Pearl E Queen: Cruising

The children and I played tourists in our own town and when on a cruise.

We left from outside the Performing Arts Centre and cruised out towards the ocean. Before the estuary meets the ocean we turned right turn into the new marina area,

where we spotted a house-boat called Wakka-Doo,

and saw some unfinished apartments and shops.

And some more.

Quite a few of them actually. No dolphins today though.

Out of the marina and back into the estuary going towards the lovely old bridge,

past the war memorial,

then a swift right into a canal to cruise past people's front gardens.

Some famous person lives in this pink house but possibly a sporty person as I had no idea who it was.

At about this point the commentary went on a lot about house prices. Very, very big numbers last year and apparently somewhat smaller very big numbers this year. In a big, boomy, microphoned voice. Right outside these people's houses. I'm not sure if we were supposed to be horrified, mystified or jealous but I felt a tad mortified.

Then the commentary went on about how most of the inhabitants of these houses are never here as these are just holiday houses. I guess that makes a good story and we didn't argue as that would be bad form.

But their story made us a bit curious as we stayed in a house on one of these canals when we first arrived here. It was a very nice (but not over the top) house lived in by permanent residents. Next door and all up and down the street were plenty of other permanent residents doing everyday things like coming home from work, walking their dogs, cleaning out their garages and taking surplus lemons to their neighbours.

We cruised out of the canals and back into the estuary looking towards the new bridge. Still no dolphins today.

Back the same route.

Past the Sailing Museum and still no dolphins. But never mind because cruising around Mandurah with your children is still a pretty fabulous way to spend a sunny, wintery afternoon.