25th - 27th January

So, this would be the possibly the third time we have been residents of Mandurah! Yep, third!

Leaving Perth we caught the train to Mandurah as the Perth Underground was about 90 metres from the Mantra Hotel, and, public transport here is top notch and the price is right . A Family Day Rider pass costs $12:10 and covers all bus, train and ferry travel for us both for 24 hours. So by midday we are reunited with the Patrol and the Lotus Inn, the latter having had some work done whilst we were back in Gotham City, and we're soon set in camp once more at Miami Caravan Park on the south side of Mandurah (pronounced Mand-rah).

We had work to do. Before leaving for GC we unpacked our camping gear from the Patrols roof rack and stacked in it the Lotus, so, out it came again so Evi could set up our living space, whilst Roscoe sorted, arranged and replaced the camp gear. As we all know unpacking is a breeze, but repacking, well that takes time and some trial and error! After several sweat soaked hours the roof rack was once more full and a new schmick net over the load.

26th, Straya Day (Australia Day for our European family)! We are invited by our local friends John and Judy to join them and another couple to spend the day on their boat in the Peel Inlet, a large saltwater inland lake . The day is beautiful, it must be as there appears to be a thousand boats on the water all with the same idea. All aboard and we head out of the quiet canals from their home into a super highway of craft of every description, most decorated with Australian Flags and bunting and great big eskies full of refreshments. Peel Inlet has two opening to the Indian Ocean, and the 5klm wide bay runs north/south for probably 30klm so thankfully it dispenses and absorbs the flotilla.

After a short trip John finds a narrow spot on the beach for our picnic and the blokes erect a sun shelter and furnish it with table and camp chairs, making the scene for the next happy, conversation filled 5 hours. Judy has excelled with pre-lunch nibbles followed by a delicious lunch, all washed down by a thankfully never depleting esky of fine wine and ale. Swims ensure for most of us as we sit and talk and meet other revellers who pass by. The other couple, Barbara and Graham from Perth are great company and a couple of characters . Late in the afternoon we cruised through the canals of the "rich end of town" and came to a large mooring area near the ocean entrance with rafts of boats tied together celebrating Straya Day...kids jumping off anything with height, people calling out greetings and probably some fallen overboard! It was a great day out, finishing with coffee and Pavlova back at John and Judy's. Thanks again guys!

Where else would three couples meet for lunch, when they come from Bunbury, Dubbo & the Gold Coast? Fremantle of course! And so we find ourselves catching 2 trains from Mandurah to Perth to Fremantle, return for $12:10 for us both, to meet at the Bib & Tucker Restaurant on North Fremantle beach. Co-owned by Eamon Sullivan, an Australian Olympian, the restaurant has a larrikin feel to it accompanied by an excellent range on both the menu and drinks card. Here at 2pm we meet old business friends Damien and Rachael Mahon from Dubbo and Doug and Annette Matlejan from Bunbury for a latish lunch, a few drinks followed by stories and laughs. The food was excellent with some unusual dishes on the menu, service fast and cheery. Doug and Annette we caught up with in the Margret River last December, however, Damien and Rachel we haven't seen for over a year. A merry meeting and a long leisurely lunch made for a quiet trip back home.

So, we are packed and ready to explore new territory, head south then east. Farewell Mandurah, you have been kind to us and we have enjoyed this city so much!