What we did on our Holidays - part 2 - Perth

Mostly what we did was spend time with family and eat a lot of Christmas food ... my lovely niece & nephew decorated this Gingerbread House.

We didn't do much that was 'touristy' - though the dolls did spend a morning at the Stirling Gardens on St Georges Terrace where they met some bronze kangaroos!

Roos have big feet

and their Tails are very long indeed!

The kangaroos were created by Charles and Joan Walsh Smith in 1997. 

They were very friendly and took the dolls for a bit of a hop about the gardens ...

and the girls found a giant 'shish-kebab' made of rocks - (you can read about the 'Harmony of Minerals' here)

 

Let's see a little more of Perth's public art - this time from Kings Park.

 

A giant steel dragonfly on "Lycopod Island" (the pole has been made to look like a Lycopod trunk). 


This area of Kings Park also has life-size replica dinosaurs.

And our grand-daughter loved the newly hatched Baby Muttaburrasaurus (which I think looks a lot like ET) ...














There are also replica Stromatolites which the ducks find very convenient ...

Pacific Black Duck-lings

More ducklings - these 2 are Australian Wood Ducks.

But the State Emblem for WA is not a duck - it is the Black Swan and there are swans on many older buildings...

Let's see some more 'nature' - lovely hollyhocks & hoyas in my mum-in-law's garden

Violetta likes flowers that match her hair!

A large Preying Mantis who posed for a portrait ...

And some truly spectacular Sturt Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa)  in a Mosman Park garden

This amazing flower with its 'crescent moon' shape and shiny black centre is the Floral Emblem of South Australia.

Hmmm
2 state emblems in 1 post!

Well, let's leave Western Australia with a sunset.  From Leighton Beach, ships anchored in Gage Roads waiting to get into Fremantle or Kwinana harbour.

What we did on our Holidays - part 1 - Perth

Just back from 3weeks away in Melbourne and Perth visiting family - it was a MEGA Christmas.  

The 2 Simply cousins, Audrey and Violetta came to Perth with us. 

Do you think all these pressies are for us?

We stayed at a cheap hotel which is about to be renovated.  This is a shame in a way because I doubt that they'll replace the vintage bottle opener fitted to the wall in the bathroom ...
And, sorry, I know we shouldn't mention such things, but why do hotels & motels do this to the toilet paper?





I do admire the skill and care that goes into folding toilet paper into neat points but ...

The hotel in Perth went one better - the tissues were pointy too!

  

 

The girls decided to stay on the shelf - it was just their cup of tea!

They also did plenty of exploring - mostly in Kings Park

Indiana Audrey

They found old trees with wonderful dolly-sized hollows in them

Dollies debating what living in a tree hollow would be like

And trees with lovely colours

Also wonderfully coloured birds ...

Rainbow Lorikeet

Pink & Grey Galah (Cacatua roseicapilla)

Finally here is a view of the Swan River with the old brewery in the foreground - this was taken from the Tree-Top Walk in Kings Park which is not recommended for folk who get vertigo!

  It was a typically hot Perth day - but with wonderful clouds - Cirrus (I think?).