Tag: blue

Blowing The Cobwebs Away


We have been in WA for nearly a month now. Having travelled out from the UK to support our daughter following the passing of Steve, her husband.

Up until now, our time has been filled with preparations for the funeral and general mundane household shopping trips and, most recently, collecting Steves ashes from the funeral home.

To be honest the weather hasn’t been the best but yesterday we managed to get out of the house for a couple of hours. This is the  first time that a trip out hasn’t had a purpose. By that, I mean it was, just to get some fresh air, for a change of scenery.

Interesting Sculpture – Rockingham, WA

We opted to drive down to Rockingham, forty odd kilometres south of Perth, to walk along the foreshore. After a forty-five minute drive, we found ourselves on the prom.

The sun was shining, and the sky was blue, and with a temperature of 20°C it really was very pleasant. We had already planned to have fish ‘n’ chips, and so it was we found ourselves sitting in the sunshine enjoying an al fresco lunch.

Gerry, Denise & Molly on Rockingham prom

Freshwater Cobbler in crispy batter with crispy but fluffy chips. The Cobbler was a first for me. The lady who served me in Nae’s Seafood & Grill informed me that it was a kind catfish. It was very tasty, but it’s not Cod or Haddock. However, it did hit the spot.

View From Rockingham Foreshore

Then, it was time to head back along the prom and back to the car. And, after a forty minute drive home, we were soon sitting in the lounge with a very welcome cuppa.

The brisk, but not unpleasant, sea-breeze definitely blew away the cobwebs we had accumulated.

Shame the weather forecast for the next few days shows a temperature drop and plenty of rain and thunderstorms.

Matilda Bay


On the Swan River there is a natural bay, Matilda Bay which is believed to have been named after Matilda, the wife of John Septimus Roe. He was, in the 1800s, the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia and was, for a number of years, a member of Western Australia’s legislative and executive councils.

Whats so interesting about Matilda Bay you may ask.

Nothing, I might have responded, if I hadn’t be commuting along the Mounts Bay Road, every day Monday thru Friday for the last couple of months. Due these regular trips I became aware of two features of the Matilda Bay shore line.

The first being a bronze statue, of a woman preparing to dive, mounted on a pedestal some meters offshore.  Eliza  is located at the site of the former Crawley Baths.

Apparently, when they opened in 1914, the baths were the largest enclosed body of water in the southern hemisphere. They were demolished in 1964.

Eliza – Matilda Bay, Perth, W.A.

Although Eliza was just dressed in seagull poo yesterday, during my many passes she has been adorned with all manner of clothing, banners and balloons. No one is sure who dresses Eliza but past costumes have included a Santa Claus outfit with beard and coincident with the Melbourne Cup, a frock and champagne flute.

The second feature to catch my eye is the Crawley Edge Boat Shed

Crawley Edge Boat Shed – Perth, W.A.

A few years ago this structure was due to be demolished. Like the phoenix it has risen again and has become another icon of Perth, with many tourists travelling here to specifically take selfies.

Crawley Edge Boat Shed – Perth, W.A.

Note: Mounts Bay Road is a very busy road. There are no parking facilities adjacent to either of these features. The nearest parking requires a short, not unpleasant, walk along the shore line.