We spent the day in the town of Busselton, home of the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere at 6,040 feet long which is over one mile long.
We are exactly 11,700 miles from home as we are at the end of the jetty situated in Geographe Bay.
The heat and sun are brutal, and we opted for the train especially since it had commentary.
There was a cute song that they played while we were boarding. Listen to it here:
Stocker Preston Express Theme Song
The train is so noisy that we can’t hear the commentary. We plan to walk back.
There are 200 dolphins that live in Geographe Bay. We saw one for a brief moment. Some people even see whales.
“We don’t stand in line out on the jetty. We ‘pylon’ in.”
Kari, our guide at the Under Water Observatory (UWO), is an underwater photographer. The pylons have established artificial reefs. We descend down a spiral staircase and view many different zones.
We must be quiet or we will scare them away. The staff take great pride that one is viewing them naturally. Also we are warned to stay away from the windows as they scratch easily. Can you imagine how hard it would be to replace an underwater window?
The jetty has been in existence for 150 years beginning in 1865. There have been nine extensions as boats got bigger and needed deeper water. It is only 26 feet deep. There is a red X marking each extension.
In the 1970s the jetty was planned for demolition due to neglect and storm damage.
It is the heart of the community. The city bought it and took over its maintenance and more importantly, the reef.
Here is a picture of the intertidal zone which is half in/half out clearing by only three feet. One can see a clear mark where the colorful next zone begins.
These organisms hold their breath when out of water. Shells help to survive, to breathe and to protect from waves.
Sponges are found deeper because they can’t survive out of water. Comb jellies are at the mercy of the tide. Fish love them, and they are like a vitamin for the fish.
There is no current so one can swim anytime. We saw lots of children taking swimming lessons. How cool would it be to learn to swim in the ocean!
These artificial reef pylons are like a vertical food chain. There are 300 different species in one square hectare.
The reef fish are small, cute and colorful. They live a solitary life. They live their whole life within three feet. Some fish can change color, markings, and even texture.
Seaweed and seagrass meadows are vitally important to the sea although it doesn’t look like much nor is it colorful, only forming on the ocean floor.
Shipwrecks also create beautiful artificial reefs. As I was writing this article, I wondered what the plural of reef was so I looked it up. Reefs is the plural of reef. But did you know that beeves is the plural of beef. Who knew?
We stopped at a fish and chips restaurant that overlooks the bay and jetty. This was quite a view as well.
Here is what the toilet paper looked like in the bathroom. It not only looked like crepe paper, it felt like it, too.
We arrived in Perth and dropped off the rental car! Phew! And walked to our hotel.
While reading about events in Perth, I came across these clever ads:
Seating by general admission. Seats cannot be saved prior to gates opening at 6pm. Any items left on seats prior to 6pm will be taken to lost property. (I think that this is a good idea. Sometimes I can’t find a seat when people have their items used as a place holder. Lost and found – that’s brilliant.)
“On Wednesdays we wear pink!” Help us turn Moonlight pink at this fan favourite screening of Mean Girls to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Donate here: http://nbcf.org.au/moonlight. (In the USA, we have breast cancer awareness in October. What a great idea.)
We are excited to be in Perth during the Perth Festival which runs from February 7 – March 1. They have plays, dancers, ballets, literary readings, plays to name a few. I copied a list of the films that they were showing. Sometimes I feel very marketed in the USA and like to see what other places in the world are showing.
These films are shown in a picturesque outdoor movie location. In fact we learned about several rooftop theatres.
PACIFICADO
A compelling tale of life in the favelas, negotiating family, politics and the past
ADAM
A sweet treat from Casablanca
IF ONLY
Traveling and dreaming
YOUNG AHMED
A teenager at war with himself
PHOTOGRAPH
A heart-warming and comical snapshot of life in Mumbai.
MASTER CHENG
Foodie fun with a yearning undertow, served with a Scandinavian half-smile
THE HOST
Academy Award winning director Bong Joon-ho’s 2007 horror film
THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON
The offbeat adventures of two misfit dreamers
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM
Getting down on the farm
BELLBIRD
Laconic laughs and tears from New Zealand
IN MY BLOOD IT RUNS
The year’s most essential Australian documentary
LES MISÉRABLES
Crackling with revolutionary fervour
VENICE CALLING
Some trips are just not meant to be family holidays
THE LIGHTHOUSE
You have never seen a film quite like The Lighthouse
LA BELLE ÉPOQUE
Laughing at the past to change the present
H IS FOR HAPPINESS
Great family cinema, from the Great Southern
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
Seeing the world through a woman’s eyes
THE DEAD DON’T DIE
The greatest zombie cast ever disassembled
PAIN AND GLORY
Velvet memories from a master of sensuous cinema
Australia reconciliation always thanks the Aboriginals who occupied this land before non-Indigenous people arrived. It is spoken and printed. Here is what was acknowledged when advertising the films.
Perth Festival acknowledges the Noongar people who remain the spiritual and cultural birdiyangara of this kwobidak boodjar. We honour and respect the significant role they play for our community and our Festival to flourish.
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