Mandurah - Part 1

[maewyn_2]

We've just experienced  Perth's driest and hottest summer on record. Last Sunday we decided to get out of the house for the day and go somewhere a bit cooler.  We caught a train into Perth, then another on to Mandurah (pronounced Man-joor-ah).

Mandurah sits at the entrance to the Peel Inlet/Harvey Estuary, about 80km south of where we live.  It was

Comments

[collpepper]

Looks like you had such a nice day! When it gets hot here we like to go to Fort Bragg, it's about a 4 hour drive to the coast. But so worth it. I love how the bridge has the second structure underneath for fishing. There used to be a main bridge that connected our county to the next, but was narrow and didn't have a solid bottom, they built a new one about 20 years ago, and tore down the original one, I always felt that they should have kept the original one up for bike and foot traffic, but I guess they felt it would not be cost efficient to maintain it. I'll try to find photos if you would like to see them. Thanks for sharing your day, it's like I got to go on the outing with you! :-)

[mechtild]

Sorry for eavesdropping, Collpepper, but "Fort Bragg" jumped out at me. You live in driving distance of the Mendocino coast? Oh, lucky you! I have been there, but only on visits. We think it's gorgeous around there. My sister lives in Willits, about an hour's drive inland over the coastal mountains from there. We always try to visit the coast whenever we travel to California to see her.

[collpepper]

You can can eavesdrop anytime you want hon! Yes, it is where we go when we decide to go on vacation. It's our favorite place to go. Especially during the Summer when it gets so hot here in the Valley. We live near Chico. That road to Fort Bragg after Willits is not my favorite, so twisty and turny....but worth it. How lucky your sister is to live in Willits. It's me and my husbands dream to retire near the coast. It's pretty pricey though...

[mechtild]

Yes, that's a twisty road! Our daughter always had to take dramamene and sit in the front seat to avoid being sick. :) My sister and her husband moved to Willits in 1975, back when it was in inexpensive place to buy. It still is way cheaper than coastal towns like Ft. Bragg. I know where Chico is, but only on the map. Isn't it right near the Sierra Nevada range, or its foothills? There must be some great scenery nearby.

[mechtild]

THis was recently a sleepy little town? You're right, it looks Big City now. But what a lovely day it looked. I'm so glad you could get out and enjoy yourselves. That Moreton Bay Fig tree is magnificent, absolutely venerable. Too bad the view of it is it's dwarfed and marred by that ugly high-rise. Your pelican close-up was great, Maewyn. Very cooperative bird! And I loved the canal, both the look of the buildings along it, even if new construction, and the dolphins in the water.

[maewyn_2]

It's grown so much! The housing is definitely no longer "basic" like this!

[mechtild]

I think this looks pretty cozy, actually. Not the best thing for a Minnesota winter, but fine for a hot place at the beach.

As for the Moreton Bay Fig's huge roots, I am thinking they are part of its beauty and charm. But they do look far too large for backyards. They need an estate, the wild, or a piece of parkland to grow in.

[maewyn_2]

It was rather hot in summer, I can tell you! Probably a good excuse to go to the beach!

You're right, those trees belong in a place with lots of space around them. There's one of them beside a house that I walk past every morning. Its branches droop over the footpath, making anyone walking along there detour onto the grass verge. It's not a big tree yet, and I believe they're going to be sorry in years to come!