Rockingham

Fairy Penguin

Three and half years ago we visited Perth and as we had more pressing engagements further south we bypassed this beautiful city this time. Rockingham, our destination is a delightful seaside area south about 45 minutes and the van park only a couple of blocks from the water. On our last visit we were here to attend Sandy and Brendons wedding and I was very excited to catch up with them and meet their newest addition, baby daughter, Isla.

Penguin Island towards the Mainland

We took a drive along the foreshore at Shoalwater Bay where we had previously taken long walks, re-acquainting ourselves with the views of beautiful homes on one side and the islands and ocean on the other. The whole area has gone ahead in leaps and bounds and we noted lots of new homes, cafes, restaurants and parklands. Penguin Island is the home to over 600 pairs of the Fairy Penguins and it is just 500 metres offshore, a 5 minute ferry ride, and where Sandy works as a Ranger. Australian sea lions and dolphins are also part of the marine life found around the islands in the Shoalwater Marine Park as well as a large number of sea birds, eg. terns and fairy terns, noddies, silver gulls, ospreys, sea eagles, cormorants, darters, bartwit (all the way from Siberia) and a large breeding colony of Australian pelicans. The Continental Shelf which is much further out from the off shore islands along the southern coast takes the brunt of the ocean swells making the beaches safe for swimming.
Freemantle's Fishing Boat Harbour

Sandy offered to babysit the woofs, (she didn't have to ask twice) which gave us a chance to revisit the bustling port of Fremantle just south of Perth and also on the Swan River. We had a scrumptious seafood lunch at Joe's Seafood Cafe on the colourful and busy Fishing Boat Harbour, tempura fish for me and fish and chips for Ade, and the obligatory bottle of wine! Tough life we are leading!

The Round House c.1831

There is a mix of old and new in Freeo, as the locals refer, with a heritage of convict prisoners, maritime heroes, murderous mutineers and pioneering settlers. Also, home to the Maritime Museum including Alan Bond's America's Cup-winning yacht, Australia II; the old Shipwreck Museum which houses the original timbers and treasures from the 17th century Dutch Batavia shipwreck which sank in 1629; Notre Dame University with its fine old heritage buildings; the Freemantle Prison built by convicts in 1850 and decommissioned in 1991 as a maximum security prison; the Round House the oldest building in the state built in 1831 and purpose built as a gaol, adjacent to the Gun Deck and Whalers Tunnel. The European feel is reflected in the fabulous shopping precinct (I need at least a week here), art galleries, restored historic hotels, micro breweries, restaurants,coffee shops, etc. - a cosmopolitan environment!

Shipwreck Galleries -

Maritime Museum

This is a very pretty part of the world, shame it's so far from Queensland. We could have stayed longer but for the need to to catch up with our friends in the Margaret River before they headed off on their holiday. Busselton down the coast is our next stop.