statue – WrAnTz

Took a run out to a place called Two Rocks on Friday, travelling via Osbourne Park where our granddaughter was buying some uniform items for her new job which she starts on Monday.

Why go to Two Rocks ?

Well for no other reason that it is further up the coast than we had been before without having to have an overnight stop. I had also read about a large statue to King Neptune which had been, at one time, a feature of a now defunct theme park. I thought it would be interesting to drive up, take a look and perhaps have a spot of lunch. If we could find an eatery.

King Neptune - Courtesy — King Neptune – Courtesy

And so, uniform items purchased, we found ourselves trundling along the country roads leading to Yanchep and Two Rocks. Once you clear the Perth suburbs the driving becomes quite calm and the scenery is pleasant, swapping between woodland bordering the edge of the road and scrubby bushland with stark dead trees silhouetted against the clear blue skies.

Nearer to Two Rocks the bushland gave way to what looked like grassy hummocks. Initially I though these lumps were just piles of spoil left by local property developers. However, there are so many of them that I now believe them to be naturally produced sand dunes.

Despite being around an hours drive away from Perth there seems to be quite a lot of residential development underway. A large hoarding proclaimed that a plot of land can be had for 139,000 AUD. Slightly nearer to Two Rocks and another had jacked the price up to 195,000 AUD. So once you have your plot, all you have to do is build your house.

On arriving at Two Rocks we were immediately struck by how much like a ghost town the place was. A, very large, car park supports a small shopping centre. And I mean small. There several empty units. And those that were occupied comprised a small supermarket, cafe, tavern, hairdresser, travel agent, newsagent/post office, curry house and an arts and crafts gallery.

All of this is perched on a rise looking down on the Two Rocks Marina and the ocean. The Neptune statue can be seen from the shopping centre but appeared to be fenced off with no access. I had read that the statue had been vandalised but recently refurbished and reopened to the public in May. Seems like he’s been segregated again.

5J7A2115 — Catching some rays while waiting for our Chish n Fips

We did stay to have lunch at the Neptune Cafe. Fish and Chips all round with a chilled Ice Tea for Gerry, Chocolate Milk Shake for Caitlin and an Iced Coffee for me. All served on the terrace overlooking the marina and out over the ocean. The fish served here were perhaps the smallest fillets I have seen since being in Oz. However, this being lunch, they were adequate and well cooked. Each supported by a large basket of chips and a bowl of tartare sauce. With taste buds suitable enhanced by the salt sea air our appetites were truly satisfied.

Two Rocks Marina – Viewed from the terrace

It was very windy and the ocean, blue as always, was flat but speckled with whole herds of white horses. This terrace would be ideal for sitting out with a cool drink, in the evenings, to watch an Indian Ocean sunset.

Two Rocks - After which the town is named — Two Rocks – After which the town is named

Off to one side, in an out-of-the-way corner of this little community, there are a number of limestone creations known as “The Waugal Monoliths” created by WA sculptor, Mark le Buse.

Sculpture - The Waugal Monoliths — Sculpture – The Waugal Monoliths

The photo above is perhaps one of the better examples. The sculptures are supposed to be a depiction and interpretation of aboriginal Dreamtime legends.

No idea what this is supposed to represent. The sculptor hailed from the USA. You would have thought that they could have found an aboriginal artist.

The Waugal - An antipodean Nessie perhaps — The Waugal – An antipodean Nessie perhaps

The following was taken from an information board near this sculpture….

Waugal Monoliths Legend

The Waugals, legendary spirits with supernatural powers living deep within the Yanchep waters for thousands of years, featured in mythical rites and were regarded with fear and awe by the local natives.

Aboriginal folklore handed down for generations tells how the waugal dragged its victims down into the depths of the lake to imprison them there forever.

After this cultural break we headed back to Perth, making a brief stop at Drovers Marketplace, Wanneroo, to pick up some meat for dinner. They do good meat here.

I was also put under great pressure to stop at Leapfrogs Cafe. Leapfrogs is situated in the Wanneroo Botanic Gardens on the shores of lake Joondalup and features a mini-golf garden. We had been here before on a previous visit to Oz and it is the mini golf that was the major draw but, due to time constraints, a visit here had to be deferred.

A re-visit is on the to-do list and there is an open challenge from Caitlin, Steve and Denise.

Yesterday we spent a fabulous day visiting Wells in Somerset.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather. After around two hours traveling we arrived and promptly set about finding somewhere to have a bite to eat and a cuppa. We settled on The Crown at Wells and Antons Bistro and opted to eat in The Penns Bar.

Originally a separate inn, it was from an upper window here that William Penn, a Quaker who later gave his name to Pennsylvania USA (and our bar), preached to a crowd below in 1685.

After lunch we started our exploration in earnest. After browsing some of the market stalls and doing a bit of window shopping we passed through the archway and headed towards the Bishops Palace and Moat.

The weather was so good that many folks had brought picnics and were sitting enjoying the sunshine. Not something we are able to do as often as we would like. Of course nobody was allowed on the bowling green quality lawns immediately in front of the palace itself.

Before traveling down to Wells I had printed of the Wells Moat Walk map which guides you around the moat and makes sure you don’t miss the main sights. Each of the following views are from that walk.

The Tithe Barn, unfortunately, was surrounded by parked cars which was a shame. Its a lovely building and deserves to be seen without the automotive graffiti.

As we strolled along the moat we availed ourselves of a deliciously smooth 99 apiece. This really was just like a summers day. We had to keep reminding ourselves that it was still only the third week of March.

Wherever you are in the city the magnificent cathedral dominates the skyline. But there are plenty of other interesting sights.

Adjacent to the cathedral can be found the Vicars Close which has it’s own unique style and, having no through road, forms a quiet secluded area away from the general hustle and bustle.

The cathedral itself has many interesting feature both outside as well as in. Close to the entrance to the Vicars Close, on the cathedral wall you can see the Wells Clock, said to be the second oldest clock mechanism in Britain.

Inside, the cathedral has many beautiful architectural features. In the main body of the building is the scissor arch. An impressive feature but they serve a very real purpose. In the past a high tower topped by a lead covered wooden spire had been constructed but as the foundations were not stable large cracks began to appear in the tower structure. The scissor arch is an engineering solution to the problem.