Monday, 12 December 2016

Sat, 10th Dec, 2016 Ross & Lara’s, Wattle Grove, WA (Fremantle-Perth beaches)


Lovely warm night – so nice not to have the van closed up and blankets on!!

Predicted to be another 37 degree day. Total Fire Ban is on now though fires are banned from Nov to April anycase so no outdoor cooking for us. Headed across to Fremantle to check out where we will depart from to go to Rottnest Island on Tuesday. All day parking $10. Only a half hour drive across but will allow an hour for Tuesday!! Will come back and do the history walks around Fremantle another day. Should have come in on Wednesday to see the big cruise ship – largest one to dock here and I found out later that Marion was on board.

Across the Fremantle Bridge over the Swan River – lots of boats heading out to sea.

Drove around to Rous Head and watched all the boats heading coming out of the Swan River for a day on the water.

Looking south along the coast towards Rockingham.


The lighthouse on the point.


Around the point to look towards Rottnest Island.

North end of Garden Island which is home to the HMAS Stirling Naval Base.


Lots of shipping containers to be loaded.

Continued along the water’s edge to Leighton Beach. Everyone is out enjoying the sunshine. This boat zoomed past us around the point to anchor here. What a smart idea – shade, lunch and drinks on board but only a quick leap overboard to get to the beach.



Next one was Mosman Beach which is a dog friendly beach – don’t think we will have a swim here!! Chatted with this chap who treats his best friend very well.




Marine Park area where there seems to be a bit of reef creating waves.


Nice home as we head into Cottesloe Beach.

Amazingly we can find a park ok – at least it is free. Cottesloe Beach with the Grand Bathing Pavilion which was opened in 1929 according to the plaque.




Zoomed in on Rottnest Island.

Walked around to the front of the Pavilion. A plaque to the founder of surf life-saving in WA – not a very nice one.




Found this plaque on the ground – bit hard to read. “Indian Tea House (due to Indian Ocean) – built in 1983, the current Indian Tea House is named after one of the many tearooms which stood on the Cottesloe beachfront in the early 1900s. In 1929 these tearooms were removed and the Grand Bathing Pavilion was built. The Pavilion featured cubicles, lockers, hot baths, shops, stalls, and tea gardens on the roof and was the centre of beach activity for many years. In 1983 the Pavilion was badly damaged by storms and had to be demolished. The Indian Tea House was built in its place.” So it isn’t that old really!!



Lots of beach volleyball happening on the southern end of the beach.

It was nice and hot and tempting for a swim so I put my feet in to check the temperature – it was freezing!! That is my first touch of the Indian Ocean water. Will save that for went we got across to the island and work up a sweat riding around the island.

The terraced grass areas make good sun-baking spots.

Swanborne Beach.

City Beach had a great foreshore area and a fabulous lookout. It is a surfers’ beach but not today.




Scarborough foreshore is undergoing a big make-over – sounds fabulous. Will check it out next year.


Views as we head north through Trig Beach and North Beach.


Went through Hillary Boat Harbour where we are meeting Judy – massive area. Stopped for lunch at a park at Pinnaroo Point. All these beaches the parking is back away from the beach and you have to walk through the dunes onto the beach.




A few rocks out the front – Whitford Rock and Wreck Rock (I think, looking at a Marine Park sign info).



Further north to Burns Beach. Burns Rocks nearby.




Walked out onto the point for a view back down the coast.


Lots of limestone rocks.

Back to Hillary Boat Harbour to meet Judy and Richard but we can in from the other side so had to ring them to find out where they were. Great area.




Walked over the bridge which has a lift up section to let the yachts come into the cove to moor. Further around is a water park and a pontoon in the middle with slippery slides.


So great to see Richard and Judy again – it has been so long.

Their daughter, Emily, joined us in her lunch break then went back to her weekend job. We chatted for hours then headed back home along the freeway – pretty easy getting about here.

Simple dinner after snacking on calamari & chips then coffee and apple pie.

Bit cooler tonight.



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