Historic Barn Down South, WA

We drove 220 km south of Perth to spend a night at Harwood's Cottage, a charming heritage-listed building with a rich history. Once an old barn, the cottage has been beautifully restored and refurbished into cozy holiday accommodation. It features two bedrooms separated by a shared bathroom, a spacious living area, and a well-equipped kitchen tucked at the rear - perfect for a quiet countryside retreat (Read here).

Although we had planned to spend more time outdoors, those plans were somewhat dampened by two days of intermittent rain. Still, the weather did little to dampen our spirits. We made the most of our time indoors, enjoying lively games by the fireplace, wrapped in warmth and laughter. The evening for the adults was made even more delightful with a glass of wine from Happs Winery, purchased earlier during our journey - a perfect way to unwind and toast to a day well spent.

The fire place.

On our way back the next day, we made a detour to visit Gnomesville in Ferguson Valley. I was amazed to see how the number of gnomes had multiplied over the years - from just a handful placed around a small roundabout in the early days to now hundreds, if not thousands, scattered across the valley in every direction.

Whether by deliberate design or through the whimsical contributions of visitors over time, Gnomesville has evolved from a quirky roadside oddity into a full-fledged tourist attraction. What was once a simple patch of countryside is now a fascinating, ever-growing village of gnomes - each with its own charm, personality, and story - making it one of the most unexpected and interesting icons in the region.

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From Gnomesville, we continued our journey to the Apple Fun Park in Donnybrook. I was particularly curious to see this attraction, promoted on TripAdvisor as the largest free outdoor playground for children in Western Australia. However, upon arrival, I found it to be much smaller than expected - certainly not as expansive as I had imagined based on the online reviews.

The children barely had more than 10 minutes to explore and play before a light drizzle quickly turned into heavy rain, cutting our visit short and forcing us to move on. While our time there was brief, the park seemed well-maintained and would likely have been more enjoyable on a sunnier day.

Sunsets in Western Australia

Perth, a coastal city in Western Australia, reminds me in many ways of Kota Kinabalu, where I reside. While Perth faces the vast Indian Ocean, KK gazes out across the South China Sea - an increasingly contested body of water, large portions of which are claimed by China but were recently ruled otherwise by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

During our recent trip to Perth, we decided to explore several western coastal towns in Western Australia, hoping to catch some of its famed sunset views. We were certainly not disappointed - WA offers some of the most breathtaking sunsets we’ve ever witnessed. Despite the unusually cold winter Perth was experiencing at the time, we bundled up and braved the chill just to enjoy the golden moments as the sun slowly slipped beyond the horizon.

Our first stop was Rockingham, a coastal town located about 46 km south of Perth. We took the train and then connected by bus to the seaside. By the time we arrived, we had barely 15 minutes left to soak in the twilight and witness the sun’s final descent. But even in those fleeting minutes, the scene was unforgettable. The beauty of the Rockingham coastline at sunset was magnified by the soft silhouettes of people strolling along the shore, trees gently swaying in the wind, and the outline of structures fading into dusk - all bathed in hues of gold, orange, and deepening blue.

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We rented a car and drove northward from Perth, spending three days exploring places we had yet to visit. One of our stops was Jurien Bay, a charming coastal town located about 225 km north of Perth.

Armed with the knowledge we had gained in Rockingham about the precise timing of the sunset, we made sure to arrive at the Jurien Bay seafront just before 5:00pm. For the next 30 minutes, we stood in quiet admiration as the sun inched its way toward the horizon and eventually slipped below it - yet another breathtaking sunset on the Western Australian coast.

We spent time at the jetty, soaking in the moment, watching people cast their lines into the sea, and feeling the cool ocean breeze against our faces. As the sky deepened into shades of amber and purple, we were lucky enough to witness - and capture - a split-second silhouette of a man casting his fishing line, perfectly framed against the setting sun. It was one of those rare, serendipitous moments that make travel so rewarding.

Silhouette of a man casting his fishing
line was captured!

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After leaving Jurien Bay, we continued our journey northward, driving another 200 km to reach Geraldton - a significantly larger town with more urban character compared to the quieter, seaside charm of Jurien Bay. As expected, the sunset in Geraldton was equally spectacular, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape. However, unlike the jetties and buildings that added dramatic contrast in our earlier sunset views, Geraldton’s coastline is more open and natural, with fewer man-made structures to frame the scene.

Yet, in their own way, the silhouettes of wind-blown trees, rugged bushes, and the natural curves of the land created an atmosphere that was no less captivating. The raw, unfiltered beauty of nature against a slowly darkening sky offered a different kind of serenity - calm, expansive, and quietly powerful.

Immediately after leaving the seafront, we drove up to the highest point in Geraldton - the site of the HMAS Sydney II Memorial - to take in panoramic views of the sunset and the town below. Once again, we were not disappointed. The hilltop offered a stunning vantage point, with the golden rays of the setting sun casting a warm glow over the landscape and the sea shimmering in the distance.

Although we had visited the memorial earlier in the afternoon, the view at sunset was an entirely different experience - more dramatic, more serene. We would have lingered much longer to soak it all in, had the weather been a little kinder to us. A chilly breeze and gathering clouds eventually nudged us back into the warmth of our vehicle, but not before we had enjoyed one final, unforgettable glimpse of Geraldton bathed in twilight.

Nathan, the People Person

Nathan, my first grandson looks so much taller when he stands next to the little sister, Gracie since we last saw him just six months ago. Kids grow really fast. But what impresses me most is his language skill. He even corrected my pronunciation when he heard me saying "sheep" which sounded to him likes "ship". He said, it should be "she...eep" emphasizing the letter E :).

He is still the little charming people-person. But, I could sense that as he grows, he slowly begins to realize that not all people are "nice and friendly" after all. He started to be more selective in the types of close friends and casual friends to have.

His favorite toy is still Lego but he now dwells more into the characters of these toy creations from the many of block busters movies that he comes to know about. Faced with my dwindling ability to remember names, it is just incredible to see this little fellow's ability to say names after names of all the characters of these fantasy worlds! 

With his Lego creation at a local Library Lego Club.

He still loves to listen to stories. But then after the bedtime story, he is no longer happy to go straight to sleep without a session of conversation - sort of man-to-man talk on any subject that comes to mind. He is clearly growing up!

I believe that as long as his need to articulate his deeper thought and feeling is not curbed, he would someday emerge as a formidable speaker!

Gracie Turns 3

We were glad to be in Perth to witness and celebrate our grand-daughter Gracie turning 3. She was quick to understand this transition and was able to demonstrate her knowledge of basic arithmetic and what it meant to become 3 “fingeratively”.

Gracie, the little princess of the house has her soft spot, but it is her more steely character that is manifestly more evident. Any moment when we felt that she needed a helping hand, it was resolutely rejected with her assertive voice of “I will do it myself!”. A little tough fellow indeed!

With countless gnomes in Gnomesville, WA.

At Harwood Cottage, Quindalup, WA.

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Gracie adores the brother. A good case to illustrate this is - who has the final say in which cartoon movie to watch. It's amazing to watch how the siblings come to a decision of which cartoon movie to watch just before bedtime. Almost 7 out of 10 times, little sister chose to forego her normal preferred cartoon movie in favour of the brother's choice! I could only say that the little sister loves to do what big brother decides to do, at least for now!

Tender moment between brother and sister.

Of course, it is not peace among siblings all the times. There are times of dispute. We caught one such moment just before brunch in one restaurant. In the midst of tension, little sister somehow found a way to defuse the chaos. She exclaimed, "Work it out!". Obviously, mom's formula to solve disputes came to mind. She is tough but is level-headed as well! :)

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This little gem's love for food is equally obvious just likes her steely character. As I see it, she does not chomp her food but takes her time to savour it. Sometimes it takes much longer than usual!

A splendidly well captured moment of Gracie 

with her brother Nathan, Grandpa and 

Grandma at the  historic barn of Harwood Cottage.

Singapore from above Ground Zero

Finally, I was able to have some awesome views of Singapore by night from way above ground zero inside the Singapore Flyer.

View from Singapore Flyer.

View from Singapore Flyer.

View from Singapore Flyer.

The Esplanade Theater taken before we watched 
the Musical, Les Miserables.

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A buffet dinner with ladies of CHIJ Batu Pahat at Seasonal Tastes of The Westin Singapore perched at Level 32, Asia Square Tower 2 at  Marina View allowed another spectacular view of the Marina Bay.

Garden by the Bay viewed from the Esplanade Theater.

Mohammad Ali (1942 - 2016)

The news of Mohammad Ali's death on 3 June 2016 came when I was in Singapore. For a moment, I thought about this man who during his hey days stirred many controversies. He had gone to jail and was stripped off his World Heavyweight Boxing Champion title. Notwithstanding all the setbacks, he managed to weather through these storms and made a comeback to recapture the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion title again. He was legendary and became one of the most well known characters in the universe.  At the pinnacle of his boxing career, Mohammad Ali was synonymous to boxing. In his later years after his retirement from boxing, he rose to assume the role of a Statesman crisscrossing countries to promote goodwill and resolving crisis.

Few people knew that Mohammad Ali in fact had at one time visited Sabah. That was in 1975 after he fought and defeated Joe Bugner in Kuala Lumpur on 30 June 1975. He spent three days in Sabah. The man who managed to get him to come was non other - the Chief Minister of Sabah then, Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun.

Mohammad Ali with the Governor of Sabah then, 
Tun Mohammad Fuad Stephens

"Champions aren't made in gyms, Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill". Mohammad Ali.

Les Miserables

We took a flight to Singapore on 3 June 2016 to watch the world-acclaimed musical, “Les Miserables”. Paul and Jun Shi had earlier bought us tickets to watch this musical at the Esplanade Theater.

I vaguely remember watching this musical years ago also in Singapore. Except a few catchy songs, there was nothing much to remember from the story line. But after watching the 1998 movie by Liam Neeson, watching the musical a second time made more sense. Of course, there is the third option: read the novel itself by Victor Hugo. But, that option might be a too ambitious endeavor to consider!

But listening to conversation in the movie helped to understand the story line a bit better. If ever I have to choose the most powerful moment of the movie, it is the following conversation soon after Valjean was caught by the police for stealing the church utensils and brought back to the church to face the bishop. It was the act of choosing kindness rather than vengeance that changed the course of Valjean's life.

Bishop: "Don't forget, don't ever forget, you promised to become a new man."
Valjean: (In disbelief and after a long pause) "I promise. But, why are you doing this?"
Bishop: "Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to you. With this silver, I bought your soul. I ransom your fear and hatred. And now, I give you back to God."