Back from Perth

We just got back from a 2 weeks' break from Perth last night. It was a pleasant, fun and hectic trip.

Travelling with a 2 year old was not breezy... plus, Clayton got sick the day before - o - oh...

The 5 hours plus flight to Perth seems long. He couldn't sit still and I think at some point, he was feeling the discomfort from ear pressure during descent.

The first few days were tough. He refused to eat much, was cranky, tearful... poor thing.

Then things got better... though I fell sick and lost my voice for few days on the first week.

Our first 3 days were spent on a relaxed mode in Perth city. It was the first time we were staying in East Perth, a nice and quiet part of the Perth.

Clayton had so much fun at the parks, playgrounds and for the first time, at the beach when we headed to the South West for 4 days.

I had planned for a wild dolphin visit at Bunbury. We did that 3 years ago and i thought that was cool.

We visited Mandurah, stayed in Bunbury for a night, just so we can catch the dolphins next morning. And because they are 'wild' by nature, you never what time of the day they would appear.

So we waited patiently by the beach (it was cold that morning) since 8.30am for those little vivacious creatures to show up. Thank God that they appeared one hour later and stayed on for more than an hour at Koombana Bay. It was a pity that Clayton didn't appreciate those dolphins at all - I think they were just too fast for him!

We spend a couple of nights at Dunsborough and had a beach cottage all to ourselves - that was fun. Clayton waddled at the beach/ocean for the 1st time in his life - it was funny to watch his expression when he first landed his feet on the sandy beach!

It wasn't long that he started splashing the water and running in puddles in his Crocs! He preferred not to part with his 'sapu' (slippers!)

Next in our child-friendly itinerary was Whale Watching at Geographe Bay. We were excited about it.

It was a nice day that morning. We were glad they allowed small children on board unlike in Kaikoura, NZ.

Well, as far as whale watching is concerned, we struck lottery that morning - the words of the skipper. We sighted few humpbacks and on the way back while nearing to the shore, we sighted the largest mammal on this earth - The Blue Whale.

Apart from sea-sickness on the choppy waters, it was a fantastic encounter! We both used up few sea sick bags (for the first time!), and there were few others who couldn't wait for the boat to move back to shore.

The South West is ever so peaceful, scenic and the views of the oceans were breathtaking!

This trip, we spent quite a few days in fremantle. This is a lovely city to slow down, hang loose and relax. I ate so much cherries, crepes and mangoes. They are hard to resist at the fremantle markets.

We spent most evenings cooking in our apartments - steak, steak and more steak! You don't need to be a great cook to dish up a good meal in down under. It's just hard to go wrong with the fresh ingredients.

This trip, Alex was the cook. What a break!

Apart from the wonderful moments with Clayton at the playgrounds without having to worry about mozzie bites, it was great meeting Cal, my professor after 10 years. It was good catching up with Stan and Shirley too.

This landing trip reaffirms how I feel about Perth. It is a lovely place to live. I never seem to get tired of the Swan River, the sunset coast, the wildflowers, the casual atmosphere and fresh air. I still don't like those flies!

Ok... till I post our photos for the trip. Let me recuperate first and do all my unpacking...