Pics: 'Roo and grass tree, Wonnerup House, Our trailer!
Bob and I took a walk around the Bushlands property, seeing many kangaroos, flowers and birds. Back for breakfast, made some sandwiches, cleaned up, packed and were off at ten and headed north. We drove to the beach just north of Busselton. It was warm and sunny and about 60 degree and even though it was a Saturday, the beach was practically deserted.
We continued on to Tuart (yet another kind of Eucalyptus) Forest National Park and walked out on a boardwalk to a large bird blind and saw Black-necked Stilts up close and a Yellow-billed Spoonbill, a life bird. We are continually amazed how well constructed and maintained the public facilities are in Australia, compared with the US where many things seem to be falling apart.
Across the street was a National Trust Historic Place, Wonnerup House, built in 1839, and one of the original pioneer family’s house and farm. Beautiful colonial house with much of the original furnishings. I bought a ticket and walked around it while the boys birded, but then they spotted a Western Corella, a white parrot, on the grounds and had to buy tickets to get near it!!
We continued north, the road becoming a four-lane divided highway - the first we’ve seen this trip. We passed through Bunbury and Mandurah, until Fremantle was only about 30 miles away. I pulled out the Yellow Folder where Bob keeps all the travel papers and hotel confirmations…and couldn’t find anything on the next hotel. I had reserved a cottage back on our first day in Perth as we were finding most things booked due to a flying show this weekend. I guess I had never printed it out and didn’t even know the name of the facility, let alone where it was!
We pulled off the highway and tried to find an internet café where I could retrieve the info on my AOL account…but unlike the tiny towns we had been in so far, the bustling one we were in now had nothing - everyone has computers of their own. Slight panic…we thought of trolling neighborhoods in hopes of using an unsecured wireless account somewhere.
Finally I rechecked my notebook, and, Yes, I had written down the name, Woodman Point Holiday Park, on an obscure page. Whew! Especially as I had paid for our lodgings in full. Anyway, Woodman Point was on the map just north of a huge naval/industrial area and about five miles south of Fremantle. We easily found the Holiday Park about four and they had my reservation. It is a large trailer/tent park, rather nicely landscaped with large trees and we now are in a double-wide trailer! Very plastic and prefab, but colorful, spacious and clean. We settled down on our front porch to watch parrots flying about and for a celebratory beer, and then took off for downtown Fremantle for dinner.
Fremantle is a small city at the mouth of the Swan River, just downriver from Perth. We parked at the lively harbor to look for dinner. The Mussel Bar had been highly recommended for good food and great views right on the waterfront, but they have a dress code and wouldn’t let Mark in in his shorts, so we had to settle for Joe’s Seafood Restaurant and Bah (is he from Boston?). Very good shrimp, but pretty mediocre in general. Drove around Fremantle a bit; looks like an interesting shipping town with lots of new and old buildings which we’ll explore tomorrow.
Fremantle is a small city at the mouth of the Swan River, just downriver from Perth. We parked at the lively harbor to look for dinner. The Mussel Bar had been highly recommended for good food and great views right on the waterfront, but they have a dress code and wouldn’t let Mark in in his shorts, so we had to settle for Joe’s Seafood Restaurant and Bah (is he from Boston?). Very good shrimp, but pretty mediocre in general. Drove around Fremantle a bit; looks like an interesting shipping town with lots of new and old buildings which we’ll explore tomorrow.
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