To see Perth, is to experience outside Perth. Walking in Fremantle, be it the Fremantle Market or the walking street is life at its greatest. The easiness and breeziness of the air makes living here a dream for retirement. The wharf area reminds me of San Fran and Cape Town, one of my favourite places. Buskers were everywhere and made the street crowded with people having a blast of live performances. We had lunch at the famous Fish & Chips restaurant where they claim to be the best around. Eating fried snapper with the company of seabirds, sunny sky and chilly air is a lifestyle I can stick to for a very long time, of course to be followed by a café hang-out for the pleasure of people-watching.
A trip to Margaret River is a must. The 2-hour long drive is worth every minute of great views. We made a pit stop at Busselton for a cup of coffee as breakie (breakfast in Australian). And this small town feels like a good place for chilling underneath the sun with your cuppa. Once we reached Margaret River, we went to the Chocolate Factory, a haven for the choc lovers. Then we proceeded to the Cheese Factory, Yahava Coffee, Berries Farm and countless vineyards. As the trip advances, so do our waistline as sampling of their produce is sufficient to skip our lunch for the day. Driving back towards Kenwick and Thornlie, we stopped at the coastline of Yallingup for the perfect view of the ocean. What a marvellous sight of the vast blue water, sandy beach and high ground of greenery!
Another activity that we did was deep-sea fishing in Blue Juice boat. Though I am never fond of this sport, I didn’t mind witnessing one. Of course, the sight of the fish caught by the fishing enthusiasts was enough for me to feel the pain for the fish. I vowed not to go fishing again. But the boat ride that took 2 ½ hours to qualify as deep sea was a worthy experience. The boat is equipped with GPS detector that can actually tell whether there is any chance for a good catch. The prize fish is known as dhue fish which worth AU$60 per kilo. As the Fisheries Authority imposed stringent rules on conservation, we witnessed how hard the skippers (drivers in Australian but also apply to Captain of the boat) trying to revive a dhue fish which was deemed too small to be caught.
While it is still on Easter season, we feast in family gatherings. Food wise, it’s never short of Perth’s best Corica’s apple strudel, a good beef steak, home-cooked Portugese-style lamb curry, fish with sweet chilli hot sambal and smoked cheddar with Browns Brothers Moscato Millawa red and white wines, all done in alfresco!
