This Perth Life

Back from Hols

And a good time was had by all!

We've been to Exmouth and Shark bay on holiday. This was our first visit to Exmouth and the Ninagloo Reef and it truly is stunning.

We went by car, which is rather a long journey (understatement of the century!) and took two days getting up there from Perth. Then it's a full days journey from Exmouth to Denham at Shark Bay and a full day back to Perth so all in all four whole days of a fourteen day holiday were taken up travelling in the car.

I have to say that next time we go (and we will go again, it's gorgeous) I hope that husband can take 3 weeks off!!!

Ocean Reef Development

Ocean Reef Boat Harbour
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

The new proposed Ocean Reef development has got a support group on Facebook.

If you would like to join the group and participate in the on-going discussion then search for the group "Support the Ocean Reef Marina Development" and have your say!

Perth in the Top 25 Again

WACA
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

Perth has once again been rated among the world's top 25 cities.

Australia had three cities in the top 25; Sydney at 10th place, Melbourne at 18th place and then Perth, at 21st place.

Australian cities outside the top 25 were Adelaide at 30 and Brisbane at 34. 

The 2009 Worldwide Quality of Living Survey by Mercer ranked 215 cities against a criteria that included subjects like politics, economics, the environment, personal safety and public service.

Schmap for the iPhone

Schmap
Originally uploaded by l84myflight.

I've been schmapped! Again.

This time for the iPhone.

You can see thisperthlife's photos for Araluen Botanical Park, the Art Gallery and the West Australian Museum
.

Have fun!

Fish Get a Reprieve

Pink Snapper
By Ambra & Christina's Roadtrip around Oz.

During our holiday in Shark Bay earlier this year, we were astounded (and that is the right word, the only other one I could use would be gobsmacked but some people might not have heard that one before!) at how many fish people were bringing in from their daily fishing trips.

At our campsite there was a gutting table nearby specifically for gutting fish and some people were there for 4 hours at a time just gutting the fish they had caught that day and then going out the next day and doing it all again. The thing that made us wince was that people would just cut a fillet off one side, flip the fish over and cut one fillet the other side and then chuck what was left straight in the bin.

There was loads of meat left on the fish when it went in the bin and most people will know, if you like to eat fish, that it's much more tasty if you can cook it whole (gutted and scaled of course).

The waste was horrendous and in the end it made us feel sick to our stomachs as to how much was being wasted and, above all, the huge amount that people were catching.

So, these new catch limits and the fact that you can't catch certain fish like the beautiful pink snapper pictured above, at certain times of the year, quite cheered me up today. Strange what can make me happy!

Back from Camping...

Our Camping Trailer at Denham, Shark Bay
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

...having had a great time.

Youngest son was up from 6am each morning and so dispelled my fears that we would be brewing up at 5 each morning.

On the way back though, we decided to motor straight through to Perth rather than stop 1/2 way, a journey of around 9-10 hours depending on stops. We thought that we'd be up and off early and were relying on our little alarm clock (read youngest son) to wake us up but of course this was the morning that he had the one and only lie in and decided to wake up at 7.15! Typical!

We had great weather although the mozzies were rather a pest. We went though all the mosquito coils that we'd bought with us but they didn't seem to have the slightest effect. Anyone got any ideas for the next time we go?

"Aussies" make a major splash on Scarborough Beach

Australia’s fittest surf lifesavers are gearing up for a week of intense competition as the 2008 UBD Australian Surf Life Saving Championships return to Scarborough Beach.

The championships, proudly known as "the Aussies", are the world’s biggest surf carnival with the major competitions on this weekend, 5 & 6 April.

The championships represent the peak of competition for surf lifesavers from Australia’s 305 surf life saving clubs who give up their time to patrol the nation’s beaches.

This year, about 12,000 competitors, officials and spectators will visit Scarborough Beach to witness six days of exhilarating action. Events include surf races, surf ski paddling, board paddling, beach events, including sprints, Ironman and Ironwoman, surfboard riding, rescue and resuscitation and the world-famous surf boat races.

Camping Holiday

Camper Trailers
Originally uploaded by campertrailersaustralia.

Well, we've gone and done it.

We've booked a holiday for 9 nights in a camper trailer in April.

I didn't go camping in the UK where it's deadly animal and insect free. Why on earth have I agreed to go camping in Australia?

At least with a camper trailer our bed is off the ground and that's what I'm repeating to myself like a mantra every day until we go.

I'll let you know how we get on.

Vote for the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World

After last years voting for the New 7 Wonders of the World, you can now vote online for your 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

Included for Oceana are the two sites that you would most likely presume would be in there - Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef but you could vote for the Pinnacle Desert in Western Australia. And if your favourite natural wonder isn't on the list, then why not add it on?

Voting continues all the way though 2008 with the winners announced in early 2009.

More Rain in Perth than London?

Storm Front
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

Telling people (particularly in the UK as they are completely weather obsessed) that we DO get rain here in Perth usually produces snorts of disbelief, but Perth's average annual rainfall is greater than that of London with 855mm here compared with London's average of 611mm.

The difference between here and London though, is that the majority of Perth's rainfall occurs over only four months of the year while London can have wet conditions for most of the year. Think grey and drizzly and, admit it, you're nodding your head now aren't you?