Perth Day 3 - 5 December 2014

Shopping was our main agenda today! Auntie Dreena gave us a lift to Frementle, so we could visit the markets. We started our shopping trip at the E Shed markets, where we found interesting commodities ranging from arts & crafts, teddy bears, apparel to homewares and antiques. 

After a hearty lunch at E Shed, we took a leisurely stroll to the Fremantle Markets. Today's weather was excellent! Though it was drizzling slightly at times, the cloudy weather conditions kept the sun away. The Frementle Markets is indeed a great place to visit in Perth as there were lots of quality products on sale, such as homewares, apparel, skincare, souvenirs, foodstuff and more! We bought a couple of homewares and gifts at the markets. 

After we shopped to our hearts content at the Fremantle Markets, we made our way to the Fremantle Arts Centre, where there was a Christmas Bazaar taking place.  I'm so glad I did my homework to check out the craft markets in town as the bazaar was so awesome! There were numerous stalls selling handmade crafts ranging from ceramics, jewellery and botanics to skincare and toys. I'm so amazed by the creativity and talents of the artisans here and hope to see the same in Singapore!  There's really so much I can learn from these crafters!

We had a fulfilling day today & look forward to more tomorrow, as we intend to do more shopping in the Perth city!

Perth Day 2 - 4 December 2014

I had a good night's sleep and was fully recharged for today!

Today, we started our itinerary with a trip to Kings Park and the Botanical Gardens. It was a nice leisurely stroll in the park and gardens on this sunny and breezy afternoon. I love the spectacular views from Kings Park overlooking the Swan and Canning Rivers, the city skyline and the Darling Ranges. Home to numerous species of flora, fauna & wildlife, it's indeed an awesome place to spend a summer afternoon!

We even found a family of ducks and ducklings waddling in the pond and strolling in the park! How cute!

There was also the State War Memorial Precinct located on Mount Eliza overlooking Perth Water. The precinct comprises of the Cenotaph, Court of Contemplation, Flame of Remembrance and Pool of Reflection; with memorials to various battles, military units, prisoners of war and other groups found throughout the parklands.

We lunched at The Partisan, a charming cafe beside a waterfront which serves excellent food. I chose an item from the All Day Breakfast menu, as I always love all day breakfasts! The lunch was fulfilling and definitely didn't disappoint!

After lunch, we headed for the Western Australian Museum. I feel that it's important to understand the history and culture of every country I visit and always make it a point to visit the local museums. It was divided into a few sections such as Australia's native wildlife, aboriginal history and dinosaurs & diamonds. 

We returned to Uncle Jerry's home for a short break and spent some time watching the birds and exploring his garden before heading for dinner and ice cream at Gelare.

Perth Day 1 - 3 December 2014

We finally arrived in Perth in the early hours of 5.10am today. Weather was perfect, though a little chilly at 12 degrees.  David kindly offered to pick us up at the airport despite the crazy timing, which was really nice of him!  It was a nice 30 minutes ride to his home in Atwell on a Wednesday morning. 

Uncle Jerry showed us round to his beautiful garden, which had strawberries, mulberries, apples, grapes and herbs growing which we were utterly impressed!  There was also a bunch of cute parrots which came by to feed on the food prepared for them.  It's so great to be close to nature, smelling the fragrance of flowers in the summer breeze and hearing the chirping of birds in the wild. This to me, is a sanctuary and paradise in its own way.

As we were all suffering from fatigue due to lack of sleep on the plane, we decided to keep today's itinerary a relaxed one.  David and Uncle Jerry brought us on a sightseeing tour to Fremantle, where we visited the nostalgic victorian-style buildings, Fremantle Prison and beautiful Bathers Beach. Last but not least, we tucked into what Fremantle is renowned for - fish & chips at Sweetlips!  True to its fame, the fish & chips was so yummy, the batter was done in just the right way and this has to be one of the best I've ever tried!  We should be back to Fremantle this weekend for the markets at E-shed, and I also hope to visit some vintage shops I've read about. 

Guess I need to have an early rest tonight to catch up on sleep, so we can have the energy to check out more places tomorrow!

One Day More!

Time flies and before we know it, tomorrow is our long awaited family vacation to Perth!  :D

It has been a few crazy months of work, preparing for PSLE exams and trying to cope with fulfilling my craft business orders all at the same time.  I guess it's high time I take a break from all this craze, let down my hair and chill with my loved ones in Perth!  We just can't wait for tomorrow to come!!!

It does feel that I've not done much with the travel preps as I'm just too overwhelmed with all that has been happening around me (as I'm writing, the packing is still not done!!!). The itinerary was also done in a haste and rather half-heartedly.  But the good thing is, we'll be staying with Uncle Jerry and David, so we'll be in good hands and most things should be well-taken of!  Haha...

Here's how our 9-day itinerary looks like:

Day 1 (3 Dec)
- Arrival in Perth
- Visit to Kings Park & Botanic Gardens
- Visit to Art Gallery of Western Australia
- Visit to Western Australian Museum

Day 2 (4 Dec)
- Visit to Rottnest Island

Day 3 (5 Dec)
- Shopping at Fremantle Markets/E Shed Markets
- Visit to Fremantle Arts Centre & night bazaar

Day 4 (6 Dec)
- Shopping at Watertown Brand Outlet Centre, Kings Street, Murray Street, Hays Street & London Court

Day 5 (7 Dec)
- Visit to Swan Valley (Yeah...lots of wine tasting and gastronomical experiences)
- Visit to Caversham Wildlife Park

Day 6 (8 Dec)
- Visit to Adventure World (Erm....this is the least favourite of our itinerary but it's on the kids' to-do list, so I had to give in!  :P)

Day 7 (9 Dec)
- Visit to Margaret River (more wine tasting and gastronomical experiences!)

Day 8 (10 Dec)
- Visit to Penguin Island/Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
- Chill at Victoria Quay Carnivale Night Market

Day 9 (11 Dec)
- Departure to Singapore

That seems like a lot to cover for our 9-day trip!  I had wanted so much to visit the much raved-about Wave Rock at Hyden, but I was told the trip to and fro takes 16 hours!  Guess I had to give this a miss, else I'll be eating into the itinerary and wasting too much time in travelling.   Sobzzzz.....

There seems to be quite a fair bit of summer and christmas markets during this period which is so exciting!  Will try to include more into our itinerary if time allows.

Hello Perth....here we come!  :DDDDD

Off to Perth in December!

Just as I'm still recovering from my wonderful Melbourne trip and trying very hard to retrieve that missing part of me that's still left behind in the beautiful city, I had just booked my family flights to Perth from 3 - 11 December!  Woohoo....what an awesome year of Aussie trips!  :)

The main reason for going to Perth is of course to get a well-deserved family holiday after our last trip to Bali in end 2012, and secondly to give Eponine a pat on the back for working so hard for her PSLE.  Another major reason is to meet Gary's uncle in Perth to discuss options for our Aussie migration, which we've been pondering and procrastinating for the past few years.

Perth is Australia's sunniest city in Western Australia, with beautiful and pristine beaches, inner city parks and exciting outback adventures.  I've been reading up about Perth over the past few days, and have generated a list of destinations we would like to visit:

Fremantle

Fremantle is a 19th century port town and Fishing Boat Harbour offering all the delights of modern cafe culture, just 20-minute drive from Perth's city centre.  Situated at the mouth of the Swan River, this multi-cultural city has a charm of its own, with its world-famous heritage buildings and a fascinating maritime and convict history.  Some attractions include the Fremantle Prison, WA Maritime Museum and the Roundhouse.  History aside, it hosts the Fremantle Markets, one of the city’s most iconic and visited places, where over 150 stalls selling a wide variety of goods such as handmade soaps, souvenirs, local artworks, jewellery and exquisite antiques and collectables can be found.  Fremantle is also home to Western Australia’s only waterside market, the E Shed Markets on Victoria Quay and the Mad Hatter Markets in Kings Square.  For arts lovers, the Fremantle Arts Centre is a place not be missed, as it presents a carefully sourced selection of Western Australian art, craft, books and design objects and a host of music events.  The Cappuccino Strip is legendary for its many outdoor cafes and restaurant, great for food lovers.

Swan Valley/Darling Range

This region houses vineyards of Western Australia's oldest wine region and it would be interesting to go on a wine & food trail to sample their fruits and wines, feast on award-winning local produce, discover local heritage and relax in the natural bushland of the Darling Range.  Just 25 minutes east of Perth, we can reach it by road, or take the scenic route aboard a Swan River cruise from Perth's Barrack Street Jetty.  Besides a gastronomy experience, the kids would enjoy Caversham Wildlife Park - home to one of Western Australia's largest collections of native Australian wildlife where close encounters with koalas, wombats, kangaroos and a whole array of farm animals can be found.

Margaret River

Margaret River is 280km south of Perth, which takes approximately three hours by car. It is another haven for wine & food lovers and recognised as one of the world's best fine wine regions, with over 150 wine producers and many cellars offering free wine tastings.  This marriage of world-class wines and fine, fresh produce makes dining out in Margaret River a gastronomical delight. For the adventurous, the region offers some of the most unique and stunning cave experiences in Australia.  Along the spine of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge and beneath soaring karri forest lie more than 150 caves including the famous Lake, Mammoth, Jewel and Moondyne Caves.  It is also a boutique shopper's dream where eclectic shops selling clothes, souvenirs, gifts, books, gourmet food items, vintage accessories are found tucked around every corner. 

Wheatbelt/Wave Rock (Golden Outback)

The Western Australian Wheatbelt is home to the world-famous Wave Rock, as well as character townships, miles of golden fields, charming rural farms and great outback self-drive adventures.  It is about a four-hour drive east of Perth, along the Brookton Highway. Wave Rock, near Hyden is the most recognised tourist attraction in the region – an amazing rock formation stretching 100 metres and standing 15 metres high in the shape of a giant wave about to crash over the surrounding bush. Great photo opportunities await!

Rottnest Island 

Famous for its laid back atmosphere and beautiful beaches, Rottnest Island lies just 18 kilometres offshore from Perth surrounded by the sparkling Indian Ocean. This is where the locals go to swim, boat, surf, snorkel, fish and relax in its 63 beaches. Besides the water and coastal fun, this island hosts other interesting activities such as walking tours and trails to learn about the island's rich cultural history, flora & fauna and nature & wildlife.  It is easily accessible from Fremantle, Perth or Hillarys Boat Harbour with a 30-40 minute boat rid.  One interesting fact about the island is that it's a car-free zone and visitors usually hire a bicycle to get around and explore the island.  There's so much to do here and it seems like a day trip is not enough!

Adventure World

Adventure World is Perth's favourite family theme park, hosting 30 rides and attractions for kids and adults of all ages.  I'm not a theme park person as I'm afraid of heights, but my girls have specially requested for this to be on the itinerary!  The theme park categorizes its rides on a scale of 1 to 5, to cater for young kids to the daredevils and includes both dry and water rides.  I read somewhere that the roller coaster is among one of the scariest in the world!  There's even a wildlife park where families could get up close and personal with Aussie native animals such as koalas, wombats and emus.

I was earlier paranoid of doing more itinerary planning as the Melbourne trip really drained me out.  But seeing these exciting places really perked me up once again!  There's still about five more months to go and lots of time to plan.  I could foresee the planning for this trip more tedious than ever as most of those regions I had listed above are by no means near to the Perth city and lots of travelling is required.  Need to find the best way to get around that works for my family.

Stay tuned for more updates!  ;)

My Loot from Melbourne

So, I culminated my total loot from Melbourne and what I see was shocking!  LOL.  Even though shopping wasn't the major activity in my agenda, it somehow still seemed extensive when everything was put together.

Most of the items I bought are beverage and confectioneries such as candies, chocolates, nougats, macadamia nuts, wine and tea.  Guess these make practical gifts for family members and colleagues.   I love buying gourmet and locally-made products when overseas as these can hardly be found in Singapore and are very expensive.  It's also great to savour the unique products made locally.

Being an avid vintage collector, I should be hunting for local vintage collectibles but surprising, I didn't buy anything during the trip.  Reason being I was on a budget trip and there's simply no space for more vintage collectibles at home!  I did find a very nice pink vintage dress for myself though!

Other things I've bought were shirts, jeans and shoes I found at the factory outlets.  Not forgetting home fragrance products such as handmade soaps, diffuser and candle.

 

My best purchases were of cause the exclusive Les Miz merchandise I bought, which included the tee, cap, keychain and souvenir programmes.  These are not cheap and cost me 100aud but I guess it's special to me because I came specially to catch the musical, so I had to buy them home as mementos. 

The other good find has to be the Australian Homespun magazine, which featured my handmade goose earrings!  How timely for my item to be featured in the July issue, as I managed to grab a copy at the airport before I flew home to Singapore.  Love reading these craft magazines as they contain many creative projects which are so inspiring that I could work on.

 

Melbourne Day 10 - 6 July 2014

Today's my last day in Melbourne and I spent half the day in St Kilda, as a nice wrap up to my 12-day itinerary.  We first visited the craft market at St Kilda Esplanade.  The market didn't disappoint, as quality and variety of products being sold are similar (if not better) than what I remembered of the market a decade ago.  Here we can see unique handmade products such as jewellery, paintings, souvenirs, skincare products, bags, accessories and more.

In this charming town of St Kilda, there are famous landmarks such as the Esplanade Hotel, Luna Park and The Palais Theatre etc, which are good photo opportunities!

Though it was a chilly morning with a slight drizzle, I decided to head for the St Kilda's beach anyway, as I simply love the beach.  It's as breathtaking as before, lined with beautiful palm trees along the promenade.  As I gaze over the horizons with yachts berthed on the right and daredevils skydiving on the left, it just simply takes all stress and troubles away.

After I had fulfilled my hearts' content of photographing the beautiful beach, we took a short tram ride to Acland St, which is also located in St Kilda.  Over here, we can see both sides of the street lined with old European cafes, wine bars, bakeries and eclectic shops, which bring a charm to the area.  For lunch, we decided to try out Singapore cuisine at a cafe named Kotaraya where I tried its laksa.  It's yummy and has a different twist to our local laksa as a thicker kind of vermicelli is used in its preparation.

After leaving St Kilda, I returned to the apartment for my final packing.  I didn't recall shopping like crazy but somehow my luggage was filled to the brim and I had difficulties packing everything in!  It's probably due to some bulky items I had bought and gifts from friends.

I left for the Southern Cross Station at 3pm to catch the Skybus to Melbourne International Airport.  As the Skybus passed by the various landmarks of the city, I can't help but feel melancholic, after spending 10 wonderful days in this beautiful city.  I will miss Melbourne for sure and look forward to my next trip here again!