From Busselton we moved a little further up coast to Bunbury where we managed a council sanctioned free camp on the foreshore. A fabulous outlook that came for free….
Whilst we explored Bunbury it became obvious that this is a large city albeit quite a modern one but one holding no particular attraction to us. Perhaps the most touristy thing was the Dolphin pavilion where, at certain times, dolphins approach the shore. We didn’t see any but this …..
Before I go on, I finally managed to find a photo of the Busselton Jetty train – now lets get excited….
….well perhaps not, but it did save a 3.6 km walk. Anyway, back to Bunbury.
We went to the monastery which we’d seen before, now a local art gallery but much of it was closed off for incoming exhibitions to be installed, however we were granted a guided tour of the old building after explaining that we’d come all the way from Qld to see it…. and after all that I don’t seem to have any pictures. After two nights in Bunbury it was time to move on, having seen or done nothing in particular which of course took us into the Webbers backyard. Perth being just up the road from Bunbury. We were welcomed by three horses and two alpacas and then we found George and Ina.
George was overly occupied with the rebuilding of an old motorbike and in fact had no time for anything else during our first week in their backyard but Jude, Robyn and I managed to entertain ourselves with visits to Freemantle, Perth City and generally finding touristy things to do some of which are hereby illustrated….
these being Freemantle Prison (night tour), streets of Freemantle, WA Shipwreck Museum, all totally fascinating. Then in Perth there was the London Arcade, a somewhat anachronistic feature in this modern city.
Separately I took myself off to the Whiteman Park Motor Museum where these 3 beautiful examples of hand craftmanship were on display 
Hand built by an octogenarian, just cos he could. They are stunning. The rest of the museum holds some interesting vehicles but nothing that you won’t see elsewhere. Another day of exploration in the Swan Valley took us to Bell Rapids, almost the start of the Swan River. It’s a beautiful spot and for a weekday incredibly well populated….
(not that I took photos of people)
This week was rounded out by a trip out to Rottnest Island. A train ride into town to catch the ferry for a really beautiful cruise down the Swan River..
to Freemantle then out to Rottnest on open water. The ferry had a pointed bow and did it throw up some spray at something like 20 knots….
so much so that couple sitting diagonally opposite us on the top deck at the back of the boat were drenched by the time we got to Rottnest. We’ve no idea why they didn’t move from their seats.
The weather up to this point had been abysmal – cold and wet for most of the trip since leaving home, but today for this trip out to Rottnest it was beautiful – a balmy 24 degrees. We’ve done Rottnest before and I’ve been savaged by quokkas but Robyn hadn’t been out previously so this trip was for her benefit mainly. At $128.00 per person its not an experience to be taken lightly, but one we felt was worth doing again. And indeed the trip was worth it. Rottnest is a fascinating slice of Australian history as well as an interesting and lovely place to visit…
and I’m pleased to report that the quokkas turned their backs on me.
The return boat journey for us was below deck so avoiding the above deck wetness. Upon berthing at Barrack St docks we commenced a walk up hill to the station for our return train journey but Jude was really struggling and almost had to be carried to the train. We got home (to Webbers) but next day it was quite apparent that Jude was not well. Sunday night saw us at St John Hospital in Midlands where six hours in till 3am Jude had not been seen. Home to bed. Monday chase doctors – 4 local clinics said “no new patients”, one said get here now for emergency treatment but by the time we arrived there was a queue out the door and we got told “no more today”. Finally lucked on to a new emergency clinic in town and two hours later a diagnosis of pneumonia and a scrip for antibiotics. Bed for a week or more. By Thursday I was back at the same clinic apparently with RSV – more drugs and and a long period of recovery.
All this meant that we needed to avoid contact with the Webbers, so for a week plus it was mostly phone conversations with them.
It also meant we were otherwise out of action but we sort of recovered and decided to head homewards but there is more to follow before we actually headed east.