E-SHED MARKET FREMANTLE

From this Alfresco terrace you can watch the boats and ships passing from/to the Fremantle Harbour

DAY 2 - 14.12.12

We stopped at the E-Shed Markets for about 1 hour. E-Shed Markets is situated on Victoria Quay in the Fremantle Harbour. E-Shed Markets is the only waterfront market in Western Australia

There were local handicrafts, antiques and collectables, fashion both vintage and new, fresh organic fruit and vegetables.We did not take many photos here as we have to rush at everything.

One of the store at the markets, selling souvenirs and crafts

That one hour shopping was quite chaotic especially when we happened to discover Aussin Gifts & Souvenirs and we all flocked into it, shouting for helps  from the very few sales girls there. 

Aussin is the biggest shop in the E-Shed Market and known as the one stop shop for Australian Souvenirs for the past 15 years.

You can get almost everything here, from tshirts, jackets, rainjackets, soft toys, clocks, bags, glasses, pottery & wooden Australian Crafts with Aboriginal Arts, wallets, kitchenware, Real Kangaroo skin/claws/"balls", and many more at unbelievable prices. 

On the way out, I managed to grab nougats and chocolates, I almost forgot about it!

MONUMENT HILL - THE FREMANTLE WAR MEMORIAL, WA

DAY 2 - 14.12.12

From the Dragon Seafood Chinese Restaurant, we proceeded to the Monument Hill Memorial Park. We strolled the site and took few photos. The panoramic view and the gentle breeze made the 35 minutes seem to end so fast.

The Monument Hill Memorial Reserve has been designated a Class-A reserve under the Land Administration Act 1997. The site was originally established by the Fremantle Town Council in 1928 to commemorate the losses of the First World War, having previously been used as a public reserve since the early 19th century.

The Monument Hill Memorial Reserve was listed on the Register of Historic Places on 28 August 2001, with the Register Listing noting: "the complete panorama afforded from the place, its urban parkland containing mature trees and open spaces, and the open character and almost constant breeze at its summit are all aesthetic characteristics of the place that continue to attract visitors and locals alike and contribute to the community's sense of place".

A 360 views of Fremantle, Rottnest Island and as far as the Darling Ranges in the east

The 11-acres (4.45 hectare) Monument Hill Memorial Reserve, comprises a large obelisk, the Fallen Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial and surrounding by eight smaller memorials.

DRAGON SEAFOOD CHINESE RESTAURANT NOTRHBRIDGE PERTH

Our group arrived at the Dragon Seafood Chinese Restaurant

The main entrance of the Dragon Seafood Chinese Restaurant

DAY 2 - 14.12.12

We arrived early at the Dragon Seafood Chinese Restaurant which is situated at 108A, James Street, Northbridge, Perth.

The restaurant was huge with nice design. There were still not many people at the place when we arrived.

The Dragon Seafood Chinese Restaurant was huge

It seem like we were the only people around

Though old design, the arrangement was nice 

The front counter was still empty

A thick broth - our first Dim Sum dish 

The broth is thick and smooth - delicious 

Steamed rice rolls with crunchy prawns and vegetables fillings eaten with chilies and soy sauce - yummy 

We didn't eat these (and sorry I do not know the name either) but friends who ate it seemed to enjoyed the steamed 'pau'

The fried squid tentacles - nice and crunchy, fried noodles with vegetables - delicious and steamed kailan in oyster sauce - nice (and the boneless chicken legs - we didn't take it but our friend enjoyed eating it)

There is no picture of egg tarts that I enjoyed here.

I've read that Dim Sum or Yum Cha is usually eaten for breakfast, brunch, lunch or as a snack any where in between.  

PAN PACIFIC HOTEL PERTH

Day 1 

After dinner we checked in at Pan Pacific Hotel which is located near the centre of Perth City.

We were too exhausted that we only took few photos of our room. We retired early and slept the night like a log.

We only realized the scenic view of Perth's Swan River and the lush gardens surrounding our hotel the next morning.

The Swan River from our room

We checked out early as we were going to have our 'dim sum' breakfast at the Dragon Chinese Seafood Restaurant.

On the right is a bathtub and a shower sparated by a glass wall 

Untouched 

 unused.....until the next morning

Our bus parked at the bus bay (tourist stop) in front of Pan Pacific Hotel

Relevant entries :

~> Perth Internation Airport

~> Miss Maud Swedish Restaurat

MISS MAUD SWEDISH RESTAURANT

Day 1

From Perth International Airport, we proceeded to Miss Maud Swedish Hotel and Restaurant for a Smörgåsbord dinner. (Smörgåsbord is a type of Scandinavian meal served buffet-style with multiple cold dishes of various foods on a table, originating in Sweden).

Miss Maud Restaurant's main entrance

Miss Maud Swedish Hotel and Restaurant is situated at 97 Murray Street Perth. Miss Maud Swedish Restaurant nestled within Miss Maud Swedish Hotel. Hotel guests are complimented with a treat for two of Miss Maud Swedish Restaurant famous Smörgåsbord breakfast in the restaurant. Some of the hotel special packages included Smörgåsbord dinner for two.

It's like stepping into a Fairytale.....

So breathtaking....

With the Santa Claus welcoming the guest.....

Once we stepped into Miss Maud Swedish Restaurant, the very first thing that grabbed our attentions were its artificial  fairy tale-style environment. Credit to Miss Maud Swedish Restaurant for a fairy tale dining experience. 

Miss Maud Restaurant live entertainment surprised us when we came to notice that the handsome singer is a Malaysian singer, Roy Sta Maria. 

Wines were served to the non-Muslims. We Muslims ordered soft drinks, juices and smoothies of our choices.

Alhamdulillah, the famous Miss Maud  Smörgåsbord consists endless choices of seafood, fish, olives and fresh fruits.  There were caviar to go with the seafood. Though Miss Maud  Smörgåsbord was the first foreign food that went down my throat, I never expected that my tongue could adjusted to the taste. 

However every time I tried any new dish, I prayed the dua below 

"BISMILLAHI LADHI LA YADURRU MA AS –MIHI SHAY’UN FIL-ARDI"
(With the name of Allah with whose name nothing on earth or in the heavens can cause harm)



Back to Miss Maud  Smörgåsbord,  it is the only Swedish  Smörgåsbord in Australia. 

Miss Maud  Smörgåsbord

Miss Maud smörgåsbord dinner consists 65 dishes of creamy soup of the day, hearty consommé, the freshest seafood (including King prawns, mussels, Swedish herring, caviar, seafood salad); expertly carved tender roast, yabbies, succulent oysters; platters of smoked leg ham, roast chicken and continental meats; pasta and rice dishes of the day accompanied by golden roast potatoes, over 10 exotic, traditional & garden-fresh salads; local & international cheese platter, olives and crackers; a selection of the famously rich & decadent Miss Maud tortes (including our legendary Princess Cake, pavlova, silky-smooth chocolate mousse); fresh fruit and lashings of whipped cream.

After the dinner, we proceeded to Perth Pan Pacific Hotel for check-in.

Relevant topic :

~> Perth International Airport
~>  MISS MAUD SWEDISH RESTAURANT

PERTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

We (my husband, my son and myself) had been back from our 5D4N Perth Margaret River Tour but something came up. Thank God, it's settled and I can start sharing our itinerary here.

I was thrilled when my husband announced that we're going to Perth. I've never imagine that we would set our feet on the land of down under.  I did dream of going to Gold Coast and ever planned with my ex-colleagues to go for vacation to Melbourne or Sidney (that was before I retired - optional - in March 2011), Perth never occured in my mind.

It's South Korea that stands on the top of my wish lists (still is). I've tried every tips and tricks but failed to persuade my husband to look for a package tour to South Korea. I'm a die hard fan of Korean dramas. See, its not just the story itself that sticks me like magnet in front of the stupid square box, it's their unique culture that attracts me - the unique pattern of their family-hood, the unique layout of their house, their 'dress to impress' attires and so much more. But most of all, I want to see these self-obsession society with my own eyes.

Back to the land of down under, after our passports were surrendered to our travel agent (meaning it's confirmed that we're going), I started to do a lot of research beforehand especially on places we are going to venture in Perth (beside taking out our suitcases, dusting them and stuffing our necessities into them).

I'm the type of person who do not want to be stuck in the dead end because of our own ignorance. Wherever we go, I'm the one who would be armed with a notebook which contents the details of the places we were heading. Yes! My notebook which was always in my handbags proved to be useful and saved us from the hussle and bussle. 

We were in Western Australia in Summer. We moved on from Perth city to Margaret River and back up at Perth City. We had great fun (and quite tiring) touring around the Margaret River. Nonetheless it was a wonderful experience bottle-feeding the lambs. Australians are generally nice and friendly. Here are the summary of our tour, the details coming up!

13.12.2012 (DAY 1) 
- MH 125 KUL ➺PER  ETD : 0930   ETA : 1500

> Arrrival at Perth International Airport, meet & greet our driver guide
> transfer to restaurant for buffet dinner at Miss Maud Restaurant
> To Perth Pan Pacific Hotel for check-in.


14.12.2012 (DAY 2) 
- Starting time leaving hotel : 0900. 
- Ending time reaching resort : 1800

>  Check-out from Perth Pan Pacific Hotel
>  Proceed for Dimsun Breakfast at Dragon Seafood Chinese Restaurant (will take approximate 1 hour)
>  Short tour at Fremantle : Fremantle Market/Monument Hill/Roundhouse
>  Proceed for Fish & Chips lunch in Mandhurah
>  Then 1 hour Dolphin & Scenic Canal Cruise
>  After cruise, 1 1/2 hour coach drive to Abbey Beach Resort for check-in
>  Dinner at resort restaurant

15.12.2012 (DAY 3) - Busselton

>  Busselton/return jetty train ride and guided underwater observatory at Busselton Jetty
     *subject to weather condition as jetty might be closed when the weather is wild
     *If the jetty is closed due to the unforeseen circumstances, travel agent could replace with :
        -  Product tasting at chocolate company and Olive Oil Soap Factory
>  Yallingup Shearing Shed

16.12.2012 (DAY 4) 
- Check out resort/back to Perth and check-in hotel

> Check-out from Abbey Beach Resort, Busselton
>  Guided tour at Jewel Cave
>  Guided tour at Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
>  Proceed to local winery for lunch
>  Back to Perth and check-in hotel

17.12.2012 (DAY 5) 
- MH 124 PER ➺KUL  ETD : 1630   ETA : 2200
-  Starting time leaving hotel : 1000 hrs. 
-  Ending time reaching airport : 1400 hrs

>  Check-out from Abbey Beach Resort
>  Proceed tour to Kings Park
>  After lunch, transfer to airport for KLIA flight

12 DECEMBER 2012

At 12.45 pm, we  departed KIA (Kuching International Airport) and arrived KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) at 2.25 pm.

We chose to stay the night at the Empress Hotel Sepang which is 8 minutes away from KLIA as we need to rush to KLIA the next morning to make sure we manage to assemble there at 7am. 

 Perth International Airport 

 Perth here we come!

DAY 1 : 13 DECEMCER 2012 

We had a decent breakfast at the Empress Hotel. Its steamed dim sum dumplings and its fried chicken in pandan leaf was a good kickstart for the day. 

After breakfast, we boarded a bus together with other members of our tour. We managed to reach KLIA in time and checked-in together smoothly. 

We flew Malaysia Airlines. We departed KLIA at 0930 hours. 

The Malaysian Airlines stewardess was  kind enough to have suggested two vacant seats on our left hand side to my son. My son took the window seat and with the other seat next to him remained empty throughout the journey, he enjoyed the huge space all to himself.  

Our traveling agent helped to fill all the details in both our in/out going visas and helped us with the menus of the restaurants that we were going to dine throughout our trip. 

The names of the menus were quite rare and confusing. It took us quite sometimes to look through the unfamiliar  menus. At last we decided to play safe, beside those marked as halal, we chose seafood, fish and the similars. After finishing the tasks, my husband  took his favorite Fisherman's Friend Cough Suppressant Lozenges (I prefer Strepsils Cough Lozenges though) and tried to sleep. 

With my husband drowsing beside me, I tried to engage my attention to the AVOD smart screen (audio video on demand). Credit to Malaysia Airlines for the inflight amusing entertainments. I enjoyed Korean movie "Runway Cop". And a comedy Korean movie "Rock 'n Roll Housewives" helped to make the last few hours passed pleasantly. 

We arrived Perth International Airport at 1500 hours. Alhamdulillah, the customs and immigration clearance ran smoothly. The officers were quite friendly. They only asked for our telephone numbers. It took us less than 5 minutes to get through.

I've read in the internet that Australia's customs is one of the strictest in the world. It really bothered me that I prayed a dua throughout our journey. Below is my dua: 

Rabbi Yassir wala tu-‘assir. Rabbi tham-mim bil khayr.

“O my Lord, make things easier for me, do not make things difficult for me.”

Alhamdulillah, Allah is always there to help and make my difficulties easier.  The Qur`an tells us that Allah remembers those who remember Him. 

Some of our tour members who had been to Australia several times said that they have never come across Australia's customs clearance as smooth as ours before!

We tried to capture a few pictures  of the Perth International Airport before we met and greeted our handsome Australian driver guide. He drove us to Miss Maud Restaurant for our Smörgåsbord dinner!