Perth, Western Australia Itinerary August 2016 – Day 6 – Journey back to Perth (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Posted in Holidays, Perth, Travel with Kids, Uncategorized by jahbella

As the first half of our 2016 Perth holiday came to a close, we were busying ourselves with getting back on the road to head back into Perth. Our initial plan had us leaving Margaret River by 8am so that we could move at a more leisurely pace and have the kids take a nap at the new accommodation by 2pm. However that didn’t happen due to some last minute laundry/ dryer issues (we had to wait almost 2 hours for the kids winter pants to dry). 😦 For once, mummy the control freak wasn’t too fuss about the delay in our plans because I was seriously under the weather and moving at sloth pace myself. In fact I was wondering how I would make it through the day as the human GPS in my state. Thankfully the pharmacies in Australia are superb! We made a stop on our way out of Margaret River to get some meds and the nice pharmacist sold me their ‘home mix’ cough syrup and even poured me a glass of warm water to mix it on the spot! The meds work wonders and I was much much better by the time we got to our lunch stop.

We made a slight detour for lunch at Rockingham because we thought the kids might enjoy a boat ride over to Penguin Island to visit some Happy Feets. But with me being under the weather and us leaving Margaret River so late, we decided not to visit Penguin Island and settled for lunch at the jetty café. Simple fish and chips, the kids going crazy from chasing very hungry and persistent birds around (Bella was petrified and Jah was just angry :p) and catching our first Ponyta made for a nice afternoon.

We reached our Perth accommodation at about 330pm which meant the kids didn’t settled down until almost 5pm. Thankfully our plans for the night were rather simple too. Just good ole Chinese food at Northbridge. Yes after days of western food, my kids and husband needed their Chinese food. Kids really appreciated their hot plate tofu and Salt & Pepper Fish however note to self, please remember to order chicken in future especially after all the fish and chips!! The good thing about the Chinese restaurants are the fact that they open till late (who says you can’t find anything open in Perth after 5pm). We had our dinner at 8pm and even squeezed in a bubble tea each after. 😉

Looks like a 4 hour road trip to and from Margaret River isn’t that hard after all. We survived our first long road trip in Perth! You know what they say…what doesn’t break you, only makes you stronger..I can’t wait for more roadtrips with my 3 favourite people in the world! 🙂

JahBella’s Mummy

11Oct2016

Perth, Western Australia Itinerary August 2016 – Day 5 Ngilgi Caves, Canal Rocks and Laurence Wines (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Posted in Holidays, Perth, Travel with Kids, Uncategorized by jahbella

Ask any little boy if he would like to visit a cave and his answer would probably be yes. However I wasn’t too sure if a cave visit would live up to the expectations that Jah had about what a cave really is like. So given that Margaret River has several caves to offer, I really had to research and think it through quite a bit before we finally decided that we would give Ngilgi Caves a shot.

Joel and I had visited a cave in Margaret River once and I remember that it was a long long walk down and back up. We had joined a Caves Tour and that meant that we had to keep up and move at a certain pace. Totally not ideal for the kids. We decided to go with Ngilgi Caves because its tour was a semi-guided tour.

There were tour slots available every half-hourly so we decided to go for the 1030am slot which allowed us to make a breakfast pit stop at Margaret River Chocolate Factory enroute to the caves. Yes who has chocolate for breakfast right? Well we do! :p

We got to the Cave about 10 minutes before the tour slot started. We were advised to bring the kids to the toilet first as we would probably spend about 45 minutes or so in the cave. We met our guide at a pre-designated spot (above ground) where we read about the story of the cave. The kids loved the story about good versus evil and it was a really good start to their ‘cave adventure’.

Our guide brought us underground into the cave and explained the direction that we should walk in and some ground rules. We essentially went down some steep stairs to get underground but the kids were ok with that. We were told that we would have to walk 500 steps down and then 500 steps to get back up. I started to get abit worried but was comforted by the fact that we brought our toddler carriers around in case the kids needed to be carried mid-way. Thankfully we didn’t need it because our 2 troopers were more than happy and excited to finish the 500 steps up and down. Jah was so busy counting stairs but yes eventually lost count!

Most of the steps were well-built and paved except for certain low hanging areas or some areas where proper in-built steps were not possible and the steps had to be carved out from the rocks/ walls. So I would advise for 1 able-bodied adult to handle 1 child and make sure they don’t lose their footing or lean to one side (as the stairs can be very narrow). Give very specific instruction to your kiddos and if they can’t follow the instructions that you might need to carry them. Recommended in a carrier because you also need your hands free to hold railings while climbing or find your balance. We finished our walk in an hour and the kids were absolutely elated and pleased with themselves. Excuse our really dark photos. 🙂

Because we had finished at 1130am and still had abit of time to spare before lunch (we did have a really filling breakfast at 930am), we decided to pitstop at Canal Rocks which is a 5 minutes drive away. I’m so glad that we took that stop because the view at Canal Rocks was absolutely wonderful! I have this thing for the oceans and magnificent crashing waves as you may have noticed by now. So this place was an absolute gem! We were wondering why we had never been here in all our years of visiting Margaret River. We could have stood there in awe all morning. Videos can be found on our Instagram account.

We headed to Laurence Wines for lunch after that breath of fresh air. Honestly I don’t quite remember much about the food or wines there but the reason I am mentioning it, is because there is a pretty decent playground right next to the outdoor tables. Decent enough for the kids to play and expend their energy while you do your wine tasting at your own table. Yes, Laurence Wines allows you to purchase a tasting paddle and you can taste 6 different wines at your table. So no need to stand at the cellar door while worrying what the kids are up to. That being said, I would advise you to keep a look out for the kids as the playground is not enclosed and they might run in the direction of the open lake which is about 500m away.

We truly had a very relaxing Day 5 (our final day at Margaret River on this trip) and everyone was really happy! 🙂

Now for our 4 hour drive back to Perth and the second half of our adventure!

Click here to read more about our red eye flight into Perth 🙂

Day 1 – Day 1 Rockingham, Busselton Jetty (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 2 – Wonky Windmill Farm and Orchard Picking (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 3 Margaret River Farmer’s Market and Yallingup Maze (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 4 Whale Watching Cruise and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse (Margaret River Roadtrip)
JahBella’s Mummy

29Sep2016

Perth, Western Australia Itinerary August 2016 – Day 4 Whale Watching Cruise and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Posted in Holidays, Perth, Travel with Kids, Uncategorized by jahbella

We were really excited about Day 4 of our Margaret River Roadtrip and to be honest also alittle worried. We had signed ourselves up for a whale watching cruise but there was a chance that we would all go home disappointed. In fact our whale watch cruise company contacted us on Day 3 to ask if we would be available to bring our cruise forward by a day because the weather forecast for our original booking wasn’t looking good. Given that we were on the tail end of the whale season in Margaret River before the whales move towards the waters in Busselton, we weren’t feeling very optimistic.
The weather had been gloomy on and off for the past few days so we were surprised to find it bright and sunny at the Augusta Jetty. We waited around for everyone to arrive and noticed that there were a few operators, each operating their own boat/ yacht/ ship.

We had picked our whale cruise operator because it was clearly stated on their website that they had kid life vests onboard and also the fact that the yacht that they operated looked a lot bigger than the others and had an indoor section. We figured if the cruise was going to last approx 2 hours and there was a chance that it would get really cold, at least the kids would be able to find refuge in the indoor section of the yacht. However the weather was so good that we didn’t have to stay inside and all and spent the entire 2 hours on the upper deck.

Though a bigger yacht was really a lot more comfortable and safe for the kids especially as they got alittle restless towards the end of the 2 hours. Honestly after spotting a whale or 2 and hearing the story of Little Pearl and Mother of Pearl, every Mother and baby whale that we came across, started to look the same to them :p But yes we were fortunate enough to spot quite a few Mother-baby pairs and while we didn’t see any fantastic stunts out there..it was quite something to be out in the ocean amongst these magnificent creatures.

We returned to the jetty at about 12noon and headed to the town of Augusta for a quick Fish and Chips before making our way to Cape Leeuwin which was just around the corner.

Cape Leeuwin was the lighthouse where Joel proposed to me 9 years ago and it was surreal to be back there with 2 kids in tow. Things were very familiar but yet so different. We even bought tickets to climb the lighthouse (Jah’s request) but we decided otherwise as we approached the lighthouse because Jah had a little fall and wasn’t feeling up to it. Thank goodness though because it started to storm just as we were finishing up our own tour around the base of the lighthouse. But it was truly well worth a trip! Simply amazing to be surrounded by the ocean and to be right where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean…the power of the Mother Nature in all its glory!

Absolutely love this place..is it any wonder why we can’t get enough of it 🙂

Click here to read more about our red eye flight into Perth 🙂

Day 1 – Day 1 Rockingham, Busselton Jetty (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 2 – Wonky Windmill Farm and Orchard Picking (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 3 Margaret River Farmer’s Market and Yallingup Maze (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 5 Ngilgi Caves, Canal Rocks and Laurence Wines (Margaret River Roadtrip)

JahBella’s Mummy

20Sep2016

Perth, Western Australia Itinerary August 2016 – Day 3 Margaret River Farmer’s Market and Yallingup Maze (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Posted in Perth, Travel Planning, Travel with Kids, Uncategorized by jahbella

We have been to a few weekend markets/ farmer’s market in Singapore and overseas, over the years. However I can tell you that there has been nothing like the Margaret River Farmer’s Market. While MR is a tourist town, the weekend farmer’s market was anything but touristy. In fact it felt like one of those small town weekend markets that you see on your US TV series. There were stalls selling coffee, baked goods, vegetables, meat, crepes, soup, noodles and burgers etc and we were really spoilt for choice.

The market is held on school grounds so there are some tables and benches around as well as empty grass patches where you could set your picnic mats on. Most of the patrons were locals who were picking up fresh produce and a quick coffee. There were also many families having a quick breakfast bite. It was truly a breath of fresh air for us and so much fun! We only left because the rain cut short our breakfast but thank goodness we were almost done. Perhaps it was just as well that it rained so that we could move on to our next activity at the Yallingup Maze before it got too late.

We got to Yallingup Maze at about 1030am and it was bright and sunny. I honestly wasn’t expecting much from the maze since we attempted one during our last trip 2 years back but oh what a difference 2 years make. There were simple maze challenges that we could attempt and the kids were excited to set off.

We allowed Jah to take the lead as we manoeuvred through the maze. We actually did pretty awesome and completed the entire maze (found 4 pit stop towers) in 1 hour flat!

We headed back out to the main counter and cafe where they also sold lots of puzzle games and board games but they were pretty pricey so I would suggest strategising on how to say no to the kids when you walk through there. There is also a bouncy castle, playground and some mini mazes in the open fields in front of the outdoor seating. Joel had a lot of fun with the kids there while Mummy chilled and waited for our refreshments.

We had a really fun time at Yallingup Maze and I was really surprised that we didn’t have to ‘quit’ halfway. Looks like we have equally competitive little versions of us. :p

We headed to somewhere really special for lunch after, one of our favourite vineyard lunch spots in Margaret River, The Watershed. This place holds special meaning for us because this was where we celebrated our engagement, post proposal on 16 September 2007. So it was really nice to be back as a family of 4 🙂 Check out our ‘before kids’ and ‘after kids’ photo! :p

Everyone finished lunch in extremely good spirits that day..at almost 3pm! A really special Day 3 for us. 🙂

Click here to read more about our red eye flight into Perth 🙂

Day 1 – Day 1 Rockingham, Busselton Jetty (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 2 – Wonky Windmill Farm and Orchard Picking (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 4 Whale Watching Cruise and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 5 Ngilgi Caves, Canal Rocks and Laurence Wines (Margaret River Roadtrip)

JahBella’s Mummy

12Sep2016

Perth, Western Australia Itinerary August 2016 – Day 2 Wonky Windmill Farm and Orchard Picking (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Posted in Holidays, Perth, Travel with Kids, Uncategorized by jahbella

Day 2 has got to be one of the best days of our entire trip! We headed to the Wonky Windmill Farm bright and early and the kids were really excited to get upclose and personal with the animals. Ok well Bella was really excited up until the point when she had to feed or go up close then she freaked out and changed her mind :p

We got to the farm at about 1030am (post breakfast at Sails Cafe) and we were just in time to feed the goats their breakfast and to play and feed some of the smaller animals (rabbits and guinea pigs) before the 11am Orchard Picking Tour. If you happen to get there earlier, you can visit the rest of the farm and feed the bigger animals before heading for the Orchard Picking Tour. Our entry fee included a bag of food for the big animals each and access to the Orchard Tour.

After spending some time with the little animals, we were all ready to pick some oranges. However it started to pour and we had to wait for the showers to pass. Bummer! Thankfully the rain clouds passed somewhat and we were able to make our way to the Orchard with a brolly in the drizzle. The rain completely stopped by the time we neared the Orchard and the sun was out in all its glory!

This part of the farm visit was definitely the highlight of our trip. Our guide Denise took us through the Orchard and we were introduced to the various trees (oranges, mandarin oranges, lemons and lemonades). The lemonades taste like lemons but look like oranges on the inside. Interesting! We were taught how to identify which were ready for picking, how to pick them and we tasted and ate many of them while we were at it.

We were also given a bag to hold the fruits we wanted to buy and the kids went crazy! Our bags were later weighed back at the counter and it cost us $5 per kg.

The fruits were so fresh that we managed to bring our loot back to Singapore with us and mind you this was from Day 2 of our 10 day trip. The kids loved picking the fruits and running free in the Orchard. The weather was also somewhat kind to us because it started to pour only just as we were wrapping up the tour and we made a dash through the Orchard and through muddy puddles to get to our umbrellas. Such good fun! Yes mummy would never allow that in Singapore :p

The rain subsided by the time we got back to the main building and the kids were still very pumped up about touring the farm to see the bigger animals (it was almost 12pm by then). We saw and fed goats, cows, llamas, kangaroos and more. Jah had lots of fun with the kangaroo and even patted him on his own accord. Whilst Joel got the raw end of the deal and got spat on by a alpaca . My bad for not telling him about the little warning we got from the staff. :p

The kids almost didn’t want to leave because they having so much fun but we had to feed our rumbling tummies. So off we headed to feed our tummies with an awesome brewery lunch (the brewery even had a fenced up playground) and some post lunch chocolate desserts 🙂

Click here to read more about our red eye flight into Perth 🙂

Day 1 – Day 1 Rockingham, Busselton Jetty (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 3 – Margaret River Farmer’s Market and Yallingup Maze (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 4 Whale Watching Cruise and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse (Margaret River Roadtrip)

Day 5 Ngilgi Caves, Canal Rocks and Laurence Wines (Margaret River Roadtrip)