Hellos! Just came back from perth last Friday so wanted to share my experience in case some of you are planning similar trips
Pardon the long posting.
Day 1 - Stayed at Duke apartments. It was $270 a night for
3 bedrooms (should be cheaper for smaller apartments) and we paid another $80 for early check-in. New and clean and good location
Took a free CAT bus to the town centre and Swan Bell. Had dinner at Penang Restaurant in William street. Good food
Day 2 - Decided not to be so ambitious to rush to Pinnacles. Instead, we decide to drive to Swan Valley to visit Caversham Park.
The cars we booked at Bayswater was given away as we reached there late (difficult to settle baby)
And the baby seat I ordered online didn't arrive either. Went to the M2000 opposite to try our luck and it was a blessing in disguise! Great, very helpful service and we got 2 Hyundai Elantra at a cheaper price than Bayswater. Cars condition is clean
Provided free maps somemore (Bayswater didn't have that when we booked last time), and baby seat is available on-site (without having to book separately). Highly recommended!! The odd thing was that they are cheaper on-site than when I checked on-line.
However, we got hopelessly lost and reached Whitman at 3pm. MIL was giddy from motion sickness (due to all the U-turns plus hot afternoon sun) and baby was grouchy in the car. Everyone didn't feel like going into the park anymore. In the end, sat the whiteman tram before going back to perth. Lousy day
*Thank goodness my hubby managed to repair his phone GPS by the next day*
Day 3 - Freemantle in morning. Went to the famous Cicerolle's for Fish and chips. So-so food. Fries was soggy. Went to freemantle market to walk. Bought some nice pieces of soap shaped like cakes. Bought hats for baby and FIL. Turns out that hats are a very good idea. Drove all the way to Raeburn orchard. The orchard is nice but very hot! Got to see tiny apples, pears, and plums. And baby had his first close-encounter with a horse
Day 4 - Proceed to Margaret River. Got lost initially as Hubby's GPS didn't have the new 2009 maps and some of the roads were changed due to the new Perth-Burnbury highway. In the end, we went by the Old Coast road.
Stopped by Busselton to see the jetty. We had the best fish and chips there, surprisingly. It was too hot to walk the jetty so we just took pictures. In any case, it was under repair. Baby had a ball of a time chasing after seagulls and throwing them fries (those that he didn't pop into his own mouth ;p)
Reached MR at about 3pm. Stayed at Margaret River Hideaway. Nice chalet! Newly renovated and modern. They had farm animals too, like peacocks, sheeps, chicken, ducks, and cattle (not dairy cows). They feed the animals every morning and we can tag along. Good for those who wanted nice comfortable lodgings and yet some animals for the kids.
Went to Prevelly River Mouth at sunset and it was beautiful! First time I see sunset in a clear cloudless sky.
Day 5 - We just spent the day in MR. Visited Voyager wineries with its beautifully manicured lawns and rose gardens. Didn't like its wine though and we ended up buying GRAPE JUICE! Went to The Berry Farm to get some jams for FIL and for lunch. Their Vege Tart was fantastic! Very yummy! Lastly, went to glass blowing demonstration in the town. We had bbq for dinner, with well marinated meats from the Butcher in town.
Day 6 (last day) - Drove back to perth. Stopped by MR chocolates to get some souvenirs for office and relatives. And Cape Lavender for lunch. It was nice but the lavenders won't be in full bloom until 2-3 weeks later. Food so-so only.
Went for a wild-crab chase in Mandurah without any success
Reached Perth at 6pm and went straight to Kings Park so that my MIL can see her flowers. But it was FREEZING. Nevertheless, the scenery was gorgeous up at the park.
Booked the Mounts Way apartments for a rest before our flight at 1am. Clean but run down. Thank goodness we were there for less than 4 hours and only needed a place to rest, bath and do some final packing. And it still cost $102!
Overall the trip went well. It just took longer than expected for everything (due to the large group size) so we didn't get to go many places I had planned.
