thawaio.a personal journal
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A wide sweep of orange granite with a timber viewing platform in the foreground, white surf breaking along the rocks and a deep blue ocean stretching to the horizon.

Journeys · 10 parts

Western Australia, 2017

Where
Rottnest Island, Perth, the Swan Valley and the South West, Western Australia
Travelled
2–14 April 2017
Written up
October 2026
Parts
10

Start from part one: Back to Rottnest Island, This Time for the Night →

The stories, in order

  1. Part 1 · 2–3 April 2017 · Perth and Rottnest Island

    Back to Rottnest Island, This Time for the Night

    The start of a family holiday in Western Australia, and a return to Rottnest Island with a friend, this time with a night on the island.

    1 min read

  2. Part 2 · 4–5 April 2017 · Rottnest Island and Perth

    Sunrise and Quokkas on Rottnest

    A sunrise over the bay, a slow morning around the settlement and our son's first quokkas, before the ferry back to Perth.

    1 min read

  3. Part 3 · 6 April 2017 · Whiteman Park, Perth

    Wildlife and a Sheep-Shearing Show at Whiteman Park

    Koalas, penguins and pelicans, and my first sight of a sheep being shorn, on a morning at Whiteman Park.

    1 min read

  4. Part 4 · 6 April 2017 · Swan Valley

    A Relaxed Afternoon in the Swan Valley

    Seven of us in a hired seven-seater, wandering between wineries, tastings, honey and chocolate in the Swan Valley.

    1 min read

  5. Part 5 · 6–7 April 2017 · Perth and Cottesloe

    The Blue Boat House and Sunset at Cottesloe

    The end of a long day out, from the Blue Boat House on the river to sunset at Cottesloe Beach, and an evening with old college friends.

    1 min read

  6. Part 6 · 8–11 April 2017 · Margaret River

    Margaret River and a Chalet in the Woods

    A coach south from Perth, a second try at renting a car, and a quiet chalet deep in the woods that became our base in the South West.

    2 min read

  7. Part 7 · 9 April 2017 · Augusta

    Shark and Chips in Augusta

    A drive south to Augusta, my first taste of shark at Blue Ocean Fish & Chips, and an afternoon by clear water and granite.

    1 min read

  8. Part 8 · 9 April 2017 · Cape Leeuwin

    Cape Leeuwin, Where Two Oceans Meet

    A tall white lighthouse, granite, surf and a vast ocean at the south-western tip of Australia, and still one of my strongest memories of Western Australia.

    1 min read

  9. Part 9 · 10 April 2017 · Busselton

    Out to Sea on Busselton Jetty

    A ride on the jetty train, the underwater observatory and almost two kilometres of white railings over clear blue water at Busselton.

    1 min read

  10. Part 10 · 11–14 April 2017 · Perth

    Perth Zoo and Saying Goodbye

    Back to Perth by coach, an afternoon at Perth Zoo for the children, and a late-night flight home at the end of almost two weeks in Western Australia.

    1 min read