Perth sans kids

No, not alone but sans kids, with a girlfriend. The trip is meant to be my revitalising and rejuvenating trip. I am desperate to have one. 

Why Perth?

Well because Perth is safe in a way. And I don't need a busy, bustling city that runs from dawn to the depth of night. Its picturesque natural landscape and slower pace of life enthralled me the most.

WHERE WE DAWDLED

Fremantle

Freo, [as it's commonly referred to by locals] has so much to offers. We visited the busy indoor market that houses everything, anything- from fresh produce to street foods, quirky gifts, handicraft, fashion etc. There are a lot to see, taste, feel and wander in the Romanian architecture hub. We were too reluctant to try the kangaroo BBQ as we feel sorry for the roo.
Fremantle Markets | https://www.fremantlemarkets.com.au/

Fremantle Markets

Thanks to Cappuccino Strip, we had a good trailing around Fremantle. Believe it or not, we lost our way in searching for this street renowned for many outdoor cafes and al fresco restaurants. And in fact, the Cappuccino Strip is just diagonally opposite the Fremantle Markets.
#nosenseofdirection 😂

A visit to the stunning landmark in Esplanade Park - Fremantle Tourists Wheel is a must. Many say you can't visit #Freo without taking a ride on the 40 metres high Ferris wheel. And so we did! It carries 24 air-conditioned gondolas that can accommodate up to 6 peoples per carriage. The sky view observation wheel takes us 15 stories into the air, allow us to have spectacular bird eyes view of Fremantle town and harbour. There isn't any crowd during our visit, so we have the honour to own a gondola just for the two of us. The ride took us about 8 minutes and the experience is awe-inspiring!
http://www.touristwheelfremantle.com/

Having a seafood platter or a sinful plate of fish and chips by the harbour is the next good thing to do. The harbour breeze is just so revitalising.
Cicerello's | http://www.cicerellos.com.au/
Kaillis | http://kailis.com/fremantle/

Public Art in Fremantle

The gigantic artwork is our must-visit-insta-worthy spot in our itinerary. The 9 metres high, 19 metres long and 66 tonnes Rainbow Sea Container is created by local artist, Marcus Canning. I personally was impressed by its installation. The colourful sea container was constructed with the help of large cranes, overlooking the Swan River.
http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/freorainbow

Freo rainbow

Crawley Edge Boatshed

We don't mind the disappointment to see only an empty shell, and because is the photo and location check-in that count, we paid a visit to the iconic blue boat house. Be it selfie, wefie or groupie, snap it your way [unless there are photo bombers that get in your way]. We had loads of snap-like-no-others keepsakes because the surrounding is just so quiet, minus the traffic.

Rottnest Island

We were mesmerised by the tranquillity and turquoise beaches along the way on board Island Explorer bus. And that Victoria Secret's model - Bridget Malcolm ties the knot with her husband here, just a week before our island-hop. We feel so related. *hahaha*
I am particularly excited to be able to take selfie with the tamed wildlife - Quokka. Too adorable.
We explored only The Basin, Little Salmon Bay and Parker Point due to time constraint. And yeah no pink lake. Till next time. #ILOVEROTTO
http://www.rottnestisland.com/

Parker Point

Too clear to be true

Swan Valley

Tipsy throughout the day is the thing that I get to do sans kids. Too true to be good. I only want to experience this at least once. So the next time I visit Swan Valley with the kids, we can wine sampling from our itinerary. We went case after scouring the whole Swan Valley for wine sampling. Alcohol overdosed so a cuppa at microbrewery would suffice.
After four hours of wine, cheese board and chocolate tasting, we decide apple cider from Fig Tree is the best. 😆

We prefer to hand feed the kangaroos and cam-whore with koalas as well as wombat at the family-run wildlife park. Yes, "family-run". How awesome.

Mash Brewing Co http://www.mashbrewing.com.au/
Fig Tree Winery https://www.figtreeestate.com.au/
Houghton Wines http://www.houghton-wines.com.au/
Providore http://providore.com.au/home
Caversham Wildlife Park http://www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/
Swan Valley Tours http://www.svtours.com.au/

Hand feed kangaroo

With Wombat

Too hugable

THE BEST THING WE DID

Adventure Boat Tour
Set sail and embark on a new adventure with Adventure Boat Tour with Rottnest Express and we are glad that we did. This tour takes us on a 90 mins journey to the island's wild side. Although we are not in time to see the humpback whales who migrate through Rottnest during September to November, we get a up-close encounter with The New Zealand fur seal colony. Well, some say they spotted dolphins, too! *Shrug*
The tour enables us to explore Rotto's remote and enchanting coastline, as well as secluded bays and beaches. Although I am suffering from seasick after a round of hair-raising and adrenalin pumping boat thrill It's the experience that counts, isn't it?
https://www.rottnestexpress.com.au/

The NZ fur seal

4-wheel Driving Adventure
Riding on the specially invented transformer coach to traverse the town of Cervantes, walk on the moonscape of The Pinnacles to admire at the limestone formations within Nambung National Park. The Sahara is best to describe the dry, barren, humid and treeless region. No camel though. Our tour guide is not only a tour guide. He is responsible for all the admin stuff, he is also our driver as well as a mechanic! While we are taking a toilet break, he swiftly deflates the tyres to an appropriate pressure so that we won't get bogged in the vast sand dunes - The Lancelin. The highlight is drifting over the soft, white sand dunes.
http://www.adamspinnacletours.com.au/

The Pinnacles - Limestone formation

Lancelin - The biggest white sand dunes of WA

The transformer that brings us through our full day Pinnacles, Koalas & sand boarding 4WD adventure

THE INCREDIBLE FILLING

The vegan café. The snug, shabby and good vibes café hidden in a back street serves the best rice milk latte and muesli with almond milk. I am all perked!

Flora & Fauna | https://www.facebook.com/florafaunaperth/

Al-fresco dining at Flora & Fauna. So energetic and healthy!

I'm in love with rice milk latte 😍

Young Love Mess Hall is not messy at all. We were driven by its happy-hour vibes and eye-catching décor. We had the planet's most tastier Galician Octopus with purple yam prepared in its very unique way. Succulent and delish!
http://www.younglovemesshall.com/

SLUMBERLAND

Love the newly established hotel that conveniently located in the heart of CBD. Most of the tourist attractions and must-visit places are just miles away, accessible by foot. The lifesaver CAT buses are available at a bus stop nearby. We find no reason to laze!

http://www.peppers.com.au/kings-square/

Wall mural hidden at the back alleys near our hotel

We spent a night at Swan Valley B&B to experience the significant farm stay in WA. Sue and Ross are way too friendly. Waking up to a home-cooked western breakfast is just too blissful. What's more? We get to savour our breakfast in the garden with a lovely set up, and chat away with the farm animals! 

https://www.agoda.com/swan-valley-bed-and-breakfast-farmstay/hotel/perth-au.html?cid=-200

Exterior of Swan Valley B&B

AFTER-TRIP INSIGHTS

What I've gained from this trip? I found kinship, the mother-kids kind of kinship. I love them even more and more and still counting. Some places are just too meaningless to explore without the kids. I would not want to globe-trot without the kids anymore!