Decoration Spotting

Hello

Thanks to visiting.

I can't help it but it just doesn't feel very Christmassy when it's hot and sunny.  There they were in Perth Australia putting up the decorations around the City with the brightest of blue skies behind them.  I suppose you get used to it and even enjoy Christmas Day on the beach, crack of dawn mind as it's too hot after 10 am.

We followed the Christmas trail, admittedly during the day, to see the decorations in the City.

Not really a Christmas decoration, it's there all the time!

We decided that they'd look much better at night all twinkly and colourful.

From the internet

Back home, our tree is up with our accumulated decorations reminding us of past years, family and friends.  This year, a new decoration takes pride of place given to us in Australia, a reminder of a great time there this year.

Do you know, I think we'll light the stove this weekend and enjoy being cosy!

Cheerio

Shopping Australian Style

Hello

Thanks for calling in.

There's so much to do with Christmas around the corner, it's backwards and forwards to the shops getting this and that.  I thought we'd go to Perth, Australia to see what the shops are like over there.  We won't visit the City shops but those in the suburbs just to get a flavour.

Along the main Highways, there are numerous cafes and restaurants interspersed with the shops.  Many have seats outside on the pavement and most have an excellent selection of cakes!

This shop, The Green Bunch, looks like a florists but also has a cafe inside with a lovely garden out the back.

Some are brightly decorated.

Others not so.

There are quite a lot of murals around the area.

There's usually an air-conditioned mall nearby containing a supermarket - Coles, Woolworths or IGA - a Kmart, which sells clothes, toys and homewares, a bakers, cafe, pharmacy, gift shop, and other smaller shops.

I have to say that the vegetables are enormous!  This celery is huge, double the size of ours at home if not bigger!  You should see the cauliflowers!  It's all that sunshine!

You can order a veg box from local farmers which is delivered to your kitchen and each time it arrives, it is full of seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Sometimes you come across farmers markets selling unusual fayre.

There's an enormous Westfield Centre in Cannington, called Carousel, just like the Shepherds Bush Westfield, it's so easy to get lost!

On the first floor there are restaurants and cafes outside with shady places to sit.

Other shops are more like warehouses.  Officeworks has what you'd expect to find in an office, Bunnings (no, not a pet shop!)  is a DIY store like Homebase but crammed full with all sorts.

Spotlight was the one for me though with is selection of material, haberdashery and homewares.  There was some wool but not much and poor quality, in fact I hardly saw any wool at all while I was over there and looking at the websites of the few woolshops I found, most of the wool comes on large cones.  I suppose it's too hot to knit!

Everywhere seemed buoyant and well stocked, thriving not like here at home where the department stores are closing or cutting back.

Right, I must dash off to the shops again.

Cheerio

Kings Park, Perth

Hello

Thanks for popping in.

Where should I begin with all my Australian Photos?  It's a bit of a nightmare 😊  So I think I'll start off gently with a cascade of beautiful flowers from Kings Park.  The 400 hectare Park is the spectacular home to Western Australia's Botanic Garden which has over 3,000 species of the State's unique flora.  Two thirds of the Park is protected bushland. There are great views over the Rivers Swan and Canning to the City.

 Having visited during the Autumn last April, I was keen to see what Spring in October and November had to offer.  I wasn't disappointed.

October was a blaze of scarlet bottle brush trees.

If you zoom in, you'll be able to appreciate all the detail.

How about that for a floral clock!

Many of the wildflowers are quite delicate.

The green and black plant above is a type of kangaroo paw plant.  The flowers really do look like kangaroo paws!

You might know that we'd stop off at the café!  That's a lemon meringue pie. Yum!

During our April visit, the banksias were prolific but in October the flowers were just beginning. Look at those serrated leaves.

This is the famous State War Memorial where each Anzac Day on 25th April, thousands gather for the dawn service.  There are many plaques throughout the Park honouring servicemen who died in action, including three tree-lined avenues with each tree dedicated to a serviceman.

Red kangaroo paw plants look striking against the other flowers.

Here you can see over the river to South Perth.

I rather liked this banksia mosaic and seat designed by Philippa O'Brien.  It's a delightful spot to sit and watch the fountain below.

There's such a great view of the City, plus there's all that blue sky, that a wedding party had stopped to have their photos taken.  You can even get married in a garden setting in the Park.

Fraser Avenue is lined with lemon-scented gums and is the main entrance to the Park.  To enter the Park, we had instead climbed the steep, steep steps of the Kokoda Steps Memorial Trail which honours Australian Troops who fought in atrocious conditions in Papua New Guinea in 1942/43.

Although October was on the cool side, you really do need lots of shade to escape to when the sun is blazing and Kings Park is certainly perfect for that.  There's a lovely shop, too.  The Park is free to visit and is definitely the jewel in Perth's crown.

Cheerio