June 2025

Sis and I emabarked on another journey to Western Australia. This time to Exmouth. It costed us AUD $725 pp from Perth to Leamouth Airport and AUD $90 for airport transfer. AUD $575 pp to swim with whale sharks.

Perth was wet and windy. Rained pretty much most days we were there. 

We have a great time with food. Honey cake! Yay! They had coconut pandan flavoured one and black sesame one. 

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Blog - Perth 2025

Nearly a a decade since we were in Perth. Sis and I had ice cream for breakfast at Brunetti counter in Terminal 3 at Melbourne Airport. I had pistachio flavoured one and Sis had the biscoff one. T3 at Melbourne Airport has changed a lot. I no longer recognise it. Then Sis and I have been catching more international flights than domestic flights. lol. The toilets looked splish. It doesn’t automatically flush though. All gendered toilet exists in some sections. 

Inflight entertainment

Salem Lot [movie]
About vampire and making vampires. The lack of faith and the of knowledge is still an ever growing issue with people who rather bury their head in the sand. 

The curse of the necklace [movie]
Free jewellery is not always a gift. It could contain a demon entity. Odd that people don’t know every nook and cranny in their own house. I find that to be stupid. 


Day 1: a successful arrival in #Perth. Several revitalised lanes. Updated Yagan Square. @sngo1982 had Perth’s famous Honey Cake plus pandan flavour. Pho for lunch. Yakitori for dinner. 

Day 2. The bus to Mount Hawthorn area departed from Perth Bus Depot B. With all the construction I couldn’t see a direct entrance. It seems Perth Bus Depot A leads to B area. There we found bus number 402 and 990 was more frequent than bus number 15. Though it would have been cool to ride the Pride rainbow bus. Another time then. Ginga was quite popular cafe in comparison to all the other ones on the main street. 

Sis had roast pork bao with match latte. I had pandan pancake with ginger zing green drink. The drink was refreshing! Sis dish was pretty salty. My friend dropped by with all her children so adorable. Plus her brother. A team of 3 can defeat most raid bosses with mega pokemon. Rainy from 1pm onwards until 9pm. 

Fremantle area was pouring with rain. We stopped by a new Japanese shop selling ikikagi well being items. Then went for some nice fruit juice. Sis had kidney cleaner (apple, watermelon) and I had hot honey lemon ginger drink. Followed by fudge tasting! Monkey fartz was a funny name. Brave heart one was so so. Sis like the bus off one. I decided to go with safe one, the brownie. Sis posed with big red. We had another serving of honey cake. Then walked back to the station and head back to hotel for some R and R. 

Day 2: it was sunny when we went to Ginga for brunch in Mount Hawthorn via bus 990 (bus depot B). Rained like cats and dogs in Fremantle. Another round of honey cake. Fudge tasting. Juice drinking. Lots of hand made beauties out here. 

Day 3 Perth underground takes you from the city CBD to the main train station and bus depot. Smooth. We could have used that to avoid the rain. lol. We got to the airport line on time. Redcliffe station had clear signage on which shuttle bus takes us to Terminal 3 and 4. Plus it was free of charge. Great. The bus comes with a ramp too. The Qantas bag drop was in terminal 3. Yet my paper reservation stated terminal 4. By the time we got upstairs the gate changed and now the flight has been delayed. There are lots of flight mechanics out here and FIFO staff from mining areas. There were plenty of cafes at the airport. However, the toilets are only available on the bridge towards terminal 4 side. We were able to board the aeroplane but the airport issued out a lightening warning from the tower. All aeroplanes were grounded for 30 minutes. Although, the stormy clouds delayed our aeroplane, the sun came out not long later and we were good to go. They offered us free crackers, hot quiches (sweet potato), chocolate and juice. That was nice. Sis and I saw a bit of the Indian Ocean. Rottnest island. Then the plane turned and headed north. We saw two layers of cloud. Fluffy ones and thin gases ones. The land between Perth and Ningaloo is filled with orange soil. Even the ponds and small lakes were orange too. 

Once we got out of the aeroplane and picked up my suitcase. I went to the loo. By the time I got out. Everyone was gone. The rental cars and airport shuttle staff have all disappeared. I rung for taxi service and they only have 1 driver who is off sick. I had no choice but to see if the caravan place can pick us up. 1 hour later after the heavy rain had subsided did a staff member come pick up. $60 surcharge of course. Which is fair. It is our fault. After much rest. We had ribs and pizza for dinner at BBQ father’s restaurant built in the caravan site. The toilet facilities seem decent. A fair few mosquito about. I slept like a log until 6:31am. Sis misses her internet. She did not sleep well. 

Day 3 (3/6/2025): sunny in the morning in Perth. Redcliffe station has free shuttle bus to T3/T4. Lots of FIFO staff in the airport. The storm front delayed flights, everyone was grounded. Then we soared into the sky. The desert land from the sky was orange with various pattern. Exmouth is far from the local/naval airport. 

Day 4 (4/6/2025): a gorgeous hot day. @sngo1982 and I saw plenty of creative and beautiful murals. We hopped from one shop to the next in search of a sandal. Found one. Found wildlife birds doing acrobats on bins, cafe tables, and shades. #Exmouth #WA #Oz

Day 5 (5/6/2025): Exmouth Dive and Watershark Ningaloo team took us out to Ningaloo reef thru the national park and Tantabiddi boat ramp. @sngo1982 saw whale shark and fishes hitch a ride on them. lol. I snorkelled too. Note: no red floating vest. Choppy waters. Tacos for din din. 

Lin - driver
Nui - spotter
Romi - spotter/photographer
Jake - 2nd mate
Nick - captain

Sis lost her fin on first snorkeling sport. Meanwhile, I could not adjust my balance.  I kept leaning to the left for some unknown reason. It must be the current pushing me. The staff kept yelling, “Go, Go, Go”. The vessel did not correspond to the promoted visual representation. Experienced divers will find the experience more enjoyable due to the minimal preparation required plus they only have 1 life guard, who doubles as spotter in the reef. BYO floatation vest for infrequent swimmers. Constant catch up the vessel is essential, as it moves location. The phrase “Go, go, go” will likely remain etched in the participants’ memories. GoPro captured satisfactory footage of the whale shark. Romi, the photographer, possessed a superior camera. No manta rays, dolphins, humpback whales, minke whales, or orcas were observed. However, we did spot one dugong, tropical fish, and corals. 

Day 6 (6/6/2025): a recovery day. We picked up our complimentary usb key. What a cute one at that. Great shots by Romie Moriau, the photographer from yesterday’s morning tour. @sngo1982 and I had so much fun. 🐋

Day 7 (7/6/2025): @sngo1982 and I went on a tour with Ningaloo Glass Bottom Boat. We saw Mildura shipwreck, snorkel around big bombies, and Vlamingh Head Lighthouse Lookout. ⛵️#NorthWestCape #NingalooReef

Day 8 (8/6/2025): the local art gallery was open today! Yay! We got stickers! Awesome. The Ningaloo Aquarium and Discovery Centre has local history well documented. Gosh, those cyclones totally destroys. But, the fishes were so colourful though and worth visiting. #Exmouth

Day 9 (9/6/2025): @sngo1982 and I saved a fish from beaching itself at the local town beach. Choppy waters, not suitable for snorkeling. Lots of coral bones and pebbles have washed up on shore. The Mantarays beach holiday resort had a nice seating by the bar with views of the swimming pool and a bit of the beach. 

Day 10 (10/6/2025): is our last day in #Exmouth we took lots snaps of various murals around town. They sure love their sea creatures here. @sngo1982 and I went around seeking last souvenirs. #WA #desert town
 
Day 11 (11/6/2025): @sngo1982 and I packed up. Re-heated our fish & chips. Shopped up at a small pop up market at the caravan park. Sis got a mug from the art gallery. Choof off to Perth. We saw a sunset and strawberry moon. #Telephoto #iPhone Buh Bye #Exmouth

Day 12 (12/6/2025): a slow start to the day. Matcha latte from #Teassential and chocolate tasting at Sue Lewis Chocolatier. Scooted to walk our way to Caversham Wildlife Park (inside Whiteman Park). The farm show was awesome! @sngo1982 luv Quokka

Day 13 (13/6/2025): last day in #Perth after another Teassential matcha latte, we scooted to #Midlands Gomboc Gallery Sculpture Park with @sngo1982. So many, so interesting art work. A small replica would be so cool. Plus a cute dog and cows near.

Day 13: @sngo1982 and I had an amazing time at Glowing Room Australia #Fremantle playing #3D #minigolf Mel 38 points (3 eagles) and @sngo1982 41 points (1 eagle). The real WOW factor is quality of glow in the dark art work. It was bloody beautiful! #WesternAustralia

The mini golf session at the Glowing Room Australia was a blast. Bloody surprising good. The 3D glasses made the space come alive! I pulled 3 eagles in that one hour session. Sis and I had way too much fun. 

Overall, Exmouth, a rustic town, boasts an abundance of cafes and restaurants. The average cost of an appetiser is $20. Men flock to Exmouth for fishing, while women visit to socialise with friends and family. The majority of visitors opt to stay in caravan parks, bringing their own food and cooking utensils. They also engage in snorkelling with their own equipment, including life vests. Many visitors arrive in 4x4 vehicles, while some RVs are equipped with bicycles and scooters. 

Regrettably, not everyone can afford to swim with a whale shark. The $500 per person fee is somewhat excessive. From my observation, the majority of retirees who engage in whale shark swimming are the ones who do so. However, these vessels are designed for fishing purposes, not snorkelling. This poses a challenge for entering waters with gear or exiting them with gear. Many of the young, healthy, and confident swimmers prefer to snorkel independently with their own national park permit. 

One aspect that tour operators do not explicitly inform visitors is the presence of moderate to strong currents throughout the Ningaloo Reef. Consequently, inexperienced or inexperienced swimmers are strongly discouraged from attempting this snorkelling excursion. The majority of snorkelling sites are most suitable for swimmers who possess an average level of fitness and proficiency in snorkelling.

Would I return to this location? My sister said no. Too costly. 

Queensland is cheaper to get to than Western Australia. Also, plenty of snorkelling spots too. The coral here is predominantly brown. We observed the same tropical fish as those found at the Great Barrier Reef. GBR ocean areas were calmer in comparison. The flights and shuttle bus can quickly deplete one’s budget. There is no taxi service available, nor are there local public buses. Tours are priced at $100+ per person.