Day Four : From Margaret River to Perth City

Tata Margaret River.Yep,we did not explore Margaret River much.It was a place for us to rest and get ready for the next road trip to the main city,our last destination before we got home sweet home.There are interesting caves and valleys that are worth stopping by.But we had to pass those places anyways.So,after breakfast of leftover dinner and breakfast bread,we made our way to the highway of Busselton that directs us to Perth.Sigh...we missed the small towns we stopped and passed by really.Perth is much like Shenton Way Singapore,people walking fast,traffic kept busy but not as heavy as Singapore lah.The roads sort of turned quiet by 6pm onward as most workplaces finish by 5pm or so.But there were beautiful parks thats worth the trip to.So,picture talk yeah..

Buhbye...

There were roadworks on our way.Got to wait about 15 to 20 mins before we could continue driving due because only one lane was opened for the two way drives.No tempers flared for the long wait,just respect and glad we could drive safely.

The highway name.I love road trips.

It took 3hr plus from Margaret River to reach Perth City.Delighted to get a glimpse of the city from here...nak kat sampai namanyer yey!

It was a beautiful sight from the expressway or freeway is that how they call it? The blue is Swan River.See,like Shenton Way right those high rise buildings all...

Inside the city already.Stark contrast to Albany and the rest of the towns we came from.

This was taken when we took a stroll along the road from our apartment.Love the mural about children.

The apartment hotel building we stayed for 6 nights.One of the best priced (you can say cheap) apartments with full facilities, in the city,facing an outlet shopping centre also, considering.You could see our room windows here.Just above the main entrance at 2nd level:D

It was a pleasant welcome by the hotel staff.There was a Malay staff (lived at the East side of Singapore before here)  who worked night shift whom my husband had a good long chat with.Very warm and friendly guy,who spoke Malay all the way like 'relek brudder' with my husband and offered to lend us a small rice cooker knowing I would do some cooking during our stay.Tak kerek or aksyen langsung lah although he had lived for 15 years in Australia.Cakap malay pun tak kaku...respect!!His wife works in this hotel too but I did not get to meet her.There were a few Malay tourists we bumped into and when that happened we gave each other a happy smile and once we had a brief 'awak dari mana' chat with the other.Happy happy lah because we all were having a good time here kan.This apartment was a second choice before we decided it to be first.Due to the reviews we read somewhere some saying not so positive feedbacks and others gave otherwise,we decided an apartment at Northbridge not too far from this one.Then we compared the price,equally equipped self contained facilities and all,but City Stay offered a cheap rate than most apartments we looked through.So since we stood by our budget,we chose this cheap one lah and alhamdulillah...we were glad we decided on this!

With a nearby bus station of CATBUS that passengers can enjoy free rides,seriously.And if you didnt feel like cooking anytime,there is ISPA,a halal kebab cafe at the shopping centre just across the road I mentioned.Also,a walking distance to hay st or murray st and kings park...this,for young people or those who have no problem walking without fear of leg cramps or injury lah.

Do I sound like promoting this hotel? Yes...very! Clean comfy cosy and fully equipped with facilities of sorts.Don't worry if you want to travel light.Bring little clothes because in this apartment,there are washing machine and dryer.So no need to fill till 30kg per luggage.Relax ok! :) If you need new clothes sort of,the outlet sells cheap clothings as well.

The dryer at the top,the washing machine below.Work well without any problem.

The lift that takes us to our room level.

Vending machines if you want a quick fulfilled hunger pangs and just behind these machines,is a mini mart from tooth brushes to detergent (we bought a small tub for our washes) to tidbits to nutella to eggs,to halal pies etc...

Not so glamorous looking right,but rest assured,the rooms are very very cosy and clean and everything.I love the bricked walls outside and inside the room.Reminds me to huff and puff and blow the house down but cannot lah :D

The unit.Cosy living area with cute tv that also shows in house quite recent movies of Maleficent,Begin Again,Expendables etc...I loved Maleficent and If I Stay.Other times,classic dramas n comedies like Mash Friends Skippy..so nostalgic.This place area is always for snuggling together with the boys as we watched movies and munch on snacks.And yes,aircon is only in the living area but the bedrooms are cold too,a ceiling fan in each room.

The kitchen I heart.The bathroom ahead.

The boys' bedroom...cosy indeed.Sigh..I miss this.

Apa ada dalam cabinet.I used one pot from here.

Dining set.There are cute bottles  of salt and pepper.So no need to shop for those hee.

The outlet shopping centre (Waterfront) that is facing our room windows.We loved looking outside the windows and spot 'orang kita' walking along or crossing the traffic.Always a delight.

Alhamdulillah,we reached here safe and sound.We did not go further than a few steps from our apartment because we wanted to rest more.We went into the shopping centre but heh..we did not do any shopping here lah except for slushees from the kebab shop.And ate dinner of whats left of instant noodles from Singapore.Not intending to do any shopping although we chose this hotel which is popular amongst 'shop happy' travellers.We shopped for food more often.Although there were cheap branded items in this shopping centre but we didnt buy anylah.Hahahah...might find us boring and 'apalah rugi dah murah takmo beli' on us,but yeah...our trip here was purely to experience the country and its nature and not a shopping trip.Those who look for good priced branded stuff...this place might interests you okay.So...shop away!

Day Three ( continued) : Margaret River,to rest and relax.

So,we reached Margaret River at almost 3pm from Cape Leeuwin to see the lighthouse and more.It was an hour drive only from there.But we felt tired all the same after much frolicking at the lighthouse compound.I'd love to stay longer at Cape Leeuwin,you know,just sit there and stare at the God Given Beauty but we had to leave,for dear husband to rest after the 4 hour drive from Albany and an obligation that we had to do before time was up.

It was a pleasant drive as usual.We had to pass the caves that a cousin had suggested due to exhaustion.Truly,if we could,we would shorten our stay in Perth and spent more days in Albany and Margaret River.Well,there's always something you learnt from travelling right.All the same,we know better now if there was a next time in syaa Allah.No regrets lah eh..Perth pun best jugak... (kasi hati sedap) :D

We were so hungry.Upon reaching the hotel (we thought),we realised it was the hotel lobby building and we had to check in first before we drove behind it where the units were.We were welcomed by a very cheery happy staff.Whoah what a very warm welcome.First time such zeal in her gesture and all...sweet lady she was.Then we had to drive to our unit,just behind the check in office building,parked our car and little sweet looking garden welcomed us that surrounded the hotel terraces.

The check in office.Waa..itu budak tegak bagai jaga hotel.

The street facing the check in office.Lots of supermarkets.No worries when hungry :P

Chak!.Makcik Pandan too shy to come out properly to pose.

The very pretty garden that surprised me at the other door.

The unit is good for 5 people.3 singles and one queen.I love this arrangement.

So pretty right.Outside a neighbour's room.

We freshened up and more and off to fill our hungry tummy.It was so easy to find kebab shops in the towns we stayed.Like this one,just a few minutes walk from the hotel and voila,kebab!kebab!mari makan kebab!Alhamdulillah,although it said kebab,we searched for halal logo or signs which took me quite sometime for this one,ohhh..terselit situ.Alhamdulillah,halal kebab it is.Yummmm meeee!

yey...too tired to cook anything,anyways I thought the hotel had stove but microwave only so nevermind,take away kebab sudah..

Alhamdulillah,big portions.Look at those burgers...the buns were delicious and they were not normal bread buns but turkish bread recipe.Chewy and so so yummy.Husain n I had fish n chips.

After lunch we walked to Coles supermarketfor juice and breakfast bread.So happy to find turkish loaf there.Husain had a chocolate milk fix eversince Albany and the brand had to be CHILL.Mana2 also nak CHILL...

It was so cold in Margaret River,I had to zip up the jacket fully and snuggle my hands in the pockets.11 to14 deg celcius.And it was supposed to be Summer already but I loved the cold because back home,I wouldnt be able to feel this chilly temperature.I can withstand cold but not heat much.Rashes lah.So we ended our day with tv and simply relax on the comfy bed.It was a pleasure to watch reruns of old comedies and family dramas aired on Australian tv like Skippy,Friends,Mash,Laverne and Shirley,Brady Bunch and more.A true delight to watch those shows in Australia.Nice...very nice.

Ok till the next post.I am enjoying this a lot.I hope,if not now,someday this journal will be of help to those who has travelling plans as this.Due to my experience scrambling for infos and bloggers' experiences travelling in WA and how those helped me a lot (bless them all aamiin) in getting our trip smooth,confidently and easy,I thought I could do the same for someone or more someday like this, in syaa Allah.

Woraitt..See ya again mate!

Day Three: Farewell Albany.Hello Augusta Cape Leeuwin and Margaret River.

Corner Lion St,outside the apartment,before 5am sky.

Fajr or Subuh was 3ish am in Albany,Margaret River and Perth.Syuruk or sunrise is 5ish am.Waking up the kids to pray was not that easy at first with the timing way earlier than Singapore's.They got the hang of it somehow in later days.I am a light sleeper so I did the waking call on most days there.Hee.I loved waking up in a new environment like this.Early,cold and the sky not as dark but like dimly lit lamp shines over.4.30ish am looked like 6am Singapore time,or so.5am onwards so bright and alive like 7am onwards homeland.Loved the cold damp morning,sometimes the birds chirping and the crows getting loud.I loved the different experience of morning and how things looked like outside.New and so coolly calming.If you have plans to come here between June and November,bring your jacket/s.May/June till October might be the coldest season.Winter thru Spring.December is Summer but being in the South,it is cold unlike Perth City.

So,it was time to say bye bye to Albany baby.After breakfast of leftover dinner and Singapore noodles,we packed and handed the key to a lady named Heather I think and she gave a warm goodbye before left.Hati berat mau pergi...

Just outside our apartment,last look then byebye.

On the way to Augusta for my other dream destinantion.

It was another 4 hour plus drive to the next town of Augusta.We were heading to Cape Leeuwin to see the dreamy lighthouse and its surrounding of hills and ocean.South and Indian oceans meet at that subhanallah.We passed a few towns before reaching Augusta.The backroads were truly an adventure for us.It was raining on and off and with the thick woods,bushes and all as if encaving us while on the quiet backroads,I did feel a bit creepy but in a delicious way.Sadly we saw dead kangaroos and a few little local creatures on the road.I read that kangaroos tend to get active by early evening and they do not have that sense of risk or in danger when they hop on the roads...sometimes in a sudden.Some road accidents occured due to that.Kesian.I read also that moving vehicles sometimes have no choice but to run over them as they cannot make that brake in the last minute and to avoid being in danger themselves by accident.Hence we avoid driving on such roads when sunset and onwards.So anyone who wants to make road trips here,try to avoid driving too late in the afternoon that is almost sunset/evening.If you simply have to,drive slow and according to speed limits there.Do not speed although there is absence of other vehicles front and back.Follow the road rules nicely and respectfully ok.

The towns before Augusta.

interesting things to see as we drive by

reminds me kebun getah when driving in Malaysia

a bit more and we're there..yey

And we're here.Very very cold and windy.Terpeleot my tudung sampaikan...:P

 I was so swooned by the sight of Cape Leeuwin.Even before we reached there proper,the sights from afar was subhanallah...no words can describe.Please make your stop here if you happened to be in WA anytime.Truly mesmerising.Oceans,hills and lighthouse.Postcard perfect.Allah Maha Cantik.

 We paid for basic entrance fee of audio assisted and going around the grounds.You can take the a hundred and seventy odd steps of the lighthouse till the top with a guide with a different fee.We didnt take that one,just the basic.What you may get to enjoy when you do go your way up there,you may spot the meeting point of South and Indian ocean.And sometimes whales as well.Needless to say,the fantastic view of the surroundings from bird's eye view.For us,we just gallivant around hahahah!Very very windy and do wear your jacket as the cold wind can be intidmidating.Those wearing hijab,better to wear that instant hijab that sits nicely without much fabric flaggings like mine did.Senget awning aku kat situ :D Lyn's jacket saved me from freezing. Heheee.Thank you Mak Lyn <3

I love love love this view.

This cow has a story.But I did not pay attention to it.Couldnt wait to get close to the lighthouse.

Pretty in white

A lookout point.The frontier is surreal.

The keepers used these buildings.Listen to the audio to know more.Melancholic somehow.

The bays before the lighthouse.

Looks like Scotland to me.Foggy and all :)

So after much oohs and ahhs and such,we ended our frolicking and made our way to Margaret River hotel.We stayed there for a night before embarking to Perth via road trip again.That would be 3 hour plus drive.Ok got wedding to attend.Till the next post.Happy Weekends!

Margaret River hotel.Time to rest and have late lunch.

Day Two:Albany just gets more beautiful. (Part 2: afternoon)

 So,that same day afternoon after a simple lunch of pasta and halal labelled sauce with salad that we bought from IGA,our favourite store since our stay here in Albany (something about it that has Sheng Siong touch you know),we explored Albany's best kept not that secret pretty places at the opposite side from where we went this morning.We drove by the coast with so pretty houses on the hills.The houses there were built on sloping hills that captured my admiration for its unique ground arrangements and the yards were always colourful with whats left of Spring flowers.These places that we visited on that day were not far from our apartment,say about less than 30 minutes drive.Ok let the pictures do the yakking..

delighted upon seeing a halal label on jar, alhamdulillah.quick fix 

chomp vegetarian style :)

beautiful drive by the coast,before we even reached to the real thang

Middleton Beach,very cold windy and we loved it.

A nice place to simply sit and immerse in the beauty.Allahu Akbar.

no noise,just waves and the mind at peace

These little pink head birds (look like parakeets really).Many of them.

Sammy the Seal...a happy friendly seal that was loved by many but got betrayed to its end :(

It is not an everyday thing in Singapore to see pelicans hanging around like this.They are truly elegant beautiful creatures...and they're big.

The caption by Hassan.That much love for Australia.

We ended our day reluctantly.Because we fell in love with Albany deeply.This side of nature that we had never seen before and immersed in.Indescribable beauty.We wished we could stretch our stay here longer than Perth.Well,probably next time. (get that pocket fat first :D) So if you are heading to WA or making plans to tour,it is so worth the 4/5 hour drive from the main city to here and stretch your stay.So much serenity you can sense.

Feeling 44 today.