Day One: Perth International Airport to Albany (Southern tip of Western Australia)

Kids were excited when evening came.After Isya',we left home for the airport.Kindly eldest brother in law offered to drive us to the airport and that saved a lot on taxi money.Our refusal to trouble him was turned down flatly.Segan lah.Alhamdulillah,rezeki.

Checked in and filled in forms at the waiting lounge.One is for Ebola alert,another Australian customs form to be filled by each passenger (my twins had to also although travelling with parents).We declared the foods we brought.Must be totally honest.Even a little sweet in pocket have to declare.As long as it is food.You can read more on the Australian customs.

Flight to Perth was 12.10am midnite and the boys were very excited when the plane started to lift from the ground.That tummy teasing motion made them excited hahah!First time right so,they had 'fun' feeling slightly queasy and all.I sat with Husain and husband sat with Hassan,front and back of two by two seats.So no prize for guessing who got to sit by the windows lah.A steward called me 'ibuk' each time he asked or offered something..sometimes mummy.Waa..ibuk sounds very Indonesian like that eh.Ok that was very polite of him.He gave kiddy cup with Mickey images on it for the kiddy twins.Last last the cups we used for 'cleaning ourselves with water' in the hotels we stayed.No handheld bidet sprayer lah these hotels...hence.

Touched down Perth at 5am on the dot.Cool.But landing was slightly rough but safe all the same alhamdulillah.Collected our luggages of one big one small.Handcarry ones,two.One for documents and another packeted food.Got our passports stamped together as a family and walked to the declare lane for our bag of foods to be scanned.No trouble.We brought packets of Mamee instant noodles and nasi goreng instant pastes.That was all.We were looking around for sniffing dogs but no dogs.Not sure if the dogs would come later.

Airport toilets so clean and no tissues floating or hanging around the bowl.Freshen up and got ourselves hot chocolate and tea at the airport cafe.We hung around the airport for awhile till it was near 8am because that was the time we have to collect our car from Bayswater in Perth city.Got a taxi with a driver named Hussein..heheh.Very friendly and full of tips and offer to drive us to kebab shops for breakfast but we rather go straight to collecting the car.Ahaii..thank you la Mr Husein.

kasihanilah hambaa.....

Not opened yet,so we waited by the shop,with luggages and all.Wonderful locals stopped to say hi and hello and asked where we were from.How very friendly or maybe kesian tengok anak beranak like that by the roadside hahahah but we enjoyed the waiting with the cool cool morning breeze.Like aircon lah.


Opened and got our car.Checked for any dents,faults etc before we drove off.Took pictures of  the car here and there.It was all fine.Gps on and off we went.Smooth ride and dear husband loved the feel of the car heh heh.Drove to Oscar's for halal bakes first for roadtrip snacking.It is in the middle of industrial area of Perth in Bassendean Dyer Road.We thought we were lost but the bakeshop was there lah.Few muslim families were there,nice little shop with so many types of pastry bakes of sorts.There were frozen ones too.We bought a bag of frozen cornish pastries and donuts.Yummy!Off we went to the hiway.

hungry for our first halal food

Nobadee nobadee butchyu! 

Albany highway.No tolls or fee for using it.Best.Very very pretty countryside as we drove.Roads almost empty,speed limit checked,enjoying the scenery of cows sheep and horses.The hills and little valleys kept us so excited.We slept on and off in the car,needless to say,lack sleep in the plane.After almost 5 hours on the road,we reached Albany.Beautiful town with beautiful oh so cute houses with flowery yards and homes on hills.Apartment manager not in so husband called his number.This is a norm.Not to worry if no one was there to check in.Give a call and settled.Wayne the manager told us to go to unit 5.That was all.Lovely apartment with full kitchen,a bathroom/toilet,two bedrooms of two singles and a king..or was that queen bed..nevermind.Comfy and all.We were swooned.I loved the kitchen.Dining set,pots,pans,bowls,toaster,washing liquid,sponges,electric stove,microwave oven,fridge...nice.

Very unprofessional photo taking :P

Yey we're here.So pretty but not our unit arr...behind then ours.

Here it is,number 5.Loved it very much.

Cooked instant noodles for myself and the boys.Husband got his pies and pastry from Oscar's.When hungry,everything is delicious :D And we rest after that.WIFI connection was good.So we updated our siblings about us.

spacious kitchen area best

Living area with tv...ops toilet tu.

Kids' sleep here.Mak abah in the next room with king/queen bed..tak ingat which.

Outside our unit.So quiet and serene.We reminded ourselves to talk softly.

Australian flower.See this everywhere.Whats your name Miss bunga?

After a good rest,especially for our beloved driver,we drove out to check the area.York Street was easy to find.Rows of shops and cafes overlooking the sea just in the front.So pretty already like that.We wanted to get some juice and tidbits.IGA closed late so we went there to get them.Other supermarkets were already closed by 5pm.Most shops were closed actually except for a few cafes.Still a bit tired,husband suggested we try the kebab cafe for dinner.Cute shop with halal sign,quite a good list of menu.I got myself mixed meal,shared with husband and my boys got fish n chips and burger.Truly delicious and flavourful.The cooks looked Turkish so,got that authentic flavour I guess.If youre here in Albany and at York Street lookout for this halal kebab shop."ISTANBUL KEBABS TURKISH BAKERY".
Headed 'home' and ended our day with a good rest.

Our highlight for this trip,walk walk walk to nowhere but what we discovered later...masya Allah.

York Street,park senget nevermind..like that one...that is the sea in the centre of frame.Oh parking sini free.

Pretty little buildings like this quite a lot.Feeling England.

The shared mixed meal.The turkish bread is hidden,at the most bottom.

It was a fulfilling and happy day one indeed.Alhamdulillah,Allah swt had eased our journey to here without any hiccups on the road or elsewhere.People were very nice,saying hi or hello if 'ter' eye contact with them :D No I didnt get any rude stares for my being in hijab.I was a bit nervous about that before I came.But nothing of that sort happened till home sweet home.Weather was fine and temperature is between 11 and 16 deg celsius.

And day one was our 17th Anniversary Together. :)