Yes, we are still alive! Apologies for the delay in transmissions...I needed a break and now that the silly season is over it's back to work so to speak.
All the Xmas decorations and lights have been packed away, the good sparkling wine is now nothing more than empties in the bin and our life on the road is resuming its normal rhythm again, whatever that really is!
All the Xmas decorations and lights have been packed away, the good sparkling wine is now nothing more than empties in the bin and our life on the road is resuming its normal rhythm again, whatever that really is!
For a number of reasons we have decided to make the most of the Kingsway park and stay put here until the end of January. Compromise, compromise. Whilst the infrastructure here does leave much to be desired, our site remains relatively shaded, we have a good shopping centre within a five minute walk, we are well settled, and we have now discovered that this park is probably the most conveniently located of all the Perth parks (which will take pets) for what we are planning in the immediate future.
At the moment our sightseeing ventures around this very different city have been limited. In fact we are interspersing these with days in which our attention is directed at things much more mundane.
I have, for example, finally gotten around to attacking the piles of recipes I have been collecting (and which have been languishing in a cupboard in the van ever since we left Adelaide) with a view to expanding our currently efficient, but limited, travelling meals menu. The results on the table have been mixed to date, but the recipe pile is shrinking. Each culinary attempt has two options....the result pleases us both or it's out! Talk about pressure in the galley....Liz has responded with disturbing enthusiasm to my request for a brutally honest assessment of each offering. Chief Pierre's ego is now considerably hardened to artistic rejection!
And then there have been our forays to Centrelink to organise a change of details relating to the most welcome, but somewhat belated, arrival of my long awaited Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. After visits to the offices in Mossman (where we began our love affair with Centrelink), Glenelg, Bussellton, and two here in Perth, the acquisition and presentation of reams of documentary evidence, frantic e-mails from Busso to Adelaide requesting additional documents from our previous employers (not included in my original advice of requirements), my card finally arrived.
How could anything possibly be wrong after all this effort? Ha! There was my card in all its glory, posted correctly to our PO box, but with my address on the card itself listed as '32 Oleander Street, South Brighton'. Not only do we no longer live there, we don't even own it any more. The accompanying letter was stern in its warnings to notify Centrelink forthwith of any alteration to our personal circumstances. I decided that the incorrect address on my card probably fell within this requirement, so off we went yet again. Fortunately we know enough to take a good book. But all is now well. I'm now formally official and cosher but only after two days spent in the effort. Great staff but a typical government system, although I have to say I am more than happy to accept the Commonwealth's generous old fart's offering of about $850 a year which comes with the card.
But I digress.....let's begin our look around Perth. As I mentioned in my previous we have started with the beaches. Like Adelaide, the metropolitan beaches in Perth are a real feature of life for those who live here. It has taken us a few days to see all that is on offer. From Two Rocks in the north to Fremantle in the south, the coastline extends over a distance of some 80 kms or so. There is a lot to see, but to many (including Liz in particular) a beach is a beach, so I have decided to present selectively.
Two Rocks is right on the northern extremity of what could be reasonably called the outer suburban area, approximately 60 kms north of the Perth CBD. And it is different. A moderately sized (by WA standards) commercial and private marina, a quaint shopping and accommodation precinct, a 'colourful' pub and the weirdest collection of statues we have come across for ages. I loved the place.
As we drove into the marina roadway
we could see that the town itself is perched on a clifftop overlooking the sea beyond. The substantial retaining walls which prevent the pub and shopping arcade from tumbling into the waters of the marina reminded us greatly of many River Murry towns where similar infrastructure is a necessity.
We drove past the end of the marina (pictures later) and climbed the hill to find a large carpark which services a small shopping complex on its northern side and,
in the other direction, the buildings housing the local IGA, holiday apartments and another shopping arcade.
It was from here we caught our first glimpse of 'Neptune', a huge hunk of limestone carved into the likeness of the Roman god of the sea.
What on earth is this all about? Well herein lies a tale. Neptune was to have been the be centrepiece of a large theme park proposed for this area by Alan Bond. He had bought over 20,000 hectares of land in the nearby Yanchep area which he planned to develop as WA's 'Sun City', a playground for the rich and famous or anybody else who had saved their 'biccies'. The grand plan did not eventuate for a number of reasons, including lack of finance. Sound familiar? Despite the demise of the project, King Neptune remained. After all, the market for a second-hand limestone statue of the ancient Roman god of the sea would have been limited to say the least! And as we discovered, he now has mates.....more of that shortly.
We parked the trusty Cruiser and went for a toddle around the arcade and pub area from which we did gain terrific views over the marina and beyond out into the Indian Ocean.
This marina is more than just a haven for those lucky enough to own and sail a cruising yacht or a big 'stinkie' (power boat), it is the home to a reasonably large lobster fishing fleet. The dockside workshops and heavy life cradles were impressive, and from my point of view, made things much more interesting along the wharf area (still an old Port Lincoln boy at heart!)
Perched atop this cliff is Neptune's Cafe (what a surprise) and a quaint old fashioned type arcade housing a surprising array of shops on the ground floor and holiday apartments above that. What view those lazing away a few summer days at the Two Rocks Holiday apartments would have!
Between the mall and the pub sits this extraordinary array of limestone statues depicting various aspects of he life of the local indigenous folk,
as is explained (fortunately) on this sign. And the artist didn't stint...there would have to be at least twenty statues in this garden area,
with many more dotted around the perimeter of this adjoining somewhat dessicated playing field.
Lording it over all is the Winged Serpent. I have absolutely no idea what this creature's antecedents might be...there was a sad lack of interpretive signage here, but it is impressive nevertheless.
I was taken by the fact that immediately next to this statue area is the rather gaudily painted Two Rocks pub from which the view must be spectacular (you can just catch a glimpse of the ocean at the far right of this shot). We were disappointed that the hour of our visit did not coincide with opening hours at this watering hole. A beer on the balcony (just one) would have been irresistible.
The juxtaposition of both the pub and the Winged Serpent did give me a chuckle, however. In my somewhat warped mind I had a vision of a newly arrived visitor staggering out of the pub after a big night only to be confronted by the towering edifice of the serpent as the homeward way was wended. Stuff of nightmares!
As is obvious, the Two Rocks CBD (?) is small and quaint to say the least. Not so the remainder of what we saw of the town where the quality and size of many of the houses indicated that Two Rocks is as it is because that's the way the local folk want it as opposed to 'that's all that can be afforded'.
On the other side of town, as we drove out southwards towards Yanchep, houses of similar size and grandeur were commonplace. The view from that on top of the hill would be stunning.
And of course we couldn't leave Two Rocks (named, by the way, for two large limestone rocks on the nearby coastline...we couldn't quite fathom out which they were from the several on offer) without a face-to-face and deferential farewell to 'The King'. This is seriously impressive kitsch indeed!
As you may have gathered, I just loved Two Rocks. Apart from the town itself, which for me had enormous appeal (I get off on quirky as you know), I forgot to mention that there is also good fishing to be had from the marina walls and small local jetties and although the nearby beaches are somewhat less than inviting with their attendant rocky shelves, dumping surf and seaweed, there is a wonderful swimming hole not too far away at Yanchep as we soon discovered.
But before we finally leave Two Rocks, I must share another snippet, spotted on the rear window of a local truck, which helped to confirm for me my potential affinity with the good folk of this town. There should be much more of this!
The drive to Yanchep took us through several kilometres of undeveloped coastal sandhill country.
To their credit, the planning authorities in WA have clearly placed a complete embargo on building on the coast itself right along the metropolitan coastline (with some exceptions where the construction was completed many years ago, such as at Cottesloe). Whilst this has been wonderfully successful in preventing coastal erosion and loss of beach sand, it means that many housing estates which are promoted as being 'beachfront land' are anything but as we shall soon see.
But commonsense in one area of public works seems to be completely lacking in another. How would you like to be sitting at this stop awaiting the arrival of the commuter bus to Perth on a scorching summer day? (and there are plenty of those in this part of Australia) We are yet to find a bus stop anywhere in Perth at which there is a shelter of any kind.
And as you can see from this shot of the highway between Two Rocks and Yanchep, the countryside is sandy, dry and can be bloody hot.
Yanchep could not be more different to Two Rocks if it had been planned that way. Our visit was fleeting. Our drive through the living and commercial districts did not raise any particular interest and therefore does not rate a pictorial exposee, but the local coast was a different matter.
We had heard much about the extraordinary pace and scope of housing developments on the northern beaches areas, and here, as we made our way towards the Yanchep coast, we came across our first example, a sea of silver rooftops shimmering in the heat.
The houses on all the development sites we came across are crammed on such small blocks that from this distance the collective roofs look for all the world like some giant silver 'tortoise', the name given to the tactic used by Roman legionaries when they raised and joined their shields above their heads to form an impenetrable barrier against enemy arrows or spears.
And the impression was not dispelled by a closer look. This, believe it or not, is gaudily proclaimed as being amongst the last 'abolsule beachfront land' in the area. The only slight problem is that the beach itself is nearly a kilometre distant.
The only access to it is via a walkway (from which the previous shot was taken), which at this point, ends in a wonderful lookout
which does provide a stunning view of the coast southwards towards the Yanchep lagoon and of the remainder of the very well built beach access walkway which then leads to
the final part of the hike along a track though the sandhills and scrub where the remaining challenge, apart from dehydration, is to avoid any basking Dugite snakes which inhabit these regions in numbers. 'Absolute beachfront' my eye! Folk here do take lunch with them when they go to the beach...to eat on the way there!
The distant view of the Yanchep lagoon area did appeal.....off we went to have a look. And then there was a find, one which could not have been in more stark contrast to what we had just left by way of housing. Here was an old homestead hunkered down in the shelter of the surrounding sandhills. Goodness only knows when it was built, but it was clearly one of a kind. Just how hot this place must have been at the height of summer defies belief.
Beyond this we came to a delight. The Yanchep lagoon. This is a mini version of the waters off Port Noarlunga (sorry interstate readers....a southern Adelaide beach) where the rolling surf is tamed by a reef shelf leaving a stretch of relatively calm and safe swimming water.
Vacswim was being conducted the day we visited this area.....most had completed their class for the day, but there were still quite a few youngsters on the beach as can be seen. And me without my bathers!
We had noticed a sign to the local Surf Club on the drive in and couldn't help but take a peek, once we had negotiated the interesting entrance roadway that is.
And there it was, a genuine country type old SLSC complete with murals. Memories of the far south coast came flooding back.
And what a challenge these clubbies face just to get their IRB's into the water down this impressively sloping boat ramp. I'll bet their weekend BBQ's would be a hoot.
At the moment our sightseeing ventures around this very different city have been limited. In fact we are interspersing these with days in which our attention is directed at things much more mundane.
I have, for example, finally gotten around to attacking the piles of recipes I have been collecting (and which have been languishing in a cupboard in the van ever since we left Adelaide) with a view to expanding our currently efficient, but limited, travelling meals menu. The results on the table have been mixed to date, but the recipe pile is shrinking. Each culinary attempt has two options....the result pleases us both or it's out! Talk about pressure in the galley....Liz has responded with disturbing enthusiasm to my request for a brutally honest assessment of each offering. Chief Pierre's ego is now considerably hardened to artistic rejection!
And then there have been our forays to Centrelink to organise a change of details relating to the most welcome, but somewhat belated, arrival of my long awaited Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. After visits to the offices in Mossman (where we began our love affair with Centrelink), Glenelg, Bussellton, and two here in Perth, the acquisition and presentation of reams of documentary evidence, frantic e-mails from Busso to Adelaide requesting additional documents from our previous employers (not included in my original advice of requirements), my card finally arrived.
How could anything possibly be wrong after all this effort? Ha! There was my card in all its glory, posted correctly to our PO box, but with my address on the card itself listed as '32 Oleander Street, South Brighton'. Not only do we no longer live there, we don't even own it any more. The accompanying letter was stern in its warnings to notify Centrelink forthwith of any alteration to our personal circumstances. I decided that the incorrect address on my card probably fell within this requirement, so off we went yet again. Fortunately we know enough to take a good book. But all is now well. I'm now formally official and cosher but only after two days spent in the effort. Great staff but a typical government system, although I have to say I am more than happy to accept the Commonwealth's generous old fart's offering of about $850 a year which comes with the card.
But I digress.....let's begin our look around Perth. As I mentioned in my previous we have started with the beaches. Like Adelaide, the metropolitan beaches in Perth are a real feature of life for those who live here. It has taken us a few days to see all that is on offer. From Two Rocks in the north to Fremantle in the south, the coastline extends over a distance of some 80 kms or so. There is a lot to see, but to many (including Liz in particular) a beach is a beach, so I have decided to present selectively.
Two Rocks is right on the northern extremity of what could be reasonably called the outer suburban area, approximately 60 kms north of the Perth CBD. And it is different. A moderately sized (by WA standards) commercial and private marina, a quaint shopping and accommodation precinct, a 'colourful' pub and the weirdest collection of statues we have come across for ages. I loved the place.
As we drove into the marina roadway
we could see that the town itself is perched on a clifftop overlooking the sea beyond. The substantial retaining walls which prevent the pub and shopping arcade from tumbling into the waters of the marina reminded us greatly of many River Murry towns where similar infrastructure is a necessity.
We drove past the end of the marina (pictures later) and climbed the hill to find a large carpark which services a small shopping complex on its northern side and,
in the other direction, the buildings housing the local IGA, holiday apartments and another shopping arcade.
It was from here we caught our first glimpse of 'Neptune', a huge hunk of limestone carved into the likeness of the Roman god of the sea.
What on earth is this all about? Well herein lies a tale. Neptune was to have been the be centrepiece of a large theme park proposed for this area by Alan Bond. He had bought over 20,000 hectares of land in the nearby Yanchep area which he planned to develop as WA's 'Sun City', a playground for the rich and famous or anybody else who had saved their 'biccies'. The grand plan did not eventuate for a number of reasons, including lack of finance. Sound familiar? Despite the demise of the project, King Neptune remained. After all, the market for a second-hand limestone statue of the ancient Roman god of the sea would have been limited to say the least! And as we discovered, he now has mates.....more of that shortly.
We parked the trusty Cruiser and went for a toddle around the arcade and pub area from which we did gain terrific views over the marina and beyond out into the Indian Ocean.
This marina is more than just a haven for those lucky enough to own and sail a cruising yacht or a big 'stinkie' (power boat), it is the home to a reasonably large lobster fishing fleet. The dockside workshops and heavy life cradles were impressive, and from my point of view, made things much more interesting along the wharf area (still an old Port Lincoln boy at heart!)
Perched atop this cliff is Neptune's Cafe (what a surprise) and a quaint old fashioned type arcade housing a surprising array of shops on the ground floor and holiday apartments above that. What view those lazing away a few summer days at the Two Rocks Holiday apartments would have!
At the far end of this mall comes the real surprise. I mentioned earlier that King Neptune had some mates...well here are some of them.
Between the mall and the pub sits this extraordinary array of limestone statues depicting various aspects of he life of the local indigenous folk,
as is explained (fortunately) on this sign. And the artist didn't stint...there would have to be at least twenty statues in this garden area,
with many more dotted around the perimeter of this adjoining somewhat dessicated playing field.
Lording it over all is the Winged Serpent. I have absolutely no idea what this creature's antecedents might be...there was a sad lack of interpretive signage here, but it is impressive nevertheless.
I was taken by the fact that immediately next to this statue area is the rather gaudily painted Two Rocks pub from which the view must be spectacular (you can just catch a glimpse of the ocean at the far right of this shot). We were disappointed that the hour of our visit did not coincide with opening hours at this watering hole. A beer on the balcony (just one) would have been irresistible.
The juxtaposition of both the pub and the Winged Serpent did give me a chuckle, however. In my somewhat warped mind I had a vision of a newly arrived visitor staggering out of the pub after a big night only to be confronted by the towering edifice of the serpent as the homeward way was wended. Stuff of nightmares!
As is obvious, the Two Rocks CBD (?) is small and quaint to say the least. Not so the remainder of what we saw of the town where the quality and size of many of the houses indicated that Two Rocks is as it is because that's the way the local folk want it as opposed to 'that's all that can be afforded'.
On the other side of town, as we drove out southwards towards Yanchep, houses of similar size and grandeur were commonplace. The view from that on top of the hill would be stunning.
And of course we couldn't leave Two Rocks (named, by the way, for two large limestone rocks on the nearby coastline...we couldn't quite fathom out which they were from the several on offer) without a face-to-face and deferential farewell to 'The King'. This is seriously impressive kitsch indeed!
As you may have gathered, I just loved Two Rocks. Apart from the town itself, which for me had enormous appeal (I get off on quirky as you know), I forgot to mention that there is also good fishing to be had from the marina walls and small local jetties and although the nearby beaches are somewhat less than inviting with their attendant rocky shelves, dumping surf and seaweed, there is a wonderful swimming hole not too far away at Yanchep as we soon discovered.
But before we finally leave Two Rocks, I must share another snippet, spotted on the rear window of a local truck, which helped to confirm for me my potential affinity with the good folk of this town. There should be much more of this!
The drive to Yanchep took us through several kilometres of undeveloped coastal sandhill country.
To their credit, the planning authorities in WA have clearly placed a complete embargo on building on the coast itself right along the metropolitan coastline (with some exceptions where the construction was completed many years ago, such as at Cottesloe). Whilst this has been wonderfully successful in preventing coastal erosion and loss of beach sand, it means that many housing estates which are promoted as being 'beachfront land' are anything but as we shall soon see.
But commonsense in one area of public works seems to be completely lacking in another. How would you like to be sitting at this stop awaiting the arrival of the commuter bus to Perth on a scorching summer day? (and there are plenty of those in this part of Australia) We are yet to find a bus stop anywhere in Perth at which there is a shelter of any kind.
And as you can see from this shot of the highway between Two Rocks and Yanchep, the countryside is sandy, dry and can be bloody hot.
Yanchep could not be more different to Two Rocks if it had been planned that way. Our visit was fleeting. Our drive through the living and commercial districts did not raise any particular interest and therefore does not rate a pictorial exposee, but the local coast was a different matter.
We had heard much about the extraordinary pace and scope of housing developments on the northern beaches areas, and here, as we made our way towards the Yanchep coast, we came across our first example, a sea of silver rooftops shimmering in the heat.
The houses on all the development sites we came across are crammed on such small blocks that from this distance the collective roofs look for all the world like some giant silver 'tortoise', the name given to the tactic used by Roman legionaries when they raised and joined their shields above their heads to form an impenetrable barrier against enemy arrows or spears.
And the impression was not dispelled by a closer look. This, believe it or not, is gaudily proclaimed as being amongst the last 'abolsule beachfront land' in the area. The only slight problem is that the beach itself is nearly a kilometre distant.
The only access to it is via a walkway (from which the previous shot was taken), which at this point, ends in a wonderful lookout
which does provide a stunning view of the coast southwards towards the Yanchep lagoon and of the remainder of the very well built beach access walkway which then leads to
the final part of the hike along a track though the sandhills and scrub where the remaining challenge, apart from dehydration, is to avoid any basking Dugite snakes which inhabit these regions in numbers. 'Absolute beachfront' my eye! Folk here do take lunch with them when they go to the beach...to eat on the way there!
The distant view of the Yanchep lagoon area did appeal.....off we went to have a look. And then there was a find, one which could not have been in more stark contrast to what we had just left by way of housing. Here was an old homestead hunkered down in the shelter of the surrounding sandhills. Goodness only knows when it was built, but it was clearly one of a kind. Just how hot this place must have been at the height of summer defies belief.
Beyond this we came to a delight. The Yanchep lagoon. This is a mini version of the waters off Port Noarlunga (sorry interstate readers....a southern Adelaide beach) where the rolling surf is tamed by a reef shelf leaving a stretch of relatively calm and safe swimming water.
Vacswim was being conducted the day we visited this area.....most had completed their class for the day, but there were still quite a few youngsters on the beach as can be seen. And me without my bathers!
We had noticed a sign to the local Surf Club on the drive in and couldn't help but take a peek, once we had negotiated the interesting entrance roadway that is.
And there it was, a genuine country type old SLSC complete with murals. Memories of the far south coast came flooding back.
And what a challenge these clubbies face just to get their IRB's into the water down this impressively sloping boat ramp. I'll bet their weekend BBQ's would be a hoot.
even more 'last remaining affordable beachside land'.
unlike the outlook across the building sites. It made me shudder to contemplate all the hard work which lay ahead of those buying in these areas to develop and maintain a reasonable garden. But we had noted that all the houses in the more established areas were occupied and I guess that in four or five years we would not recognise this place. Cheek by jowl, a kilometre from the beach and 60 kms from the Perth CBD.....yuk, not for us!
We were happy to return to a more established environment after this venture into the world of the burgeoning 'northern beaches developments'. There are an awful number of Perth folk looking for affordable housing, that is clear. We could not help but wonder how many of these are associated with the mining industry and what their real future holds. Interestingly, only this week there was a news feature on a group of FIFO (fly in - fly out) mine workers who choose to live in Bali rather than anywhere in WA. At a nightly rental of $18 for a more than average pad in the mild tropics and a pint of beer for $2, who can blame them?
On our next sortie we shall explore a couple of the northern suburban beaches and two most than impressive, but quite different, boat harbours.
No comments:
Post a Comment