Do You Like Your Coffee Yelo?
Once a fairly downtrodden yet popular little coffee place, the freshly renovated Yelo Cafe on Trigg Beach is a little nugget of a find. On the corner of Bennion Street and the scenic West Coast Drive it’s a great place to relax and enjoy the stunning ocean views, not to mention the beautiful people jogging past with religious dedication to keeping their tanned bodies in top notch condition.
Yelo Corner Store, Trigg Beach
The coffee at Yelo is superb and attracts a loyal following. The caveat to this is the place is often busy, lacks parking, and you may have to perch on the end of a wooden bench to enjoy your drink. The alternative is to order your coffee to take away, stroll over the road, and relax on the quaint rocky beach.
The menu is basic as it’s more of a brick and mortar coffee van than a fully fledged cafe, but that said the food is nice. They serve a range of breakfast wraps, muesli, organic fruit toast, and fresh muffins in the morning, and toasted paninis, bagels, and wraps for lunch, as well as a range of other food and tasty cakes. The range of food caters for anyone, including the health freaks and gluten dodgers amongst us. Fresh juice and tea is also on the menu.
Well worth a visit.
Preston Beach Kangaroos
Western Grey Kangaroo at Preston Beach, Western Australia
Preston Beach is a small town just over an hours drive south of Perth, a minute south of where the Forrest Highway merges with the Old Coast Road. The town is situated in the Peel Region of WA between Mandurah to the north and Bunbury to the south, in the Yalgorup National Park. It is a delightful town with basic amenities, and the recently developed Footprints Resort of beach shacks and townhouses is a wonderful place to stay with a pool, cafe, and games room – great for children. A convenience store and service station can be found in the town, and the beach has toilets, showers, BBQ facilities, and a children’s play park.
There are a couple of walking paths in Preston Beach that meander through the national park and around Lake Preston, as well as along the white sandy beach and other nearby lakes.
Western Grey Kangaroos on Preston Beach Golf Course, Western Australia
Preston Beach is known for the town’s abundance of Western Grey Kangaroos, which is something to delight nature lovers. During the evening hours they can be seen all around, from the verges of the roadside to the sprawling golf course. There aren’t too many places around Perth where you can see so many of the creatures.
Other marsupials that can be found in the Preston Beach area include the Common Brushtail Possum and Bandicoot. Kangaroo Ticks can also be found in abundance, so be careful if you venture into the bush.
Top Surfing Beaches in Perth
There’s a plethora of surfing beaches in and around Perth. Some feature more sharks than others, but that never bothered anyone right?
Most of the best beaches are north of the river from Cottesloe up to Watermans (Watermans Bay). Here’s a short run down:
COTTESLOE
Surfing, Cottesloe Beach
A well known tourist spot featuring backpacker hostels, bars, cafes, and some fantastic restaurants, Cottesloe is a great place to visit. The beach is renowned and iconicised by a structure called “The Pylon” which was one of three structures erected in the ocean to hold a shark net after a fatal attack in 1925. The two other pylons were destroyed in a storm in 1937, whereas the third one still remains battered and unkempt to this present day. Cottesloe has the highest record of shark attacks on all beaches mentioned (but on the bright side you’re still more likely to be hit by a bus). It’s a lovely beach with great waves and a lovely atmosphere, and the towering Norfolk Pines are impressive.
FLOREAT & CITY BEACH
Moving up the coast from Cottesloe you will find the beaches of Floreat and City Beach. These are more secluded with less housing in the vicinity.
SCARBOROUGH (SCARBRO)
Surfing, Scarborough Beach
Scarborough is a haven for youths, especially in the summer months when the beach will be thriving with hormonal studs and horny sheilas. The Scarborough “Strip” boasts bars, clubs, restaurants, surf shops, a token Dome cafe, and the landmark Rendezvous Hotel which can be seen from all along the coast. It’s known to be one of the best beaches in Perth and has some great waves all the way up to Trigg Beach further north. If you want to surf AND party then Scarborough beach is for you.
TRIGG BEACH
Surfing, Trigg Beach
Trigg Beach is a great beach and borders on the rockier scenery which becomes more abundant as you head north. It’s more secluded and scenic than Scarborough and has some choppier waves. There’s a cafe and surf lifesaving club at the entrance to Trigg Beach, which can get busy in the summer months.
WATERMANS (WATERMANS BAY)
Watermans Bay (or Watermans for short) is along the scenic drive between Trigg and the trendy Hillarys Boat Harbour. Watermans is one of the more scenic surf beaches along the coast. There are some great coffee shops dotted along the scenic drive and you’ll often find retro cars and ice-creams vans tonking up the road. Watermans Beach is a great deal smaller than all other beaches mentioned, but less touristy as far as sunbathers are concerned. The ocean floor is rockier and the waves choppier, but it’s a fantastic surfing spot. It’s one of the prime locations for kite surfing which is clearly apparent as from November they’re there in abundance.
For further information on Surfin’ WA have a look at the Surfing Australia website.
Australian Mining Giants to Deprive Mongolians of Way of Life?
I’ve read a number of recent articles about the effect of mining in Mongolia as foreign companies, such as Australia’s Rio Tinto, race to exploit the country’s rich natural resources. There are numerous claims that the Tavan Tolgoi (coal) mine and the recent Oyu Tolgoi (copper and gold) mine, located far from civilization in the Gobi desert, will threaten the livelihoods of traditional Mongolian herders. It is prophesized, by media journals, that these mines could lead to a strain in water supplies in the area, causing “desertification” and the “decreasing quality of vegetation”.
Oyu Tolgoi Mine, Mongolia
I hate to point out the obvious, but does it strike you as slightly ridiculous that these mines are causing desertification in a desert? And what vegetation, may I ask, grows in a desert? The last time I was in the Gobi, which was recently, I didn’t stumble over any fields of wheat or rainforests. I stumbled over a few boulders and spotted a camel, but that’s all there was in the “desertificated” desert. That’s if you don’t count the monolithic structures of the Tavan Tolgoi (TT) mine and the construction work and thousands of workers at Oyu Tolgoi which is an impressive sight to behold.
From what I’m led to believe, there really aren’t that many herders in the region of the mines. The Gobi is vast, and very sparse. The handful of herders that may reside in the region isn’t of huge significance, especially when you compare it to oil & gas ventures in other parts of the world that border on civilisation. The traditional Mongolian herder is by nature nomadic, so in the event of any water shortage in the area it’s likely they’ll stroll off to greener pastures. That’s if such a water shortage eventuates, and as yet I haven’t seen any reason why it would. It’s of equal possibility that the mining infrastructure could lead to a greater supply of water in the region.
So why are all these media moguls reporting of such risk? Should these claims be brushed under the carpet and ignored? I wouldn’t like to give a definitive answer on that as the risks may well be genuine to local herders and the immediate environment. I would, however, like to point out an environmental risk of far more significance –the levels of pollution in the capital city Ulaanbaatar.
Ulaanbaatar Pollution
Anyone visiting Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator, or ‘UB’ for short) in the winter months will be immediately confronted with the pollution which is rife and unavoidable. UB is the second most polluted city in the world, and in the winter months I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the first. To walk outside each morning it’s not the temperatures of up to -50 degrees Celsius that get to you, it’s the thick taste of oil and coal residue that hits the back of your throat. This is the product of a city struggling to keep warm. Over 50% of the population of Mongolia now live in the capital, and most retain a traditional lifestyle by living in a tent dwelling known as a ‘Ger’, heated by coal. Even the more modern buildings, offices, and hotels use oil and coal for heating despite the government now provided a hot water-based system. Add to this the fumes from the constantly congested traffic which struggles to get from place to place amidst deadlock and a cacophony of car horns. The city is shrouded in smog, and it defines the city.
Consider the mines – a force that can alter a country completely. UB of today is vastly different to UB of only three years ago. It’s far more congested and far more polluted. UB, by definition, has boomed beyond its belt. Mining has caused this boom, and this is only the beginning. The city has rapidly developed to cater for a mass of foreigners and country folk, with better offices, cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops, entertainment, and even a ski resort. Mining has brought wealth into the city, and the wealth attracts even more people. More work, more business, more money, more people, more pollution! It’s all happening at an alarming rate and will continue to do so. The city is focused on providing luxuries that bring in western money, when what they should be doing is reducing the pollution. Mining provides the money to improve such infrastructure, but will the Mongolian government choose to act on it before it’s too late?
So, forget about the handful of herders who may or may not be affected by the mining, but concentrate on the pollution that could potentially affect the long term health of millions in the capital city. It’s a serious issue, and it needs to be dealt with – fast.
Where to buy Kindle / Kobo / iRiver / Sony e-Readers in Perth?
I love books, always have, ever since I discovered the Famous Five when I was a young lad. I love the smell, the feel, the sense of achievement as you progress through a book. I love having my own little library which, to the passing house guest may make me look half-intelligent. So why on earth would I want an e-reader!? No chance! I’m a die hard book reader!
Or am I?
It appears not.
eReaders in Perth
A few weeks ago I bought a Kobo, an e-reader courtesy of the newsagent chain WH Smith (not present in Australia). I opted for the Kobo for a couple of reasons – the first being it plays all e-book formats including mobi and epub, and secondly you can whack in a micro-SD card which can store more books than you could ever conceivable read in your life. As well as that it looked nice in white with a funky lilac textured back, and with touch screen it was an appealing buy. Not bad for the $149 price tag in Harvey Norman.
I was converted immediately to the e-reader generation when I first had the chance to use one. I knew little about them before buying the Kobo, and as I’ve never been a fan of reading books on a laptop I really couldn’t see the appeal. What changed my perspective was when I became aware e-readers were not backlit. The text is “burnt on” using an e-ink display or whatever technological term is used. What this means is there is no more eye-strain than you would get reading from paper. It also means you can’t read it in the dark, so like a normal book you need a bedside lamp if you wish to read in bed. My partner turned her nose up with the comment “If you can’t read it in the dark then what’s the point?”, but what does she know. I love it. Eye-strain is a serious issue, and reading from a backlit screen for hours on end is a surefire way to damage your eyes.
I loved the fact you can read the Kobo like a book, or more a super book where you can alter the font and text size amongst other things. If you’re like me and have multiple books on the go, then the e-reader means you can take them all with you, in your pocket, wherever you go. Fantastic!
I like whipping mine out on the train, and that’s not the only public place I like to whip it out.
Unfortunately my Kobo-love was short-lived. The reason I bought it was due to a 4 month stint working abroad. I didn’t want to lug multiple books which would take up half my baggage and push me over the weight limit. I bought the Kobo the day before flying out and loaded it up with enough reading material to last a year. Unfortunately, only hours into the journey, and I found my Kobostuck on page 127 of Stephen Fry’s “A Memoir”. No matter what I pressed or what I stuck in the reset button hole, my Kobo was well and truly defunct. Some web-research during a lay over in Hong Kong informed me that some Kobo’s (a small minority) simply break after a few hours. I can’t tell you the trauma I went through being away for four weeks in a third world country without any reading material, and I blame that on the Kobo (or my unfortunate experience with it).
During those four weeks I found I no longer longed for a book, I longed for another e-reader. Paperbacks are a thing of the past for me now. They’re cumbersome and dated. I needed another e-reader.
On my return to Perth the first thing I did was head to Karrinyup to scour the shops for my next e-reader purchase. David Jones and Myer sold the Sony Reader, and Myer had the funkier red (and pink) version. I’m an advocate for Sony having used their minidiscs, TVs, laptops, and other gubbins, for years. At $179 it was pricier but I figured I’d be buying quality. They’re touch screen which is a bonus, and have a slot for the micro-SD card which I’d already bought with the Kobo. Fortunately, David Jones had one on display for me to fiddle with. I wasn’t impressed, for one reason only – flicker.
To explain “flicker” in laymans terms, whenever the page is refreshed the screen is wiped clean. When this happens the page flashes black. This may not bother most, but I’m not a fan and find it tacky. The Kobo refreshed every four or five pages which wasn’t too bad, but I found the Sony did it on everypage and very noticeably at that. An extra $30 more than the Kobo and more flicker – no thank you. Another downside was I found it wasn’t as aesthetically designed as the Kobo and appeared more cumbersome. I went in search for a Kindle instead, as I was aware they’re now on their fouth generation (aka refinement).
Dick Smith sell Kindles as I’d looked at them before, but it seems the Dick Smith store in Karrinyup is no longer there (or I simply couldn’t find it). I tried Big W who had the small Kindle for $139 and the larger one with keyboard for over $200 but out-of-stock. I had a quick look at the smaller Kindle which was exactly what I wanted – small and pocket size, minimum flicker. I had no need for a keyboard and extra weight. One downside is it wasn’t touch screen like the Kobo andSony, but it was cheaper and nicer. It seemed to be of far better design and quality, and the rounded back makes it far easier to hold. I liked it immediately, and within minutes was walking outBig W with my new swanky purchase.
Right now, while writing this article, I have to say I’m a Kindle man. The Kobo was really nice, and the touch screen for changing pages worked really well, but unfortunately for me it wasn’t to be.
I feel like I’ve had suitable experience with the e-readers available in Perth, and I hope you’ve found this article interesting and slightly informative. I also looked at the iRiver (from Google) in various stores but didn’t put it to the test simply because I didn’t like the look of it and the keyboard buttons looked tacky.
So, if you’re in Perth and want to buy an eReader, then here’s where you can buy them and roughly how much they are (subject to change, obviously!):
Amazon Kindle is sold by:
Dick Smith ($139 basic model, keyboard version over $200 but always seems to be out of stock)
Big W ($139 basic model, keyboard version over $200 but always seems to be out of stock)
Kobo is sold by:
Harvey Norman ($149)
iRiver is sold by:
Harvey Norman (About $179?)
…and possibly Target
Sony Reader is sold by:
Myer ($179)
David Jones ($179)
Target ($179)
It’s also very easy to order from Amazon US with delivery taking as little as a few days, and cheaper to boot – Amazon Kindle on Amazon US (mail-order).
There are likely other retailers but that’s all I know of. I’ll keep this page updated if I hear more.
One thing which is worth mentioning is the Kindle Touch which is currently available in the US and available shipped from Amazon. I noticed a few available on Gumtree for either an excessive amount or were the version with adverts. I considered buying a Kindle Touch but after my experience with the Kobo breaking I was reluctant to buy from the US and have a Kindle break. I’m aware Dick Smith are planning to sell them in the near future.
Not a Greasy Doner in Sight @ Peter’s by the Sea, Scarborough
I’m a pom. I went to university, got drunk every night, and lived off 2am greasy doner kebabs from the ramshackle van on the corner. I can’t imagine how furred up my arteries were in those days. That was a long time ago now, and these days I can’t stomach such crap. I didn’t eat kebabs for years until I discovered Peter’s By The Sea on the Scarborough “Strip”. Now I’m converted, and I visit there regularly.
Peter’s has been there for a long time, and has always had a good name. It’s also the reason the Scarborough Strip has retained some of it’s original character. Mr Boomtown of Boom Town Wrap says “When Alan Bond erected Observation City (now Rendezvous Hotel), his vision was to push over the entire beachfront strip and replace the row of hamburger joints, pool and games dens, that had defined Scarborough for generations with a Surfer’s Paradise-style battery of high-rise phalluses. Bond offered the shop owners big bucks to move out, and one by one they succumbed, but Peter’s By The Sea refused to sell. While Peter’s remained, the development Bond had in mind could not go ahead. Rumours went around that he had upped his buying price to silly levels in the millions, but Peter’s was not for sale and couldn’t be bought for any price. Eventually, Bond had to abandon his grand vision. Peter’s By The Sea has taken on mythical significance for the locals ever since as it represents something quintessentially Scarbs.”
They sell a range of kebabs, souvlaki, burgers, seafood, and breakfasts. Plenty of seating can be found inside or out. They also have an additional counter selling deserts and ice-creams as well as an extensive bar.
Try it, you might like it.
Sh*t, Perth People Say
In case you haven’t seen this video, it’s a must see for all Perth folk. I’m sure you’ll identify with at least one or two aspects of it.
We give you, Sh*t, Perth People Say, by KatLabProjects:
They say ~ “A lighthearted look at some of our Perth peculiarities. We asked
our friends and family – you’d be surprised how often some common themes came up.”
Passport Photo Fun in Perth CBD
I needed some passport photos so went out during my lunch break on what I believed would be a simple mission. It wasn’t.
This wasn’t for a lack of places in the Perth CBD where you can get photos, but more a slight cultural difference between Perth and the UK. From where I’m from, you will always find Passport Photo “Booths” in common places like the Post Office, Chemists, or Train Station. I assumed the same would be the case in Perth, hence my belief it would be a simple mission.
Passport Photos in Perth City
My first stop was the Post Office around the corner. Here I found a huge snake of a queue which is typical of the lunch hour rush. I looked around the shop and there were no photo booths in sight. I made an attempt at asking the guy in the Currency Exchange booth but there was no way of negotiating the queue snakerama, so instead I set off looking for a chemist.
I found a chemist. Again, lot’s of people, lot’s of queues, and no sign of a photo booth.
I ambled around the city for another half an hour, making a stop in a strange little toy shop and purchasing a Domo toy for my office desk at a bargain price of $9! But despite that, still no sign of any passport photo both.
A thought occurred to me. I was sure I’d seen a both of some sort in the entrance to the enex100 building on St Georges Terrace, opposite Woolworths. I headed in that direction tackling the Christmas crowds, but on arrival found it was a DVD rental machine and not a photo both. I was getting frustrated and my lunch hour was almost up. I needed the photos for work and didn’t want to return empty handed.
Opposite Woolworths is a chemist, so I figured I’d ask one of the clerks where the feck I could find a photo booth. Her answer was “right here”. I scoured the shop but there was definitely no sign of a booth, and I had to laugh when she pulled out an old Sony digital Cyber-Shot and asked me to stand up against the storeroom door in the corner. Yes, this is how they do it in Perth. No fancy booth, no options to take four photos and pick the one that looked semi-reasonable. In Perth they whip out a camera and shoot you on the spot. One shot, no choice, twelve bucks, thank you very much.
So if you’re looking to get passport photos in Perth CBD, simply go to the nearest chemist (or probably a post office), and ask them to shoot you. Job done.
All Feathered Up @ Place Des Anges
Places Des Anges
St. Georges Terrace was transformed on Saturday night as folk dressed in bed sheets flew around on cables from skyscraper to skyscraper, twirling, diving, pillow fighting, and dropping feathers on the awed audience below. “Place Des Anges” they call it, and could be described as Cirque Du Soleil in the sky with feathers. They even had a giant Angel that could only be described as an inspiration from the Ghostbusters “Marshmallow Man” – fantastic!
Place Des Anges originated in France by the internationally recognised French company Les Studios de Cirque. It’s not hard to deduce the “Frenchness” of the show which is clearly apparent from the dress sense alone. The show has been performed in only a few cities worldwide so we should be honoured to see it in Perth (especially as it was free!).
It’s very hard to explain the atmosphere. 2 tonnes of feathers, duck I believe, were dropped over the city from the flying whiteys. The feathers were imported from China, probably in a number of shipping containers. 2 tonnes may not sound like much, but given a feather weighs next to nothing you can only speculate on how many feathers there actually were. St Georges Terrace was covered. The trees were caked. Feathers floated as far as Fremantle and beyond. Feathers, feathers, everywhere. For those allergic to feathers I hope you stayed at home that night, in a sealed room, wearing a mask.
The after show impromptu street party was a spectacle. Music thumped from speakers outside the Council House as children and adults alike played in the mock snow. Cameras and phones flashed as people covered themselves in feathers and took their latest Facebook profile pictures. Children slid down the feathery bank outside St. Georges Cathedral. Other children got hopelessly lost in the crowds and were heard screaming for their mothers. Adolescents climbed on buildings and bus shelters to survey the scene. It was a magical wonderland in every sense, and certainly a reason to love Perth.
Fun and games aside, there’s always a “but”, a grievance. That came in the form of numerous companies being greeted on Monday morning with feathers in their foyers. The City of Perth confirmed they had received a number of complaints regarding the matter, but thankfully it wasn’t too many. If you’re one of those companies then you can complain by contacting PIAF, although a better idea would be to lock yourself in a room and whip yourself with a buckled belt until you cheer the f*ck up. They’re feathers! Smile and be happy.
For those that missed the show you really missed out, but there are many other events to look forward to during the Perth Festival. Start searching the web to see what else is on at the moment and you’ll be overwhelmed. Perth is a happening place in the summer months, and you can find stuff to do daily. Just look out for the red ball, as if you run into it you may be recoiled back onto the pavement! There’s also the Fringe Festival on at the moment which is worth checking out.
