Caversham Wildlife Park

In Perth, we stayed at Billabong Backpackers Resort. Well, from its name, it’s really a class of its own. Considering the hostel standards. Located at Northbridge, it is 10minutes walk to the State Library (where you can get free internet access and wifi) and Wellington Train station. It has a pool and ensuite bathroom in the dorms. Good place to stay, just pricey, 6 bed dorm $29 per bed.

Previously we have considered taking a day tour to Pinnacles Desert. Costs $165 per pax, it includes entrance to Caversham Wildlife Park, sandboarding in Lancelin, lunch, pinnacles desert then back to Perth. Well, driving is a better and cheaper option. We get to travel at our own pace and not rushing to finish all that in a day. So our first day heading north, we started it at the wildlife park.

Caversham Wildlife Park***** Entrance is $22, it was all you need to pay.

 

Firstly we went to the farm show, the ‘farmer’ demonstrates on mustering sheep, shearing their wools, making a good Billy tea for the afternoon. We got the chance on milking the cows too! Then we get to meet the fatty wombat, it’s sleeping all the time like the Koalas too.

A: Can I please have a pet Koala . . . .

P: Erm, I think petting a Koala doll will be the same because they sleep almost all the time… Hohohoo!!!

Oops, the Roos doing ‘business’ -SENSORED-

It’s mating season in Spring. The mother roos can only bear one joey in its pouch at a time. And the baby stays in the pouch for up to 8 months.

Kawaii girl with hungry roos.

ROO: hey, stop looking and give me the bloody food!

It was a great place to get close to the animals we have always wanted to see! All in one place =)

Gloucester Tree NP, Greens Pool, Natural Bridge & The Gap

A cold day to start our morning, the journey to Pemberton, Walpole, Denmark and Albany. About two hours drive from Pemberton, we passed by the country side farms and many beautiful flower fields.

GOSH Airasia is everywhere! Even in the middle of nowhere farm!

First stop at the Gloucester Tree National Park****. It is a 58 metre high Karri Tree where you can climb up and see the forest view. Entrance to the park costs $11 per vehicle. So it is a perfect stop for a lunch break and challenge your muscles =)

It was drizzling that morning, which makes the steel stairs slippery and wet. So only Uncle Boon, Peter and Angie managed to climb up the tree!

If you are afraid of height, better not do it! But the view above is magnificent. It is the tallest tree around, so nothing blocks your view. You can see nothing besides the green and orange leaves of the forest. This tree was actually climbed some many years ago as a lookout point for forest fire. The guy who climbed the tree (back then there was no steel on it!) takes about 4 hours to do it. Poor man~~

Cute birds accompany us for our lunch break. . .

Second stop, at the Walpole Giant Tingle Tree****. Initially we wanted to go to the Valley of the Giant Treetop walk. But due to time constraint, we went to see the Giant Tingle Tree, which was near the Walpole town. To see the tree, requires about 10mins walk into the forest. It was a great track, but the treetop walk would be more interesting we supposed =)

We stopped by in Denmark, to see the Greens Pool*** at William Bay National Park. Unfortunately, the Greens Pool wasn’t green that day! Cause it was a dull day, with no sunlight. Another hour drive to Albany, the home of historic whaling.

First stop in Albany, the Toordinoop National Park***** to marvel at the wonderful formation of Natural Bridge and The Gap. Spectacular rock formations and beautiful sea waves here. MUST GO! The picture says it all I think =) We spend so much time here, taking photos. Uncle and Verna even ‘walked’ the bridge, boy it is so scary to see them walking on it, as if the waves might splashed up and cover them once and for all! Ooopsss >.<

The Natural Bridge

The Gap

Checked in at Albany Backpackers that night. It was a friendly, old, and artistic hostel~ it has paintings all over the walls. Toilet and showers facilities is in good condition too. And they give 1 hour free wifi! And they give special discounts for whale watching cruise, normal price is $80, if u buy at hostel it’s only $70! YHA card members can get discounts for stays too! Highly recommended to stay at this hostel~

The Historical Fremantle

Hey Hey Hey!!! Our first city in Western Australia

With our new car, off we go the city of Fremantle (aka FREO). A beautiful old city, just 30min away from Perth city. Morning breeze was so coooldd.. The first place we went is Fremantle Prison****. We only paid $15.50 for the ‘Doing Time tour’ (concession rate) with the YHA card, the normal rate is $18.50. You can apply the YHA card in Malaysia for only RM30/40 per year, and you can get 10% discount on YHA hostels, as well as discounts on many tourist attraction entrance fees.

The prison has a special tour at night, ‘Torchlight tour’ $25 which is quite exciting and scary, if you have the chance, just go for it! For our tour, we were lead around the prison by Paul, a funny old man. Going through the cells, kitchen, prison church, field, solitary confinement, and the gallows.

 

Lunch time at Freo Fishing Boat Harbour, at Cicerello’s . Must try their famous fish and chips, really freshhhh fish! Thumbs up, and the chilli mussels is sooo GOOD! Only a little spicy, Very big portion they serve there, for us, we just share one fish and chips ($12.95) for 2 person, and one plate of mussels ($24) for 6 of us. There’s another famous fish and chips called, Kailis.

 

At the fishing boat harbor, we stopped by at Little Creature Brewing, a local micro brewery factory and you can actually taste the beer here. They have a café which serve food as well. We just looked around =)

Next stop--> The Round House** which is a convict goal previously. Entry is by donation, the building is very small and in the centre there is a punishment tool for prisoners. Cannon in the round house is fired at 1pm each day.

The view of Freo harbor from the Round House

Tea time --> at the Freo cappuccino strip. It’s a street filled with Coffee shops, lovely! We chose Gino’s Coffee house since it was crowded. Good coffee and cheese cake, YUMS!

Sunset at Cottesloe Beach**** Very beautiful, and crazy lots keep jumping around =P The weather in spring is so COLD, so windddyy. There was no one else except a guy playing wind surfing at the sea. Oh my, is he strong.. We saw double rainbow at the beach!

                                                                     Beautiful sun rays

can you find a 'human jumping over the sun' cloud here? =)

At freo, we spent the night at Backpackers Inn, it’s YHA hostel so with our YHA card we got a cheaper rate although we booked earlier through Hostelbookers.com. The hostel is quite big and walking distance to Round House. Facility is quite complete, with big kitchen, dining and communal area. Only bad side is the room, which smells of OLD carpet. Well, the hostel mentioned that their parking is free, but it is the next street from the hostel which has free parking all day. Around OZ, we can’t skip paying the parking tickets like we do in Malaysia! Gosh, the parking in city is so expensive, $1.70 an hour!

In Freo, we missed out going to the Fremantle Market, which is only open on Friday to Sunday. Aargh, we shall come back Freo one day!