best view point.

I didn't realise that the waters off from Freo were literally like a shopping centre carpark for big ships waiting to come into port. There was heaps of them!

"It's Rottnest! It's Rottnest!" squealed B with delight.

"Yo... get out of my parking spot!"

After what seemed like eternity, we managed to find the campground, and just squeeze into an available space. It was pretty tight, but we made it work.

Evie was pretty chuffed about getting back into the tents. It might have been to do with...

...seeing our first Quokka!

On the way back into town we spotted this rare "Nutella Faced" Quokka

And soon... two more!

The only way to get around Rottnest of any great note is either by Bus or to hire/bring bikes. We checked out hire prices and managed to swing hire for the entire family for our stay for around $100. Pretty good value in the end and it proved to be a most excellent mode of transport.

"Sam, where did James go?"

"Dunno... he was here a minute ago, just before this hill"

"Here I am... wait for me!!"

"Ha ha... suckers... pass you all now"

One of the many bays that Rottnest is home too. On days like this it was simply breathtaking as to how beautiful it was.

At a pitstop, B and Sam walked down to check out the water for snorkelling possibilities. They were endless apparently.

"Why can't all the ride be downhill?"

"Eeeeeeee heeeee........"

"Too slow Mum..."

Was definitely an icy pole kind of day. Particularly after you power your way around a 15km loop.

"James are you teasing the Quokka with pretend food?"

We got back and found that the Quokka is a naturally inquisitive animal... or should that be nosey. We quickly learnt that the zips on the tent need to be at the top. Whilst I don't think they got in whilst we were gone, they looked wiley enough to open them, get in, nick food, get out and do the zip in all with a cute little marsupial grin on their faces...

...which sucked a few people in.

Sam, James and I weren't so sure...

It's 'customary' or so I'm told (or sucked in by) to try and get a selfie with a quokka...

Quokka Selfie Attempt #1 - Got me.. blurred the Quokka. And yes, I'm laying down on the chip bark to get this... sheesh.

So we chucked on the togs, walked the 50m over the dune to the lighthouse near the campground, and to the beach.

This beach. Wow. Serious Wow.

B and Sam decided to try their hand at snorkelling...

...whilst Evie and James played in the sand and once again made friends with random kids nearby!

Me? I snuck some contraband onto the beach and enjoyed watching the family play and enjoy themselves with the peace and quiet of only the voices in my head...

Eventually the sun set and we had to head off to find some dinner. But even at sunset, it adds another beautiful dimension.

The main waterfront as the sun goes down...

We walked to the couple of places that offer dinner on the island, and as we walked pass the boardwalk in front of this joint, Aristos, we asked the family what it was like (that's them in the background of this shot). "Mate, Friday special, $16.50 Fish and Chips, can't go wrong."

And we didn't. Three serves between four of us, and really B and I should have shared also as we both didn't finish! Sam stuck with nuggets, but they were awesome too apparently. We stayed there for a few (expensive) drinks watching the first half of the footy as the kids coloured in on some drawings provided.

All in all, a fantastic dinner, befitting of such a brilliant place.

Quokka Selfie Attempt 2 - Nailed the Quokka, shadowed me. Went for extra degree of difficulty with the night time shot.

After a 'reasonable' night in the tents (girls vs. boys) B got up to go to the dunny and managed to sneak down to the beach to take this amazing shot as the sun came over the Island. Me? I was happy to snore away in the boys tent.

Apparently climbed up the lighthouse to take it from the other direction too!

Back on the bikes we headed off to a part of the island that we left unvisited yesterday. And what a surprise, another beautiful cove.

B decided another snorkel was in order...

You've got to love her determination and commitment. It wasn't warm enough for me (which isn't uncommon) but even the kids weren't entertaining getting in.

Probably because they were too busy playing on the awesome sand dunes!!

I managed to crawl up to the top of the dune to meet them, and was rewarded with this spectacular view, which may or may not come across in this panorama.

The scale of the dune, to the kids, to the beach...

Walking along the beach I spotted a few of these bad boys.... Decided I'd go back and warn B in case she hadn't noticed.

Too late... Managed to get a souvenir on the way out of the water, getting stung through her bathers! The pain grew a little, welt go a bit bigger, but eventually after the magical medicinal properties of Paw Paw cream, subsided. Tough cookie though. I know where James get's it from.

We headed back into town where I'd promised the kids (i.e. myself) a treat of bakery lunch. This was a sneaky way to watch the Hawks game on my phone as we took on the Lions in Tassie. As this shot can tell, I wasn't overly enthused by the first half... Meanwhile B and the kids....

...went for more rides...

...saw more of the beautiful island...

...checked out the 'museum' and learnt about the history of the island itself...

...generally monkeyed around...

...and snuck in some mini golf. Here we can see James displaying the unique split hand grip.

Sam going for the traditional grip, albeit with a more upright and cramped stance...

But with the day ending, and a boat to catch, we had to rush the mini-golf, return the bikes and get to the jetty.

James was quite pleased that we got to go back on the fast boat, and due to my PIA mentality of getting to places as much in advance of departure time, we got an awesome spot on the "Upstairs Out" for the journey home.

And yes... the ships were still parked there.

All in all, Rottnest Island was a brilliant place. So unique. So different. A whole society devoid of vehicles (with the exception of police, ambulance and contractors who run services on the island). It felt safe and clean. Quiet and yet still so accessible. I can now understand why B was so keen to get back here. We really thought about trying to extend our stay a night or two more, but we were only kitted out for one night. Had we been more prepared, I'd have brought the esky, a few more changes of clothes and a few sherpa's to carry all the gear. It's not the cheapest place to get to, or buy stuff on, but it's understandable considering it's location.

I couldn't recommend a journey out to Rottnest more. And even moreso to stay over on the island and not rush to catch a ferry back on the same day. A few hours wouldn't do it justice and we've just scratched the surface with our 30hrs. Hell, we didn't fish or play golf!

I will be back here. Not sure when, but when I get here, I'll be even more prepared. And I'll damn well get a decent selfie.