cong a.k.a jordana site of me and updates (will change soon)

Day 7 was early. I was shivering in bed on the upper deck. I did not bother to check the time. Neither did I bother to find out why the heater below was so poor in keeping me warm, when I thought this last night should be the best I would be spending in Western Australia.

It could not be help I guess. Margaret River was surprisingly cold. The night before while I was out to take stars exposures, I had to don my gloves on, the first occasion in the entire trip for me to do so. It was no doubt warmer in the morning. But our car parked outside the gate returning the key for our early check out said it all. It was like a metal meat brought out of the freezer thawing.

Budgeting done the night before showed us we had quite a substantial amount to spend for this last day before we departed for Singapore at 11.15pm. Good food would be our best bet. Our dinner got to be spent with Lester and Baoqi as well. About a 3-hour journey from Margaret River to Perth with more destinations to reach in between spell out the itinerary in between.

Urban Bean was our breakfast place. Directed again by Lonely Planet, it was an affordable meal, if not a filling meal, in Margaret River. Why I said that was because comparing to Keyuan’s order, Vincent’s and mine looked appetising and fulfilling. Streets were clear, so was the sky. Enjoying the breakfast in the cool sunny morning was heavenly. Talking about blending in with the locals, we seemed to do it at this very last day!

We headed back to the route taking us to Augusta. Although kinda inflexible, our budget allowed us to visit Jewel Cave, which cost AD$19.50 per entry! And Vincent and Keyuan were rather keen to visit. Having visited some caves in China Beijing and Vietnam Halong Bay, I somehow concluded all caves in the world are rather similar. Jewel Caves did not prove my hypothesis wrong either.

Jewel Cave was interesting only because the guide managed to create some interactivity with us by playing with the light switches. Maybe it scored in the area of injecting adventure as well since their walkway constructions were not too easy to navigate. But I was hoping the lightings could be more colourful with variations. It would result in more beautiful photographic shots for the tourists. And this brought me to another issue which disallowed me to use tripod while inside the cave. For what reasons I could not fathom.

Drove back up north again, this time we went to Chocolate Factory. Slowly we began to see more cars gathered. At least we were looking like really visiting some tourism spots. A short tour had to be done. Too much time was spent on Jewel Cave and upon reaching Chocolate Factory it was around 12.35pm. Anyway, it was just like a routine shopping stop with chocolates being the only products found to be purchased. But still, the adults would not mind, much less the kids!

Margaret River region is famous for their wineries. Practically it seemed impossible to gauge which one would be the best to visit with cellars and vineyards scattering so densely around the region. Clairault was what Keyuan chose in the end. Like our visit to the Chocolate Factory, free samples were given. Most will know I am more interested in this than chocolates! Cocktails are my field of interest. For wine, I still have a long way to go to fully understand the appreciation. After 3 samplings of Shiraz, Port and Riesling each, I guessed the owner could tell what a newbie we were.

Packed my Riesling into the car, we wrapped up our journey of Margaret River and continued heading North to Busselton. We looked well on time as it was 1+pm as we left for Busselton. But to reach Perth city around evening at 6+pm, we got to leave where ever we are at 3pm, the latest, and begin travelling back which can take 3+ hours.

The weather had been at its best all day. There was no clouds at all. Absolutely no clouds! Our visit to Busselton Jetty was only spoilt by the ongoing constructions midway through the jetty. If only we could go all the way to the end of the Jetty which was 1.8+km in length, we would be able to proclaim another ‘feat’ of landing ourselves on the ‘Longest Jetty in the Southern Hemisphere’!

There had the most crowd in a place of interest we had seen in our entire travel. As I mentioned earlier, blending in with the crowds was crucial, and especially in travels, you might more often be able to find good stuffs you otherwise might miss in places devoid of humans. So the gems we unearthed was actually ice cream! Held in hand by most people in and out of the jetty, ice cream had become our lunch.

Time was well clocked. Estimated time of arrival showed 6.15pm. We knew we had reached the end of our Southern Curl. Looking at the sceneries passing us as we travelled the final phase of this adventure was a reality strike. The heavenly feel of travel inevitably ends prematurely, always, with a hit of stressful realisation that routines will soon resume. As vistas and lawns of countryside sped past us, I seemed to think the past 7 days had only begun yesterday. You never feel the time until the end of a time frame.

We chased sunset once more on our way back to Perth. I was in 2 minds on where and when to stop along the highway. Either the rays were still harsh on my lens, or the foreground was not as good as the last we past by. I was in contemplation. I mentioned before missing a sunset was not the end of the world. But missing it the last time in Western Australia with time in my control would be a slap in the face. Vincent pulled ahead immediately at my request. After running straight to the fence, shutters were clicking non-stop. I felt I lost a minute or two. A sun setting does so real quick. Half of the ‘yolk’ had already been buried below the horizon. The silhouettes of the trees I loved to include in the frame could only make up that much.

So be it. I knew I cannot expect to be rewarded with such wishy-washiness. For I needed 3 days to fill my 8GB memory card, it took me less than half an hour snapping away a 2GB card inside the car out of the window, with the hope of salvaging some sunset frames. Fat hope.

Arriving at Perth was exciting for the first day. Arriving there again was terrible for the last day. After picking up Lester and Baoqi from their apartment, we cruised to their recommendation site for our dinner. 3 huge pizzas were shared amongst us 1 hour later.

Time was short. Immediately after our dinner, we proceeded to their campus for a shot of group photo in front of the main tower (or hall). It seemed to be a tourist attraction anyway, so why not? Last stop of our tour got to be a finale glimpse of the city we landed. Atop the hills at King�s Park was where everybody jumped about. The excitement was only secondary. Main reason was to fight the chilling wind!

Soon after snapping the night panoramic view of Perth city skyline below, both on my camera and on my mind, another group photo in front of the cityscape was the last frame my camera was exposed for this trip.

All was too familiar back at the airport. Returning the car was so swift we kinda regretted not renting it right from the first day of the tour. Got my liqueur. Checked. No souvenirs to be bought at the airport. Checked. Stomach filled. Not bothering me. The timing of the flight was just nice for me to pay back the sleep debt I was already in at Margaret River.

Day 8 at Changi Airport was cold. Place was cold. People were cold. Probably too early. Still, a quick wash up was done and we proceeded straight for a local breakfast (wanton mee!) after our DFS shopping was done.

My parents were expected to show up, despite my constant persuasion to them that the time could be well spent sleeping at home. I did not like the idea still, as I would be kinda stressful eating my breakfast while they were waiting. Fetching home from holidays at airport seemed like a ritual to them. But you cannot deny the fact of how relieve you will be, seeing your kin at the airport after so long away from home.

To cap this entire tour with a sour note, I lost my ice wine worth S$69! With things happening so fast, I only realised my ice wine was not in the cab after a mile away from the arrival hall. The cab driver was “kind” enough to bring me back, allowing me to ask the uncles handling the trolleys if I missed it there. What I remembered was the driver was very helpful in loading� my luggage up the trunk of the cab and he actually gave the trolley a hard push away. I am quite sure the ice wine was not left there after giving it a second look before I left. I did not doubt the integrity of the staffs at the airport as well. That could only bring the suspect to one person.

I swear the ice wine was in my trolley before I board the cab….

Anyway, last few photos for the final Day 7 & 8 of the trip are here in my Facebook album.