Time flies when you’re having fun – Perth

Again it’s a long time ago I wrote something for you. Every day I'm writing catchwords down for myself so I won't forget what I've done. Now I have managed to get it into a story again. This story is about my stay in Perth and places around. It's a long story, but I hope you will enjoy it. Don't worry, you don't have to read my story in one breath ;)

Let’s start to tell about my adventure in Perth.

On the 14th of December I flew to Perth from the airport in Melbourne. Unfortunately the flight was a little bit delayed. Of course I was already too early at the airport, so now I had more than enough hours to do nothing. While I was waiting I started a conversation with a man called Adam Derek Scot. He gave me a beer and while we were talking I found out that he was a famous golf player. Oops, I didn’t recognize him. After an hour talk he had to go, but a second later another guy started to talk to me “So you’re going to Perth”. Next conversation started.

After the flight I arrived in Perth. At the airport Carol was waiting for me and Otto was waiting in the car. Let’s introduce those people: Otto is my father’s cousin and Carol is his wife. They drove me to their place and you won’t hear me complain. I had and still have my own big bedroom, bathroom and toilet!!! I'm really grateful that I could stay at their place! Thanks to them I could stay here for a long time and they gave me the possibility to see a lot of beautiful things. The 'things' I'm talking about you're going to read in my story.

The next day I was sleeping in (because last night I arrived in the middle of the night, so I was tired. Probably also because of the time difference between Perth and Melbourne). After I woke up, Otto gave me a tour around the city. He showed me Fremantle and told me a lot about the history and the Dutch influence over here.

On the 16th I went to the beach in the morning. Whauw, Cottesloe beach is really a beautiful beach. You have grass where you can sit and there is more than enough shade. That’s important for me when I’m sitting/laying there for a couple of hours. Of course I don’t want to end up red like a shrimp.

After the beach Carol and I were going to Fremantle. Yesterday Otto drove me around and today Carol and I were walking around. We went to a little prison that they used a couple of years ago. Really strange to see, because it was so small and there was no shade. After being there for 10 minutes I was already sweating. Imagine you have to be there a whole day…

We also went to a museum were you can find a Dutch shipwreck. Nice to see the whole Dutch section and read about the VOC. After a cappuccino at the beach we’re going back. In the evening I went together with Otto to the bowling club to drink a beer (if you ever are in Australia, try little creature with a slice of lemon!) and watch the beautiful view. You could see whole Perth from there. By the way, bowling over here is different than bowling in the Netherlands, over here it’s more like ‘Jeu the boules’.

The day after was a really relaxed day. Going to the beach again, reading and drinking champagne at the swan river.

Yellingup

On Wednesday (18th) we went together (also with Hannah, granddaughter Otto and Carol) to Yellingup!!! On our way we ate meat-pie. Yeah, everyone over here told me I really have to try one, so I did. And it tasted really good!
We had a beautiful house with a view of the ocean. I walked to the beach (downhill if you go there) and it was really amazing. I think I fell in love with this part of Australia!
After a look at the beach we went to the ‘Canal Rocks’. Hannah was not afraid to walk on top of it, so I joined her. It is more difficult than it looks! Trying to find a way to the top and then on the other side going down. But it was worth it to climb, because of the stunning view on the other side. We ended this day with eating ice cream at Simmo’s (this won’t be the only time you’re going to hear about Simmo’s).

The next day we were going to ‘Cape Leeuwin’. That’s the point where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean come together (the point where it changes from the one to the other). On our way to that point we stopped at a shop and I tried a couple of different things: kangaroo, deer and emu. It was special to try, but the taste was not that special. Tastes the same as some meat back in the Netherlands.

After the drive we arrived at ‘Cape Leeuwin’. Hannah and I went to the lighthouse and we went up (176 steps). From there we could see the beautiful view and we could see the point where the different oceans were coming together. In the late afternoon we were back and a friend was coming to join a barbie. After the meal they asked me if I knew what I was eating. I thought it was just a meat burger, but it was kangaroo. Or like they call it over here ‘roadkill’.

On the 20th we went to Meelup Beach, to just relax and try to get a tan. On our way back to Yellingup we stopped at Busselton Jetty. Hannah and I walked the long way on the Jetty, but because of the good conversation and the good company it went really quick. When we were following the road back home, we also stopped to do some wine tasting and we saw a lot of kangaroos. And with a lot I really mean a lot!!!
When we were back, we drank something at a café and Hannah and I decided to watch the sunset at the beach. Again, this was beautiful as well! Of course we took a lot of pictures.

The day after I set my alarm early for just having my breakfast with a beautiful view. Maybe this will give you an idea how beautiful it is, because back home I would never put my alarm earlier for just having brekkie. I wanted to go to the beach to lay down and swim, but it was too windy. So I decided to do a walk around the beach. When I came back Hannah was awake and we decided to go to the ‘Ngilgi cave’. There were a lot of stairs and the structure of the air was different. They told us that there was enough oxygen, but it was less than outside. I was very big in the cave (except the tunnel we were going through) and it was interesting to see how this cave arose. After the walk in the big beautiful caves we had to walk back to the house. We could tell that we did our exercise for today!

Back to Perth

Unfortunately everything will come to an end, so also the wonderful days in Yallingup. We drove back to Perth and in Yallingup it started to rain. We knew the weather in Perth would be better than where we were. In Perth it was 42.2 degrees. So we were driving to the sun! Probably I make you jealous with those temperatures. I’m sorry! I really tried to send some sun back home, but I think it doesn’t work … but I tried! Okay, back to the story.

On our way back we stopped at a couple of places: wine tasting, chocolate tasting, bakery and simmo’s. When we were back in Perth, Hannah and I went to an outdoor cinema. So cool! You just sit outside in a very comfortable chair watching a big screen. We enjoyed the movie and ate a pizza. So relaxing, the only thing that was less relaxing was the cockroach. He decided to come and sit next to me on the chair.

The next morning it was the 22nd, so that meant it was almost Christmas!!! So I really needed to buy a dress to wear. I took the train and in the CBD of Perth I tried a lot of dresses, but after a while I made a decision! Thanks mom and dad for the dress! :D

Together with Hannah we walked through Perth. At that moment I realized that I know why I like Perth. It is not that massive and not that overwhelming if you compare it with the other big cities (Melbourne and Sydney). After walking around and walking to Hannah’s place we could cool down in her swimming pool.

On the 23th I went together with Otto to a Dutch man called Bruno. He lived back in the Netherlands when he was younger and now he’s in a home for the elderly. It was special that he normally speaks English and from the moment I introduced myself he started to talk Dutch. We walked around, drank some tea and had some conversations in Dutch. After visiting Bruno we (Otto and I) went to a Dutch shop. Over there we eat ‘broodje kroket’, ‘bitterballen’ and we bought some Dutch stuff as well. Today I really had a nice ‘Dutch-day’!

My birthday and Christmas

At midnight the day switched from the 23rd to the 24th and that meant ... My birthday!!! At midnight I Skyped with my parents and sister (Nardi) and I drank a cremacello to toast with them. I also opened the letters some friends back home gave me. I really had the feeling that it was my birthday. Thanks Veerle, Yannicke and Pythia for the letters!

In the morning my other sister (Yvette) woke me up, because she called me at 7am. Back in the Netherlands it was midnight, so the beginning of my birthday! After the call I stayed in bed for two more hours and then Otto and Carol took me out for brekkie. We ate at a beautiful place with a view of the beach. They had some really nice presents for me. All the present had a meaning. It was about things we talked about, things I saw and things I will probably not go to see. Also Elizabeth and Henry send me a couple of presents for my birthday and for Christmas! Really sweet of them!

After brekkie Otto took me to ‘Kings Park’. It is a big park like the botanical garden with a nice view of Perth and a lot of information about the history of the trees. In the afternoon we went to Cottesloe beach to see the sunset, drink champagne and hear the birds sing. I wouldn’t call it sing, because there were so many birds that the sound was so loud! Back home I skyped with Nardi, Yvette, Nika and short with mom and dad. Nika is my niece and she had a lot of fun seeing herself on the screen. I also had a lot of fun watching her!

First Christmas day!!! The whole family was coming together at one place. It was very nice to finally meet them all. Everyone made something to eat. We started with some snacks, but actually that was already a whole meal. After this there was more, the main dish. The food here is different around Christmas. You’re not going to eat warm dishes because of the temperature. So most of the things were salads. After we filled our stomachs we took a jump into the pool! Nice, refreshing and not bad at all, drinking a beer while you’re floating on the water.
After the cool swim, the dessert was being served. There was so much! And of course I wanted to try everything. It tasted so good! Really delicious! After desert they served some cheese, but I couldn’t eat anything anymore.

One of the grandsons of Carol was going to a house party and asked me to come. So strange to go to a house party over here. Like I normally do, I introduced myself to everyone there by giving a hand or a hug (depends on what the other person does). But later on I heard that over here it’s not normal to introduce yourself. Normally the person you are with introduces you. Another thing that stands out is that the girls over here are more jealous and competitive. They first gonna stare at you, before they talk to you. But after all, I really enjoyed the party! There were nice people and I really enjoyed hanging around with real aussie people.

Boxing day was a relaxing day. Slept in, took a jump in the pool, felt asleep again and went to the beach to sleep and swim over there.

I can see I experienced a Australian Christmas! And I really enjoyed it! The heat, the people, the food, the party and the whole feeling! Thanks everyone for having me these days!

On the 27th I met Jolanda and her boyfriend Dieter. Jolanda is a good friend of my sister Nardi. It was very nice to see a known face. We drank a coffee and talked a little and then they had to go. The rest of the day I didn’t do that much. Only went to the shop to buy a GoPro. Just a little birthday/Christmas present to myself.

The next day I went to the spit. That’s land laying in the water and sometimes it comes out of the water so you can walk on it. It was an early start this morning, but it was worth it. Today I also went to the Fremantle Prison. I had to wait for over an hour, because it was booked out. So first I walked around Fremantle and went into cute little shops and of course ate an ice cream. After one and a half hours I could finally do the tour of the prison. I have to say that I was happy that our tour guide was making some jokes, because it was quite impressive to see how the prisoners lived over there and what happened to them. When this prison was open, it was one of the hardest prisons in the world.

Cray fishing and Penguin Island

In the evening I went to bed early, because the next day I had to wake up at 4 am. When I woke up at 4 am I had to prepare myself for a morning on a boat. Not a normal boat, but a crayfish boat. Earlier I met people who are catching crayfish for their hobby and I was allowed to come with them on the boat. At half past 5 the boat was leaving and believe it or not, but I was wearing a warm cap and a hoodie (sweater with a cap). So yes, over here in the morning it is cold as well ;)
We were sailing to open water and the view was stunning! Imagine you’re on the water, have a view of the skyline of Perth and see the sun coming up.

The further we got, the more the boat was moving. I started to get a little bit seasick but luckily the guys asked me to do something. When you do something you don’t think about the movements, so you’re feeling better. They asked me to throw the hook into the water to get the box with crayfish out of the water. I didn’t know where I had to throw, so I failed. After this I had to take out the crayfish. Haha, probably it looked really funny when I was doing it, but I did it! After we caught enough crayfish we ate one as well. I was not very nice to see how they prepared it, but I think if you want to eat it you also have to know how they prepare it.

After cray fishing I was invited to come to penguin island together with Hannah’s family! A beautiful island and the water is beautiful as well. How do I know, well, we snorkelled over there. I enjoyed my stay over there. Just the beautiful view, sun, beaches and don’t forget penguins!!!

This was a big day, but it was amazing! That’s why I didn’t do that much the day after. I only did some cleaning, reading and went to the Fremantle market. There was a comedian and it was the best one I ever saw. He improvised, did some juggling and comedy.

New Years' Eve

I started the day of New Year’s Eve on Cottesloe beach to work on my tan. After that I went together with Carol and Otto to a couple of wineries and also to a chocolate factory. In the chocolate factory you could taste different kinds of chocolate, but also chocolate-liqueur. So far with tasting alcohol I didn’t had any problems with my age (didn’t have to show my ID), but over here… She told me that I was looking young (thanks for the compliment), so I had to show her my ID. No worries, I had it with me. But my ID and my Dutch driver’s license weren’t good enough… My date of birth was on there, but she wanted to see my passport… No chocolate-liqueur for me :( But there was Otto! With a little trick he gave his liqueur to me!

In the evening I expected that there would be a lot of fireworks, but unfortunately it wasn’t that big. Went to Cottesloe beach at 8pm to watch the fireworks on Rottnest Island, but you could barely see it. Otto drove me around to find a nice bar for a party or something, but it was very quiet everywhere. We went back home and I watched a movie. At 11.30pm I decided to walk to the bowling club to watch the fireworks in central Perth. Again it was too far away, but I could say that I saw fireworks. At 00.00 my family back home skyped me! There were a lot of people at my place back in the Netherlands, so it was really nice to see everyone.

New Year’s Day started with Dutch pancakes and I went to the World War II tunnels. They were quite impressive. They thought about everything! The only hilarious thing is that they never really had to use these tunnels, because the “enemy” didn’t come that far.
Later this day I ran to the bowling club, drank a beer and ran back. So I did my first exercise of 2017.

On the 2th of January I went to the beach again, only it was too warm. I went back to the house where I was staying and was waiting for a message from someone. I was supposed to go somewhere, but the plans changed unfortunately. So it became a very quiet day. Just a day reading and in the evening I decided to go to the outdoor cinema on my own. I watched the movie ‘Perfect strangers’. They spoke another language in the movie and it had English subtitles. The first ten minutes I really had to get used to it and I didn’t understood the jokes. But after I got used to it, it was great! I really recommend this movie to watch!

The next day I went to another Dutch man (another one than Bruno). His name is Jack, he is 97 years old, is still able to walk and still drives his own car. He is a very funny, nice guy. Together with him and Otto we drank a cappuccino and drove along the beach. After visiting the Dutch man I didn’t do a lot. It was already 40 degrees in the shade (okay, I’m exaggerating it was 39.8 degrees). Because of the warm weather I decided to read. I didn’t expect that I would like to read, but now I do! In the afternoon I was invited to go ‘Five bar’. Together with Fiona, Jerry, Cam and Cal we ate our dinner over there. It was lovely and like we say in Dutch, gezellig! I tried again a couple of new things I never ate before, but it is nice to try something different sometimes.

Rottnest Island

On the 3rd I went together with Hannah to Rottnest Island! We were very early that morning to be on time to book a ferry. We were at 7.15am at the point where the ferry would leave and the next available spot was at 11.30am, so we had to wait for a couple of hours. Hannah and I went to Fremantle and drank a milkshake over there and just walked around. When we were walking back to the ferry it was really bloody hot. Sorry for the words I use, but it was. There was no shade on and we walked for about half an hour.

We were finally at Rottnest and it was beautiful over there! Just stunning! No cars are allowed there, so a lot of people are on bikes. The only car you saw was a bus, also the one we took to get around the island. We went to a couple of beaches and on most of the beaches we snorkelled. So relaxed! Just being on the water and seeing a lot of beautiful things. We weren’t only snorkelling, we also walked around and we saw cute little animals, look like small kangaroos, called quokkas.

At the moment we wanted to get some dinner but it was so busy that it would take 60 minutes to get something to eat. We didn’t have that time, so we decided to get an ice cream first and get some food back in Perth. Carol was so sweet, so bought us a pizza, made some chips and had already drinks for us on the table. We were starving, like a Australian saying: my stomach thought my throat has been cut.

Wildlife Zoo

The next day I was going out together with Fiona (daughter of Carol). First we went to the wildlife zoo. You would think: you have zoos back in the Netherlands as well, why are you going. Well, over here are a lot of the native animals of Australia and you are allowed to pet and feed a couple of them. The animals I loved the most were the koalas, kangaroos and the wombat. After the zoo we lunched at a very nice place, good vibe and good food!

After we filled our stomachs we went to one of the water catchments in Perth. You see a big dam and a beautiful area with water. It’s beautiful because it’s actually a big lake, but there are no houses around it, no people walking around it, only nature! This water catchment was in the hills and while we were driving we had an amazing view of Perth. Thanks Fiona for showing me all of this!

In the evening I invited Carol and Otto for dinner (actually my parents did, was there treat). First we wanted to go to a place with a view on the sea, but the weather had changed and the restaurant wasn’t that good so we decided to go somewhere else. It was difficult to find a good place, but we finally did! Had a nice meal and went to another place for a lovely desert! Thanks mom and dad!

On the 6th of January I started to write this story. Maybe you already mentioned that it is a long story, so I wasn’t able to finish it in the two and a half hours I’ve got. After the writing I went together with Otto and Carrol to the birthday party of Jack, he became 98! It was nice to see that he was happy to see me! He wanted to introduce me to a couple of people and we had a nice conversation about Dutch stories his parents told him when he was younger.

Margret River

The next day was the beginning of again a couple of amazing days! From the 7th till the 9th I was invited to come to Margaret River with Jenny, Max, Hannah and Oliver. After a three hours’ drive we were there! We stayed in a house in the middle of the bush. At the moment they told me I thought about an old house in the middle of nowhere and with a lot of spiders. It was in the middle of nowhere, but the house was beautiful! It was big and the bush around it was perfect! First we wanted to go to the river. The information papers told us it would be at the back of the property. After trying to get through the bush, walking almost into spider webs, we decided to do something else and go the beach.

On the 8th I wasn’t feeling that well in the morning, but I had to get up because we booked a surf lesson at the famous beach of Margret River, Surfers Point! Hannah, Oliver and I were the only one for the surf lesson, so it was almost a private lesson. I have had surfing lessons before, but he taught my things I didn’t know. So it was very good to learn something more. The ocean was so different than the one I’ve surfed before. More and higher waves and if you catch a wave you have to be careful of the waves from other directions. It really was lovely to surf again and learn new things. Josh (the instructor) took me further out into the sea to catch waves with more power. In the beginning it was a little bit scary, because you don’t catch every wave so the wave is coming over you with a lot of power. But amazing!

After the amazing surfing lesson Jenny, Max and I did a couple of wineries, chocolate tasting and cheese tasting.

The next day we went to beach again, the same one as yesterday. But now we hired a canoe and canoed on the river. On the one side of the beach you have the sea where we surfed the other day and on the other side you have the end of the Margaret River where we canoed. After canoeing Jenny and Max spoke to friend of theirs. They had a stand up paddle board and so I could try to do this as well! I expected that it would be difficult to stand up, but it wasn’t. The only difficult thing was to paddle against the wind. Unfortunately Max and I had to go back to Perth again. He had to work the next day and I will fly to New Zealand.

After a three hours’ drive we were back. Max, Jenny, Hannah and Oliver it was really nice to meet you and I had a wonderful time with you, thanks for everything!

Back at the house in Perth there was a packet arrived for me! Arjen, Tiffany and her parents send me a couple of typical Dutch stuff: stroopwafels, hagelslag, chocolade stick to make chocolate milk and perpernoten! In the evening I already enjoyed the hot chocolate with a stroopwafel. Thanks!!!

Now, on the 10th, I’m back in the library again to finish my story about Perth. Everything comes to an end. I really loved WA! Every piece was coming together in the right way. Hopefully I will come back here, but for now I’m ready for my next adventure! New Zealand here I come!!!