Surfing at Secret Harbour

May 17

This weekend we had the Thompson family come down to visit us in Waikiki, and one of the things that we all wanted to do was to go surfing.  The conditions were ideal for beginners like us.

This isn't so hard ....  just don't ask me to turn.

Look Ma no hands!

Claire and Suzie heading out to catch some waves.

Suzie getting ready to hang ten.

I'm up! ... sort of.

The hardest part of the day, taking off the wetsuit.
Ellise and Carter pulling as hard as they can, but in the end were not successful.

Noah and Carter didn't want to get into the cold water so they opted for treasure hunting along the beach.

Rottnest Island

May 9-11

Our next exchange weekend took us to Rottnest Island, a small island 26 km off the coast of Fremantle. Originally this island was a military base designed to protect the port of Fremantle.  Now it is a bustling tourist getaway that takes you back in time with a real small town feel, including a walking mall with about a dozen shops, basic accommodations, and no vehicles.  But it is known for its interesting history, beautiful scenery, and good snorkelling.

For a weekend trip, we sure had a lot of stuff to bring with us.  We were staying at the old army barracks, so we needed sleeping bags, sheets and pillow cases. We also had our bikes and helmets, all our snorkelling gear, our clothes, and some drinks and snacks.  It felt like we brought more stuff than for our 2 week trip up north.  A special thanks goes out to Wayne Smith who had a trailer and 4X4 to chauffeur us and all our gear to the port and back home again on Sunday evening.

We arrived early and gradually the other families started arriving and we all caught up on each others adventures and travels over the first school holiday. We even met a new family from Calgary that had a son and daughter Noah and Ellise's age.  This was good because the families that we know only have boys, so Ellise had another girl to pal around with for the weekend.

It was dark and stormy by the time we boarded the ferry which meant rough seas ahead.  This didn't bode well for Suzie who has seemed to develop an issue with sea sickness over the past few years. So she immediately went to the bar to get a drink to see if that would settle her stomach.  Gravol, and ginger tablets are sea sickness remedies for most people, so I wasn't so sure about alcohol.  It was a very rough ride, with some huge swells that left your stomach in your throat.  For the thrill seekers it was fun!  For the sea sick prone, not so much fun.  Fortunately we were on one of the fast ferries, so the trip only lasted about 25 minutes, and we got there not a minute too soon.  Suzie made out OK (maybe the alcohol did help?), but Noah was turning green and had the barf bag poised and ready to use.  If we had been on the rough seas a minute longer, there is no doubt he would have thrown up. We weren't the only ones feeling this way though. Several other people from our group were queasy as well, and many others on the boat did actually did throw up. Once we docked, and disembarked from the boat, (happy to be back on stable land) we were pleasantly surprised to find that the wind had died down, it was warmer, and the clouds were breaking. Maybe this was a good omen for the rest of the weekend.

We retrieved our bikes, and assembled in our group to ride to our accommodations.  As we were gathering, we had our first glimpses of the main inhabitants of the island, the Quokkas.  They are cute little marsupials found only on Rottnest Island. There are about 10,000 on the island, which is why it was first named Rat Nest Island.  Believe it or not, the original settlers thought that these adorable little creatures were giant rats. The name later became Rottnest Island, which is still a horrible name in my opinion.  

A Quokka.

Once all of our stomachs had settled, we realized how hungry we were.  Fortunately, it was a short bike ride to the Kingston Barracks and dinner was waiting for us at the Mess Hall when we arrived.  It wasn't a gourmet spread, but it was hot, plentiful, and filling.  Just what we needed.  After dinner we settled into our cabins, 13 people in each.  We had our own room, but we might as well have been in one large room because you could hear everything that was going on in the other rooms of the cabin. The noise echoed off the hardwood floors and went right through the paper thin walls.  All the rooms had 2 squeaky bunk beds, and the kids both wanted a top bunk.  Suzie & I conceded, but we knew we were going to pay for it because both our kids are tossers and floppers when they sleep, and even the smallest movement was amplified 10 times in those beds.  It felt like a water bed from the 70's.   We were in for a rough couple of nights even with the ear plugs that we brought.  It was going to be an interesting weekend! 

Once settled, everyone started pulling out the drinks, and our cabin quickly became the party room. We all gathered and chatted while the kids ran around outside chasing the Quokkas.  It wasn't a late night because breakfast was planned for 7:30 am the next morning and the bike tour around the island started shortly after that.

Bikes are the only mode of transportation around the island, except for a very expensive shuttle bus.

Great family bonding time.

The bike ride around the island was at a leisurely pace to accommodate all fitness levels and riding abilities.  This gave us plenty of time to chat and really appreciate the stunning coastal scenery.  The island was also very hilly which made it challenging even for those of us with plenty of riding experience. Plus some of the people had rental bikes that only had 3 speeds and were extremely heavy, so they had difficulty climbing the hills and often had to walk their bikes up.  The ride was about 30 kms total and took us just over 3 hours.  For many people that was plenty as their butts were starting to get very sore from their bike seats.  We saw lots of the old army relics, the lighthouse, a shipwreck, and many scenic stops overlooking the ocean.  We were also lucky enough to spot some dolphins surfing in the waves and sea lions feeding by the rocks on the western tip of the island. 

Sea lions near the shore.

Typical Rottnest coastal scenery.
A hole in the rocks with waves crashing through at high tide.

A King Skink.
Don't get too close or they bite, as I found out taking this picture!

By 11:30 am everyone was starting to get hungry, so we headed back to the barracks for lunch.  Then it was free time for the afternoon.  Several of us were keen to go snorkelling, but the thought of getting back on the bike for another 10 kms was not that appealing.  The kids decided to hang out with their friends.  Noah went fishing with a couple of the boys, and Ellise went with Madison and her Mom to the shops in town.  Suzie and I sucked it up and decided it was going to be worth it, so we loaded our snorkel gear on our backs, hopped on our bikes, and headed over to the snorkel zones.  Fortunately we brought our wetsuits because the water was freezing.  Visibility was quite good though, and there were plenty of fish, but nothing like the tropical waters up north.

The fish loved swimming in the bubbles created by my (Wayne's) flippers.

A gorgeous double rainbow off Parker Point.
Often photos don't do a scene justice, and this was one of those times, but I put the photo in anyway.  This was one of the most spectacular rainbows we have ever seen.  Fortunately for us, the rain seemed to circle the island because we only encountered a few sprinkles all weekend.

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the cabins or taking in the historical walking tour of the area surrounding the Kingston Barracks.  It was an interesting guided hike which turned into an adventurous bushwhacking tour after we ran out of trail going to one of the old gun shelters along the water.  Instead of heading back the way we came, our fearless leader, Ted King, assured us that "there was a trail around here somewhere", which we eventually found after about 10 minutes of traipsing through the bush.  Many scratches and scrapes later, we made it back to the cabins, and again worked up an appetite for dinner.

After dinner it was time for a few more drinks, and some games!  We played 10,000 (a dice game) with 18 people, and Pass the Ace (card game).  It was loud and raucous, and heaps of fun!!

Sunday morning was another early rising.  Not because we had to have our stuff packed up for the ferry by 7:30 in the morning, but because the people across the hall decided that 5:30 am was a good time to pack everything up and do the dishes and bang the walls with the broom and generally make as much noise as humanly possible.  AGGHHHH!    It's a good thing that they are really nice people, otherwise we would have had to kill them!  

By 6:30, they seemed to be done their chores, and things quieted down.  Unfortunately, this is when the rest of us had to get up, and get our butts moving to get all of our things organized before breakfast. We picked out the things that we were going to need for the day, and packed the rest to be taken to the ferry.  The itinerary for the day was to ride to the middle of the island and check out some of the inland lakes and the big guns on the Oliver Hill lookout.  

One of the large gun encasements on Oliver Hill with the lighthouse in the background.
I love the cloud formation in this photo.  It looks like the cannon has just been fired and there is smoke coming out the end.

From there we headed to Little Salmon Bay for more snorkelling and relaxing on the beach before going back into the "settlement" for lunch.  The kids & I decided on Subway for lunch, Suzie opted for Simmo's Ice Cream and a sweet treat from the local bakery.  Nothing but healthy eating over here in Aus. And to top it all off, the last hour, we all met up at the Pub for a drink, and to complain about our aching legs and butts! But it was a wonderful weekend!

Fun at the beach!
That's Ellise on the right with Matthew & Kade from Collingwood and Madison from Calgary,
other Canadian kids on exchange here in WA this year.

Life is good!

Returning home to the Port of Fremantle at sunset.

Ellise's Birthday Party

May 1 & 3

Ellise had a really fun 10th birthday here in Australia!  She started the day with our family tradition of breakfast in bed, including pancakes, fresh fruit and a fruit smoothie. Then she opened some presents which were stuffed animals to add to her Aussie collection.  She received a dolphin, whale shark, a koala and a stingray.  She also got a big surprise, a new iPad mini! 
Then it was off to school.

Breakfast in bed.

Ellise with all her new stuffed animals.

The Surprise!

The Excitement!

After school, she played with her friend Imogen from across the street, before coming in for a dinner of her choice, a massage from Daddy, some TV before bed and a sleep over with her friend Imogen.  A good day indeed!

The Birthday Party

Ellise had been planning this birthday party for almost 3 months.  Thinking and rethinking what games they would play, what prizes they would win, what food they would eat, etc.  So when the day came, she was ready.  Fortunately, the Donnelly's have a shed full of games and activities, so there was lots to choose from.  They played trampoline games, relay races, hula hoops, tug-of-war, bean bag toss, and parachute games.  I think cricket was mentioned too.  There was also cupcake decorating, fort building and probably some other activities that I have forgotten.  They packed a lot into those 4 hours, but they had a blast!

The Party Girls.
Ellie, Aimee, Imogen, Ellise & Ainslee. (From left to right) 

The backyard, set up and ready to go. Thank you Sport Teacher Suzie!

Getting ready to race.

Flexing their muscles in the Tug-of-war.

Hangin' in the fort, and opening presents.

Loading up on sugar!!  
Devouring the cupcakes they decorated.

The long drive home

Apr. 26-27

With just over 1300 kms to drive home, we headed out early on Saturday morning, and it was a good thing that we did.  It had rained quite a bit on Friday and overnight, so we were worried about being stranded in Exmouth because there are several floodways that you have to pass through to get back down south.  Fortunately, we got out just in time.  We passed a couple of floodways with some water in them but no more than a couple inches.  Later that day though, the road had to be closed because it was impassable due to all the heavy rains and floodwater.  

Exmouth Flood Pictures April 26, 2014

The most disasterous part of this storm was that tonnes of sediment and dirt flowed into the crystal clear oceans that we had been snorkelling in for the past week making the water brown and murky.  This area is prone to the occasional cyclone, so storms and heavy rains are nothing new, but it is devastating all the same.

Water accumulating at the side of the main highway out of Exmouth.

For the most part, there was only light rainfall for our drive home but there were a few times that we had to pull over because it was raining so hard that I couldn't see the front of the car, let alone the road. It is no wonder that they are prone to flooding.  The dicey part about pulling over though is that you don't want to get bogged down in the gravel and mud alongside the road.  Either way we made it out safely, and about 800 kms later we arrived in Geraldton for dinner, at where else ... Subway.

A very grey, dreary day, but we did notice that the dry desert landscape looked considerably more green on the way home after all the rain.

A quick roadside stop between raindrops.

Wayne getting sick and tired of Suzie taking pictures inside the car.

Going stir crazy in the car.

Suzie's selfie.

We stayed in Geraldton for the night, and continued home on Sunday morning.  Noah has started collecting gold coins from tourist destinations throughout Western Australia, so we decided to stop in a couple of places on our way back to Perth.  The first was New Norcia, Australia's only Benedictine monastic community.  It is not normally somewhere we would have visited, but it was quite fascinating.  Besides the monastery, there were attractive churches, a comprehensive museum with historic artwork and artifacts, a machinery shed with primitive tools and machines used in the early days to build the community.  

New Norcia Monastery.

The Abbey Church.

St. Gertrude's College.

The New Norcia Hotel.

Our other stop was The Gravity Centre outside Gin Gin.  It is essentially a science centre with an emphasis on exhibits regarding gravity.  Outside there is even a tall leaning tower that you can drop water balloons off of to see how gravity effects them as they drop to earth and splat on the ground.

The Gravity Centre.

Ningaloo Blue Whale Shark Tour

Apr. 24

The day we have been waiting for has finally arrived.  This is the number one thing that I wanted to do in WA this year, swimming with the whale sharks. And what an experience it was!  We started off with a short snorkel on the reef before heading out to deeper waters to find the whale sharks. Here is a sample of what we saw.  We did buy the DVD of our trip, so you can come and watch it with us when we get back to Canada.

On the docks anxiously awaiting a ride out to our boat.

Our whale shark charter boat.

Wayne snorkelling above a beautiful piece of coral.

Amazing fish and coral at this snorkelling spot.
It was deeper here so the colours aren't as vibrant in the photos.

Whale shark from above water.

First whale shark sighting.

Whale shark swimming by about 3m away.

Notice how long the whale shark is compared to the person swimming alongside.  Most of the whale sharks that we saw were young males between 3m and 6m long, but they can get up to 12m in length.

Gentle giants.
Whale sharks are generally solitary creatures, but we did see some relatively close together.

Diving deep so we could get an overhead view.

Noah snorkelling with a whale shark.

Ellise snorkelling with a whale shark.
She liked seeing them, but didn't want to get too close.

Suzie having some fun swimming with a whale shark.

Wayne up close and personal with a whale shark.

Whale shark with its mouth open having a feed.

Bye bye whale sharks!

After snorkelling with the whale sharks all morning, we had a gourmet lunch on the boat and headed inside the reef for another snorkel.  The first spot we were going to stop at had a large tiger shark circling around it, so we moved on to another area.  Little did we know that after snorkelling for about an hour at the second spot, we passed another tiger shark only about 100m from where we were snorkelling.  Yikes!!  We also saw dolphins and turtles swimming by as well.  All in all, an awesome day!! We loved hearing the Aussies say awesome, because it sounded more like oarsome !!

An ominous tiger shark lurking close by the boat.  This guy was about 10 ft. long.

Suzie and Ellise doing their best Titanic imitation.
Notice the 2 Champagne flutes in Suzie's hands though.

View from the front of the boat.
It doesn't get much better than this.

Two thumbs up on a great day!!