Leaving Canberra after a few days we headed to Trundle about an hour west of Parkes and stayed in the showground along with a couple of travellers – the place is so big we were probably 100 metres apart!

Every town has a story! Trundle has quite a few starting with the very wide main street that was built to allow bullock trains to do a U-turn without a problem, these days it is B-doubles that can get around without touching the cars parked in the street. The next one is the pub claims to have either the longest or second longest verandah for a pub in NSW. There are a few more but the next stand out is the (now) popular Abba festival that normally happens in May but this year it will be early October, so frock up in your 70’s kit and get out there!

We had a few nice and quiet days there, tried the one coffee shop in town (right up there for coffee), walked the wide street, helped an elderly lady post a CWA notice in the window and shopped in the supermarket – see the pics for their storage options and wall notices.

Our last morning was so cold that water froze in the showgrounds taps, but all was fine after an hour or so. We were heading into Penrith to leave the car and van in a caravan park while we do the Perth and return packaged train tour – we stayed at the Bathurst showground where the taps in the amenities froze and more than that, the handbrake in the car froze on!

An overnight stay along quick look around Emu Plains (and heights) before getting the train into the Airport (3 trains – 2 hours – $16 each – so easy) with an overnight motel before the early flight to Perth via Adelaide – nice having Wi-Fi on the plane to use our own tablet.

It was a bucket list ambition coming together – we had organised a package tour with all the trimmings a fair while back which included a 5 star hotel (the Duxton) tours and then the platinum Indian Pacific train ride back to Sydney. Into Perth and met at the airport by the limo driver (let me take your bags to the car) and off to the hotel (let me take your bags sir), the door was opened by the concierge (welcome sir), check-in (you luggage will be in your room sir). The room is great overlooking the Swan River. Breakfast is included but dinner isn’t – the T-bone was $55 plus the sides at $15….for our first night it was Uber eats delivered outside by a bloke on a pushbike – it was still warm, sort of! 

For the first full day in Perth we hired some electric scooters – something we hadn’t ridden before. 2 scooters delivered to the door for $70 for a full 24 hour period, it was one of the best ways to get around Perth city and the pathway loop over the Swan river. These scooters are great way of getting around! Kings Park and the Perth Museum the next day and dinner with Pip and Richard (great catchup!).

The following days were part of the package and included a long Margaret River day was long but included Busselton (apparently was Bussell Town…) with its long jetty (weather was not great at that point), lunch and tastings at Burtons Wines and the Cheeky Monkey Brewery with a look through the Mammoth Cave and Cape Leeuwin Light House which (unfortunately for us) is being refurbished. There is a bit of fixation with cows in this part of the world, Jo had her pic taken with the pirate cow, while we missed getting a pic of the cow on a pole – apparently called “rump on a steak”. Friday and Saturday saw us on a couple of half tours, one was a lunch cruise down and back the river and the other a run through Perth and down to Fremantle on the bus with a couple of stopovers.

Thats all from Perth – on to the train next up!