Spotted over the back garden this morning……
Black Kite
Category: Photography
Mystery Birds
The following photo’s are of birds that are visiting the garden here in WA. I have no idea what species they are but offer them up for your delectation.
Should anyone be able to identify the species, please let me know.
Roadkill
Having seen all manner of roadkill alongside the roads during our perambulations in WA. To be confronted with this directly outside our motel room door, I rather hoped this was not some kind of omen.
FAT 49
Can’t believe that these guys went to step back away from their own vehicle just because I was taking this photo.
Apparently she doesn’t like the car and makes him park it well away from her place of work.
What’s not to like ? Just wish I’d asked him what it was. Anyone out there has any idea, please let me know.
Osprey
Beachside BBQ
Spent yesterday evening down by the shore at North Coogee, a coastal, western suburb of Perth, WA.
Close by is the derelict site of the South Fremantle Power Station which closed in September 1985, after 34 years service. Originally coal-fired, later converted to oil. After closure its four chimney stacks were demolished. Seems odd that after thirty years this site has not been cleared.
We had been invited to join my grandson and his partner for a BBQ with some of their friends. This was our first ever, al fresco, BBQ.
The actual BBQ site was a small park separated from the sea by the ubiquitous sand dunes.
The park is part of the C.Y. O’Connor Reserve and had been the venue for a very large party on New Years Eve. There were huge piles of rubbish everywhere, and the public conveniences were not very, convenient that is. In fact they were indescribable.
This did not put us off the BBQ and we had a great time with some tasty food, a few beers and a relaxing time spent talking with some new acquaintances.
At around 20:00 we were treated to a superb sunset…
A great evening.
Four Goo To Mullaloo
On a voyage of discovery, last Tuesday, we headed up North looking for somewhere to have lunch. Somewhere, that none of us had visited before. And so we found ourselves at Mullaloo, a northern coastal suburb of Perth. Apparently, Mullaloo is named after an Aboriginal word, believed to mean “place of the rat kangaroo”. Sounds attractive don’t you think.
After a quick recce we decided to check out the Mullaloo Beach Hotel for lunch. Unfortunately, we were not able to get into the restaurant. We elected to go eat in the bar area on the basis that the menus, according to the waitress, were the same for both areas.
Having found a table, obtained drinks and ordered our food we sat back to chat and enjoy the views outside. We were thinking that this was quite a nice place to sit and chill.
The first thing to disabuse us of that feeling and to mar the pleasant ambience was that they decided to crank up the music volume. The music had been playing before but at a level which allowed for conversation to continue. Presumably too many people were kicking back and actually talking to each other. I can only think tat getting folks to shout at each other causes more drink to be bought.
The next issue was when the food was delivered. The entrees were delivered with the mains !! When this was raised with the waiter the response was “Did you ask for the dishes to be delivered separately?” Obviously, our mistake.
Not that of the staff who, had we been sat in the restaurant, would not have needed to be told our requirements. Checking the hotel menus since returning home I have discovered that they are not the same, as we had been told. Restaurant “starters” are called “light bites”in the bar.
Obviously our mistake again, we didn’t realise that normal eater protocols had been thrown out the window.
The starter, entrees, light bites, what ever they were, were OK. Nothing to write home about. Denise had the bruschetta which looked good and was, I understand, tasty. Steve had the salmon, bangus and prawn fish cakes although presented nicely were bland. Gerry and I shared the squid which, garnished with onion and chilli, is their signature dish !! It was not the best squid we have had since arriving in Oz. I think that accolade currently goes to the Boat at Mindari.
After what seemed like a long wait we were served with our mains. We did discuss that the long wait might be punishment for complaining earlier. Who can say. The mains were also just OK. I think the only truly positive comment came from Steve, who said that the fish was really nice. He had the tempura fish & chips with chef’s tartare sauce. He also reckoned that it was the smallest fillet he’s had in Australia. He’s been here a few years.
Denise had the “homemade” black Angus beef burger which elicited a fairly neutral response i.e. it’s nothing special. Gerry and I both had the black Angus fillet steak sandwich. The steak was nice but the aioli and the tomato jam made it a bit soggy inside. The turkish bread used for the sandwich was also nice.
So, over all a fairly neutral food experience. Not bad, but not good either. Once can only hope that the folks that managed to get into the restaurant had a better experience than we did. Hopefully they weren’t hit with sound levels designed to quell conversation. We left feeling that we would probably have had a better meal at the Dome next door.
I should also point out that make a big deal, via their multiple video screens, that their cuisine is courtesy of chef Pradeep who apparently worked with or served under Gordon Ramsey and has also worked at the Burj Al Arab. All I can say is that there was no sign of that standard of cuisine when we visited. The food did not look like the pictures shown on those same screens. …. Just sayin …..
After eating we felt we should take a stroll along the seafront. Here are a couple of shots from Mullaloo Beach.
The sound of a sun lotion sizzle was quite over powering.
Like a lot of areas in WA, the dunes along this part of the coast are being stabilised using natural means wherever possible..
At various points along the dunes, official, access points are provided.
One of the mysteries for the day was the significantly lower temperatures we experienced at Mullaloo and on the journey up. When we left home the temperature was in the low to mid thirties. By the time we reached Mullaloo the temperature had dropped to the low to mid twenties. And there I was thinking that in the southern hemisphere, when you travelled north, the temperatures increased.
So there you have it, lunch at Mullaloo.
Taking Flight
We made a short visit to the viewing area at Perth Airport, on our way back home, after travelling up the coast for lunch. The viewing area is ideally placed for capturing photos of planes as they take off. Unfortunately that placement isn’t so good for incoming flights as they slow down and taxi away before coming anywhere near the end of the runway. But I guess you can’t have everything.
Some incoming flights do become visible towards the end of the runway, especially if they are big. An Airbus 380 is big, and it uses more of the runway than most other planes.
The A380 visits Perth on a, once, daily basis.
It’s a shame most other airports don’t embrace the publics enjoyment for aircraft observation in the same way as Perth has done. As a boy I had visited Gatwick to watch the planes. Had a fabulous time watching noisy Vickers VC10s, Hawker Siddley Tridents, BAC One-Elevens and even a Lockheed Constellation.
That last just goes to show how old I am. The point is back then we were encouraged to go and watch. Now, at most airports you can only see aircraft if you are departure side of security and if you are stopped anywhere around an airport perimeter or on top of a multi-story car park you are likely to be moved on rapidly.
So, that just leaves air shows and, with this years disaster at Shoreham, even they are under threat.
I’d just like to point out that not every member of the public is a ground-to-air rocket wielding lunatic.
Up The Swanny
Out of the blue, a phone call from our grandson, and an offer of an evening trip up the Swan River, on Christmas Eve. Being our wedding anniversary, what better way to round off the day. Few details were provided other than that we needed to be present at the East Street Jetty for around 19:00.
The trip was being provided by my grandsons partner who runs a charter business.
Arriving at the jetty, we soon found other folks, similarly awaiting the arrival of a boat.
While we waited Steve and I started to scout out the area as a possible fishing venue, having already noted the presence of several anglers. After chatting with one guy, who was packing up, we have added the jetty to our list . Easy access with parking very close by and straight into deep water.
It wasn’t long before our transport appeared upstream and was tied alongside ready for boarding.
MV Cygnus is a fully licensed 53′ Catamaran and is apparently capable of catering for up to 60 people. I think that might be a tight squeeze, however we weren’t that many so had room to meander.
Shortly after boarding it was time for a little something to moisten dry throats. Make the most of the next photo. It features yours truly which is a rare occurrence as it’s not often that I step in front of a lens.
By 19:15 we were underway, heading up river and it was time to point the lens outside of the boat. Having made a similar daytime trip, several years ago, we knew we would see some very nice properties along the river banks. At least while the sun was still up. However, an evening trip was going to be somewhat different.
These cranes, silhouetted by the setting sun, look somewhat like prehistoric creatures heading to the river to drink.
My grandson is a member of the Water Police. This picture shows some of their toys. Am I jealous ? , go on, ask me.
Down here in Oz it gets dark very quickly so photography on a moving platform becomes something of a challenge. Here are some “snaps” taken once darkness had arrived.
At some point we tied up to a buoy, so that the hot food could be cooked on the huge BBQ at the stern. We sat swinging at the whims of the river currents and the wind, just offshore from Mosmans Restaurant.
The crew laid out quite a spread, with steaks, chicken drummies and prawns cooked on the BBQ, supplemented with a variety of salads and roast vegetables followed by fresh fruits and cheeses.
Food consumed, we were then of further up river until the city came into view. Time for some more snaps but, several beers in, I wasn’t really up for the challenge.
Yes, that’s twice I’ve been in front of the lens on one single occasion.
Here is the best of a bad lot …..
It would have been nice to have cruised right up into the city, but that was as close as we got. Still looks good though.
There was a disco on board and we did get up to dance, a bit. Well that’s perhaps a very loose description of the gyrations I was making. I am pleased to say that there are no photos of that brief interlude.
All too soon we were heading back to the East Street Jetty. Just a short distance, from the jetty, is the Left Bank, bar and restaurant.
This place, The Left Bank, was having a Xmas Eve party. It started at Noon and was going on till 2 am . From the jetty we could see that they had swarms of hi-viz jacketed security outside. We could hear it from the river as we cruised by. Call me an old fart, but any pub that requires that level of security is not a place I would want to frequent. Having said that we did have a nice early evening meal there a few years back.
So there you have it, our trip up the swanny.
There are many interpretations of the phrase “up the swanny”, including ballsed up, stuck in the mud, tits up, up shit creek, up the creek without a paddle and so forth.
None of these are applicable. We had a great time and our thanks go to Kate and her crew for a super evening.
Gone Fishing
Decided to give the Blackwall Reach location a bash on Wednesday morning. So I took myself off to a nearby tackle shop for some bait and advice.
The proprietor was enthusiastic about our proposed venue but suggested that fishing from the cliff tops at Blackwall was problematic and that if we took ourselves a short distance down stream to Blackwall Parade we could fish at river level and within sight of our car.
It seems the local rogues like to target cars left in lonely car parks. Those that service the cliff tops are a particular favourite. The car park at Point Walter is possibly the worst, especially if you are an angler and plan to fish of the sandbar.
The miscreants can see an angler way out on the water and know that they cannot get back to prevent their car from being burglarised or totally trashed.
On Wednesday morning, at around 08:30, we arrived at Blackwall Parade. We decided to recce and walked the full length of the parade, noting a couple of likely beach spots with the possibility of a jetty to fish as a back up.
On the way back to the car we spotted a Kookaburra quietly observing us.
During our stroll along the shoreline we encountered many joggers, dog walkers and baby strollers. Everyone seemed very friendly and we were typically bade a cheery good morning.
Retrieving our tackle and bait from the car we found ourselves a cosy corner as our base, complete with mancave, to provide some shade.
Getting the fishing underway we were immediately plagued with bites from “blowies“. They are adept at stealing bait whilst avoiding getting themselves caught. They are however, tenacious, and will follow your line and any remaining bait back to shore. On several occasions I managed to lift my line out of the water ,with a single “bowie” hanging onto the remnants of my bait. Realising they were no longer in the water they would then drop off and dart back into the deeper waters. These little blighters quite happily helped themselves to all of our bait. We were using squid, herring and prawns. Nothing was immune to their concerted attacks.
The sum total of our catch, for the four or so hours that we fished, was one Bream and one “blowie”. Being poisonous, nobody wants “blowies” and the Bream was undersized, so both were returned to fight again.
So, what was I doing while Steve was catching all the fish ?
Well, I was doing my damnedest to haul this specimen ashore …..
I managed to cast my line over the mooring rope on three occasions. On one of those occasions I will hold my hand up to a miscast. The other two I will blame on the strong winds blowing up the river. On two out of those three occasions I lost the end tackle.
If I had managed to pull this craft ashore I was planning to exercise my rights to salvage.
A few yards along the shore from our fishing spot there were a couple of other anglers. They started after us and gave up before us. I didn’t see them bring anything ashore but I am sure they suffered the same plague of “blowies”.
Although not a productive day it was definitely fun and there is plenty going on along the river to keep ones interest. This would be a nice spot to just sit with a picnic and while away a few hours.
WrAnTz 