THE TRIP TO PERTH 1/11/03 – 9/11/03

Barrack Street Jetty.
One of many lunches in Perth.
Meet some good friends on the boat to Rottnest Island.
Introduced themselves to Brett as Victoria and Sally on the boat going to Rottenest for the day.
Five Melbourne travellers went on a little vacation to Perth without knowing there was to be some trouble ahead of them in the big city of Perth. The five travellers were, Maritta, Anne, Graham, Hendo and Brett. They checked in at Melbourne airport while Graham parked the car then went to have lunch. Hendo, Anne, Maritta and Brett took the wrong elevator and ended up at International terminal and by the time they got to the boarding lounge Graham was panicking because they were late and had to wait till everybody else was on the plane to board instead of being first. Also he had a security check done because he had metal tape on him and he said it was for the wheelchair but where was the wheelchair? They left Melbourne around 1:30 (Melbourne time) on a big airplane heading to Perth. After a beer he settled down in the plane next to Hendo. On the way there, Graham and Hendo just couldn’t stop talking; they were like old women talking. Anne wrote her Xmas cards, Brett and Maritta read their books, because it was a 3 and a half hours flight. They landed in Perth around 2:30 (Perth time). Once they were out of the plane and outside in the Perth airport carpark, they had trouble finding the hire car because they thought… somebody will drop the car off to them… but they didn’t because the car was parked in the car park, waiting for them to get in. Finally they found the car and got ready to drive out of the airport but couldn’t find the way out till they drove around the airport a couple of times till they finally found their way out of the airport on their week holiday in sunny Perth. Arrive at hotel... they didn’t know about the wheelchair… get booked in and go to their rooms. Anne and Hendo’s room is good. Graham, Maritta and Brett’s room is not… its on a smoking floor and stinks Maritta is unhappy with condition of rooms so Graham rings up and gets room changed, but not till next day… mad panic because they didn’t know that the supermarket shut at five. Perth has many one-way streets so they have trouble getting to a supermarket. Find one open shop quickly and head back. Oops miss the turnoff to hotel. Finally get back and all can sit and have a drink. Graham and Maritta got a big surprise because it was their 34th wedding anniversary Anne, Hendo and Brett decided in the week before, to buy them an anniversary present so they bought them each a box of nice Chockies About 5:30 that warm evening Lance and Natiya arrive at the hotel about 6:00 for a quick drink then head off to Kings Park where they had B.B.Q tea and had a good old talk about what had happened in the first day of the holiday and Lance could only laugh. That night they didn’t get lost because they followed Lance and Natiya all that way there to Kings Park and back to they hotel again…. Lance and Natiya stayed back after leaving Kings Park,,, had a few drink’s and left to go home at 11:30,,, they was beat after a big first day in Perth,,, so they went to bed,,, all of us had a good sleep. “Nite Night”


Next morning Graham Brett and Maritta pack their bags and bring them to breakfast in Hendo/Anne’s unit and plan the day activities. Walked to Barrack Street Jetty to book our trip to Rottenest for Wednesday and had a coffee at the Barrack Jetty then went back to our hotel, get into our car to head off to Fremantle, along the freeway getting lost while driving to Fremantle, they decide to go to a hot bread shop to get rolls for lunch, along their long drive ahead of them but they didn’t find a hot bread shop anywhere, so without stoping in Fremantle, they drive all over the city of Fremantle, the markets, the docks and back streets looking for a hot bread shop but couldn’t find one, so they decided to go on to Scarborough in hoping to find a hot bread shop. No bread and was packed with people. Keep driving to Cottesloe nice... finally can buy some buns, the boy’s find a pub but it doesn’t sell beer to take away... They are amazed. Martial arts dancers and drummers in the park on the beach,,, had a great afternoon. Decided not to drive on freeway but again getting lost on the way back to our hotel. Graham, Maritta and Brett moved to their new room, which was better and it was on the sixth floor, had an upstairs balcony over-looking the river, so that afternoon they had drinks up there while looking at the view of the river. That night they order Chinese for tea and stayed in because they were tried and little bit under the weather of driving anywhere that day.


Monday morning got up early around 4:30, to go to Bunbury; it was a two and a half hour drive for them with some missed turns along the way on the highway of-course. The five people got down there about 8:00, to watch the dolphins coming in but after three and half hours of sitting on the beach, waiting and waiting for the dolphins to come in, they saw their fins in the water but they didn’t come in to shore, so the five people got back in the car, headed off to Margaret River wineries. They went to 4 different wineries but only bought at one Evans and Tate. They could have gone to more but again went the wrong way. Getting tired now so they headed off home but down the other freeway. Have seen lots of bread shops today, but don’t need bread today. That night they stayed back in their hotel room, had an indoor B.B.Q for tea and drink the night away and rang up some friends in Victoria who were asleep as there is a three-hour time difference.



The next day was Melbourne Cup Day so they got up late, Graham, Maritta and Brett went down to Hendo/Anne’s unit for some breakfast, then play a game of tennis while Brett just read his book. Mid morning they went for a walk down to the Barrack Street Jetty to have a look around. It was a hot day, so we decided to have drinks and then lunch at the Shag while listening to the Melbourne Cup on Brett’s radio. After lunch they decided to take the free bus and had a big tour of the city of Perth, but in the mean time, Graham was making friends and having a chat to Pete the bus driver. Brett was surprised how accessible the free buses were in Perth,,, he could get off/on them by himself. After the big bus ride/tour, they decide to walk through London Court to see what it was like and headed off back to their hotel by foot, then had another tennis game and then laze in the sun with a drink, then Hendo and Graham went for swim in the pool but they didn’t stay in for long because the water was too cold, they jumped out quickly. That night they had pizza and played games with drinking so we went to bed early that night because the next day they were heading to Rottenest for the day.



Had Breakfast at 7:30 at Barrack St. Jetty before entering the boat at 8:45 to go over to Rottenest, met 2 two nice people on the boat, they had trouble getting on the boat because one them was in a large wheelchair and the ramp was narrow and had a right turn in it and that made it awkward to get on the boat so Graham decided to help the lady in the wheelchair to get on board, so finally the lady came on board and they start up a friendship with us and introduced themselves to Brett as Victoria and Sally. On the way there talked to each other, over the top of Indian people who keep looking at us and asking Victoria about Sally’s’ needs and everything. The man was very rude. On the Island, it was beautiful as Brett found out as he went on his big journey, halfway around the Island without knowing it at the time. They decided if Brett did his own thing on the Island and the four others went off on their Tandem bikes to go round the Island. The boys went in front and steered the bikes, it took a bit of getting used to but soon they were ok. Off they went leaving Brett in town. He went on a different road hoping to bump into the others on the road somewhere but they didn’t. Before Brett headed off on his big adventure around the Island, Maritta and Graham told him, they will ring Brett when they are having lunch and to meet back here. So they went off there individual ways. The girls had trouble keeping up with the boys in peddling down the hills. Eventually they boys took it easy and the girls didn’t loose their footing. They took several wrong turns and found a nice beach and decided to have chicken and champagne. They boys kept their beer cold in the shallows. They only floated off once. Then head straight back to give Brett his lunch.



They took another wrong turn but it was pretty and Maritta saw a Quokka and it went in the right direction anyway so it was ok. They ring Brett... and wait. (Meanwhile Brett hears the phone and turns into a street thinking he is heading back. WRONG. Like the rest of the crew he has no sense of direction but he is enjoying himself). Ring him again, this time it says no service. Oh oh... waiting, waiting, over one hour later and getting closer to the time the boat leaves for home, Graham goes to the police and they say they have found a guy who has run out of battery about 7k away. Yes it’s him. Having a good time talking to strangers and looking at the scenery. Graham and Brett get a lift round the island and back to the boat from the Ranger and just makes the boat. We all have a good laugh about it on the way home.



That night follow Lance to his house for tea. He takes us the long but easy was so we won’t get lost on the way home. Nataya has cooked Thai food for us enough to feed 10 people and she wonders why we cannot eat it all. It was very good food. Have lots to drink and get home about midnight. Didn’t get lost tonight.



The next day was Thursday, had beaky in Anne and Hendo unit, and over breakfast talked about the days plan. They decided to go north to Sorrento, in getting they’re, missed the turnoff like before. Had morning tea at Sorrento pier and window-shopped. Went to different beach’s, can’t stop because the car parks were too full so we search for a more accessible beach, cannot find one, so head back to Sorrento for lunch. Anne Graham and Hendo go on a wild ride-Red Baron and Indy Car Race while Maritta and Brett have an ice cream and people watch. About 3.30 headed back as there was tennis to be played at 4.30. Brett stayed upstairs on the balcony to read.



Thoroughly exhausted decide to eat in. Italian tonight.



Friday had breakfast in Anne/Hendo unit. Then went to Kings Park, went for a walk through the gardens and on the Tree top bridge, very assessable for wheelchair, then decided to have a very large milk shake. In the meantime of drinking their large milk shares, they watched remember ance day service being given at the war memorial at the top of the hill. After their big milk shakes, they drove to Sorrento for the afternoon, had lunch and a group of boys were finished their B.B.Q so one of the boys came over to the holiday makers and told them that they had a few sausages left so the holiday makers took the sausages off them. They spent a few hours just lazing around on the lawn reading their books, going for a couple of swims on the beach which was packed with schoolies, but the water were cool. In the time they were there two Jets – F1 11, fighters flew over them twice. They were the only ones looking at them so it must happen all the time over there. Graham and Hendo bought them a very nice fresh fruit salad for lunch from the supermarket paying more for the knife to cut it up with than the fruit itself. That night they got dressed up and went into town to James Street for tea. They had very nice suppers for the last night in Perth.



Saturday is the last day boo hoo… Got up. Went for brekkie at usual place. Food worked out perfect not much at all left. After brekkie they packed their belongings and left them in the car in the carpark. Took the bus around Perth, seeing the sites of Perth city. Hendo took Grahams spot and talked to the bus driver, (John). Graham was getting very uncomfortable because he couldn’t hear the conversation and Hendo was making the most of this situation. Graham had to sit on the edge of his seat and lean around the corner to get in on the act. Anne, Maritta and Brett just sat there and laughed watching them. Sat in the park and finished drinking our grog that was left. Took a photo of Brett sucking the champagne bottle, which was in a paper bag. Was going to visit the mint but weren’t sure if they had enough time so decided to look at the Swan Bells instead. Interesting history of the bells and watched them working. The tower moves a little and has seen through grating decks to view the city. Very eerie feeling. After that had they last lunch at the Shag in Barrack Street Jetty and few more drinks, before heading off to get the car back at the hotel. Back at hotel they hop into their car to drive to the airport, but on the way there, they got lost, of course, but they got lost again, in the airport to park the car, finally got a car park. Bye Bye Perth. It was a great holiday. Get check in on time and finally get on board, sat down, headed off home at 5:30, had tea and a few drinks, read our book on the way back to Melbourne. Got into Melbourne about 10:30 that night, then got home about 12:00a.m. Didn’t get lost… Went to bed at 12:30. Had a good night sleep that night, and woke up about 10:30 the next morning, feeling good.
The End



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