Yup, it was crazy and totally random. But, to quote a phrase "Once in a while, do something crazy in your life." So here it is, my crazy moment. I made some last-minute arrangements with regards to my working schedule, repacked my luggage, grabbed my passport and by the next morning, I was many miles away from home.
As proof of my back-to-back trip, here's my plane tickets showing the back-to-back flights hahaha...
Perth's airport tower in the wee hours of the morning.
So without further ado, let me do a bit of sharing as to what I did over at Perth, WA! I went on 16th- 21st Oct 2015. So in total, its 5D4N. The first 2-3 days were set aside to do some business-related matters, so the activities we did were done over the last 2 full days.
*Disclaimer: This is not an official travel guide so opinions, reviews and instructions are subjected to biases, memory lapses and the occasional side-track rambling.*
PLACES WE WENT:
1. CAVERSHAM WILDLIFE PARK
OMG the sky was so GORGEOUS! Compared to SG's weather at that period of time, which was filled with haze. Ugh :(
On the way to Caversham Wildlife Park. As the bus dropped us by the main road at Whiteman Park Village, we had to walk for about 10-15 minutes before we could see Caversham Wildlife Park, which is located inside Whiteman Park Village itself.
WOMBAT! So cute right! We took a picture with it!
Meeting the Aussie Koalas! We were able to get really up close and personal with them! As you can see, I took lots of pictures with them! Heheh :D And I touched their furry fur! So cute! *squeals* It was their afternoon nap time, so they were really sleepy hahaa
Me trying to be an animal whisperer. TALK TO MEEEEEEEE.
Okay, got ignored. #failed. Hahahaa ;D
Farm show: We got to see how lambs were herded by dogs, how they were sheared and also, milked. We also learnt how to crack a whip and milk cows. Did you know? After the wool is being sheared, the oily film covering the lambs can be used as a moisturizer and/or healthy oils! Its really popular in Aussie, along with emu oil as well!
Yay! Got to hug a young goat! So cute! Her weight reminded me of my darling pet husky, Iris. Gosh, I miss that little rascal!
Gorgeous owl!
As you can see, there are lots of wildlife (and domesticated) animals there! We spent an entire afternoon getting to know these lovely animals! It is a really nice place to visit and the place was not crowded either. Well, maybe because its a weekday, I guess...
While waiting for the bus. Hahaaa :D
Getting here:
We took a bus, but you can drive there as well. Just google, or check the website for more info. Take Bus Number 345 from Morley Station which drops off in the Whiteman Park Village at approx. 10am daily. Pick-up from the Whiteman Park Village at approx. 3pm daily and returns to Morley Station.
(Located within the Whiteman Park Village)OR
Train from Perth to Bassendean Station
Catch bus number 955 or 956 from Bassendean to Ellenbrook,
Get off bus at Whiteman Park.
Opening hours:
Daily 9am-5:30pm
For more info:
http://www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/
2. Lancelin Dunes
So we went sandboarding at Lancelin Dunes! The sand was fine, soft and white as it reflected the light! Sandboarding was super fun, but exhausting! We rented it for 2 hours (that's the minimum you can rent it for at the nearest General Store) and only did an hour before we gave up. Sliding down was exhilarating, but the climb back up was pure cardio. To make the ordeal even more arduous, sand kept going into our hair, eyes, ear, nose and mouth due to the strong winds! If you follow me on Snapchat (@nicesgjy), you would know how tough it was for me then! But no regrets, mixing cardio with fun? Hell, why not! :D
This was the general store we rented the boards at. I think this is the only store that rents boards out, as Lancelin Dunes was located at the outskirts of Perth, near a small town.
Getting here:
We rented a car for a day. It took approximately 2 hours to get here.
Opening hours:
Daily 24/7
Advice:
- Wear shades! The light reflecting from the sand can be so bright, its glaring! My friend literally squinted throughout the entire time we were there!
- Make sure to wear sunblock!
- Either go barefooted or wear shoes. We went barefooted the entire time we were sandboarding, because we wore slippers and found it to be inappropriate when trudging through the sand.
- Strong winds! So bring a cardigan/windbreaker even if its summer.
- Bring water! The sand in your mouth can get pretty gross.
- Bring a towel to wipe the sand away as the nearest toilet is a short drive away.
We both took turns taking handstand pictures by the pinnacles. Hahaa... mandatory photos that you take when you are a travelling cheerleader :D
We managed to catch the sunset at the Pinnacles and it was breathtaking. There's something peaceful about watching sunsets. Its like a sea of calmness and inner peace just washes over you as you watch a day end with such a beautiful period. It makes you realise how small and insignificant you are as a human being. The power of Mother Nature really... never fails to amaze. ;)
Getting here:
We drove down from Lancelin, which took about 45minutes to an hour.
Opening hours:
Daily 24/7. However, the cafe/shop closes at 4pm.
Advice:
Stay to watch the sunset. You wont regret it!
Keep warm if you are waiting to catch the sunset! It can get pretty chilly at night.
4. Fremantle Markets
(And other scenery)
Fresh fruits and produce! My friend said the mango was super sweet, juicy and yummy so I would recommend you mango lovers out there to try it! We also bought the extra sweet strawberries which turned out to be average sweet. Aussie strawberries in general are not sweet, so get the ones with labels like "super sweet" or something like that to get a good taste of yummy strawberries.
One thing pretty awesome about Perth is the lovely architecture and buildings. Everything looked so picturesque! This photo was snapped after a rainy day, hence, it wasn't cast in the best lighting. But imagine if it had been a clear day with brilliant blue skies! This would have been a perfect photo!
5. Barrack Square
(Bell Tower & Captain Cook Cruise along East Fremantle)
This photo was taken along the way as we headed to Barrack Square. This is Stirling Gardens, do drop by if you are around the area! Its gorgeous, and this was shot without any filter! :O
En route to Barrack Square to take the cruise to Fremantle Markets!
The Bell Tower was gorgeous! We did not manage to go up to take a look around as we were rushing to catch our cruise. But, just a picture of this was enough to make me go WOW.
The view on the cruise was magnificent. We even managed to see dolphins around the area! Did not manage to snap a photo of the dolphins though, because they were super far away. The captain of the cruise ship said that the dolphins were shy. Its at times like these that I wished I was REALLY an animal whisperer hahahaa.
Getting here:
We walked form our hotel to Barrack Square, and took a cruise ship to Fremantle Markets
Opening hours:
Bell Tower - Daily (10am-4pm)
Fremantle Markets- Friday to Sunday only (8am-6pm)
Advice:
As the markets only open during the weekends, its best to plan the cruise together with the trip to the market and spend an entire day at Fremantle market.
FOOD WE ATE:
1. TWILIGHT HAWKERS MARKET
Churros with chocolate topping inside! Yummy! But super expensive, this cost AUD $5! :O
Twilight Hawkers Market is a place located in the heart of Perth's CBD area! The market sells street food from all over the world ranging from Persian to Mexican to Spanish food, and there is also a live band playing at the stage area. Eating authentic street food while soaking up the local music? Its a great way to spend a Friday night!
Getting here:
Forrest Place, Perth City
Opening hours:
Every Friday 5-9pm (16th Oct 2015- 29th April 2016)
For more info:
www.perth.wa.gov.au
2. The Secret Garden Cafe
This was the first place we went to after we checked into our hotel. Not because of any food reviews or anything, but because we happened to chance upon it. It was tucked half-hidden in an alley off the main road. We decided to be adventurous, and see where it led us to.
Well, it was disappointing. The Eggs Benedict which I ordered was average. So average, I did not even bother to snap a picture as the food decoration was ordinary as well. Would not recommend it, especially when cafe food in Aussie is so expensive in general. Since its expensive, eat the good stuff, right? Nevertheless, here's some info about the cafe.
Address:
7/329 Murray St, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Opening hours:
Monday- Friday (6am-3pm)
Saturday (6am-2:30pm)
Closed on Sundays.
3. Tiger, Tiger Coffee Bar
Tiger, tiger coffee bar is located right next to the Secret Garden Cafe, and is definitely a much better place to go to for food, in my opinion. (Also, for its more flexible opening hours) Tiger, tiger coffee bar is known for its good coffee, so order a latte or a hot mocha together with a yummy cake for dessert! Of course, we did not try both cafes on the same day. We headed to Tiger, tiger coffee bar on the last day because we heard the place is known for its good coffee! Highly recommended!
Address:
329 Murray St, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Opening hours:
Monday- Wednesday (7am-5pm)
Thursday (7am-8pm)
Friday (7am- 12am)
Saturday (7:30am-4pm)
Closed on Sundays
4. Dean and Deluca Cafe
Cafes are really, literally everywhere in Perth. And so is their Eggs Benedict, which appears frequently on their menus. I haven't tried enough Eggs Benny in Perth to tell you fairly which is the best (nor do I intend to do so in the possible future that I might travel there again, because they are expensive!) But Dean and Deluca's Eggs Benny are pretty decent. And I should mention, this cafe seems to be quite common in Perth!
Look at those eggs! :O
5. NAO Japanese Ramen
Heard its super popular because the ramen is good! I'm not really a ramen person, so I can't fairly judge. But I would say, its pretty good for a non-fussy ramen eater like me. For the ramen connoisseurs, do check it out if you are in Perth. The price is pretty decent as well!
Address:
117 Murray St, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Opening hours:
Monday-Thursday (11:30am-6pm)
Friday (11:30am-9pm)
Closed on Saturdays
Sunday (12pm-5pm)
Advice:
Go early as the place can get pretty crowded during lunch hours with all the office workers.
6. Chimek
The fries were awesome!
Charcoal beef burgers. I heard its good! Though sadly, I can't eat beef due to religious reasons. :( Snapped photos of neighbours' food just because I wanna show you guys that it looked really awesome. And the burgers are pretty big and filling too! Even though its not Aussie food (Korean food actually), do try it if you are craving for something more Asian!
You can get hand gloves to eat the chicken so the sauce wont stain your fingers! We ate this at the Fremantle Markets for lunch!
7. Coconut soft serve @ Fremantle Markets
This ice-cream had a weird taste to it... But don't quote me for it, try it yourself! Its located within Fremantle Markets and the soft serve is claimed to be lactose, gluten and dairy free.
MY PERSONAL AFTER-THOUGHTS:
PEOPLE: People in Aussie are generally nice and friendly. But some of them can be quite rude and I suspect, to a certain degree, racist, especially to Asians. We were at a car rental company and the lady spoke to us in a tone that was rude and unnecessarily loud (as if we did not understand English). We ended up going to another car rental company with better service. When eating out at cafes, there is not a need to tip as you pay at the counter. Also, most shops close early in Perth, so do your shopping early!
WEATHER: Weather in October is the start of Summer. On my first day upon arrival, the weather was cold. The cab driver told us that it was just that day that was surprisingly chilly. Other days, it turned out to be pretty sunny. Like Singapore's weather, only more cooling. I would suggest bring a day jacket/cardigan to keep yourself warm on unpredictable days and also at night, as it can get pretty chilly.
PRICE: Food is relatively expensive, especially if you choose to eat out. However, groceries at supermarkets are reasonable. If you are on a tight budget, I would recommend eating out on some days, and on other days, buy groceries back to cook meals.
SCENERY: What can I say. Gorgeous. Take a car and drive to the outskirts of Perth. I assure you you wont regret it. Stars shine so brightly against the night sky due to lack of natural lighting in those areas. Its beautiful!
That's all for my trip to Perth, Western Australia! People often say that Perth is boring and there isnt anything much happening there. Though I agree that I wont spend too many days in Perth, but overall, there are lovely sights to see and pretty decent scenery. Just go with an open heart! Lastly, hope these info are proven useful to some of you! Feel free to drop me an email if you have any doubts or queries! (:
xx
Loves,
Nices
