Up Up and away

I was not at all worried about the balloon ride, but very anxious that our alarms wouldn't work and we would miss the flight. However given that the Duke is a very old hotel the snoring of the man in the next room, the dogs, the trains and assorted roosters kept me awake until just before the five o'clock alarm.

It was still very dark when we arrived at Northam Airfield, but the hangar cat made us very welcome. The weather was so calm that we were able to leave from the airport rather than having to drive to a launch site.

As dawn started to break we had our safety briefings and had to help to get the balloon inflated with cold air and then the burners were turned on and the balloon started to be upright. Duncan took photos of this so they will be in the next BLOG We had a strict order to board according to weight. For some reason I was last.

By now the balloon was levitating just off the ground. It was just like a miracle! Then our pilot Donna turned the burners on and we rose straight up. It was so calm we just hung in the sky without moving. Thrilling!

Duncan down by the pursuit vehicle

All the little planes lined up at Northam Airfield.

Looking away to the horizon

You've got to take a selfie!

WOW!

The landscape below.

Mindarie again

After visiting the Mint we headed home along the coastal route and stopped at the Mindarie Marina for a cider, chips and chorizo and a bit of a joke session. Back home for a delicious roast dinner followed by soft chewy Japanese chocolate.

Still no sunset!

Todd shows us some of his nuggets  and his small pinpointer and large metal detectors.

We can highly recommend the accommodation here. Because of the curved building many of the units have been specially made as in our curved toilet!

And very comfortable sleeping quarters!

With beautiful views to the North....

and the West

I wondered if it was the fact that Todd was so recently back from Malaysia that we had spicy noodles for breakfast with our eggs - but later found our hotel in Perth offered the same.

Farewell pose.

Then we set off to the Mindarie Rental company to collect our little car  - A Hyundai I20. We set our GPS and headed off to Northam. Aussies change  their speed zones as often as they change their Prime Minister and the GPS rings a bell every time the zone changes or you are over the speed limit (often)

The Rental Car. Barkers Hill Pie shop had a vast ride of motorcyclists having their lunch so we had soup and toast at the bar next door.

It was plane sailing until we got to Northam, but we soon found our rather oldfashioned hotel, and familiarsed ourselves with the route to the airfield. Northam is basically closed for Sunday.We had dinner at the hotel which allows me to study the local Northam-ites. Young ones a bit bogan, older ones quite old fashioned.

Mint condition

Since the weather is a bit dodgy we decide to visit The Mint. Todd is a keen prospector and is always keen to see what other nuggets have been found. On our way driving into Perth there is a break in the clouds and we see the huge silver balloon of the Russian who is very close to circumnavigation of the world - leaving from Northam where we are headed tomorrow. 

Depiction outside the mint of lucky prospectors

Apparently some of the prospectors used to ride into the desert with there tools and their tent strapped on!!

I looked at some of the jewellry but it was extremely expensive. Then we watch a short video, and find our weight in gold: This is Duncan's.

These are the medals minted here for the Olympic games in 2000. I minted a medal for myself in a stamping machine.

Pouring the gold

Finally we saw a demonstation of taking the gold which they had melted down in a crucible and then poured into a mould to form a gold ingot with 4 different charactistic markings on it.

Plunging the ingot in liquid to cool it

And Voila! a gold bar (which they will melt again tomorrow)

Mindarie

Todd and Andrea's house is beautiful - even if it is still in the renovation stage

Andrea opens the door

Mindarie is up the coast from Perth - and yes this is the Indian Ocean!

This is the start of the Mindarie Marina. We see people fishing at the end of it often. And apparently there are a lot of dolphins - but we didn't see any.

This coast is known as the Sunset Coast, but sadly it clouds over too much for a good sunset.

Andrea has a great Clarice Cliff dinner set. What about those pink salad servers, Jackie??

Todd has flown in from KL Malaysia overnight where he manages drilling on oil/gas rigs. After a hearty breakfast  we take the dogs for a walk past the marina and then round onto the beach walkway. Fortunately it is not the season for snakes! It is spitting slightly and looks quite overcast.

There are osprey on the coast and they have built structures for them to nest in - but they prefer to nest on decorative features down by the Marina.

Henri is in the blue, Daisy is in the fluoro yellow. They are Papillion.

Swanning around

After the native plants walk we went to the War Memorial for World War One. It was pretty spectacular overlooking the Swan River which is very wide near Perth and then seems to taper in at Fremantle. 

This is a view towards Perth - the Swan River looks like a harbour. I have to say I am looking forward to seeing the Indian Ocean.

Quite a number of flowers are out already.

Andrea and Duncan by a boab tree

It was a very interesting drive through the suburbs and then on to the Swan Valley. We did a wine tasting and then  shared a platter at Sandalford Wines for lunch.

Andrea and I on a bright sunny afternoon.

We also took in two smaller vineyards Kosovich and Talijancich and the reality for them is that they have been family businesses for generations but it will be difficult for them to continue much longer as the next generation had no interest in taking over. 

Next we visited a Nougat factory which was combined with a nut outlet - mainly macadamias.

The factory was visible through a glass window, but being near the end of the day there was a lot of cleaning up going on. This lady is breaking up the big slabs and feeding them into the packaging machine.

Our last stop in the Swan Valley was the Feral Brewery where Duncan has a tasting rack. Andrea and I gave him a little help.

We head for home now - catching glimpses of the Indian Ocean stretching out forever to the horizon. Imagine that a whole ocean I've never seen before!

Kings Gardens Perth

We found the Ellard BnB very suitable even though we had a shared bathroom and toilet. Andrea (Duncan's second cousin) picked us up about 9.30am and we set off for Kings Gardens  - over 400Ha (1000 acres) of walks and parks with different Themes. Of course we couldn't do it all, So we did several native plant walks.

Duncan and Andrea

These were originally called black boys by Captain Cook as when they grow larger their black trunks look like natives of a dark skin wearing a head-dress. They are now called grass trees as Black Boys is just not PC.

Kangaroo Paw plants are now coming in a mass of colours.

Rotunda looking out over the Swann Valley

Me and Duncan under another Pavilion which reflects some of the vegetation.

Polished agate stones

Garden Logo

I seem to only be able to download 8 pictures at a time so this is only half a days adventure.