Bondi-candy

After 36 days spent circumnavigating the whole of Australia, we finally made it back round to where we set off – Sydney. Having only a mere few hours in which we were able to get off the ship, I decided I wanted to make the most of my Sunday and head to Bondi Beach. With the knowledge that this beach is famous for its surfing and is popular amongst the young and trendy folk (and gays) I decided to head there to soak up the Australian sunshine and take in what this – seemingly more relaxed – part of Sydney had to offer (and to hopefully see some gays). However, you can imagine my disappointment when I woke up to find that it was CLOUDY and overcast! Still, I was determined not to let the weather dampen my spirits and headed off for my day at the beach (and to see some gays).

We docked in White Bay, just a bit further in-land than Circular Quay and just past Darling Harbour . Shelby and I grabbed an Uber from the cruise ship terminal around 10.30 and headed straight to Bondi Beach. It took about 20 minutes and was about $40AUD. Upon arriving at Bondi I could see that the weather had not put people off and the beach was surprisingly busy considering the cloudy sky. I had heard that Bondi was a popular spot on a Sunday and it was clear that the people of Sydney were resilient when it came to the weather and surfing. Shelby and I, however, seemed far less resilient and decided that first we would head indoors for some brunch. 

We ended up at a cafe called Bloody Mary’s, just down a side street, off the main sea front. After a short wander around – we were both too hungry to fanny around looking for somewhere special – we just picked the first half decent place we found. I ordered what is now becoming my regular brunch order; poached eggs on sourdough with a granola-and-fruit bowl on the side and Shelby ordered the smashed avocado with eggs and a flat white. The food was ok – one of my slices of toast was a little bit burnt and my granola bowl tasted like it came out of a packet (definitely not work the $16 it was priced at) – but it did the job. 

After brunch we were joined by an old friend of mine who I discovered – through the joy of instagram – was holidaying in Sydney. After a catch up at Bloody Mary’s we decided to have a wander down to the sea front. It was at this moment that I realised that Bondi Beach should not only be famous for its surfing, but should famous for its REALLY ATTRACTIVE CLIENTELE. I was in absolute awe of how many good looking people seem to frequent this beach – made all the while hotter to the fact that most of them were in wet suits rolled down to their waist, running along the beach with surfboards. THIS is the Australia I had imagined. At one point, a man with no top on and very large pectoral muscles – which bounced up and down as he ran – jogged past the three of us. I was so transfixed – I imagine this is what a straight man feels when he see’s an attractive woman with large breasts walk past – I couldn’t even manage to finish my sentence. With my face caught up in a gawk, I glanced over to see that Shelby and Laura were also in a state of transfix over this adonis man who was casually passing by. He did stare back at us though…but more in a state of confusion as to why there were three strangers staring at him with their mouths ajar. 

Whilst we were enjoying all of the eye candy that Bondi had to offer, we decided to walk over to the Iceberg swimming pool club, so we could continue our beach sweep and perving session. The Iceberg salt water swimming pool is situated right on the edge of the beach – so close to the sea, in fact, that when the waves are big enough they splash right over the edge and into the pool. You can pay $7AUD to use the pool all day, but as we had limited time we decided just to admire it from a distance. We also admired from a distance the very attractive man in speedos and very broad shoulders who just so happened to get out of the pool as we were walking past, making me almost choke on my own saliva…again! – This is what happens when you’ve been stuck on a ship with no gays for the past 4 months!

Laura had to leave us but advised we take the coastal path the short 20 minute-or-so walk to the next beach along, Tamaranga beach. We proceeded along the coastal path and after taking some artsy “standing on the edge of the rock looking out to sea” pictures, decided to head back to bondi to soak up some more of the now-protruding sunshine rays (and men). We headed back to the beach and picked a good perving spot. 

After another beach photo shoot for me to get the perfect “Aussiebum on Bondi Beach shot”, I ventured into the water to admire some of the surfers in action. The waves were pretty strong – I can see why its a good spot for surfing – and despite being a strong swimmer, struggled in the fight to stay standing against the crashing waves and strong tides. Still I got to see up close some of the surfers darting across the waves, which was pretty impressive!

After another 30 minutes or so on the beach it was time to head back to the ship. We grabbed another Uber and were back within half an hour.

Bondi beach has definitely made me want to return to Sydney – not only for its attractive residents – but for its more relaxed vibes than the busy city centre and for it’s authentic Australian atmosphere. I also want to come back and learn how to surf. Bondi really was everything I had imagined Australia to be like. The only downside to my visit was that I didn’t have more time to explore, and that the weather wasn’t as good as I had hoped. However, having said that, I still managed to get sunburnt despite the clouds and applying 30 SPF suncream! The hole in the ozone layer is a real thing people!

Life admin with a Bay View

After the excitement of feeling reborn from a visit to Melbourne, I couldn’t help but feel a little flat when we arrived in the sleepy town of Burnie, Tasmania. There couldn’t be any more contrast between two places it seemed. So, instead of going out looking for the fun of Melbourne – that I knew I probably wouldn’t find in Burnie – I decided to take this opportunity to have some time for myself and have, what I like to call, a life admin day.

I started my life admin day in search of that vital necessity…wifi – I hate that I have become that person that always ask for wifi in every bar/cafe/restaurant/shopping mall/toilet/carpark/children’s play area (etc.) that I visit, but hey #Travelling . As we had visited Burnie previously on our ship I remembered I had visited a cafe with wifi before, so I set off in search for this establishment. Despite not being able to remember the name, I retraced my steps and found it again. It was called Food + Brew and alas, as I had remembered, had a decent menu and strong wifi. I ordered the “big brekky” (which for some reason I can only say in an Australian accent) which basically consisted of all the ingredients of an English breakfast – and got to work.

After brunch and my first attempt at creating my blog website (which was more confusing than I had expected) I decided to go for a walk as I had Daryl with me – I also felt bad that I had basically neglected her kind company for the past hour or so as I had been staring at my computer screen. We had a wonder round Burnie and walked down to the sea front and to the Little Penguin Observation Centre and Habitat in an attempt to see one of the few local attractions Burnie has to offer – miniature penguins! Unfortunately we saw no penguins, as they usually only come out after dark. Still, we got to see the little burrows in which they make their nests, and read some information on their habitat, feeding and conservation.

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After this I decided I wanted to go and do some more life admin and finish uploading my blog…and to watch the latest episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race: All Stars 4 (still Trinity for the win). I noticed a bar in front of me, a little way down the sea front, which I seemed to have missed last time I was there. It was on top of a pretty dingy looking fish restaurant, which I merely walked past without hesitation the last time I was here. The bar upstairs however was called Bay View Restaurant and Lounge Bar and I decided to give it a go as it looked like the type of establishment that might have wifi.

I proceeded up the steps and to my astonishment was greeted with a lovely – tastefully decorated – fully functioning rooftop bar with a view over the beach below. There was an outside and inside section, but as I had my laptop and needed a power source, opted for sitting inside. I sat at my table and ordered a peppermint tea. It really was a pleasant surprise to see such a place in what I thought was a pretty dingy little town. I spent my afternoon there sat in front of french windows that look out over the Tasman sea, whilst watching a bunch of men, dressed up as women, lip-syncing to Aretha Franklin. If this wasn’t bliss then I don’t know what is.

After having finished watching my favourite trashy TV programme and guilty pleasure – I also uploaded my previous blogs to WordPress – I decided to return to the ship.

Although at first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much to do in Burnie town centre, there seems to be a few hidden gems that can make for an enjoyable, relaxed afternoon. Not only is there wildlife (I would have liked to have been able to see the penguins – I also spoke to some guests on the ship who fed kangaroos and saw Tasmanian devils at a nearby sanctuary) but there are a few nice places to eat and drink that may surprise you. For me though, after a few busy days, Burnie was a great place for me to take some time for myself, to indulge in a my guilty pleasure and sort some much needed life administration.

Mel-reborn

After having sailed around the West coast of Australia for the past 16 days -where with the exception of Perth, there is not a lot in the way of metropolitan cities – you can imagine the sheer joy that came over me when we docked for, not one, but TWO days in Melbourne. It felt so good to be in a proper cosmopolitan city again, and for that, I felt like I had been Mel-reborn! (See what I did there?)

So how was I to spend my uninterrupted 24 hours of bliss off the ship? The answer. Getting shit-faced!

I was spending the two days with my friend Kayla. She is originally from Canada, but I met her whilst she was on a two year visa placement in London at the special needs school where we both worked. She recently moved to Melbourne and has been there for just over a year. She’s the type of girl who knows how to have a good time (if you know what I mean) so I knew I would be in safe hands! I made my way over to her place in Brunswick – an up and coming area of the city – to drop off my stuff before heading out for our day of fun.

We started by grabbing an Uber pool into Fitzroy – apparently everyone in Melbourne uses Uber pool, and I can now see why as our 20 minute taxi ride cost Kayla a mere $7AUD. We were headed to a trendy spot called “Naked for Satan” where we could grab a few beers and some food. I had been recommended this place by a few friends and I knew immediately upon walking in, from looking at the vintage wallpaper of naked ladies (and men! woop woop) along with the man behind the bar with a hipster beard and tiny beanie hat placed soley on the crown of his head, that we had arrived at a very trendy spot. With gusto, we headed through the seemingly deserted ground floor straight to the elevator which took us to the roof terrace. To my surprise, for mid-afternoon on a Wednesday, the place was pretty busy – I wondered what it would be like on a Saturday night!? – but we were able to grab a table outside and take in the awesome, unspoiled views of the city. With a 6.8% strength IPA in hand, and an order of baked Camembert, popcorn chicken and fried cheese croquettes on the way, the afternoon looked to be getting off to a good start.

After a few more pints and all of the catching up on life between Kayla and I, we decided to go for a little walk down the main street of Fitzroy. I was struck by how many independent shops, restaurants and bars there were. Not a chain in sight! It felt so refreshing to be in a neighbourhood that really was run by the people who live there, not these big corporate fat-cat companies that seem to pop-up anywhere in the UK that starts to show any sign of gentrification (you know who you are!) I was feeling really pleased with myself for being able to venture out of the CBD (Central Business District) of Melbourne and be experiencing what the REAL Melbourne has to offer.

After wandering for a while we felt our mouths running dry, so of course had to stop off at another bar for a drink. We went to the Provincial Hotel, a few doors down from Naked for Satan, for another rooftop drink. It was a pleasant bar – probably not as cool as Naked for Satan, or with as good of a view of the city – but still a pleasing environment for a drink of two.

After a few Vodka Sodas – I had decided to move on to a less heavier drink than beer – we headed back in an uber to Kayla’s to get ready for our evening on the town!

We caught the train the short 20 minute ride from Brunswick to the main Flinders Street Station. We were planning to go to Chin Chin, an Asian restaurant, for dinner. You can’t book at table at Chin Chin unless you have a large table of 8 or more as the restaurant is very popular. Therefore most people are required to queue up and wait. When we arrived we were pleased to find that there was no queue – Kayla said that there is normally one out the door. We were shocked, however, when we asked for a table for 3 (Amanda from the ship was joining us) to be told that that there would be a one and-a-half to two hour wait! We decided that we would just bite the bullet as we could go downstairs and grab a drink at the bar whilst we wait for a table. We had a few cocktails but after an hour of waiting I decided I couldn’t wait to eat anymore and headed upstairs to leave. We just so happened to enquire before leaving how long the wait would be, and as the rather unhelpful hostess said she didn’t know, the waitress next to her said she had a booth in her area that was free that we could have. Hoorah! (See you don’t ask, you don’t get!) So we headed back downstairs to eat.

After what was an initial slow start – we even had to call the waiter over to take our order (come on, we’d already been waiting an hour for a table, I didn’t want to have to wait another hour to order) – our food came out surprisingly quickly. Boy, was it worth the wait! I had the Massaman curry with coconut rice and it was delightful! I can see why there is all the hype, as the food is simple, yet delicious. I’m glad we waited our turn!

After dinner we headed to another rooftop bar (I’m starting to see a theme here) which was just round the corner. It was called QT rooftop bar. After the security made us wait, which was seemingly pointless, for 15 minutes in the lobby before letting us upstairs – he claimed it was for crowd control purposes but there was definitely no need for crowd control as we went upstairs to find a relatively quiet bar. I can imagine QT is the type of place those in suits would go after work, or that someone would take a person on a tinder first date to try and look fancy. I can also imagine it being a lot more popping on a weekend. Maybe the security were just in the habit of “crowd control”…or maybe they were just being pretentious to fit in with the vibe of the place. All in all, a relatively basic bar that actually wasn’t too pricey…$10 AUD for a vodka soda… and a spot that has good views of the surrounding skyscrapers of the CBD. Friendly bar staff too…I got chatting to a barmaid from Croydon who had just finished her time picking in the fields (I can’t believe they actually make people do that here).

QT bar closed at 1, but after a few more vodka sodas, Kayla and I had decided that we were not ready to go home. So we trundled a few streets down to a cool little bar called Heartbreaker that had the promise of being open until 3am. Here I enjoyed a few more vodka sodas, a friendly vibe and a late night slice of pizza and dough balls, bought from the pizza counter in the corner of the bar. At $6AUD for a slice of pizza and $5AUD for 6 garlic dough-balls, this was exactly what I needed to soak up all of that vodka. Heartbreaker bar even give you free water bottles at the end of the night AND tip-top ice poles for your journey home! A nice touch that I’ve never seen done anywhere else! An über was ordered and we were back to Kayla’s house in Brunswick in 20 minutes.

The next morning – nursing a slight hangover – we went for a tried and tested (by Kayla) breakfast at Rays Cafe in Brunswick. Again another independent, hipster vibe establishment that offers a vegetarian/vegan menu as well as ordinary non-vegan choices. I ordered poached eggs on toasted sourdough with a side of avocado – I couldn’t be any more millennial if I tried-  along with a home-made fruit and granola bowl with Rhubarb on top. Kayla ordered the vegan sausage roll. I can safely say that breakfast was everything I wanted it to be for a hungover breakfast. We were also able to sit outside in their little back courtyard and get some fresh air whilst we were at it.

Unfortunately, after breakfast, it was time for me to leave Kayla and return to the ship. I ordered an uber pool – on my own this time, a rather strange experience of getting in the car with another total stranger passenger – and made my way back to the ship.

So opinions of Melbourne? I love it! And I want to come back. I feel this city has so much more to offer than what I had in my small taster of it. I expect that it’s much more live and kicking at the weekend and there are plenty more little trendy nooks and crannies to explore. Melbourne has made me feel reborn and has reignited the flame of my love for Australia that – I’m sorry to say – had been fading from my time spent on the west coast. 

Melbourne, in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger… I’ll be back!

Koala-land

If I could choose one word to sum up my experience of Portland, it would simply be Koala. That’s because after having been in Australia for just over a month, today – for the first time – I saw a Koala! And not just any old Koala in a zoo, a real life WILD one. And not just one wild Koala… FOUR wild Koalas!

I started my unexpected Koala safari like any other day, in search of one thing…food! So my travel buddies, Barny and Daryl and I got the local shuttle into town. Now the volunteers who run the shuttle service were only too keen to show us the sights of Portland on our way into town. Now as these mainly consisted of a big pile of wood chippings, a local play area and a squid fishing boat (seriously, these were the things they pointed out to us), the outlook for my day didn’t look too promising. It did however pick up when, just as they were dropping us off, we heard over their walkie talkie radio that a kangaroo had been seen hopping its way down Hurst street. I immediately went on the hunt for this elusive Hurst street, but as I had a rumbling tummy and no idea where I was, I decided it would probably be a better idea to go in search of a cafe rather than a rogue Kangaroo.

We eventually decided, after a limited search, to settle for the “Waterfront cafe”. Despite not actually being anywhere near the waterfront, but rather three roads away, the food was actually rather enjoyable and very reasonably priced. I had a Ham and Mustard Panini and a Greek Salad which came to about $20 AUD in total.

After lunch we set off in search of the local Tram, which I had been told was the number one thing to do in Portland. When we eventually found a Tram stop we were able to purchase tickets for $18 AUD. They operate about 5 tram services per day, with the tram coming roughly every hour, and functioning a hop-on hop-off service. We took the tram up to the local World War Two look out post and whale watching platform.

En route, however, something amazing and unexpected happened. When passing – what can only be described as one of the saddest looking caravan parks I’ve ever seen – the tram volunteer spotted a Koala up in the tree directly above us. The tram driver stopped to let us get out for a better look and take pictures. I couldn’t believe it, my first time seeing a Koala! And it was in the Wild. Just chilling up in the tree, high off Eucalyptus (Koalas are one of the only animals who can actually eat Eucalyptus as it is highly toxic, but in turn it makes them slow and sleepy). After driving off the tour guide spotted another Koala in the next tree, this time hanging off the side. Two Koalas in one day! 

Upon the end of the line, which wasn’t as far as I had imagined – we probably could have walked it in around the same time – we arrived at the WW2 tower and whale lookout. Alas we saw no whales – as it is the wrong season – and as we didn’t want to pay another fee to go up the tower, we instead took some time to wander down onto the rocky beach below. Of course we took this opportunity for a photoshoot and of course I recreated the scene from the Little Mermaid where Ariel is on the rock with the wave crashing over. My wave was not quite as impressive….but you get the general idea! Also I cut my hand and knee in the process. I guess I suffer for my art!

After this we were joined by Shelby and Grace. We decided we just HAD to show them the Koalas. We walked them back to where we had seen them and, low and behold, there they were, still in a state of comatose. After another session of cooing over the cute fluffy chlamydia riddled creatures (true fact) we boarded the tram back into town and to the other end of the line where we saw another two Koalas in the trees! A total of FOUR wild Koalas. 

After being all trammed and Koala’d out, I decided to return to the ship as it seemed my experience of Portland had probably hit it’s peak.

So, what did I make of Portland? Well, considering it being famous for the place of the first white settlement in Australia and for the fact that its name is literally “the land of the port”, I will remember this sleepy little town not for its – sadly – rather unimpressive port and local tram, but for its cute tiny tree inhabiting creatures. If you want to go on a Koala safari then Koalaland…I mean Portland seems to be the place!

Sunday in the botanical gardens with wine

After having spent almost 6 days at sea, with the exception of visiting the small town of Esperance along the way – which may as well have been a sea day as it’s only redeeming feature was that I managed to find a cafe with decent enough wifi in which I could stream the latest episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 (Trinity for the win) – a visit to the city of Adelaide was very much needed. I had not, however, anticipated for this visit to be on a Sunday and for this to mean that the city was pretty much a ghost town! 

In the morning, in my ignorance, we set off for the city centre from the port of Outer Harbour. Again we took the train and again this was relatively simple as we went from the end of the line to the other end of the line, Adelaide station. From there we proceeded to find somewhere to eat lunch. I had also not anticipated, however, that all of my cool restaurant suggestions from Time Out magazine would be closed as it was a Sunday! -Do the people of Adelaide not eat on a Sunday!? Do they not have a hungover brunch or a late afternoon Sunday Roast!? (Maybe that is just a British thing!?) – So instead we settled for a local Mexican Burrito fast food joint, Zambrero. With gluten free and vegan options, and with names like the “Power” burrito, this truly embodied the health conscious Australia that I had envisioned. Not to mention the millennial-pleasing trickery of making you think your lunch choice is a healthy one, despite the layers of sour cream and cheese you add to your burrito (even if it IS vegan). Surprisingly, the burrito was good and I ate mine within about 10 seconds flat (I was hungry). I even managed to finish my entire burrito, despite it being rather large, before some of my travel companions had even sat down with their food (again, I was hungry!).

After our lunch we decided to visit the National Wine Centre of Australia. We took the bus, along with the local homeless people (or so it seemed), as we had an all day travel card that we had purchased at the train station, allowing us to travel on all trains, trams and buses, for $10 AUD. Thank goodness we did, as the temperature was getting into the mid 30s (celcius) and the buses had lovely air conditioning!

At the NWCA we were treated to a (semi) informative FREE exhibition about the different wines grown in Australia. Unfortunately the only thing I can say I came away learning was that the different wine varieties come from the actual names of the grape (pinot-noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc etc). Probably not the most obscure knowledge and unbeknown to the average Joe, but something I (ashamedly) did not know and now do!

After this we decided to sit down with a glass of wine, well Prosecco in my case, outside in the seating area of tables and chairs and shade umbrellas. This which was actually really lovely as it is right next to the botanical gardens. You can pour and taste wine your own wine there too, priced by the measure you pour for each individual wine – the NWCA have one of the largest wine cellars in Australia. However as I was pretty much the only person drinking amongst our group, I decided it was probably best to avoid getting hammered by myself… this time!

After having drunk my prosecco, and feeling a little bit light-headed, we decided to walk into the adjacent botanical gardens. However as it was the middle of the day and at peak temperature, we decided after about 5 minutes or so that it was time to head back for the comfort of the air conditioned bus! We saw some lovely lotus flowers on our transition though!

Next, after a short stop in town and peruse around the shops, we decided to head back to the ship via the train. It was delayed and then took 40 minutes…so not the most pleasant of journeys, but at least it had lovely AC again!

All in all, Adelaide seemed like a small, but pleasant city, that seems to sleep on Sundays and that perhaps doesn’t live up to the culture of its nearby (ish) neighbour Melbourne or of the busy tourist driven vibes of Sydney. Still, if you like air conditioned public transport, this is the place for you! 

The Beginning

It was whilst swimming in the Indian Ocean on a beach in Fremantle, just outside Perth, Western Australia, that I decided to write a travel blog. It was during a conversation with our onboard wardrobe supervisor, Grace, upon the topic of “life after ships” that I decided this could be a good idea. She is also having – what I like to call – a “quarter life crisis”. Something which I feel comes to many millennial these days, who struggle to keep up in today’s success driven, dog-eat-dog, “life-fulfilment” seeking world. We were talking about where we saw our future after we had finished our current “exotic gypsy” lifestyle. This being where we simply go carefree from place to place, hopping all over the world on our multimillion dollar luxury prison…I mean ship (Just kidding about the prison part… well sort of kidding!). I decided that I love to travel and to explore new places and new experiences – I’m currently working a fantastic job which I love (I really do…despite the prison remark) which enables me to travel to places some people only ever dream of – so why not document it and write about my experience. Genius I say! Well… I actually can’t take the credit. It was, in fact, Grace’s idea. But I did give her the idea of going into HR. See….sharing is caring! 

So anyway, here it is, my travel blog (please note the witty name) and what a better place to start than in the land down under! Australia! Fremantle and Perth, Western Australia to be precise. 

So what can I saw about Perth. Well, we docked in Fremantle, which is just outside of Perth City (about 12 miles) so we decided to get the train into the city. Quite a simple experience as Fremantle is one end of the line, and Perth central station is the other. Once we arrived we noticed that Perth is a modern city, with a few skyscrapers, some building works going on and an abundance of shopping. I, however, needed to get my haircut. One of the perils of working on a ship is not being able to get a good haircut, as I do not fancy opting for a “stair-cut”- named so due to the fact that you sit in one of the crew stairwells and get it cut by someone who works in the house keeping or laundry department for $5 – so at every city where I have the opportunity of finding a decent barbers I trawl through google looking for a place that has the highest rating. This one seemed to be Uncle Joeys barbershop. So I dragged my travel partners for the day, Grace and Shelby, along to this barbers so they could sit and have a coffee whilst I have my haircut. – Uncle Joeys has its own independent coffee shop too…super trendy eh!?. 

Uncle Joeys itself is situated on the trendy Kings’ Street. King’s Street is full of hipster coffee shops, barbershops, clothes stores and knick knack stores -you know, the ones you end up spending loads of money in on things that you really didn’t want or need in the first place, but you know, you really couldn’t resist that golden pineapple ornament and blow-up unicorn! Alas a trendy barbershop awaited as promised, but unfortunately, a booked up one too. There was no walk-in spots so I had to make an appointment to come back at 2.15pm. Therefore we decided to go for some lunch. 

After a stop in said hipster knick knack store, where we asked the two young and trendy hipsters behind the counter where they recommended to eat, we ended up at Taka Japanese Kitchen. Despite the amateur style photographs of the dishes for the menu (always a discerning sight), I knew the food was going to be good because of two reasons; 1.) There was a long line 2.) 90% of the people eating in there were Asian…always a good sign! I ordered a bowl of ginger and soy chicken, with a couple of pieces of salmon and shrimp nigiri thrown on the side for good measure. It was tasty, as I had predicted, and Cheap too! My bowl, four pieces of sushi and bottle of water came to $19AUD…about £10. Lunch well done!

After lunch, and a quick stop in Zara and H&M – two shops seemingly quite difficult to find in many towns in Australia – I headed back to Unlce Joeys for my haircut. I had my haircut by a little irish fellow called Dom, who for a time, I found out, lived not too far from me in London AND we had a mutual friend! Small world eh!? The haircut was good but at $55 AUD, you’d hope it would be! 

We then returned to Fremantle as we wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon on the beach. Perth and its surrounding areas are renowned for its beaches. I was promised white golden sand and clear blue water, and boy did it deliver. We ended up at a little spot called “Port Beach”, a stones throw from Fremantle port where the ship was docked. The beach was sparsely filled with people, but as it was a Monday I suppose this was to be expected. Still it was a novelty to actually be able to swim in the water on an Australian beach in summer. Most of the other beaches we have visited on our tour of Australia have swimming warning because of stingers! But there were no warnings here. So, I whacked out my teeny tiny Aussiebums (such a cliché I know) and in for a dip I went. GLORIOUS!

After an hour or so at the beach (it was late about 5pm) we decided to go and eat in Fremantle before heading back to the ship for all aboard. We ended up at Bathers Beach House, a gastropub type establishment that claims to be Fremantle’s first beach-front eatery. Here I enjoyed a craft beer, some Kangaroo for my starter and the local fish for my main course (I’m so cultured, I know). We sat outside, just above and back from the tables and loungers on the sandy beach below, where we watched the sun going down over the horizon. We then grabbed an uber the short distance back to the ship.

All in all Perth was an enjoyable city. Some insider information – confirmed by the hipster locals – is that there isn’t much to do in Perth city centre itself other than shop but that the beaches are its main attraction. Perth City has some quirky and trendy places, you just have to know where to find them but for the best experience of this area…head to the beach!