So finally I’ve come to my last post about Perth, and it will be the last post for a long long time. Why am I choking up as I type this? I write this post with a heavy heart and shaky hands, the latter probably alcohol-induced from an over indulgent weekend. Oof!

I guess I knew this day would come sooner or later. We sold our apartment in Perth.

I was fortunate to live in a good suburb in Perth just 5mins away from the City and 8mins away from UWA. 25 Melville Parade South Perth was my home for 3 years. I cooked, cleaned, and beautified my little abode. I’m definitely going to miss that place, and so for the last time, “Goodbye House”!

There’s so much attachment to this place besides the apartment. Perth memories were at emotional extremes: great joys, fear, love and lost.
To name a few:

• Experienced alot of life’s firsts such as: Learning how to drive, growing my own herb garden, first hail storm, first taste of freedom, learnt to play golf.
• Partied like a rockstar during my last semester and still managed to emerge a graduate.
• I had a really emotionally abusive ex boyfriend who brought my self-esteem down till the point I felt unworthy
• Lived in serious fear of stalkers and break-ins when I lived alone in my apartment.
• Met an amazing guy who built back that self-confidence and I went on to date for 5 1/2 years.
• Formed some amazing friendships. Like Jono, now one of my best mates.

Now with the apartment sold, the end of a era just feels more real.

Then there was my wheels (well my dad’s)… a 2003 Toyota RAV4, which faithfully travelled up North and down South countless times but chose to die on me once on the Freeway South just 2 minutes from my doorstep.

I loved my license plate (ANG3L) and now it’s out on the market for the taking for those in WA.

We kept it there even after I moved home to Singapore because we were travelling back to Perth quite often and it worked out cheaper to keep it than to rent a car.

So, to my set of wheels. “Bye Car”!

The only consolation is knowing that Perth is only a hop and skip away and that I have wonderful friends there like Jon & Dave still there to keep the memories alive when I visit.

It’s time I closed this huge chapter in my life. And say goodbye to Perth!

Travel ANG3L, Australia, Perth

The Garden is an outdoor bar/restaurant situated next to The Leederville Hotel on Newcastle Street. I should emphasize NEXT, not IN the Leederville Hotel. For those not familiar, The Leederville Hotel bar is like The Garden’s older ugly sister, same parents but just a shabby, dirty and skanky place to hang.

The crowd at The Garden is far more relaxed, unpretentious and grown up, you won’t find young teens chugging beer and sculling Jaegerbombs here. How? Perhaps by choosing not to serve spirits, and just focus on wine, beers and the exception, Pimms.

The wine list is not huge, and features mostly West Australian wines costing around A$30-50. Beers stocked include Boags, Leffe, and Jon’s highly recommended James Squire.

We chose to sit al-fresco, perched upon high chairs and long wooden tables.

Here’s a sampling of their menu:
lamb kofta with cool yoghurt ($9.50)
Bunbury white bait with preserved lemon aioli ($10)
pork rillettes ($4.50)
Balls of beef and parmeasan with tomato relish ($9.50)
Chorizo and Kipfler potato with rosemary dressing ($12)
Charcuterie plate, crispy pork belly, chorizo, spiced chicken, and lamb kofte – serves 4 ($44)
Crispy baby squid, palm sugar & citrus dressing – serves 2 ($22)

It’s a nice place for knocking back a few beers, and is definitely on my repeat list.

The Garden
Tel: +61 (08) 9202 8282
Open: Lunch and dinner, seven days
Website: http://www.leedervillehotel.com/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=101&na

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Food, Travel Australia, Leederville, Perth, The Garden

One of the best fish and chippie restaurant in Perth is Cicerellos which sits on the fishing pier in Fremantle. The place is huge and can’t be missed if you’re walking across from the city centre to the harbour.

Don’t expect to be served at this restaurant, think of it more of a glorified canteen just to keep your expectations in check. When you enter the place, your eyes are immediately drawn to the huge aquarium which walls the path to the ordering counter.

You order your food from the counter, pick up a electronic tag, and find yourself a seat at the many tables inside and outside the restaurant. It’s quite noisy indoors, so if you want a bit more peace, quiet and sunshine, eat alfresco. But just be ready to guard your food from the hungry Sea Gulls perched on the fence.

When your electronic tag starts buzzin, it means your food is ready for collection from the counter

The two items always ordered are:

• Traditional fish and chips (premium NZ Hoki) – A$12.60
• Fresh Chilli Mussels – A$22.00

Their fish & chips are wrapped in paper. Salt and vinegar available at the counter. Only thing which annoys me: they charge you for tiny packets of tartar sauce. Come on you can’t have fish without tartar!

I like the fact that the Little Creatures micro-brewery is just down the road too! THAT place has just expanded like crazy! Definitely one of the sexiest looking micro-breweries I’ve ever come across.

Enjoyed the little sense of humour on the signs they placed around Cicerellos. I’m sure you can guess what the words abbreviated are.

Address: Fisherman’s Wharf 44 Mews Road Fremantle 616
Telephone: +61 (08) 9335 1911
Email: info@cicerellos.com.au
Opening hours: 10am to late, 7 Days A Week
Website: http://www.cicerellos.com.au/

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Food, Travel Australia, Cicerellos, Fish & Chips, Fremantle, Perth

While walking round Fremantle, I chanced upon an old record shop. After a bit of reading, discovered The Record Finder is the oldest established record dealer in Australasia, operating since 1966.

The family run business is dedicated to customer satisfaction with friendly staff happy to help in any way. The Record Finder specialises in all fields of music and stock all record mediums, LP’s, 45′s, 78′s, 12″ as well as record equipment, VHS and DVD titles, cartridges and styluses. Records are stocked from all genres and in all categories, new, used, and rare or original pressings.

Spent awhile flipping through old LPs and admiring the vintage-ness of the collections they had stocked. Range was massive, everything from the Beatles to the Beastie Boys, they had it all.

The Record Finder
Address: 87 High Street Fremantle Perth Western Australia 6160
Tel: +61 (08) 9335 2770
Email: sales@therecordfinder.com.au
Website: www.therecordfinder.com.au

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Music, Travel Australia, Perth, Record Shop, The Record Finder

Fremantle is one of my favourite suburbs to visit on the weekends. Just a 20min drive from the city and it’s everything I encompass Perth to be: Beach, Seafood, Shopping, Cafe culture, relaxed atmosphere, huge on boating culture, Weekend markets, green lawns and beautiful sunsets.

The city is named after Captain Charles Fremantle, the English naval officer who had pronounced possession of Western Australia and who established a camp at the site. The city contains well-preserved 19th-century buildings and other heritage features. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for Fremantle is “Freo”

Usual itinerary as follows: Park at the CPP car park. Walk into the weekend market. Order a ham & cheese crepe. Eat and walk through the Farmer’s market. Walk down the cafe strip. Window shop a bit. Check out the Onitsu Tigers at Wonderlust. The Cornere store on South Terrace. Coffee at Merchant Coffee & Tea Leaf cafe. Walk to the beach. Watch the sunset. Come dinner time, walk to Cicerellos for fish & chips or chilli mussels.

My favourite shop in Fremantle is the Corner Store on South Terrace. Love love LOVE everything in there.

Recommendations:

• Little Creatures Microbrewery
• Cicerellos
• Merchant Tea & Coffee Company
• Weekend Markets
• Wonderlust
• Subway DC Clothes
• Micheles Crepe Suzette
• Kakulas Sister grocers
• Corner Store
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Travel Australia, Fremantle, Perth

When I first started blogging back in 2003, the community was pretty small. So it was pure coincidence I came across Karen’s blog just about the time she had her first born. Fast forward 6 years and now she is at baby number 3.

We soon became readers of each other’s blog, and finally after years of online correspondences, we finally met last November.

Karen is a super mum living in Perth with her hubby and 3 sons Callum, Sean and Liam. Her blog is beautifully written about her life down under where she writes a lot about parenting, fashion, and everything in between.

We met at the park near the city and had coffee/tea at a café overlooking the Swan River. She is such a lovely lovely person, and was glad we managed to meet up.

Karen, Sean and I at the Park. Second photo is Sean’s idea of a funny face

Here’s her blog post of our meeting!

Friends & Family Australia, Blogger, Blogs, Karen Cheng, Perth

On the return route from Swan Valley, there were a couple of places we wanted to check out before we called it a day. One being the Cape Lavender café off West Swan Road. Initially, I envisaged a place with organic-designed wrought iron gates, a long driveway lined with thick bushes of lavender on either sides and the road slowly opening up to fields of purple lavender.

Forget that, it was just short dusty drive to a small building with a few lines of lavender bushes in the front. Even the lavender on the café tables were plastic!!

Only saving grace was the little café which served up lavender scones with raspberry jam and lashings of clotted cream. Wasn’t hungry at all, but I really wanted to give it a try.

Verdict: Felt like I was eating potpourri!?!

Beside the café was a little gift shop with all sorts of lavender gifts and edibles such as jams, chutneys, honey and preserves. All of which you can sample before you buy.

After speaking to the lovely lady at the counter did we realize that the Cape Lavender farm is actually in Margaret River, and this place was just an outlet.

Cape Lavender (Swan Valley outlet)
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm
Address: 6 Cranleigh Street (off West Swan Road), West Swan
Tel: +61 (08) 9250 7711
Website: http://www.capelavender.com.au/cape-lavender-swan-valley.html

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Food, Travel Australia, Cape Lavendar, Perth, Swan Valley

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Margaret River is the chocolate factory. Now before you start imagining a place like Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, get rid of that thought immediately. You won’t find no chocolate lake or copious amounts of candy on the walls and hanging off trees.

Let me help you out here and manage your expectations. It’s just a huge shop with a shelf full of chocolate, and a back room with a few heavy machinery churning melted chocolate in cauldrons. But don’t let the appearance discourage you, the chocolate is good!

Entry is free, and so is the sampling of chocolate pastelles in dark, milk and white from huge bowls located at the entrance of the shop.

The Margaret River factory was opened in May 1999 by two friends who had no experience in chocolate, retailing or tourism but did have a passion for chocolate. Chocolate is one of the most luxurious, indulgent and universally loved foods in existence and has a rich history dating back more than 3000 years. Several hundred years after this the Aztecs christened it as the “Food of the Gods”.

It may be a small factory, but they do have a lot of flavours: Dark, milk, white, sugar free, rocky road, sprinkles, biscuits. Gourmet hand-made truffles are displayed in the glass cabinet: hazelnut toffee, Turkish delight, strawberry cream. One of their award winning flavour is dark chocolate with candied ginger.

You can view the chocolate making process through a glass window. The factory also has a café serving sandwiches, coffees, chocolate fondues, fudge cake, brownies and ice cream sundaes.

They did so well, another outlet in Swan Valley was opened a year later for people like me who didn’t want to venture that far for a piece of heaven.

The Margaret River Chocolate Factory
Address: 5123 West Swan Rd, West Swan 6055 WA
Tel: +61 (08) 9250 1588
Opening hours: 9am – 5pm
Website:www.chocolatefactory.com.au/

Food, Travel Australia, Chocolate, Margaret River Chocolate Factory, Perth, Swan Valley

It was Friday night which meant the boys were game for a big night out!

Having left Perth a few years ago, I’m not up to date with the latest trend spots in town. Once thought of as the cool and hip nightclub, Metros, is now apparently quite trashy. And favourites such as Luxe on Mount Lawley are finding hard not to be out shined by newer, swankier underground bars like 1907.

1907 is a world class restaurant and bar housed in a 100 year old rag trade factory, situated in the hub of Perth´s former fashion district. 1907 is the result of an idea to evolve Perth´s inner city, maintaining its old charms and incorporating cutting edge design to match a world class dining experience provided by our enthusiastic team of hospitality professionals.

Jon said this place makes an amazing Passionfruit & Vanilla Martini at A$18 a pop. Verdict: Expensive but worth it! One of the best tasting Martini combination EVER! And of course such magic juice had to be replicated at home no? So I saw the ingredients on their menu online and hope to try it out one day.

Passion fruit & Vanilla Martini
Fresh passion fruit and home-made vanilla syrup shaken with a large serve of our very own local Wild Swan vanilla vodka, Licor 43 and pressed lemon juice. Served straight up with a vanilla sugar dusted rim.

And as you can guess, we didn’t stop at just 1.

1907
Address: 26 Queen Street, Perth, WA 6000
Tel: +61 (08) 9436 0233
Website: www.1907.com.au
Opening Hours: Bar (Wednesday, Thursday 5pm – midnight, Friday 4pm – 1am, Saturday 5pm – 1am)
Restaurant (Lunch – Tuesday to Friday from 12pm, Dinner – Tuesday to Saturday, from 6pm)

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Food 1907, Australia, Bar, Martini, Perth

About 4 years ago when my parents came to Perth to visit, we came across a lovely picnic spot by the Avon River at Swan Valley. It was purely by chance that I drove there again last November.

This spot is approximately 35mins drive from Perth City in the Brigadoon district. A short drive on the gravel road will take you further in till you reach the car park. The annual Avon Descent White Water Race is held here, and apparently this place is the prime spot to view the race.

Recommended for picnics and bush walks but not for swimming!

Bells Raid, Swan Valley
Address: Cathedral Avenue, Brigadoon, Perth

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Travel Australia, Bells Rapid, Perth, Picnic

Best time to appreciate the Perth City skyline is at dusk. If you’re planning to take photos there, suggest you bring a tripod for better results. Was a challenge to get my photo sharp!

This was taken from South Perth esplanade, just around the corner from home.

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Snaps & Clips, Travel Australia, City Skyline, Perth

Right in the heart of Subiaco you’ll find the 100-year old Subi Hotel. Having promised Farmer that he should try Jesters pie up the road, we opted for a light lunch at the Subiaco Hotel Restaurant/Cafe located just round the corner from the main entrance of the hotel.

Lunchtime crowd was full of businessman negotiating their next big deal with clients. And me, looking like a complete tourist with my dslr camera and sandles.

What was on my table?

• Caesar salad with candied bacon and smoked salmon
• Fish of the day – If I remember correctly was the barramundi on a bed of cous cous

Winning dish is definitely the Caesar. Candied bacon was special!

Subiaco Hotel
Address: 465 Hay St, Subiaco 6008 WA
Tel: +61 (08) 9381 3069
Website: www.subiacohotel.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 7am-10.30pm
Cuisine: International
Prices: Entrée: $15-$20, Mains: $17-$30, Dessert: $10-$15

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Food Australia, Perth, Subi, Subiaco

“Shake” and it gets thicker!

British supermarket chains were among those said to be interested in the Supashake frothy milkshake concept from Australia. PB Foods is looking to license its technology, which allows the drinks to become cafe-style thick shakes when the cartons are shaken before opening.

Product manager Suzanne Perry said it took three years to perfect the Supashake technology

My friend Duncan wanted a chocolate milkshake, and I remembered the Supashakes you get from the supermarket or gas station. Just keep on shaking until it sounds all frothy inside. They don’t stock this in Singapore… wonder why?

Food Australia, Drinks, Perth, Supashake

The fire comes leaping through the woods
Burning all of Nature’s goods.
It jumps and sways from side to side,
Using each tree for its scorching ride.
It sputters left and sputters right–
Killing life with greedy delight.
It plays with leaves and very tall pines,
Breaking in places, then it combines.
The trip is ended, the forest is gone.
It all started just before dawn.
So many were happy while they lived here;
Now, they’re all hiding in fear.
It only takes a single match..

~George E Thompson

Snaps & Clips Australia, Perth, Photography, Photos

Plans to go deep sea fishing were canned due to season closure, which was a shame because there’s alot more fish breeds we would have been allowed to reel in. We had to opt for something more serious (and expensive)…Samson Jigging.

Deep sea fishing targets fish like: Dhufish, Pink Snapper, Baldchin Groper, Queen Snapper, Mulloway, Silver Trevally (Skippy), Breaksea Cod (black arse), Red Snapper.

Samson jigging only means you’re fishing for Samson fish.

I called up Mills Fishing Charters to book us in for a day trip out from Hillary’s Boat Harbour, just 20mins drive out of Perth city.

We were told that on-board tuition in jigging techniques will be provided by their specialist crew for customers who have never battled these fish.

The Samson fish (also known as Sambos to the locals) are well known for their strength and is apparently one of the best fighting fish around. And I had sore arms at the end of the day to prove that.

It’s quite bizarre, but during the season, the Sambos school up in particular hot spots 1hr boat ride out from the coast and are easily found by the captain’s fish finder. When we reached the area, the boat would circle… waiting for the frantic beep of the fish finder, at which we are told to drop our lines!

10 lines are dropped down to approximately 80-100m till it reaches the seabed, after which you’re meant to reel and tug the line mocking the movement of the live bait. Usually within SECONDS you would have hooked a Sambo. Sometimes you even get one on the way down!

It’s tough work reeling them in, by the 3rd Sambo reeled in, I was ready to call it a day. If you get a feisty one, expect the big fella to be pulling your line for ages. The further he goes, the more line you have to reel in. Oof!

Mill Charters
Samson jigging season runs from November to February.
Contact: To book call (08) 9246 5334
Price: A$220 pp
Price includes:

• the use of latest Shimano spinning reels and Shimano jigging rods
• Breakfast, sandwich lunch, snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic)

Things to note:

• There are on board male and female toilets
• Bring something warm to wear
• It’s BYO for alocoholic drinks
• Bring your ipod, it’s a one hour boat ride to fishing site
• Sunblock
• You WILL smell like fish, bring wet wipes
• Perhaps bring a change of clothes so your car won’t smell

Travel Australia, Deep Sea Fishing, Fishing, Perth, Samson Jigging

Another picnic spot discovered by chance in the Perth Hills is Lake Leschenaultia, a manmade lake constructed in 1897 for the Western Australia Government Railway, to water Steam Engines at the Chidlow Well Station.

This was after our pony ride in the Perth Hills, and we had asked our guide where would be a nice place to lay a mat and have a picnic. Soon we were punching in the destination on the GPS and heading towards Lake Leschenaultia.

There is a small entrance fee to enter the park. $6 per car, but I’m not sure why but the booth wasn’t in operation when we were there. So it was free!

For all the road trips out of Perth, I made an effort to pack lunch, drinks and snacks so we could always find an excuse to detour and find a nice picnic spot. Again, this place was a winner.
We found a grassed area and laid out the mat and ate chicken coriander sandwiches (My Auntie Rosie’s famous recipe).

It was quiet, breezy, picturesque and the best part…there were ducks to feed

My bread at home was getting a bit old, so I brought it along hoping I’d come across some ducks or swans to feed. When we turned up at Lake Leschenaultia, there were probably 60 ducks in waiting for my loaf. All gone in 60 seconds.

Driving Directions
40km east of Perth at Lake Leschenaultia, Rosedale Rd, Chidlow.
Entrance is via Rosedale Road in Chidlow.
Approximately 1 hour from Perth via Great Eastern Hwy.

Further Information

• Barbecues
• Stokers Cafe is open Wednesday through Sunday and Public Holidays. It can seat up to 60 people and also provides a canoe hire.
• From December to April anglers can try their luck with the rainbow trout with which the lake has been stocked.
• Wildflowers and fresh growth bloom during September until October all over the 600 acres of Parkland.
• Tent camping and camper trailers only, no caravans permitted. Booking for a site is to be made prior to the date.
• Fires are permitted when conditions allow.
• No dogs.

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Travel Australia, Lake Leschenaultia, Perth

I stood there guffawing at the guffaw.

Fremantle, Perth.

Random, Snaps & Clips Australia, Guffaw, Perth

Continuing from the great picnic lunch and ocean dip at Hangover Bay, it was time to press on and head over to Nambung National Park, home to the Pinnacles Desert. Without the stop at Hangover Bay, it would probably be about 3hr drive north from Perth City towards the coastal town of Cervantes.

The Pinnacles Desert was added to the existing National Park that was named after the winding Nambung River. Nambung means crooked in the local Aboriginal tribal language. It is a park with a 26km stretch of sparkling coastline bordered by rolling ancient sand dunes that extend inland into banksias woodlands.
credit: Wikipedia

One of Western Australia’s most unique landscape and tourist attractions, the Pinnacles is a desert area scattered with a series of limestone formations shaped like termite hills. They vary in size but can be up to 3.5m high.

It’s believed the Pinnacles were created millions of years ago as seashells were broken down into sand and then eroded by water and wind.

If you’d like to read up more about the desert, near the entrance to the trail is The Pinnacles Desert Discovery, where they house displays and literature providing an insight into the natural processes that formed the pinnacle structures.

The best time to visit the Pinnacles Desert is at dawn or dusk when it gives the limestones and sand a orange/yellow colour wash on the back of a blue sky. Shadows too will make quite interesting photographs.

There are two ways to go through the Pinnacles, either by foot or by car.

If you’re walking, don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated, wear a cap and some sunblock; it can be hot out there!

If you’re going by car, there is only one access road (and one way) into the Pinnacles Desert, which is about 27km long. There are stopping points if you’d like to get down and take photos.

This is the sort of place you’d go once, and that’s it.

I recommend planning other activities around the trip. Don’t just drive 3hrs all the way from Perth just to see the Pinnacles because you might be disappointed.

Driving Directions

1. North along Brand Highway
2. Left at sign to Cervantes
3. Head south 2km to Nambung National Park boundary
4. Continue further 14km to pinnacles

Travel Australia, Cervantes, Perth, Pinnacles, The Pinnacles

On the way to see the Pinnacles in Cervantes, we detoured off the GPS route to have a picnic lunch. Not knowing where the road signs would take us, we headed towards a place called Hangover Bay, just coz the name was funny. But you know what? That was the best decision made on the whole trip, because that place was a hidden gem!

Hangover Bay is a ten minute drive from the entrance to the Nambung National Park, or 3 hours from Perth City. This place was perfect for all kinds of water fun like swimming, windsurfing, snorkelling.

Apparently, based on the Perth tourism website, you can even spot bottlenose dolphins or a local sea lion playing offshore.

Hangover Bay’s white sandy beaches stretches for miles and the crystal clear waters were so inviting on that hot afternoon. When we were sure the coast was clear, I stripped down to our under garments and took a dip because I forgot to pack in bathers. Oh don’t give me that! It’s the same thing as wearing a bikini!

There are a few picnic tables and barbecue pits, but since it was a weekday, there was no trouble finding a vacant spot. We ate leftovers from last night’s Ciao Italia dinner, and did I mention how reheated Ciao Italia tasted just as amazing?

I took tons of photos at Hangover Bay, especially the combination of the beach, water and sky. It was just a beautiful palate of blues and beige, it was hard to stop at just one angle/perspective.

Picture top right above is of me walking on a giant patch of seaweed which got washed up on the beach. You could hear the seaweed crackling and drying up under my feet.

Bottom right picture: I wasn’t the only one leaving footprints behind

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Travel Australia, Cervantes, Hangover Bay, Perth, Pinnacles

In 2008 when I was going through my dark days, I escaped to Perth alone for some “Me-Time”. And one of the things I really wanted to do was to go pony/horseback riding. So after a few phone calls, I was driving up to the Perth Hills on my first outback ride. You can read about it here

Whenever the family went on vacation, if there was an opportunity to ride, we would ride. Every trip back to the UK involved horse riding classes as well. I’m not at the level of jumps, but am still able to travel around confidently on horseback.

On my last trip back, I thought it would be a good idea to bring my friend Duncan for some bushland pony/horseback riding. Again, looked through the yellowpages and on google, made some phone calls and we were off! Little did I know, that I booked to the SAME ranch I went to in 2008!

I much preferred a self ride, but it didn’t occur to me at the time of booking.

It was great just simply being outdoors and in the sun. Our ride took us through the quiet back roads of the Perth Hills and into the outback. I enjoyed the peace and quite while taking in the sights, smells and sounds around us. If you are observant, you can catch glimpses of wild kangaroos chilling between the trees and bushes.

I love that relationship you develop, that sense of trust between you and and your horse. It’s beautiful. How I wish I could have that same experience here in Singapore.

Anyway, what better way to end the morning with a picnic lunch at a nearby lake! Chicken coriander sandwich on multi-grain, hot coffee/tea and left over banana tart tartin (Jamie Oliver recipe).

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Travel Australia, Horse riding, Horseback Riding, Perth