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Sometimes the best plans are the ones you don’t plan for | Perth Day 2

We then cruised about 15 minutes to our next spot. And we all chilled on the boat for 30 minutes. They gave us orange slices and some pastries. I could barely consume either as I was feeling a little queasy from all the motion. I actually contemplated not doing the second snorkel but quickly realized that is stupid and I must take advantage of this opportunity! So back in the water I went and I was so glad I did!! The coral here was equally as good as the last spot. Maybe better? So much color! But the drop offs were a little scary. You couldn’t see to the bottom. It looked like the reef just went down to the abyss.

Absolutely gorgeous day! Just about 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!

Had planned to do a Swan river cruise that I knew included a 2 hour river cruise from Perth to the wine country, lunch, a winery visit and a visit to a chocolate factory before the 2 hour cruise back to Perth. That’s really all the details I had. I didn’t look at trip advisor or anything. Just a brief mention of the cruise line company in the lonely planet book. Definitely a highlight so far!

Departure was scheduled for 10:30 am. Thought it might be tough getting up for it but I was awake by 7:15am. I don’t have jet lag thankfully either. Made it to the pier in time via Didi. Cheaper than uber. It’s a river boat like you might expect for a river cruise. Lower than a typical boat so it could fit under the bridges. There weren’t many people on board so every party had their own 8 seater booth. Including me. Which I think was a positive in the scheme of things. I was able to really listen to the narration and enjoy the scenery.

The 2 hour cruise was awesome! The captain narrated the entire cruise – pointing out sights and giving some history. It was really interesting and informative. About an hour into the cruise they served lunch which thank goodness for this picky eater was yummy! I was able to eat everything except the salmon shashimi. Eventually we arrived at this GORGEOUS vineyard called Mandoon Estate. The boat then split into 3 groups. My group went on a really nice and large motor coach to the next vineyard. We went to Lancaster Wines for a tasting and cheese. The first wine was a bubbly and not good. I went to the bar for some other tastings. I really liked the Chenin Blanc. In the end I just wandered around the grounds and enjoyed the sun. I couldn’t seem to join in any of the conversations so I stuck to myself. Took lots of cool photos and just tried to be mindful of the beautiful surroundings. After about an hour we left for the chocolate factory/store. What a shitshow! The driver lets us off the bus and says we have to be back in 20 minutes so it was every man for himself! I bought a few chocolate items but regret the milk chocolate bar. I usually don’t eat plain chocolate. 🤷🏼‍♀️ There was another shop onsite that sold everything from gourmet soup mixes to oils and condiments. I bought a bag of pasta and what looks like delicious pasta sauce. Plus this apricot and earl grey jam that may or may not be consumed before I fly back to the USA! I’ll probably have the pasta for dinner tomorrow.

We returned to the boat at 2:45 for our 3pm departure. I decided to sit outside this time on the front of the boat so I could take pics and take advantage of the beautiful weather. This woman and I started talking. Her name is Mags and she was traveling from Ireland. She was there with her son, son’s girlfriend and the girlfriend’s mother-Ann. Lovely people. Mags was a trip! Not sure if it was all the wine she consumed or that is her personality! I also met Julie and her husband (Tim I think). They are from Perth. Very nice people too and they had some great advice for Perth and Brisbane. We spent so much time chatting (and Mags feeding me beers) that the time passed really quickly.

We all exchanged numbers on WhatsApp. Mags is dying to visit me in Hawaii! I would love to see her there but I did make it clear I had a 1 bedroom condo! I think they think I’m very wealthy because I have an ocean view. I tried to explain I’m not living in a million dollar+ home but I don’t think it resonated. In turn they invited me to stay with them in Ireland. Little do they know how picky I am about my accommodations! We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

I found an Italian restaurant (of course) on Google Maps called Maruzzella. I was surprised to see how crowded it was for a Sunday! But soon after I got it – the food was AMAZING! I started off with a cocktail that had vodka and lemoncello in it. It was super good. I couldn’t resist ordering the mushroom arancini with pesto. I was blown away by how delicious it was! I saved one to take home. I ordered the pork and beef lasagna special and that was insane as well! It was beyond good. It had fresh grape tomatoes and was absolutely delicious! Have plenty for leftovers. Thankfully I was out of the restaurant by 8 because I was tired!

Went back to the apartment and started prepping for tomorrow. I decided to do a last minute trip to Rottnest Island. Can’t wait! Off to bed…