Perth

We arrived back to mainland Australia after a seven-hour flight from New Zealand.  When we started the process of going through customs, we were flagged and unable to use the automated entry machines despite not having any problems using these when we entered the country the first time after arriving from the States.  We were then escorted to a separate (and off the beaten track desk) where we proceeded to be questioned by the customs agent.  She wanted to know exactly where we had been in Australia and exactly where we would be spending the next two months.  We also were asked to provide our outgoing flight information and details about our credit card limits and how much cash we were carrying (I had exactly $15.00 Australian dollars in my wallet!).  Once we answered all the questions and she entered them into the system, we were free to go!  My goodness, they do not want us to stay any longer!  Ha!

We are spending the next three weeks driving from Perth to Exmouth with multiple overnight stops along the way.  It is nice being back in warmer weather and sunny skies!    

Tuesday was our first full day in Perth and we started the morning with coffee and pastel de natas (Portuguese Tarts).  When doing research about places to eat in Perth, I randomly found a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, serving Portuguese tarts.  I have been missing these since we left Portugal and have vowed to get one each day we are here in Perth! 

After our coffee and pastel de natas, we took a 30-minute ferry to Rottnest Island.  The island is known for its beautiful beaches, snorkeling and bike paths.  It is also famous for the marsupials inhabiting the island called quokkas.  These animals have been voted the “happiest on earth”.  They have no predators on the island and are not fearful of humans.  They will just come right up to you.  They are adorable, and the island is actually named after the quokka.   One of the first explorers of the island thought the animals resembled rats, hence “Rat Nest Island”.  Throw in a few foreign accents and over the years the island ended up becoming “Rottnest”.   They are all over the island and are easy to spot as there is always a bunch of people gathered around taking photos of these cute and silly creatures.  While writing this blog post, I had to ask Alex how many photos is “too many” when posting pictures of the quokka as I do not want to appear obsessive.  (We settled on four).

The best way to explore the island is by bike, so we rented bikes and helmets and set off for the day.  They have great paved pathways which made it easy to navigate.  We made lots of stops along the way to several beaches and coves.  The temperature was in the high 60’s, so unfortunately, a bit cold to swim or snorkel.  Although it started off cloudy, by early afternoon, the sun came out and the water just sparkled.   

Little Salmon Bay

Rottnest Island Lighthouse

Little Parakeet Bay

It was early evening by the time we arrived back in Perth and ended the day with beers and nachos at Little Creatures Brewery.  Housed in what was once a crocodile farm, this brewery is huge with multiple levels, outdoor patio seating, and good craft beer.  

On Wednesday. we spent some time wandering around the central business district and down to Elizabeth Quay.  After walking around for a couple of hours, we got caught in a huge (and unexpected) downpour!!  Luckily, we found a bridge we could stand under to stay dry.  After reading the weather reports, it looked like there would be rain for the rest of the morning, so once we had a break, we quickly hurried back to the apartment.  We spent part of the afternoon doing laundry, rearranging our suitcases (not much need for cold-weather clothing any longer) and running some errands once the rain let up.  In the evening, we took ourselves out for drinks at Bobeche and dinner at Lalla Rookh.  It was a great way to end our time in Perth.  We pick up our rental car tomorrow and will start our journey north!