Hey guys,

Well, we just came back from a little holiday to Perth... and here is the run down in chronological order....

First, someone didn't appear to want to go...



Then we arrived in Perth. I had booked a "VE Commodore or similar" but I had to admit, I preferred the Holden (or at a pinch, the Ford). They had to do some dodgy deals as the Holden had just ticked over 60,000k's and needed to be traded, but the girl behind the counter liked Holdens as well, so she was happy to help me out.

For all the negativity people lay on the Holdens and the Fords, I was super impressed. It had enough room for all our crap (two suitcases, porta-cot, baby seat, ourselves and occasionally two passengers, was quiet and full of beans when pushed (it was the 3.6 litre with the SIDI injection system). It used less juice than the 19yo, 4.0 V8 Lexus LS400 we have while returning better power. It didn't rattle, shutter, squeak or carry on. The 6-speed auto was seamless through the gears. It was a seriously good tool.

They actually asked if I wanted an X-Trail. I NEVER would have fitted our stuff in an X-Trail.

I bonded with Big Red. It was even a really nice red!



The first stop was to the shops, where I found the PERFECT iced coffee...



The next day, we went to grab some lunch and I spotted this Jaguar S-Type running the bizarrest wires I've ever seen; not large like a pimp-spec 100-spoke you'd see on a lowrider, but certainly not vintage looking wheels given their width, offset and diameter!

Not sure I liked them...



After staying with friends in Mullaloo, we went to Bateman (inner South), back to the house I lived in from 1989 to 1990. My Mum moved us to over to be with this guy, but it didn't work out. He was the closest I had to a step father and has always welcomed us back to his house. I stayed in my exact room; it was weird; familiar but not at the same time. Joseph checked out the view I last saw when I was 12...



We went out the back. The J-Man saw something exciting....



The next day, Joseph seemed a little off colour. We went for a drive down to Rockingham just for a look. I found a vintage KFC that had closed down. When was this last done up? I'm certain they've had an update since then....



The next day we went to Kings Park. Joseph was really off colour, which was disappointing. Kings Park is a large, beautiful parcel of land overlooking the city. We got a photo, but not everyone was happy with that...



I also got a shot overlooking the old Swan Brewery. Last time I was there, it was an empty hulk waiting for demolition, but someone saw an opportunity and built apartments and shops out of it. It was on prime real estate and was sandwiched between Kings Park and the Swan River. It was rad!



We cruised around the south Esplanade and saw THE MOST AWESOME CAR EVER (after Belletts).



But most of the day, Joseph had been sleeping, which is weird for any nearly 2-yo kid, so we decided to check into St John of God hospital, near where we were staying in Bateman.



I thought he'd get some fluids and we'd be outta there by 10pm, but they admitted him overnight. The next morning, I spied this R35 Nissan GTR in the car park. The sign reads "RESERVED - DOCTORS EMERGENCY PARKING ONLY".

I have to admit, I hope that any doctor of mine has a Nissan GTR. In fact, it should be mandatory that all emergency staff have one! Then they'd get to work quicker when things go wrong!



We were in that night too....Joseph had 'bronchiolitis' which mainly affects kids under 2yo. He's 23 months and turns 2 on the Bay to Birdwood!



With a tube up his nose feeding him fluids, another feeding him oxygen and my wife covered in blood and other random fluids following a botched blood-taking exercise, Joseph was feeling much better then next day. He was even sitting up and reading a Street Machine magazine I bought just for him!



Later that day, I spied a cool, daily driver-spec BMW 840 coupe!



I went back to the hospital later and Joseph had decided that there's only one thing better than a dummy...



Alas we were stuck there for another night (3 in total). The next day, I went back to hospital and found ANOTHER cool car in the doctor's car park!



I also found a soft drink I used to drink occasionally when I was a teenager, albeit in cans rather than bottles.



Finally we managed to escape; this was the first time Sarah and Joseph had touched the sunlight in almost four full days! I know that there are plenty of families who have it worse-off and spend a LOT longer in hospital, but three nights was more than enough let me tell you!



That night, we went back to our friends' place in Mullaloo. Our mate Aran has just moved from Manchester in the UK and has brought with him his enthusiast cars (an Lancer EVO and a Triumph 2000 wagon!), but he felt he needed a sensible daily driver, so he bought this!



We finally got on our way on time (after me ringing my boss and Sarah having to call her NEW WORK SHE HADN'T EVEN STARTED AT YET that we may not even make it!). We all boarded the plane and Joseph went INSANE with anger, throwing cars under and behind the seats. Sarah and I are both big enough units that this was a major problem, plus Sarah had come down with a massive cold, which didn't help. Burning up with a kid on her lap writhing and chucking things (..and me doing my best to retrieve things..), we were dismayed to hear several delay announcements. The plane finally backed out of the terminal almost a FULL HOUR after we boarded!

As we neared Adelaide, the fatigue took over; Joseph fell asleep and we were afforded a little piece and quiet...



So our holiday to Perth was a write off....we had a few good moments with our mates, but didn't get to go to the zoo or Fremantle, or pretty much anything else we wanted to do.

So we'll have to do it again another time!


Cheers,


Dave

WHAT A GREAT STOREY DAVE .. GREAT PHOTOS (ALL OF THEM)..YES NO DOUBT WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE DONE THAT PARENTHOODING HAS ITS WONDERFUL MOMENTS WHEN THE YOUNGUNS ARE SICK ....WE STEP UP A GEAR FOREGO OUR HOLLIDAYS AND EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING AND GET ON WITH OUR JOB .....TOO GET THEM WELL AGAIN ...OUR HOLLIDAY IN BALI LAST YEAR SAW US ON THE FIRST DAY EXCITED AND FOOLING AROUND DID THE BIG FAMILY HUG AT THE POOLSIDE AND JUMPED IN ...UNFORTUNATELY LITTLE GRACEY (10YEAR OLD) WORE A KNEE TO THE EYE SOCKET ...OFF TO BALI EMERGENCY HOSPITAL ..THE EYE CLOSED UP THE SOCKET DAMAGED AND A FEW CALLS TO OPTOMETRISTS AT HOME ..ALL WAS RESONABLY GOOD ...GRACE WORE A BLACK SWOLEN EYE THE REST OF HOLLIDAY ..COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE ....SO I KNOW WHAT YOU WENT THRU HOPE ALL IS GOOD NOW ...WE WAIT AS PARENTS FOR THE NEXT ??? BE ... YOU WILL BE IN COUNTDOWN HAVE A GOOD ONE AT THE NATIONALS SORRY IM AFF TO GIVE THE BALI HOLLIDAY ANOTHER GO WITH NO HITCHES THIS TIME (HOPEFULLY)..CHEERS DAVO

I LOVE Perth!
Pity the holiday went pear shaped mate. Hope family is all well now.
If and when you do go back, make sure you do the Fremantle prison tunnel tour. It's sensational (not suitable for little kids though as there is kayaking involved through narrow water filled tunnels hand dug by inmates under the prison) 30 odd meters under ground, constant temp of 21 deg even when it's 42 up to.
I miss the old Swan brewery, I did a tour through there about 8 months before it closed shop.

Venture a little further south (can't remember the name of the area) and have a climb of either the Gloucester Tree or the Centenary Tree. Centenary Tree would be my pick. 45+m climb straight up the outside a HUGE tree that has reo bar poking out the side of it and spirals all the way to the canopy where there is an observation tower built to then poke out through the top of the tree. It sways in the breeze so go on a windy day, it's freakin' awesome. Not for the faint of heart though as there are no safety rails for the climb, only a couple of passing platforms, and did I mention it's just reo bar poking out of the side of the tree + no safety nets, just a bit of chicken wire around the outside attached to thinner bits of reo bar pocking out of the tree.
Fantastic climb and view.

HEAPS to do in and around Perth and a very well sorted and clean city. I'll be back there at end of year hopfully (have a new niece to meet)

Great story Dave.

I pissed my self when I saw the photo of the Iced Coffee

Good to hear Joseph recovered.

The wire wheels on CHICAGO look very similar to the Jag wheels too.

I hope you enjoy your next trip to Perth.

Cheers
Neil

Stickman, the tunnel tour looks good.

I can guarantee you I won't be going anywhere near the top of the Centenary tree.

I'm 6'1" and I get dizzy at heights of about 6'2" and above!

Hey Dave . KFC started in Sydney 1968 I worked as a manager in old 1969 to 1981 . The first design was nothing like the one you posted . It was smaller with a rotating bucket . Gricey

Hey Dave, good to know you're back and family is well. Picked up things were'nt that great through Liz's facebook.

Hell, we've got some finishing touches to complete for the "BIG WEEKEND" coming up soon ......coming to a place NEAR YOU!!

Great choice of car, if i may say so. Our VE is only the first standard one off the ranks, but it ticks all the boxes you have mentioned.

Bearded Iced coffee ??

B.