Week 3/52 - Mandurah - Holidays by the water

Here we are in Week 3 of our 52 week tour of Western Australia downunder. I take you to south from Perth to Mandurah. Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoy the tour.

70 kilometres from Perth, and overlooking the Indian Ocean, is the coastal city of Mandurah. It’s proximity to Perth makes Mandurah a holiday mecca for city residents and tourists. Throngs of people take advantage of Mandurah’s Mediterranean climate and unique blend of coast, bushland, industry, inner-city living and canal residential developments. Mandurah is the capital of the Peel region and calls itself a “city of endless possibilities”.

Despite growing from 12,700 residents to a City of over 62,000 in the past 15 years, Mandurah has retained its relaxed, holiday atmosphere.

Attractively located on the shady park lined waterfront of the Mandurah Estuary, Mandurah offers a vibrant mix of waterfront restaurants and cafes, boutique shops and accommodation ranging from caravan parks to resort villas. The Mandurah Foreshore is the perfect place to enjoy a feed of fish and chips with the family and spend a relaxing afternoon under the trees while children play on the playground equipment just as visitors have done for years. The local pelicans know it too and visit the foreshore every day.

The Indian Ocean, the Mandurah Estuary and the three rivers which run into the Peel Harvey Estuary – the Murray, Serpentine and Harvey - offer everything from fishing, crabbing, swimming, river cruising, waterskiing, surfing, scuba diving, white water rafting, and a world class boat marina. A popular way to enjoy Mandurah is to hire a houseboat for a few days to explore the waterways.

In the photo below you can see Mandurah' waterfront - a perfect place to stroll, have a picnic, or a coffee in one of the waterfront cafes.

From Life Images by Jill

This landmark Morten Bay Fig Tree (in the photo below) is on String Ray Point, right in the centre of Mandurah. The land making up the Peninsular site was bought by interests associated with the colourful and flamboyant Kalgoorlie mining millionaire and future Lord Mayor of Perth W. G. Brookman.

The Brookmans built a holiday home here and the opulent parties they held here were patronised by many leading members of WA society at the turn of the 19th Century. Often, the Brookman’s guests would plant a tree in the gardens to commemorate their visit, and this is probably the source of the large Moreton Bay Fig that currently graces the point.

From Life Images by Jill

Pelicans frequent the waterways of Mandurah, along with resident Bottlenose Dolphins which regularly swim in the boat harbour, estuary and canals and play in the bow waves of boats. Mandurah is one of the few places in Australia where wild dolphins can be seen daily close to residential and public areas.

From Life Images by Jill

Just south of Mandurah at Lake Clifton you can view the ancient Thrombolites in the Yalgorup National Park, one of only three locations in WA where living fossils have survived over millions of years. A viewing platform and boardwalk allows visitors to see the Thrombolites up close.

Lake Clifton is one of only a few places where "living rocks" microbialites grow, and the largest lake bound microbialite reef in the southern hemisphere. They are formed by a variety of micro-organisms and grow about 1mm a year.

I took the photo of the Thrombolites late one afternoon and lighting was supurb. It was a lucky shot as we had never been there before, and we dropped in on the way home from Perth. This photo became a cover pic on "Australian Coast & Country" magazine, showing it pays to be in the right place at the right time with your camera!

From Life Images by Jill

Here is another photo of the Thrombolites at Lake Clifton. This was taken as the sun was setting, but I accidently had my camera on the wrong light balance for a few pics, like this one - however I kind of like the effect. What do you think?

From Life Images by Jill

Here is one of the longest jarrah bridges in Western Australia linking one side of Mandurah to the other.

From Life Images by Jill

Time to hire a boat and go for a cruise. There are plenty of waterways, including the new residential canal developments that are a feature of Mandurah, enjoy a boat ride.

From Life Images by Jill

End of the day and time for a chat and a coffee on the waterfront.

From Life Images by Jill

Next week, I take you to my home town, Bunbury. Hope you are coming along for the ride! See you then!