…as and when…

Today was a public holiday and we were expecting it to be busy. Even so, we decided that we’d take another trip to Hillary’s as there were a couple of things we needed to do there (and we also fancied more of Sharky’s chips and garlic bread, as well as a swim around the harbour!)

The bus journey to Hillary’s was very, er, ‘musical’ – although I use the term lightly. In front of us were sat a gaggle of girls, obviously on their way to the beach for the day. Behind us were sat a gaggle of boys, also obviously on their way to the beach for the day. As is the way with folks of this age, they were trying to catch each others’ eyes and their conversation grew louder the longer the bus journey took! One of the boys had a guitar and was soon strumming away. One chord into another chord, into another chord. Ok, so I’m no guitar player but I don’t think this kid was either in all honesty… I’m no singer either and, again, neither was this kid. In fact, his guitar playing was better than his singing so make up your own mind dear reader… Perhaps I’m being a little harsh here as the guys ‘n’ gals were all behaving themselves and having a bit of harmless fun; and why not? It’s their holiday time right now so who can blame them for letting their hair down a bit and having a bit of fun. If I were a few years younger (*cough*) I could and would have joined in…

My goodness, it was another hot day at Hillary’s and we immediately made our way to Sharky’s for something to eat. As well as being hot, it was also busy. Very busy. Seating areas and the beach were packed full of locals and holidaymakers alike, some seeking shade whilst others basked in the sun. Children and adults alike were enjoying the three huge waterslides behind the harbour’s beach, whilst younger children were enjoying the funfair and the climbing areas. The harbour was also full of swimmers and guys in dinghys and kayaks – all obviously enjoying themselves and making the most of the public holiday.

After a meal at Sharky’s, we made our way to the Rottnest Fast Ferries ticket centre. Lyn and I were looking to return to Rottnest and to go snorkelling once again. We had decided to go from Hillary’s (with Fast Ferries) as their ferry got us to the island quicker and the return journey was later in the day; ultimately meaning we got longer on the island. Consequently we will be returning to Rottnest early in the New Year and I can’t wait… even though I know the flies are going to be a problem once again. At least they can’t bother us whilst we are snorkelling!

After purchasing our tickets, we wandered around the stores – looking for postcards and gifts to take home. A few items were bought (although my lips are sealed as to what exactly) and we ventured around the harbour complex as we had done on a previous visit.

Returning to the far side of the harbour beach, we dropped our bags and entered the cool waters for a swim. Although still busy, many of the swimmers and beach-goers had vacated the area so Lyn and I took our time swimming out and around the edge of the harbour. We hadn’t been in the water for more than 2 minutes when the sun disappeared behind a cloud and the temperature suddenly dropped from nudging 40 degrees C to the high 20’s, low 30’s. What a difference! Despite the temperature drop, it was still plenty warm enough and we continued our lengthy swim around the harbour before finally collecting our gear, drying off and heading back to the bus stop to make our return journey.

At the bus stop we struck up a conversation with a couple of girls (who had earlier been on the bus in the ‘gaggle of girls’ I mentioned earlier) – they were both into their performance cars… and this was the catalyst that kicked things off. Not that it was really of much interest to me but they said that they worked in Wanneroo at The Cheesecake Shop. Funnily enough I had noticed this place a few times as Lyn and I had been past it regularly; and I had vowed to call in on more than one occasion. With a mention of a discount I think I’ll pay the shop a visit before returning home to the UK.

Back at the train station, the girls were headed in the opposite direction (Lyn and I had decided to head into Perth for an hour or two). We said our goodbyes and jumped onto the next train into Perth.

It was quiet in the city and a lot of the stores were closed by the time we showed up. Even so, we stopped off for a light bite and Lyn grabbed a few photos on her mobile of some of the areas we’d not been to before.

But soon it was time to return to the train station. Again, the public holiday meant that the buses and trains were running a limited service and we didn’t wish to end up stranded in the city with no means of getting back to Wanneroo. It would have been quite a hike otherwise!

December 28th, 2009 | Category: General, Photography | Subscribe to comments | You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed