Sculptures By The Sea

During the month of March, Cottesloe Beach is playing host to over 60 sculptures from local and international artists. M and I went down there this weekend to check it out and it seemed like thousands of others had the same idea!

It was a beautiful day walking along the beach looking at all the different pieces of art.

It is on until the 22nd of March so if you get a chance check it out!

Hot Night In The City

Last Friday night M met me in the city after work so we could go check out the Twilight Hawker Markets in the Murray Street Mall.  What we didn't expect was that so many other people had the same idea as us! So we had a wonder around but decided to eat elsewhere as the lines were so long!

So because we were already in the city we decided to make a night of it and check out some of the bars that we had been talking about.

The first one was The Boheme on the corner of Murray and William Street. This used to be the old Bobby Dazzlers which was a bit of a run down old pub which smelt of beer and old bread. It was renovated into a bar and restaurant and I think it is quite nice! It is a bit dark on the inside but the restaurant looked like it would be the best place to be, Surprisingly the restaurant wasn't very busy but I think they have the layout right with it being separated from the drinking crowd.

As with most bars in the city on a Friday night, it was packed with people who had finished work and wanted to let their hair down. M and I had a drink but found it a bit too crowded for what we wanted to we decided to move on. 

Venn's gift shop next to the bar

Venn, a bar and art gallery in one, had only been open for a week but when we walked down Queen Street to find it, we discovered they were already at full capacity! We decided to wait for some people to leave so we could go in. The lady at the door was very friendly and we didn't have to wait long at all before we were let in. 

Venn has an art gallery upstairs and at the moment they have a exhibition from Matt Doust on. Unfortunately for us the gallery closes at 7pm so we missed out. 

The bar is located at the back, behind the gift shop, and it includes an outdoor area as well as an area inside with tables and chairs. If you go, take the second to look up and see the upside down pot plants hanging from the roof!

M decided on a beer and I ordered a cider with ice.

Even though it was packed we were lucky enough to grab a table and chair in the corner so we could relax with our drinks. It was a bit of a mixed crowd in there but it definitely had a friendly vibe!

Venn have the option of some bar snacks  and they also do breakfast during the week. I am going to have to get up early enough one day to try it!

After our drinks we decided to get some air and head off to Wolfe Lane, located in a lane way (funnily enough titled Wolfe Lane) just off Murray Street. 

We walked up to the wooden door which opened automatically and walked into the very busy room. 

I ordered a sparkling rose but the room was full of the scent of fresh fruit, obviously from their cocktails. We headed upstairs near where the DJ was and thought it was the perfect place to go after Venn as the music kicked it up a notch and got us into the grooving mood! 

So we continued our night there and ended up having an awesome time and the perfect start to the weekend!

The Partisan - East Perth

One very hot Saturday morning Miss Top Perth and I met for a big catch up and breakfast at The Partisan in East Perth. We had both never been there before so we were excited to try somewhere new and it was quite easy to find, right next to Toast in Claisebrook Cove.

Even though they have plenty of tables outside in the shade it was boiling hot so we went for the preferred option, inside with the air-conditioner. We had both never been there for breakfast before so we were excited to try somewhere new. Inside the Partisan there were quite a few things which were a bit odd. As my dear friend described, it is almost a mix of the Cabin, with the Greenhouse with too many weird things going on. It pushed it over into the trying too hard realm if you know what I mean?

We asked for a couple of glasses of water, which were served in two Little Creatures beer bottles, and some coffees. Trying to decide what we were going to order we were surprised to discover that we had two different menus. Not majorly different but enough for us to question that I had Fresh Fruit Salad in my menu and the other had Poached fruit. Not a major drama, just unusual.

We finally decided to order the Platter for two ($15) and Fruit Salad with mint and berry yoghurt($9). The platter for two included 2 pieces of fruit toast, two pieces of normal toast, conserves, croissant and a piece of carrot cake. 

The meals and coffees arrived not too long after and we started by cutting the pieces into halves. The fruit toast was beautiful but I didn't have any of the normal white bread. I nibbled on the croissant and the carrot cake but the real star of the breakfast was the fruit salad. The fruit was fresh and juicy. Full of flavour and nice and cold. The mint added an extra zing to the flavour and it was perfect for the hot morning we were enduring. 

About half an hour after our breakfast was served, we were approached by a waitress with a plate full of bacon and eggs which she tried to serve to us. This is a common mistake to make but it wasn't very busy. 

The price is nice for the Partisan but the service was a little lacklustre. I would go back there, if not for the service, but definitely for that fruit salad and the views of Claisebrook Cove. 

Michael Buble at Sandleford Winery

Excuse the crappy photo, It was from my iPhone

M was lovely enough to purchase us platinum tickets to Michael Buble last year and after months of waiting the day finally came last Friday night. Micheal Buble (or "Bubble" as M and I call him) has been a long time favourite of mine and when he came to Perth last time (2008) I saw him play at Challenge Stadium. Even though Challenge Stadium is pretty ho-hum as a venue, I was 5 five rows from the front and he was magnificent. So I had high hopes for last Friday's performance and in some ways it didn't match my expectations. 

M and I arrived at about 6:30pm and after buying a couple of drinks ($10 for a very bogan bourbon and coke!) we went down to our seats. As you can see from the picture above we were no where near as close to the front as I would have expected for our tickets! 

First up there was his support act Naturally 7. They were the support act last time and it is a group of 7 guys who sing and make music with their mouths, not using instruments. They are really good but they were on between 6:30 - 7:30 with Michael starting at 8. During the half hour break there was nothing going on so it didn't really warm up the crowd at all.

Michael started and he started off with "Cry Me a River". It was great to hear him with the big band behind his music. After that song finished there were fireworks going off behind him, it looked great!

He is always a fantastic performer. He is a bit of a comedian and does so much to interact with the crowd. He included one of my favourite songs "Mack The Knife" which was an awesome surprise. He spoke about how Michael Jackson was an influence on him growing up and he performed a piece of "Billy Jean". 

It was a beautiful night to be sitting outside but there were plenty of mosquitoes going around. I thought that because there were so many people to choose from that we wouldn't be bitten but I was wrong! 

Sandleford Winery as venue isn't too bad. They had a good layout once you were inside and the sound was perfect. The only thing is that I would have thought that Sandleford would have worked out how to get cars in and out of the venue. It took us nearly an hour to get back onto the main road after leaving the venue! It definitely put a bit of a dampener on an otherwise great night.

Overall he is an amazing performer and I can't wait until he comes back to Perth!

Food & Festivals coming up in Perth

There are so many good events coming up in the city and they all look fun and yummy! Isn't that always the best combination? March is Eat Drink Perth Month in the city and that sounds right up my alley!

First of all, every Friday in March there will be Twilight Hawker Markets in the Murray Street Mall. These markets will hold lots of different types of food and there will also be plenty of entertainment to enjoy while feasting. Perfect oppurtunity to grab something after work on a Friday night!
If you want to see more information you can go to the Show Me Perth website -  http://www.showmeperth.com.au/event/twilight-hawker-market

This is a feature of Eat Drink Perth which is running all March in the City of Perth. The program gets released on Sunday in the Sunday Times but you can also go on their website http://www.eatdrinkperth.com.au/ for more information or click here for a sneak peek! In previous years there have been specials on at lots of restaurants in the city and if you're lucky, some freebies! Freebies like a free main course at Black Tom's in West Perth! Click here for the details


Coming up is also the William Street Festival being held on Sunday 20th March. This will be similar to the Beaufort Street Festival held late last year. They will be closing the roads between Brisbane and Newcastle Street and providing free entertainment including dance, contemporary music and comedy, as well as roving performers and artisitc displays. There will also be plenty of food on offer from the restaurants in that area. It will be interesting to see how this turns out!!

Of course there is also the International Beer Festival this weekend at the SUpreme Court Gardens. I will be very interested in how the logistics of this years festival work out after the cock-ups in previous years. 

Last of all, there is the Fine Food Festival at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on the 20th to 22nd of March. M has a connection to the food industry so he will be there and I am going to go on my lunch break one day. There will be lots of different food stalls but also exhibitions about cooking equipment. Go to http://www.finefoodwesternaustralia.com.au/ if you want more info!

Dave Hughes at the Astor & The Fringe Festival

M and I really like going to see comedians, whats better than going home with your mouth sore from laughing?! There are a couple of places around Perth which host comedy shows each week but when we heard that Dave Hughes was coming to Perth we bought tickets knowing it would be a sell out. The Astor Theatre in Mount Lawley is so nice on the inside, a real reminder of what it used to be to go on an outing to the theatre. Dave Hughes was really funny but I thought that he used all his good material in the first 45 minutes and I was yawning for the last fifteen minutes. It could also be because it was a 9pm show and I am getting to be a nana! ha!

M and I also went to the Fringe Festival last Saturday night. The Fringe Festival is between February 4th - 26th and is held in the Cultural Centre in Northbridge. The festival has many different cabaret, comedy, burlesque, short performance and musical acts. It is held in a circus like tent called the Spiegeltent and it is like a cabaret lounge from the 1920's. We booked a 10pm show called "The Freak & The Showgirl". Well, I cant actually describe what happened in the show if I don't want to be picked up in some unsavoury google searches! Let's just say that there was an over 18 restriction on the show and really they should have warned people that there would be full frontal male and female nudity! Luckily I wasn't offended by it and found it amusing and good fun with just a little bit of shock thrown into the mix.   There is a good description of what the show is about here 

If you want to see more information on the Fringe Festival then go to http://www.fringeworld.com.au/

Whitlams at Joondalup Resort

M really loves The Whitlams but up until recently we hadn't had a chance to see them in concert. Then one Saturday when I was ordering my wedding flowers from Karma Floral Design, we noticed they were having a free concert in the City of Joondalup with the WA Youth Orchestra as backing music. The concert was just for City of Joondalup rate payers so I had to talk my aunty into coming with me and picking up some tickets. 

So M and I went to Joondalup Resort last Thursday night after work to attend the Valentine's Day concert. I had never been to the Joondalup Resort before and was surprised at how beautiful it was out there. We were also surprised with how many people had attended that night and how hard it was to find a good spot close to the stage.


It was a nice balmy night, perfect for sitting outside under the stars and listening to the vocals of The Whitlams and the music of the Orchestra.


Apparently they have free concerts annually for Valentine's Day so if you live close to Joondalup keep an eye out for it!

New Job and Barossa Valley

So I have been so slack blogging wise lately but I have some good reasons! First of all, I have been planning my wedding which is 3 months away tomorrow! Speaking of which, I have updated my wedding page with some of the things I have been organising. I haven't included everything as I want to keep some surprises for my guests which read this. 

Secondly, I started my new job at Rio Tinto last month so it has been a hectic time. Apart from learning all of the aspects of my job I went for a team workshop in the Barossa Valley. The workshop went for 4 days and it was a really interesting experience. We had wine tasting, yoga first thing every morning and lots of different team building exercises. We also had every meal at Harry's Restaurant, which is located at the Novatel Barossa Valley Resort. Some of the dinners we had include the below

 Seared prawns on skordalia, rocket and sauce vierge

 Roasted breast of chicken served on piedmont roasted peppers

Dark caramel and chocolate fudge tart with chocolate Bailey's emulsion

The service was fantastic at Harry's Restaurant and I should know, we had breakfast, lunch and dinner there for our entire stay!!

I had a great time in the Barossa but I was looking forward to coming home!

Surf Cats - Catamaran Hire South Perth

Although it is raining here in Perth today the weather over the weekend was boiling hot! Something M and I had been talking about doing was heading down to the South Perth foreshore and hire catamarans, on Monday we got our chance! 

The catamarans are located on the South Perth foreshore, right near the Boatshed Restaurant. The prices vary depending on how long you want, we hired it for an hour and it was $35 but two hours is $60. 

The boat holds 3 and they have life jackets there if you think you'll require one.

We went out there at about 2pm and the seabreeze had started to kick in. M did most of the steering and keeping hold of the sail but the waves made us get wet pretty quickly. Especially when it came to turn around, as the sail moved position I layed down and got completely soaked. Luckily when M mentioned taking towels with us I payed attention! I definitely want to do this again.

If you want more information their website is http://funcats.com.au/

New Year, New Challenges and Wedding Planning Ahoy!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a magical Christmas/ New year! My Christmas was lovely and spent with those I care muchly for and New Years was good. M and I spent it with his friends this year at Rubix in the city. They had $10 cocktails but I really enjoyed the $20 jugs of Pimms! They also handed 99 red balloons around just before midnight. These balloons held numbers so when popped, we could win a prize. We walked away with 3 bottles of wine so we didn't do too badly.

I have been MIA from the blog lately and to be honest, I have loved the time off from everything! When I first got engaged I was determined not to let my wedding take over my life but now when it is 4.5 months away I have to kick my butt into action! Reading wedding magazines and websites is almost depressing, apparently at this stage I should have booked a florist 8 months ago (not done), should have ordered my invites 5 months ago (really? 5 months ago!) and completed my gift registry!

Over the break, apart from enjoying my new hammock and  nespresso coffee machine, M and I organised quite a few wedding items including the wedding rings, stationery, honeymoon and have 60% settled on a band. 

We also went out to Rosehill to have another look around and try to visualise how things will look on the day. 

We have also decided that for our honeymoon we will be doing the following;

Perth → Cairns - Spend 4/5 days going to the Daintree Rainforest, The Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas and surrounds

Cairns → Hamilton Island (Whitsundays) - We are looking at trips to Daydream Island but we pretty much want this to be relaxation time

Hamilton Island → Brisbane - Spend a day or so in Brisbane, maybe 2 days and go to a theme park on the Gold Coast.

Brisbane → Perth - We are going to be flying home Business class on my frequent flyer points. 

Source

Source

I am definitely starting to get excited!

The Breakwater - Hillarys Marina

So one sunny Sunday K and I decided to head north towards The Breakwater at Hillary’s Boat Harbour. It turned out to be a great day as one of my oldest friends G was there with a group. 

I grew up in the northern suburbs but moved away when I bought my house.  Because of this, I hadn’t been to the Breakwater since it had its major overhaul.  It is quite nice inside and it had an upper level for functions, as well as plenty of outside seating. First of all we decided to grab some drinks and with it being such a warm day I was in a cider type mood. This mood quickly disappeared when I discovered all that they had was Five Seeds. I find that Five Seeds cider is quite sickly sweet so after perusing the beverage list I decided on the Jacobs Creek 3 Vines Rose ($9). 

It was so beautiful sitting in the sun over the water with some good friends and a glass of wine.  

It was after lunch but none of us had eaten so we went and grabbed the bar menu.  I decided on the Seafood platter ($25) which consisted of salt and pepper calamari, Seared scallops, beer batter barramundi, garlic prawns and roll mops. 

K decided on one of the gourmet pizzas ($19) which had the following toppings; bocconcini, roma tomato, basil & kalamata olives. G didn’t order any food but his friends ordered the salt and pepper squid ($21) with some chips ($8). 

My seafood platter was really nice (well except the rollmops but G had those) and K really liked her pizza. So the food disappeared quite quickly between all of us. 

I don’t think I would go out of my way to head up there when I have so many good pubs closer to home but I had such a good time chatting, drinking and sitting in the sun with some good friends that I would definitely go back if they wanted to.