Perth - Rottnest Bus Trip

These are great - a bus trip around the island. It was either that or a push-bike. And that most definitely ain't going to happen.

The bus at the first stop at the main lighthouse.
A great big gun. This was part of Fremantle's harbour defence. Sadly, there is no big red buttom labelled 'FIRE GUN'.
Some sort of tea tree that looks a bit like broccoli.
The main lighthouse.
Looking back to the settlement area.
The tower where they used to check where the gun's shells landed. Manned by ladies, apparently (or should that be ladied by ladies?).
The next stop was at the western tip of the island which was very windy and pretty wild. This looks like a nice snorkelling bay.
A great big blow-hole.
Some sort of skink.
We were told that sometimes dolphins come here to surf. Yes, really.
It's a nice coastline round here.
Inland there are a few small salt lakes. This is where they used to collect the salt for the store. I like this sort of thing because of all the different colours.
A kind of red moss on the lakeside.
There is one big windmill on the island.
Anothe one of the lakes with salt foam round the edges.
This from a lookout over the lakes.

Perth - Rottnest Diving

There would be a lot more on this post had the underwater camera batteries not gone all flat at exactly the wrong time - i.e. the second I hit the bottom.

The dive boat with about 20 divers and kit.
Over one of the dive sites.

Perth - Rottnest Trip

We went off to Rottnest Island for the weekend.

Western Australians have such small attention spans, they struggle to get to the end of multi-syllable place names, thus, 'Rotto'.

Sadly, dogs are not allowed on Rotto - one of the few times that the dog-hating westies actually have a point; fragile eco-system and all that - so Brandy was packed off to dog prison for the duration. It appears that she entered the general population without too many compromises.

On to Rotto, then...

As Rotto is an island, we thought the best way to get there was by boat.
Perth's ex-brewery, now a hotel.
There's the cops.
And that's what happens if you don't do what the cops tell you.
The Oriana and Fremantle's maritime museum.
2 hours later and we got to the island. Here's the main shopping mall. Those two at the table are probably escaped criminals of something - there's a lot of them in WA.
The jetty where the ferries come in with the Perth skyline on the horizon.
Was the salt store, now a tourist info point. They used to collect salt on the island for the whole of the state who, presumably, spent a lot of time waiting around for a delivery with bags of chips in their hands.
The harbour in the settlement area - and the dive shop.
Kim getting churched-up. I went in later and had a chat with the vicar who was setting up for a wedding. Not too long, though. Something aimed at me might have missed and got the poor bugger.
Pilot Boat station with a replica of the original boat. Lots of ships used to run into this island - there are at least half a dozen wrecks about the place - and the pilot used to have to go out in all weathers to help them into Fremantle port.
Kim, waiting for dinner.
Me, likewise.
Cheeky monkey - tried to nick all the chips.
Sunset over the harbour.
Aaaaaarrrrrgh. More of this later.

Perth - Swan Lake

Well, it took 3 months but we finally found some. Black Swans, that is. For a city that uses this bird as its symbol, the place is remarkably bereft of the little buggers.

I saw this lake on the map and decided to swing by to see if it may be a good dog-walking park - these are few and far between in Perth. It is if you ignore the dog-hostile 'must be on a lead' signs.
A lake.
With swans.
Black ones.
More black ones.
And ducks.
And more black ones.
Black. But not swans.
A tranquil scene with lots of ducks resting after a long day being ducks just before Brandy spotted them.
A tranquil scene with lots of ducks resting after a long day being ducks just after Brandy spotted them.
Not ducks. Not black.

Beading

Kim has a new hobby - beading.

Kim's Beading How-To:

- Get some string.
- Get some beads.
- Put beads on string.
- Shout profanaties as beads bounce under the sofa and into dog's bowl.
- Put beads on string.
- Shout profanaties as beads bounce under the sofa and into dog's bowl.
- etc.

There seems to be a strong correlation between beading and juggling judging by the amount of time you spend crawling around on the floor picking things up.

As I have absolutely no idea what the technical terms are for these things, I'll number them...


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