Monday, October 29, 2007

Wave Rock, Hyden, AUSTRALIA

October 18, 2007

We checked out from our hotel, Good Earth Hotel located at Adelaide Terrace, at 11am. That was the latest checkout time allowed. We decided to go on tour outback to Wave Rock in Hyden, about 340km from Perth. The journey took us along the wheat belt of West Australia.

We drove for more than 2 hours passing through wheat fields like this

From Perth, we drove on the Great Eastern Highway which took us to Midland and York. From York we took Great Southern Highway to Beverly and Brookton. We headed east to Corrigin, Kondinin, Karlgarin and finally Hyden. It was already dark when we got to Hyden, after more than 4 hours on the road. These are sparsely populated area. Karlgarin has less than 50 people. The population of Hyden, a tourist town known for its Wave Rock, had increased from 400 to 600 people.

It was already dusk when we got to Hyden

From Beverly, it was wheat lands all the way to Hyden. The farms stretched to as far as the eyes could see. There were not many cars on the road. The road narrowed at some stretches between Corrigin and Karlgarin. When there was another car coming from the opposite direction, we had to make way by driving partly on the gravel road shoulder.

By the time we arrived, there was no more room available at Wave Rock Motel. We were lucky to get a cottage at Wave Rock Resort, near to Wave Rock overlooking Lake Magic. The lake base is made of gypsum and the water is salty. It was like staying in the Australian bush. It must have been a scary experience for Anas. He kept asking me about the sounds coming from outside the cottage. The cottage was big enough to sleep 8 people. It was pricey too at AUD160 a night.

Anas at the Wave Rock

Wave Rock was the feature attraction of our outback tour. This granite cliff, is 15 metres high and 110 metres long.. Its rounded wave-like shape has been caused by weathering and water erosion which has undercut the base and left a rounded overhang.

There were other interesting features to see in the area, such as Hippo’s Yawn, the Breakers, the Town Dam, the Humps and Mulka’s Cave. The Lace Place claims to have the largest collection of lace on public display.

Hippo's Yawn, a rock formation that looks like the mouth of a yawning hippo

It was quite a long drive for the unique attractions. To me, it was not the destination, but the journey that I enjoyed the most. The vast wheat fields were quite a sight. It was a good Australian outback experience.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Joondalup, AUSTRALIA

October 16, 2007

As a golfer, I heard so much about Joondalup Golf Club. I felt, I must pay the place a visit, just to check it out. It’s about 25 minutes drive north of Perth.

From Perth, it was a breeze driving on the Mitchel Freeway North. When the highway ended, we turned left onto Hodge Drive to Club House Road and then onto Spyglass before we reached the club house. The parking lot was full with cars. It must be a very popular course considering that it was Tuesday, a low day in golfing diary.

Since I didn’t plan on playing (I didn’t bring my golf set), we went to check out the pro shop. The prices of items in the pro shop were beyond a Malaysian golfer’s normal range. A logo shirt ON SALE went for AUD60 (RM180). We could get 4 or 5 similar shirts in Malaysia for the same price. Considering that the golf club carried a big name, I bought some souvenir items; 3 logo shirts, a leather folder, a cap, a miniature buggy for Anas and a logo ball. The bill came to almost AUD300 (RM900). What the heck! There was always the credit card.

This 27-hole course was designed by the world renowned Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The layout cuts across dense bush lands, steep limestone quarries, and lakes. It claimed Australia’s No. 1 Resort Golf Course 3 years in a row (2003/04, 2005/06 and 2007/08). The 18-hole green fees on weekdays start at AUD115. For comparison, other courses cost much less. The 27-hole Collier Park Golf Club located near Curtin University charges only AUD20 for 18-hole round. The Burswood Resort Golf Club, part of the casino group, costs only AUD25 per round.

The club house did not appear as grand as I would imagine of a topnotch course. From the outside, it looked like another club house. The courses looked stunning and inviting. May be on my next visit, I would certainly make a date with Joondalup Golf Club.

Yanchep National Park, AUSTRALIA

October 16, 2007
From Joodalup, we took Wanneroo Road to Yanchep National Park. The drive along the road fringed by bush lands was relaxing. There were places to stop and shop for country fresh vegetables and fruits. It was a good 20-minute drive.

When we got the park, we headed to the visitor’s centre. We booked a tour to the underground cave scheduled to start in an hour time. Meanwhile we walked around the place looking at more koalas in the wild sleeping on top of gum trees. We had lunch inside the car while waiting for the tour to start. There were far too many flies outside.
Ton in front of the Visitor's Centre

We were joined by an old couple from London and a mother and daughter team from Germany. That made up our group. The English couple has been on the road in their trusty old caravan since April. They had not fixed any return date. They had been to Malaysia and planned to go to Pakistan and Iran. However, they said President Bush made their Iranian travel plans uncertain.
Anas with some native plants called "black boy"

Crystal Cave is an underground limestone cavern. It was carved by the running underground stream that eroded the limestone and formed caverns. Christie, the tour guide was very knowledgeable when it came to her favourite subject, caves. Knowing that we were from Malaysia, she even asked whether we had been to Mulu Cave in Sarawak. It was embarrassing to tell someone that you had not been to the world famous cave right in your backyard when you had traveled all over the places.

Anas entering the cave

Christie told us about the problems of the cave drying up. Scientists would be pumping water into the cave in a few months time.

On the way back, we ran into a group of kangaroos by the roadside. It was a good photo opportunity to capture wild kangaroos instead of those in captivity. We stopped to buy some fruits along the way and reached Perth around 2pm.

Perth Zoo, AUSTRALIA

October 15, 2007
According to tourists, brochures, “Perth Zoo is a world class zoo, offering quality exhibits in beautiful natural setting”, we could not resist. It is conveniently located in South Perth, quite near to Nina’s house. Instead of turning left from Canning Highway, the way to Nina’s house, we turned right. It led to Mill Point Road which took us straight to the Zoo parking lot. Mill Point Road fronts the scenic Swan River.
The entrance tickets by Malaysian standard, was on the high side. For the whole family, it set us back AUD60 (RM180). I guess when you are overseas you can’t convert into RM, otherwise everything would become very expensive. Sausage Tree found in Perth Zoo

Perth Zoo is divided into several attractions; Australian Wetlands, Reptile Encounter, Australian Walkabout, Asian Rainforest, African Savannah and Nocturnal House. It also had a picnic area where we had our lunch. The curry puffs that Ton cooked in the morning made good lunch.


Ton, Nina & Anas at the entrance to the Asian Rainforest

We learned from our visit that it is important to keep the enclosed animals active and happy. They are given things like toys to play with to keep them from being bored. The orangutans didn’t look too happy.
We chanced upon these jolly parakeets having a ball bathing themselves

The koalas are nocturnal by nature, spending most of their time on gum trees. They hardly ventured to the ground and had almost no need for water. Koala in aboriginal language means “no water”. Their foods are strictly leaves from gum trees. They will not survive on other diet. We spent about 2 hours around the zoo. It was a good family outing.

Armadale, AUSTRALIA

October 14, 2007

We took Albany Highway 30 to Armadale, about 40 minutes drive from Perth. We came to the place the day before but it was a bit late to visit any attraction. Armadale is just a small rural town founded in 1831. This region known as “Heritage Country” includes the nearby townships of Kelmscott, Rolleystone, Bedforddale and Forrestdale. It is a scenic Australian rural backdrop with a touch of English countryside.

Since we had no idea of where to proceed, we dropped by the information centre. The lady was very helpful in recommending us the Heritage Country Tourist Route 205 that would take us to Araluen.

We drove past the Elizabethan Cottage, a place built to reflect the Elizabethan era. It has a bed & breakfast, a pub, William Shakespeare’s centre and all things Elizabethan. The visitors are greeted by a walk through entrance under a canopy of plants grown on a pergola. We made a quick photo stop.


Ton, Anas & Nina in Heritage country


The Heritage Country Trail passes through bushes, farms and dams. From the advertisement along the road, I conclude that it is an ideal retirement hideout for the locales. We stopped at a shop in Brackenridge Village advertising antiques for sale and bought 2 old Aussie coins. Since we came during spring time, there were galleries of beautiful wild flowers along the way. The problem with the Australian roads is that they have concrete kerbs at the side that prevent motorists from stopping at the road side. The only option is to stop on the road to take pictures. It was a calculated risk considering lack of traffic on the road.


Kangaroo Crossing sign, I didn't run into any kangaroo


From Brackenridge Village, we took Brookton Highway and Croyden Road to Araluen Botanic Park. The park started as a holiday camp in 1929 had been transformed into an idyllic nature retreat complete with shaded walkways, extensive water features and flower-lined picnic sites. We had our picnic by the huge pergolas that served as a walkway. The roses at Araluen are worth the trip. Beside, it has other exotic and native plant species. We had a field day taking photos of the flowers.


Ton in a rose garden


On the way back, we stopped at Fremantle, Western Australia port city. We stopped at the Fremantle Markets, its most famous attraction. We bought Anas a leather belt to replace the one we bought from the same place when we first came to Perth. Many old buildings have been restored making a walk or drive around the place a pleasant experience.

Anas at the entrance of Freemantle Market

To us, Fremantle reminds us of 2 things; good fish and chips at the Fishing Boat Harbour and E Shed Markets located at Victoria Quay where we would go to buy nougats. Interestingly, the shop owners where we bought souvenirs and nougats were Malaysian Chinese.

Kaili's Cafe claims to serve the best fish & chips

Hari Raya in Perth, AUSTRALIA

October 13, 2007

Today is our Hari Raya, Eid Fitri, a glorious end to the fasting month of Ramadan. The family had lemang, nasi himpit, rendang and the usual Hari Raya stuffs for breakfast. Then, everybody except Anas (as usual) dressed up for the morning Eid prayers. It was to be held at Kings Park, a 400 hectare recreational park in the city area.
Me at the prayers congregation

The place was already piling up with arriving Muslims of all nationalities dressed in their traditional costumes. Anas and I proceeded to the front row. The congregation was led by some Arabs. The prayers started slightly after 8am.

Anas, the odd guy in the congregation

The weather in Perth was equally glorious, in the low 20s during the day and teens during the night, just like having prayers in a big air-conditioned place. It was a bit chilly in the early morning; jacket was a must for me. The Imam delivered a very good sermon. The first half was in English with deep Australian accent and the second half in Arabic. The contents of the sermon were more contemporary, unlike in Malaysia which were very much predictable year in year out. He touched on the duties of Muslims living as a minority in a foreign culture.

The family after the prayers

After the prayers, we walked around the park. It was spring and there were some leftover wild flowers still blooming. Perth is also known for its wild flowers.

Mother & Daughter at Kings Park

We dropped by Nina’s place at Farnham Street in Bentley area. The girls treated us to their Hari Raya cookings. Anas and I stayed behind to do our laundry while the girls went out for their house visits. I took a nap.

That was the highlight of our Hari Raya in Perth.

In the evening we decided to drive to Perth Hills to look for more wild flowers. We headed towards Armadale and stopped at Cohunu Koala Park. It was 4pm and the park ranger told us that it took at least an hour and a half to go around the park. We decided to come back some other times. We drove back to Perth since it was a bit late for the local attractions. They closed pretty early.




Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Journey to Perth, Australia

October 11, 2007

We decided to celebrate Hari Raya in Perth, to be with Nina. We could not get tickets with the commercial airlines like MAS, Qantas or Royal Brunei. So, we decided to go on budget airlines. It would be Kuala Lumpur-Johor Bahru–Singapore-Perth round trip. The journey that normally takes 5 hours would now take 13 hours. Celebrating Hari Raya with our only daughter was worth the long journey.

We took the first Air Asia flight to JB, just to make sure it would be on time. Normally, Air Asia would not have any delay for the first flight out of LCCT. We could not afford to miss SIN – PER flight at 3.50pm. We had a comfortable six hour gap.

We were doing well on our timing, too well in fact. We took a cab to Singapore’s Changi Airport Budget Terminal. There was nothing much at the budget terminal, except for the cafeteria. It was the 28th day of fasting that made our 6-hour wait more agonizing. The check in counter only opened 2 hours before departure.

The queue started way before the 2 hours check in time. As it got longer, we decided to get in line. After obtaining our boarding passes, then only we could get to the waiting lounge inside. At least, there were places to hang out.

It looked like a full flight. We thought of trying to be among the first to board to make sure we got to sit together. To our embarrassment and disappointment, unlike Air Asia, Tiger Airways had all the seats assigned to the passengers as we checked in. We were so used to Air Asia, we thought it was free seating for any budget flight. A Malay stewardess pointed us to row 23, our assigned seats.

The flight was full with returning Australians, Singaporeans and what looked like 2 Malay families. When things were settling down, a baby from row 21 left started to scream at the top of its voice. It lasted for a good one hour. Then, when it appeared to be a brief respite, another baby from row 21 right continued the wailing contest. I tried to dig myself deep into The Chicken Soup for the Golfers’ Soul to pass the time.

There were a few bald headed Australian ladies dressed in Buddhist monks’ attire in row 22. I was impressed with how they become so deeply religious in a religion alien to the western culture. The lady in front of me caught my attention. She was literally snapping her head left to right as she was reading.

We broke fast when it appeared dark outside. The Malay stewardesses were kind enough to bring our foods when it was time to break the fast.

We reached Perth International Airport before the scheduled time. We got full clearance by the strict Australian Custom officers. It meant that Nina and her friends would get to taste the dodol, lemang, nasi himpit and various other goodies that we brought along. It was a gamble on our part and we got through. Nina and her friends were already waiting for us. It was a moving experience to see the way Anas rushed to Nina’s waiting arms and embraced his sister.

It was worth everything coming to Perth to see our 2 children together again.