a day at perth zoo

A numbat sighting at Perth Zoo!

One of my goals in recent times is to get out there and experience more of Perth while I'm here. So late last year we kicked things off with a visit to Rottnest Island, an absolute stunner of a destination, and I'm currently trying to compile a list of places we can check out in 2017. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section!

Anyway, yeah, the list is still a work in progress, but we're making do with what we've got, and Perth Zoo was our first outing for this year. The entry tickets were $29 per adult, and we made the most of it - I think we ended up spending over four hours just leisurely sauntering around.

The main attraction at Perth Zoo, for me, is the elusive numbat - the charming marsupial anteater that is also, unfortunately, an endangered species at this point in time, and is almost exclusively found in Western Australia these days. When we stopped at the exhibit late in the morning, we saw nary a numbat, and I feared that I would leave the zoo in abject disappointment. Obviously, not being one to give up so easily, I insisted that we swing by again later in the afternoon, and lo and behold - a lone numbat was scurrying around, as cute as anything, and I declared our Perth Zoo trip a delightful success: mission accomplished!

My verdict on Perth Zoo? I would say that it's not just a great place for a family outing, but also a fun and interesting venue for a date with your partner - Simon and I had a very nice time, and we were glad that we gave it a go.

I didn't manage to capture decent pictures of all the animals we saw, but here are a few of my favourite snaps... I hope you enjoy them! :)

Little penguin swimming around.

A black-necked stork in a perfect pose.

A dingo looking lovable!

A sweet little tammar wallaby foraging at Perth Zoo.

A red panda peeks out from a tree.

Meerkats huddled up in adorable bundles!

And there is also the intriguing African sausage tree.

Tree kangaroos at Perth Zoo.

A numbat standing on its hind legs. Isn't it the cutest?

Koala hanging out on a tree at Perth Zoo.

Australian pelicans cruising across the water.

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day trip to rottnest island: quokkas and more!

The quokka's irresistible signature smile.

Earlier last month, Simon and I did a day trip to Rottnest Island. It was my first time there, and also Simon's, even though he grew up in Perth! So it was all rather exciting. We'd seen the popularity of quokka selfies on the internet, and we were all wrapped up in the giddy anticipation of getting our first real-life glimpse of these adorable marsupials.

So I went there thinking all I wanted to see was quokkas, and I did and it was everything I could hope for -  but you know what, I fell in love with more than that.

One of the many salt lakes at Rottnest Island. Quite sure this one is Pink Lake, though it may possibly be Lake Negri.

But let's get back to the beginning.

First, we hopped on a ferry at Fremantle. Here's my first tip - there is usually some deal going on, so check the ferry operator websites and book according to the instructions to secure your special rates. You could potentially score a free ride for your birthday, or highly discounted fares on Tuesdays, for example! My second tip? The ocean may or may not play nice - our ferry trip over there made me feel quite ill, while the trip back was perfectly fine - so, get your seasickness remedies ready, just in case.

Ducklings stroll through the colourful vegetation at Rottnest Island. Awesome camouflage!

You can book a bicycle at the same time you book your ferry, which is cheaper and more convenient, but the ferry company had run out of bikes, so we just went to a rental bike shop upon arrival. This probably actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me as a petite person, as the store had a great selection, so I went through the options Goldilocks-style and it meant that I got to pick out just the right size helmet and bike for me. Oh, yeah, and upon walking our bikes out of the shop, we saw our first quokkas right then and there! And, um, yeah, we spent too much time hanging out with those quokkas because we were afraid that they would be our only quokka sightings for the day. But moving on...

We started cycling around Rottnest Island, and seriously, it took my breath away. It was so beautiful everywhere we went, I think I might be bold enough to say that this is the prettiest place I've ever visited in Australia.

I loved the gorgeous red and green vegetation...

Lush samphire at Rottnest Island.

 And the beautiful blue ocean waters...

Fabulous ocean views at Rottnest Island.

But as we cycled along, I did get a little bit concerned, as other than our initial sighting of quokkas outside the bike shop, we haven't really seen many others hopping around. Additionally, Rottnest Island is quite hilly, and as someone who rarely cycles, at certain points, despite all the beauty around me, I couldn't help but bleat plaintively.

This is a selection of oft-quoted phrases whilst I cycled around the island. "There are 12,000 quokkas on this island, where are they?" "Come out and love us, quokkas!" And during my strenuous uphill battles - "This is killing me..." "I'm so tired..." "I'm dying..."

Oh, and "Strugglesome..." a new made-up word coined by Simon that I adopted with gusto.

The hilly paths of Rottnest Island are perhaps not the most ideal for unfit cyclists like me.

We packed bananas, almonds, and water for this day trip, and after a couple of hours exploring the island on bike, we were ready to plonk ourselves down for a good resting and snacking session. We did just that at the Nancy Cove beach, taking in sweet views of Green Island as we rejuvenated ourselves.

The beach at Nancy Cove has a great view of Green Island.

With newfound energy, we continued on our merry way. More scenic loveliness ensued.

Sensational views at Little Salmon Bay, Rottnest Island.

It was mid-afternoon when we stumbled upon another party of quokkas. Look, I have no idea what the collective noun is for quokkas, but they're so cute that my heart does a little dance when I see them, so a party sounds appropriate.

At the time we went - the month of October - we saw some young quokkas hopping around, and they are so adorable! If you want to see baby quokkas still in their mothers' pouches, then probably May to August would be a better time to visit the island. But really, they're cute at any age, so I'd say you can't go wrong as long as you go on a day with decent weather.

Ridiculously cute quokka at Rottnest Island.

Other animals we met that day included a dugite (a venomous snake) by the side of the road - I didn't take a picture because I was paranoid that the click of the camera would trigger it to come after me, haha! - and we also observed a few dark and glossy king skinks, I find them to be so sleek and handsome.

A king's skink at Rottnest Island.

Eventually we returned to the main town area of Rottnest Island, gave back our bikes, and strolled around looking for something to eat. If I recall correctly, we got the burnt caramel with salty caramel swirl and the rum and raisin at Simmo's, and both were delicious.

Ice cream from Simmo's Icecreamery at Rottnest Island.

We also found a grassy area to sit down to eat our Subway sandwiches... and it was then and there that we found out that the Rottnest Island town area is where the naughty quokkas hang out and try to pry food off humans, and they can be quite aggressive about it!

And look, I would love to share if I could, but giving them human food and even water is actually very bad for them, and can lead to not only an unnatural dependence but also cause health issues and reduce their lifespan, and they are a vulnerable species as it is. So don't feed the quokkas! We actually got involved in a full-blown tug-of-war with a belligerent quokka who wouldn't take no for an answer in our efforts to adhere to this rule, and while he may have managed to steal a nibble in the process, we won in the end. Sorry, quokka! We're just looking out for you!

Boat and ocean - a tranquil scene at Rottnest Island.

I am so glad that we did this day trip to Rottnest Island, and I would love to go back again someday. I'd heartily recommend it to anyone - if you live in Perth, or if you're visiting for a holiday - whatever. It's truly an iconic destination of Western Australia.

What are your thoughts on Rottnest Island? Feel free to share in the comments section below!

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c restaurant, perth (my first revolving restaurant experience!)

Pleasant views of Perth city and Swan River from C Restaurant.

Given that I work in a restaurant these days, I don't get tempted to dine out as often - but when I saw an online deal for C Restaurant in Perth, I couldn't resist. After all, it is a rare chance that one gets to have a meal at a revolving restaurant for such an affordable price - $49 for a main course and a drink for two. Plus, I'd never been to a revolving restaurant before, and I wanted to try it at least once.

Anyway, long story short, Simon is interstate for work at the moment, so I ended up going with his mum! We took the elevator straight up to the 33rd floor of St Martins Tower, and there we were - in this circular dining space. It rotates slowly, but there is definitely perceptible movement, and I have to confess that I felt a little strange at first. I did settle in eventually, but if you're prone to motion sickness, be warned.

I wasn't sure what to expect - it is generally said that you go to revolving restaurants more for the novelty and the views than for the food - but actually, I really enjoyed my lunch at C Restaurant. I had C’s famous homemade potato gnocchi with spinach, napolitana sauce and gorgonzola cream, and it was a fine example of comfort food done with luxurious elegance - the portion doesn't look that big, but the pillowy gnocchi along with the rich sauce, broiled to a delightful golden-brown, was indulgent enough that I felt happily satisfied afterwards.

C Restaurant's gnocchi with Napolitana sauce, spinach and gorgonzola cream.

Simon's mum had the free-range chicken breast with confit kipfler potatoes, sauteed kale, tomato fondue and gruyere cheese. I tried a little bit of it, and I was impressed by how perfectly cooked the chicken was - I'm generally more of a chicken thigh sort of girl, because I find that to be more succulent, but this piece of chicken breast was wonderfully tender and moist, and the accompanying elements were nicely done, too.

Having said all this, I'm no high-roller so I'm not sure if I could bring myself to pay full price to eat here, but with the online deal, it was definitely great value.

C Restaurant's free-range chicken breast with sauteed kale, tomato fondue, confit kipfler potatoes, and gruyere cheese.

As for the views? At C Restaurant, there is an outer circle seating just by the windows, as well as a slightly elevated inner circle, and we received a table in the latter section. While we didn't get a window seat (hopefully next time!), it was still fun to watch the scenery shift from where we were, over the hour or so that we were there. All in all, an afternoon well spent!

Another view of Perth from the C Restaurant vantage point.

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$2 taco tuesdays at the belasyse, perth cbd

Belasyse Bar and Restaurant, Perth CBD.

We were intending to meet up with friends for $2 Taco Tuesdays at the Belasyse, but it was only upon our arrival that we found out that our little social gathering had been cancelled. Oops. Well, we decided to hang around and try the tacos anyway.

The taco bonanza starts from 6pm on Tuesdays, apparently, and all we had to do was to purchase a drink each to make ourselves eligible for a taco-ordering-frenzy. We kept calm, though, and ordered two of each taco from a menu of five options (all gluten-free).

The options were:

Fish, cabbage salad, Baja sauce, chipotle
Chicken, guacamole, lettuce
Black beans, tomato, cheese, coriander (vegetarian)
Pulled pork, black beans, tomato, chipotle
Beef, cheese, black beans and tomato

The restaurant wasn't very busy. We were served quickly and the food came out quickly, too. As for the tacos themselves? The tortillas seemed to be a little on the dry side. The fillings were pleasant enough, but lacked some zing - perhaps more lime, chilli, or condiments could have elevated them. There is definitely potential here if they go bolder with the flavours.

The Belasyse has a pretty nice atmosphere with an easygoing courtyard area and a cozy indoors dining area. While I wasn't quite drawn in by this first visit, I'd be willing to try it again for a second time if my friends want to - and if they promise they'll show up! There are also half-price pizzas on Thursdays at the Belasyse, so that's an idea...

Tuesday tacos - fish taco at the Belasyse.

Tuesday tacos - pulled pork taco at the Belasyse.

Tuesday tacos - beef taco at the Belasyse.

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illuminated giant rabbits intrude perth!

Brightly lit, inflatable giant rabbits for the Intrude public art installation.

It's starting to seem like we're seeing giant things every month in Perth. In February, we had giant marionettes. In March, we have inflatable, illuminated giant rabbits.

The big billowing bunnies play a whimsical part in the 2015 Fiesta festival, and they define the Intrude public light art installation by Australian artist Amanda Parer, whose works speak about our relationships with the environment. We decided to go for a picnic in the park and enjoy pizza in the presence of the giant rabbits.

Families taking photos with their kids posing in front of the giant rabbits.

It was nice to see other families around, some walking their dogs, others watching on as their delighted children played with the giant rabbits, and still more just chilling out and taking in the atmosphere. It's not as epic nor as dynamic as the giant marionettes, but it's not meant to be. It was a peaceful, pleasant evening and I had a lovely time.

The Intrude public art installation is free and it is on every night 6.30pm to 10.30pm from Sunday the 15th of March to Saturday the 21st of March 2015 at Sir James Mitchell Park, South Perth.

Families having fun with the giant rabbits!

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the incredible and phenomenal journey of the giants to the streets of perth

The Little Girl Giant walks the streets of Perth.

The Giants are in Perth for the weekend!

So, for Valentine's Day, Simon and I spent our Saturday afternoon following giant marionettes up and down the streets of Perth.

The Giants is street performance art, created by Royal de Luxe, a French mechanical marionette street theatre company founded by Jean-Luc Courcoult. Since the 1990s, the Giants spectacular has toured city streets around the world, bringing delight and wonder to their wide-eyed inhabitants.

The summer 2015 event in Australia is titled "The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth", with the story unfolding gradually over the course of three days, featuring the main marionette puppet characters of the 6-metre-tall Little Girl Giant and the 11-metre tall Diver Giant.

Giant girl cruises the streets of Perth in a boat, wearing a raincoat to help keep herself dry amidst the splashes!

During her travels, the Little Girl Giant stumbled upon an Aboriginal community, where she was warmly welcomed, and she decided to stay.

One day, however, she realised that she wanted to return to her family again, and embarked upon a voyage across Western Australia in search of her uncle, the Diver Giant.

In the end, the Giants were reunited. They embraced, the Little Girl danced, and on the last day, they both left in a barge for their next exciting journey.

Diver Giant, the Little Girl's uncle.

I was grateful to be part of this unique spectacle - it was crowded, yes, but people were generally quite well-behaved, and it was a truly magical sight to see these giant marionettes trundling the streets of Perth, dwarfing the shops and the people in their presence.

There were several facets to the performance, where in addition to walking the streets, you could observe the Giants partaking in various activities - sleeping, exercising, resting, reading a book, licking ice cream, riding a scooter, taking a shower, changing clothes, drinking water, even doing a wee - in various locations in the Perth city. We didn't catch all of that, but we are happy to have experienced some great moments of the Giants up close. So thank you, Royal de Luxe, for this creative production, and thank you, Perth International Arts Festival and all the sponsors and supporters, for making it happen in Australia. You've got me hooked, and I hope to see the Giants again, somewhere in the world, someday!

Little Girl Giant in Perth, Australia.

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food monkey cafe, northbridge

Perth has a reputation for expensive prices, particularly for eating out, so when some new friends invited me to the relatively new establishment Food Monkey (101 Lake St, Northbridge) for brunch recently, I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable their prices were.

The menu had plenty of food options under the $10 mark, with a few closer to $15 if you feel like splurging a little more. As an unemployed person living off my savings in a foreign state, I appreciated this very much. It's nice to be able to afford to widen my social circle without breaking the bank!

Take this veggie bagel that Simon ordered, for example. It's not a huge item, but it's fair and wholesome at $6.95, layered with grilled eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, olive and sundried tomato cream cheese, spinach and aioli. If a plain bagel is too boring, you can get a fancier one topped with sesame or poppy seeds at no extra charge. I didn't try it, but Simon seemed pretty happy with his choice.

Veggie bagel ($6.95).

Meanwhile, I received my potato, carrot and onion hash cakes with poached eggs, which was a much heartier serving than I imagined for $8.95. I was expecting a few standard pieces of hash browns, but what came out really were literally large triangular slices of hash brown cakes. It was very satisfying.

Hash cakes and eggs ($8.95).

I also give them bonus points for offering complimentary water infused with cucumber or orange slices. I personally find Perth tap water to be objectionable, so anything that makes it more palatable is a win. The venue's multiple indoor spaces was also pretty cool.

My only criticism here may be the use of small wooden boards for serving their dishes. I can see it working for some things - dainty sandwiches, perhaps; or cheese, crackers, and cured meats - but for anything that has the potential to fall off the edge easily, or get drippy or messy, there isn't much room for error. I had to be very, very cautious with my poached eggs and hash cakes, when all I wanted to do was to attack them with fervour and tuck in without a care in the world, but that cute hipster cutting board was cramping my style.

So, there was that, but overall, I genuinely had a good time at Food Monkey, and I'd be happy to return for more. Give me a plate, and I'll probably be even happier!

UPDATE: I am pleased to report that I have been back to Food Monkey a few more times for their hash cakes, and they now serve them on plates! Thank you Food Monkey!! :)



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perth holiday wrap-up with odds and ends!

It's been a while since I've returned from Perth to Melbourne, and I've finally gone through all my photos. So to wrap it all up, I thought I'd share some of the mix of other things that haven't yet made it to my other posts. Consider this a summary of leisurely daily life in the Perth Hills with Simon and his family.

First, can I share one of the most indulgent and wonderful holiday rituals? Instead of going out and painting the town red, we would rug up with conversation, cured meats, cheese and wine almost every night. Such happiness. The below is one of my most favourite pairings. Incredibly spicy cured meat that burns, rounded out and softened by cumin-studded cheese.

"Burner" - spicy cured meat by Butch's Smallgoods (left) and Dutch Gouda with cumin seeds (right).

During the day, Simon and I would occasionally go for casual walks in the neighbourhood. Eucalyptus trees abound, along with quirky-looking gumnuts.

Eucalyptus trees with gumnuts.

Mundy Regional Park was just nearby. When we felt like we were becoming couch potatoes and spending way too much time on the internet, we would trek there for a bit of exercise and fresh air.

A little creek in Mundy Regional Park.

A nice view within Mundy Regional Park.

I don't know what these plants are, but I thought they were pretty.

Blue flowers...

A fuchsia something... flower, or leaves? A succulent look to it...

A red flower...

Yellow flowers...

And the silhouettes of the trees against the last rays of the dusky sun were lovely to look at.

Sunset at Mundy Regional Park.

We also met the neighbour's cat, Zoe. She was really shy and timid during our first days, and would run away before Simon or I could even get close. But on the very last day, lo and behold, we became friends.

Zoe and me. Look, we're friends!

And because this is a food blog, here is a picture of Zoe enjoying some salmon.

Zoe sniffing, licking and eating salmon.

Delicious.

Hello and goodbye, pretty Zoe.

Finally, we said our farewells to the Perth Hills, knowing that it shall not be too long before we meet again...

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