Saturday in Perth

It is again cool in Perth. We went into the city last night and checked out what is most likely the city square. It was packed with food stalls with food from all over the world.  It looked like it could have been a fun thing to do but we had a booking at the large Malaysian restaurant we had visited earlier with Patsy and Eddie,  friends from Melbourne with whom were going on  the cruise.

The food was great and the company was too.

Kim lives in a gated community. Her apartment is 2 bedrooms and has plenty of size. There is a pool and a spa for the use of residents which was an important criteria on her 'want'  list.

There is a large balcony too which overlooks a busy road.

It is reasonably close to the city with a quick 5 station trip and you are in the middle of the city. Her work is fairly close and she avoids all peak hour traffic as her way to work is cross town. There is nightlife close by  and a small shopping  centre as well.

Today is our last full day here. Shortly we are heading out for a lunch and a final look around.

Tomorrow we board the ship for our 17 day cruise from Fremantle around to Sydney. We will have our own cabin and will unpack our suitcases for the final time.

On Monday we visit Geraldton and hopefully enjoy some warmer weather.

Back In Perth

One of the hassles of travelling and trying to maintain a blog page is good consistent internet access and the time to manipulate photos etc. Bloody predictive text on this tablet doesn't help either!

So blog entries become inconsistent.

We are back at Kim's in Perth after several days at Margaret River. It is cool, windy and showery. It was not possible to run the Busselton Jetty train yesterday on our way back to Perth because of the weather. The Busselton Jetty is almost 2kms long and the return train ride as well as visiting the Observation Deck at the end of the jetty is a major attraction for the area.  The rough seas ruined the views from the Observation Deck and the gusty wind made the train trip dangerous.

We had a couple of winery visits, and checked out Busselton and Mandurah on the drive home yesterday (Thursday).

Today is some washing, check out some shops and sort things after a week here in WA. We catch up with Eddie and Patsy who arrive for the cruise from Melbourne today for a meal in the City.  They fly in this afternoon.

So I am not sure when the next post will be, most likely somewhere or some port on the next section of our trip.

We have Bigpond as our ISP so we can access Telstra Air and use either official Telstra Air sites or access the wireless modem of other Bigpond users for WiFi internet access while out and about.   If I sit near our bedroom windows and hold my tongue a certain way I can get Telstra Air off someone nearby as a part of my Bigpond account.

I have added a photo to this post. It is a photo of one of the wineries near picturesque Margaret River.

We have been out this morning to do a little shopping. With it being so windy and the prospect of lumpy seas Travacarm seasick tablets seemed a wise backup move.

Kim's apartment looks a little like a Chinese Laundry while we try to dry stuff on this coolish Friday.

Out And About

The day began overcast, showery and quite cool. Around mid morning the sun began to show so we decided to check out the local shopping strip. This took care of a couple of hours. But it was fun doing the local thing.

There was bit to see and it took up a couple of hours.

A quick bite to eat for lunch and Margaret River beach here we come. The waves at the area were great to experience but the beach itself was nothing to write home about. There was also the smell of rotting seaweed to contend with as well.

But the waves were fairly large despite it not being a big wave day.

We hit several wineries on the way back to our accommodation just for the fun of it all.

Later that evening it was a pint and a parmi for $20 which won us over.

We got back to the town house around 8pm.

Bed wasn't too far away.

Out and About in Margaret River

That wet stuff that falls from the sky is called rain. It has been so long since we have had a really wet day I had almost forgot what it was like.   Today was steady rain till around 11am and from then on regular gusty showers. But we were out and about fairly early.

Firstly we checked out the Chocolate Factory (see photo above).  Now that was an hour well spent. There were samples which got the day off to a good start.  This was followed by visits to Cellar Doors, distilleries, more cellar doors, a brewery and a Cidery.  I don't mind that "Pale Ale" at all.

From there we checked hand crafts, the Bakery in Cowaramup and finally the Venison Farm.

It was a big day out and we were ready to head back to our town house by mid afternoon.

We unpacked our purchases from the car took a breather and then surfed the Web for some time.

We have Happy Hour at pub over the road which begins at 5pm before we set off for Pizza for tea and we eventually find our way home later on.

Then we will head to bed for a recharge before we do something like it all over again tomorrow.

Margaret River

Here we are at Margaret River. The photo is of what we can see from our deck at our townhouse at Margaret River.

We left Perth this morning around 4 hours north of here in heavy rain. Around an hour later the rain cleared and the sun came out making for a pleasant drive.

We arrived at Margaret River just after 1pm only to learn our room would be ready shortly. So off to the pub we went. They have their own breweries here so 2 pints of the local product and a pint of cider made a hole in $30. Expensive drinking.

Our room was ready so back we went to move in. Our 2 bedroom town house on the main drag was just perfect and the price reflected it.  There was free WiFi but it was touch n go to connect. My tablet connected OK but Trish's tablet wouldn't. Her browser kept on telling her the connection was unsafe and it just wouldn't connect.

We have plenty to drink and nibble on. The footy is on TV and we have settled in.

There is so much to do here, great beaches, heaps of wineries, an interesting main street to explore, caves and wonderful scenery. All we need is sunny weather. Unfortunately the forecast does not look too positive right now.

And our accommodation looks first class.

We Do Perth

Today Sunday we did Perth.  By that I mean we walked and walked and walked. From great bars and pubs on the Swan River (and there are heaps of them) through the city and many small markets, street side performers and naturally shops to wander through. Perth is a modern busy city but certainly not overcrowded. I really like the feel of this place.

In many situations the beautiful Swan River makes a sensational background.

Then for lunch we found a Chinese/Malaysian Restaurant in an arcade. Over eating is something we are good at and today we did it again.

Spring rolls, Char Kuay Teow, Mee Goreng, Roast Pork, Roast Duck and Chicken Curry all between the four of us. A pint of Tiger Beer washed it all down. I probably won't ever eat again..... Till next time anyway.

The photo was taken at the lovely Kings Park overlooking the Swan River.

In Perth

It was an early start on Friday, around 4:30 am actually.  Friends drove us to Brisbane Airport getting us there well before we were due to take off.  Self check in was a bit of fun but despite the odd hassle we did so successfully.  After almost 5 hours of flight time we arrived in Perth where we were met by Jay and Kim.

Everything here is so handy. Kim lives 5 Stations from Perth on the train, a concession ticket is $1-20 and with the station 5 minutes walk away from her unit in a nearby gated community everything is so easy to get to.

We have a hire car so after a big (alcohol wise) Friday we drove to Fremantle and the weekend markets there. We had a good walk around in the lovely sunshine.  Things seem less crowded here and it does have that big country town feel to it.

It is easy to see why people like it here.

Last night we did the train thing and headed into Perth and a Malaysian restaurant Kim had spotted.   There was nothing wrong with the food, especially the lobak which has was to die for. The train ride was quite keen and pleasant, the food great.

Today it is back into Perth again to check out some of the sights.

When Kate went overseas Kim inherited the cat. Now she has moved to Perth the cat has come with her. Kabuki the cat was always quite tentative and is still that way now. She has settled well and seems to know who we are.

I think she enjoys having some more familiar places around her.

We head to Margaret River for 3 nights tomorrow but have a day out and about today.

Our Bags Are Packed, We're Ready To Go

That would be a great opening line for a song wouldn't it?  Well our bags are pretty well packed anyway.  We will experience a wide range of weather conditions from around 20° on a day or two in Perth to almost 40° in Broome while away.  This means we need to have a variety of stuff to wear for different weather conditions.

Our suit cases lay open on the bed with last minute thought items being added.  Like the 'international' travel plug for the ship's power points and the Aussie Power Board to attach to it so rechargeables can all be kept ready to go.

It seems like we almost have to pack a Chemist shop as well with the tablets we now need.  As we dock in to around 6 or 8 Australian ports we can carry our prescriptions with us and always know we can get top ups if required.

I 'did' another android box this morning and the guy seemed pretty happy with what he now has.  As it was only a copy/paste job from what I done previously at another guy's place it all went sweetly. His problem was another stuff up from an Aussie company called "Droidworld" who sell these pre configured boxes and then botched a major upgrade.

People buy these pre-configured boxes because they are not confident in their ability to set them up.  So when the box needs an upgrade, the Droidworld company put out instructions that you would almost need to be a rocket scientist to work them out for these non android TV box literate people to do!  Ah well, he was most grateful today and delighted with what he now has. He wants to make a contribution to my Home Brew Shop account in Caloundra!

Trish and I will head out for a meal this evening and then into bed fairly early for an early start tomorrow.  We are being driven to the airport for our 8:15 am takeoff, leaving home by 5:45 am.  You never know what is in store for us on the 80k drive to Brisbane Airport so we want to ensure we have heaps of time.  We are more than happy to wait for an hour or more before takeoff at the airport than be biting fingernails caught in peak hour traffic 10k's from the airport!

The pool has already been topped up and later today I will 'pack' the outdoor furniture, lock the back shed and padlock the side gate.

Needless to say there will more things to pop into the suitcases between now and 5:30 am tomorrow.  As we fly Qantas we get 23kg luggage allowance each which will be ample for us.  There are no 'cut price' fares direct from Brisbane to Perth.  It needs to be a larger aircraft than the cut price airlines use to handle the 5hrs 30 min trip so we were limited to Qantas and Virgin.  Despite being Qantas, we managed reasonable fares by booking so far ahead.

It is a 5 and a 1/2 hour trip to Perth so we leave here at 8:15 am Queensland time and get to Perth around 11:45am 'their' time.  Kim is taking time off work while we are there so she will be at the airport waiting to pick us up!

It will be be great to see her again.  We stay with her for around 9 nights before boarding the 'Sea Princess' Sunday May 1st mid afternoon.

Our return flights after the cruise to Brisbane from Sydney are also with Qantas which means we have the extra luggage allowance as well.

So the next month's blogging will be done from the Tablet using free 'wifi' when ever we can.  We do have access to "Telstra Air" as well which may be handy at times when available.

You can follow our cruise HERE.

Sorting Out Time

Today I mowed the lawns and had a haircut.  The lawn needed a mow but I didn't need a haircut really.  You see we fly out to Perth for 9 days with our daughter Kim on Friday.

Then we are due to catch up with Friends Eddie and Patsy on board the Sea Princess for our 17 night cruise from Fremantle to Sydney.  So we are to be away for almost 4 weeks so the lawn needs a mow, I get a haircut even though it really is crucial just yet, and the suitcases have been dragged down from where they are stored.

Trish remains flat out with Arts Centre Association stuff and I have been a tad busy helping some others out with their Android TV boxes.

Some guys buy an Android TV Box all set up with heaps of stuff already pre loaded.  This is a great idea if you really aren't sure exactly what you need and don't know your way around an android tv box.  And of course to have it all set up adds considerably to the cost.  I paid around $80 less for my 'naked' model.

The pre setup boxes had a big update recently and it seems it didn't work too well.  So I have been able to help various people out and set them up with the stuff they want on their android tv boxes. I did one this morning and have another to do for his mate on Thursday.  But now I have set one up as they like it, all I now need to do is copy the set up program files and copy/paste them into the second guy's box.

I do this first thing on Thursday.

When we lived in Melbourne there seemed to be that weather defining day when there was a distinct change in the seasons.  You suddenly awake to a new day but there was an unfamiliar chill in the air and you just know that summer has ended and we are heading towards winter.

Up here it is more of a slow transition from one to the other usually.  But one day last week there was that distinct change, the tops are now 26 to 28 and lows anything from 17 to 20 odd.  The ceiling fan in the bedroom has been turned off for almost a week now!

And everyone in this part of the world is loving it, even the born and bred Queenslanders are pleased to see the eventual end of the hot and sticky weather that this summer was.

The pool is a cool 22.5° first thing in the morning and struggles to sub 24° during the day.  So my morning swim after a bike ride is now not a long drawn out affair.  I had two swims today, one after the bike ride and lawn mowing, the second after my haircut!

But with morning showers, bottle washing, computer club and then a beer bottling, bike riding has been off the agenda for 4 or so consecutive days.  The last 2 days have seen me back on the bike again.  4 or 5 days away from a daily ride certainly makes getting back on the bike more enjoyable.

The next big job now is getting our bags packed.

A Little Cooler At Last

Not only is it a little cooler this morning, we have even had a little rain as well.  Despite it being cooler, the ceiling fan in the bedroom still remains turned on for much of overnight.  I am guessing the house is still cooling down as it has been so consistently warm for so long!

There is a definite cooling in the air outside and the pool has remained around 24.5° each morning for my after bike ride swim.  It warms up to around 26 or so later in the day.  No bike riding this morning as there have been several very short but very heavy showers.  The photo above was taken during one of these short but very heavy showers. Great to see around 12mls in the rain gauge this morning and the pool has been topped up.  There will be a new green tinge to the lawn too.

Trish begins her 'prep' later today for a procedure she is having tomorrow.  She is on late morning tomorrow (Thursday) so she will need to begin the prep later on today.  The prep experience is much easier nowadays than what it was when we lived back in Melbourne.

We are beginning our preparations for our trip to Perth then cruise via Darwin back to Sydney.  We head off on Friday week with a flight to Perth and 9 days with Kim.  We have planned for a few days in Margaret River all together as well which should be great.  We board the ship in Fremantle on May 1st.

We busily downloaded all the info for the cruise off the internet yesterday using up a heap of paper and ink from the printer.  Then that afternoon a large parcel arrived in the mail from the Travel Agent in Melbourne with the same info included and several other freebies as well.

We are due to board the ship around 2pm as we have received our cabin number.  Friends Eddie and Patsy, who are travelling with us on the cruise, have a slightly different type of booking so they won't know their cabin number until they arrive at the dock and check in.  They arrive at the dock around midday.  We will be there even earlier as the hire car we are using is due to be returned by midday.

But we will have company by the look of things with Eddie and Patsy having to wait till possibly 3pm depending on what cabin on what deck they are allocated before they can board.

Following the accident the other day in which a young boy was critically injured local developer Stockland is going to run a session on improving road safety around this community on Thursday.  The police, council, road safety experts, us (as BeCA) and Stockland will all be in attendance.  I can't make it as I am taking Trish for her procedure.

There is always something happening around here!

Road Accident

For the latest on Arj, Kate and Family on their recent holiday in Sri Lanka, follow this link (HERE)

As with all areas, we suffer from a group of drivers who take no notice of speed limits and rush around everywhere in their souped up cars, especially after dark.

The Community Association keeps the local constabulary informed of especially troublesome streets and they pay them a visit when they can suitably armed with Speed cameras and the like.  Our area is a rapidly growing one with new homes, new residents and builders with their utes and delivery trucks keeping traffic up and running as yet another new home is completed and a young family moves in.

As with many new home areas some of the infra structure from previous days just doesn't happen nowadays mainly to keep prices down.  One of the results is fewer footpaths for people and children to use.  Backyards too are minimal in size which further encourages kids to use the front street for play purposes.

This in turn leads to children (especially during school holidays) playing on the roads and generally treating some of the roads as mini playgrounds.  So for children, roads are the just the playgrounds for them to use.

You would expect parents to be aware of the dangers involved and encourage their children to be aware of Safety First road rules, to be alert when around roads and to wear safety helmets and other equipment when riding bikes, scooters, skate boards etc.

A group of younger children were having a great time on the bikes and scooters the other day when one unsupervised 8 year old rode straight out onto the road and hit a tray truck while riding his motorized scooter.  He wasn't wearing a helmet and he ignored all the road safety rules.  Now he is in a critical condition in a Brisbane Hospital.  Eye witnesses suspect any future he may have will be severely restricted with possible brain damage if he even makes it.

Needless to say the whole community is in shock over this.

Despite this a resident was riding around yesterday in the same area as where the child was hit on a quad bike.  This morning on my bike ride I saw two lots of two kids riding their scooters along the road without helmets on.  I spotted a grandfather on a bike with his toddler grandchild in a dicky seat on the back of the bike.  The child was wearing a helmet, the grandfather a baseball cap.

Another you mum and dad were enjoying a Sunday morning bike ride.  Dad had the daughter on a seat on the front of his bike while mum had the pet dog in the bike's carry basket.  The daughter was wearing a helmet while Mum Dad and dog weren't.

I ask you why should we as a Community Association bother!

I remember back to a previous lifetime when I was a school principal and where there were times that I believed I cared more about a child's safety than their parent did.

It was a scary feeling!

Mid Week Update

At last and despite being early in April, the weather is beginning to cool off just a little.  As it turns out there is an unusually warm pool of water a couple of hundred kilometres off the SE Queensland coast and it is this warm pool of water which is keeping temperatures up in this part of the world, even into April!

Normally we should be getting tops of around 26 and lows of around 16 or so at this time of the year.  Even for the rest of this week we are still expecting tops between 29 and 31 and lows around 20°.

For almost the first time this year, last night we slept under a sheet and without the ceiling fan whirling away.  We even watched telly last evening without the ceiling fan going all night. When it was on it was set to "Low".

Even the locals are saying it has been a long hot summer.

Footy on the weekend was good for Trish and not so good for me!  It was a disappointing loss by my team but there is always next week I suppose.

We had a Community Association Meeting on Monday which kept me on my toes just a little.  Now that is all over it quietens down quite a bit.

I ordered a new battery for my phone around February 13th via eBay.  Batteries can be difficult to move by mail so I wasn't expecting a super fast delivery.  It eventually arrived on Monday, almost 2 months after I paid for it.  The original battery had a few funny quirks so I swapped it for the battery out of Trish's old phone (the same model as I have) and I have had a good couple of month's use from it while waiting for the new replacement.

Now the new replacement has arrived I am busy charging and discharging it so when fully charged and 'trained' I can finally slip it into my phone.

As surprising as this may sound, the PC has been the focus of much of my attention this week.  As you would already have read I have become engrossed in my Android TV Box and all it can do.  It continues to amaze me.

The biggest hassle is sometimes the online streaming stuff can be not so good as far as delivery is concerned.  The picture may stop while the download catches up with the onscreen movie playing.  It isn't our broadband connection any more as the speed is great since the recent upgrade.  As there are heaps of links available you just stop the playback and find another better working link via trial and error and off you go.

It does get frustrating though when three or four consecutive links cause you a problem and you can get frustrated.

Just after Christmas I decided to have a spell from the free download sites I visit and actually paid for a three month download account.  After messing around it finished up costing around $35 for my three month service.  I have just under a week of my subscription to go.

Whilst looking around for a replacement service I have discovered "Real Debrid", an inexpensive download subscription which allows access to around 20+ other different download sites.  It will cost just over $25 for a 6 month subscription and works just as easily as the previous one site subscription I had.  It is made even easier to use with its own plugin for my Firefox Browser.

You visit a download site and the plugin tells you how many links on that page that it can access.  With the click of your mouse the links are converted as if you were a paid up subscriber for that site, and provides alternative links from which you can download with full unrestrained access.

And you can add your Real-Debrid Account to various video streaming addons your Android TV Box.  These unrestricted links can be used to link to the stuff you want to watch and are highlighted as you select a link in Kodi.  That will get rid of any of the buffering issues you may have.had previously.  I am delighted!

Amazing!