Perth WA 2016: Day 2 Part 3

Part 3? What a long day. Stay put readers! :p

As we arrived Freemantle from Rotto, we went to E-Shed market, located just in front of the port. However most of the shops are closed already. And upon checking, yes the market closed at 5pm. Then I asked around for the direction of Freemantle Market, and I was told that the market was closed too. Too bad.

We just continued walking around the town and found a souvenir shop along the way. Everything was cheap so we accidentally had our shopping haul there #eh haha. I recommend you buy souvenirs here (or at E-Shed, as recommended by many) because you won't be getting such prices at Perth City. I got myself a hoodie for only AUD10 !

Later on we headed to Kaili's Fish & Chips for dinner. 

People said it was the best Fish & Chips in town. IT IS.

The best fish & chips i've ever eaten in my entire life. Cost AUD25.30 and this is the portion of 2 average persons. Trust me you can't finish this alone. We were sharing and still couldn't finish the meal. So as usual, "tapau"! Haha.

While waiting for the rain to stop.

But the rain never stopped so we just walked in it haha. Freemantle Station is located 1km from Kaili's so the walk was around 12 minutes.

Freemantle is a very quiet town. 8pm and nobody to be seen and a very few cars on the road. The town has a lot of beautiful buildings. We had a nice stroll that night :)

Perth WA 2016: Day 2 Part 2

When I was a kid, everytime my teacher told me to draw a landscape I'd be drawing a criss-cross mountains, with clouds on top, and a shining sun behind them. And there I was, witnessing my young years' imagination which was a lot more beautiful and amazing in real life! Subhanallah. [captured with SJ4000]

Now if we imagine Jannah as what being described to us in surah Al-Waqiah, can you think how great could it be in the real Jannah :)

Back to the journey - there was a toilet at the opposite road of Wadjemup Lighthouse. For Muslims, it is advisable you bring an empty bottle all the time (to be filled with water) for a convenient pee and poo session. And also, wet tissues.

As we headed back to the busstop (after lunch), the rain pours down. My friend and I had to run while mumbling "Ya Basit" "Rabbi Yassir Wala Tu'assir" and "Ya Allah redakanlah hujan". (Masa susah tau pulak ingat Tuhan). But we were laughing because it was like 2 crazy girls running in rain with nowhere to go haha. 

It was raining, windy and so cold. And we were in an open area with no place for shelter. Can you imagine how tough it was for us. It was still raining at the busstop and we continued with the dzikr. And then in just a glimpse...

...from cloudy and rainy, became sunny! Allahuakbar. We were both jaw-dropped and in shock. 

And then I remembered, a musafir's doa, is among the ones never rejected by Allah... [captured with iPhone 5s]

Still waiting for the bus. But no more rain! (I did try to get under the table when it was raining but couldn't fit hahahaha) [captured with iPhone 5s]

We waited quite a while before the bus came. Within the waiting period, my friend and I talked about how if we were stranded in an isolated island. Let's say this is not Rotto but somewhere at the edge of the world, and we have no one to rescue us.  Imagining that made us think of how terribe could the doomsday be...

So much ibrah from Rottnest Island :)

Our next stop was West End. 

Walking by the coastline. [captured with iPhone 5s]

And take a deep breath now guys.

The most jaw-dropping view at Rotto! Subhanallah. Welcome to Cape Vlamingh. [captured with SJ4000]

This photo don't do it justice. The real view was so amazing I almost fell to my knees shouting for Nira's name (cuz I reached this spot first). The water was so clear and so green. From the cliff if you look down, you'll see the water is in clear emerald green. It was... really beautiful.

Idk maybe for some safety reasons, you can't swim or snorkel here. [captured with iPhone 5s]

There was a toilet near this spot. We got to wudhu' and solat behind the bushes. 

I would love to share the story of what happened when we perform our prayer there.

While I was praying, a bird came landed near my prayer mat. And then another one came... and then more. 

And when I turned back after salaam...

A group of birdies behind me O_o [captured with iPhone 5s]

I looked at my friend, she looked me back. We were both puzzled and did not have a clue what these birdies were up to. The birds could just land there with no reason, but what made us ponder was that they really came to us. They came to my prayer mat, surrounded us and they didn't fly away until we left the spot. MasyaAllah I do not know how to describe that but trust me, that was one hella terrific experience. 

Zoom in. Beautiful birdie!! [captured with iPhone 5s]

Playing with Quokka again while waiting for the bus. But this one a bit untamed. I was trying to lift it  up and it bit me. It was painful!!  *dushh* [captured with iPhone 5s]

Next stop was Geordie Bay. It was raining so we went into a cafe.

And the cafe got coffee and variety of yummy-looking cakes and muffins. A regular cup of hot coffee cost me AUD5. [captured with SJ4000]

A sinful chocolate marshmallow for me (it was sooo good). Can't remember the price but around AUD5. [captured with Mi 4i]

A veryyy delicious classic scone for my friend. Cost about the same as the above - AUD5. [captured with iPhone 5s]

And yeah we spent too much time a the cafe that we forgot the bus schedule. The last bus passing through Geordie Bay was at 3.55pm and we missed it! So guess what.. we needed to walk (run, to be precise) to the jetty which was located 2km from Geordie Bay! *cry a river*

Why run? Because the ferry will depart at 4.25pm!! *cry louder*

We are not a runner guys. We are just some lazy Malaysian girls traveling to Australia. Isk. 

We ran, walked, ran, and walked pass The Basin - the infamous snorkeling spot. Sorry, no time for photo. Isk. 

We continued. Ran, walked, and ran till we reached the jetty. We arrived a bit more than 4.25pm but the ferry was still there. Approaching the jetty we ran faster the ferry staff might be laughing looking at us running from afar while waving our hands to them. Such embarrassing moment of my life.

AND YES WE WERE THE LAST PERSONS THAT GOT ONTO THE FERRY. THANKS.

So long Rotto! [captured with SJ4000]

For a complete guide and information about Rottnest Island, head on to Rottnest Island website. 

Perth WA 2016: Day 2 Part 1

We went to Rottnest Island on our second day!

This is the place I really wanna gooo because there are so much activities here! Located not really far from Perth, Rottnest Island or locally known as Rotto, is like a slice of heaven near Perth. And fyi, Rotto is the only place where Quokkas live!

Quokka. [captured with iPhone 5s]

How to get to Rotto from Perth:

1. Take a train from Perth Underground station to Freemantle. It costs AUD12.40 for family fares (there are a few selection but family fares was the cheapest because it's AUD12.40 for 2 people, return ticket, whole day ride). The journey is around 45 minutes.

2. Take a ferry from B-Shed port (in walking distance from Freemantle train station) to Rottnest Island. The journey is around 25 minutes.

The ferry ticket costs AUD61 (return) and admission fee to the island is AUD18. 

The ferry ticket can be purchased online at Rottnest Express. YOU MUST PURCHASE EARLIER AND ONLINE because it's not guaranteed you get a seat if you just walk-in. The ferries departed 3 times daily (7.15am, 9.45am, 3.00pm) and the nicest time would be at 9.45am or 7.15am, if you're a very morning person. Because you gotta spend a whole day in Rotto. C'mon guys make the expensive ticket worth!

There's a cafe at the port. Treat yourself with a cup of coffee while waiting for the ferry! 

A regular cup of black coffee cost me AUD4.80 [captured with iPhone 5s]

We chose to sit at the open area wiwiwi~ Be careful and sit still as the ferry ride would be rough and very bumpy. [captured with SJ4000]

The temperature in Rotto was 14 degC. It's cold and super windy! We straightly headed to the Visitor Centre to purchase bus ticket. Cycling is the most famous ride on the island (no car in Rotto!) but we preferred to take a bus because it would be tiring to cycle back to back hahahah (so diva!!).

The bus ticket cost AUD20 per head. This is an all-day ticket. You can choose to drop anywhere you like and just take any other buses that pass later. 

Rotto is like a private island. You can spend all the time you want at any chilling point you prefer. For bicycle and snorkeling equipment rental, go to Pedal & Flipper located just behind Hotel Rottnest. We didn't rent any because the weather didn't look pleasing for snorkeling activity that day (light rain).

Before I came I made my research about Rotto and drafted my own itinerary. There are too many activities and attractions and obviously you can't finish everything in a day, so you need to be selective for your trip. I planned to just explore the island by bus and do some snorkeling (the plan was to snorkel, but it didn't happen due to the weather). 

We stopped at Parker Point - (walk to) Little Salmon Bay - Wadjemup Lighthouse - West End - Geordie Bay - (walk to) The Basin - back to the jetty.

Playing with Quokka while waiting for the bus. It licked my finger! Hahah. Quokka is so human-friendly. It's very cute! [captured with iPhone5s]

We arrived Parker Point! [captured with SJ4000]

I swear I will come again for snorkeling here. Haha. [captured with SJ4000]

Clean and clear water. [captured with SJ4000]

After that we just walked to the next point which is Little Salmon Bay. 

When the road is all yours... [captured with Mi 4i]

This is Little Salmon Bay. Didn't have time for feet-dipping because the bus was coming. [captured with Mi 4i]

Err, do you mean, pee in the bushes? [captured with Mi 4i]

We got on the bus and drop ourselves at Wadjemup Lighhouse.

Quite far from the busstop. [captured with iPhone 5s]

Wadjemup Lighthouse. [captured with SJ4000]

We found a spot up there! 12.30pm; a perfect lunch time. Did you notice the plastic bag I've been carrying? That's our Nando's leftover! Alhamdulillah a chilled peri-peri chicken for lunch. Kahkah. [captured with SJ4000]

It is advisable that you bring own foods here for lunch because restaurants are only available at Geordie Bay.

Our lunch view. Subhanallah. [captured with SJ4000]

Gonna take a lil break. Will continue my Rotto trip in Part 2.

Perth WA 2016: Day 1

I purchased the flight ticket last Ramadhan. Return ticket KUL-PER cost me RM791. No baggage. No insurance (don't follow me on this hehe). Meals ordered onboard (cheaper if you purchase online) around RM30 for nasi lemak + mineral water.

My flight departed at 9.40am, ariving Perth at 3.10pm. KL and Perth are in the same timezone thus no jetlag, and Perth temperature was 11 degC upon our arrival. Super cold babeh.

From my reading I was told that Perth immigration is very strict, but alhamdulillah everything went smooth for me. I didnt even have to open my luggage (I carried a backpack and a cabin luggage) like most of the other visitors. Perhaps because I didn't declare any wet foods in the declaration form.

At the airport you could find a few telco stores and car rental agencies. I purchased a local simcard from Optus cost AUD10, providing 500mbps internet (I didnt need much tho) and unlimited call/text to any (Australian) numbers.

No need to rent a car here. I will tell you soon the better options.

We then waited for bus no. 380 (as told by our airbnb host) that brought us straight from Perth airport to Adelaide Tce in only 17 minutes.

It was cold, windy and raining! 

You gotta wait for the bus at Terminal 1. Happy faces because it was our first time in Australia yay!

The bus was frequent so we didnt have to wait for too long (thank God, I was dying from coldness!) We stopped in front of Hyatt Hotel, and then our host came to pick us up with a car. I thought the apartment was far but it was actually just across the Hyatt Hotel -_- 

"You dont actually need to pick us up with a car. We could just walk!"

"I thought you carry a large luggage. But obviously its not large at all! *laugh*"

About our stay - I got the room from airbnb.com . It is located within Perth CBD area but with suburbs' price! Worth every penny. It was a master bedroom with private bathroom. The apartment got swimming pool, sauna and gym.But did we ever have time for that...

View from my room. The rate was RM138/night. Access to public transport are right down the apartment and also got a mini mart nearby. Such an ideal location for me (when I travel I always prefer city area, and closed to amenities). 

It was around 5.45pm by the time we reached the apartment (quite a while at the airport tho). After solat (Maghrib at 5.30pm) we headed to Perth Mosque at William Street. It was a bit confusing to understand the buses routes in the beginning but you can always ask! 

Info: All buses are free of charge within Perth CBD. 

We got down at the nearest stop and walked by feet to Perth Mosque. Turn out it was actually very far from the stop we shud be taking another bus haha. But there was no bus along the road so yeah, walk it was.

We were actually looking for someone we believe is the bilal of the mosque. His name is Samad, and not even a regular jemaah knew his name kthanksbye.So we just headed back home and had dinner along the way. There was a Nando's at William Street, just next door to Jamie Oliver's Restaurant!

One with Jamie's. Eceh.

One of the waiter at Nando's was a Malay and he was friendly.

"Tak balik raya ke (are you not going back for raya)?" 

Dude we flew away from home for raya! Hahahah.

Nira's food arrived first while I waited quite long for mine. When I asked the waiter, they actually forgot about my orders! So I had to wait a little longer... 

a waiting wefie...

Cleaning table and stuff while waiting... 

..and then the food came... with extras!

"Oh sorry we didn't order this."

"It's yours. For raya!" 

MasyaAllah so kind of him! Alhamdulillah.

We couldn't  finish the meal so as usual, we "tapau" the leftovers (never leave food to waste guys!). We walked a little and took a bus home. 

Info: The meal set (1/4 chicken and fries + iced lemon tea) cost AUD14.85

Tips:

1. Perth's public transportation is very systematic and efficient. All information regarding routes, timetables and fares can be obtained through Transperth website. Print out the maps, and put it in your pocket all the time.

2. If you ever got so confused, use Journey Planner. You will never get lost in Perth with this. 

Perth WA 2016: Overview

Hello! Assalamualaikum.

Wow my last update was on February?? 4 months of not going anywhere, haha. But I'm back with a new story! I've just got back from Perth, Australia last week and I can't wait to blog about the trip. I was there for 5 days, 3 1/2 days with a friend and going solo on the remaining days. Flying with Air Asia (of course), and Perth was in winter season! But they got no snow on Western Australia (WA), winter only means colder (than autumn) days.

The plan was a very last-minute one. My friend whatsapped me during Ramadhan and asked if I wanted to go to Perth (Air Asia was on promo that time). And I told her, why not?! Haha. And oh please don't wait for too long. A raya trip sounds just great XD

So in that short span of time we draft the itinerary and all. Alhamdulillah Perth has been great! I love Australia. That's all I could say for now. I'm a lil' over-excited here because 1. It was my first time visiting a white-people country 2. It was my first time traveling beyond Asia

Such a memorable experience. Alhamdulillah.

Stay tuned for my detailed post!