Why We Chose Perth

As the daughter of an ex Pat I have lived in various places around the world so why we chose Perth as the place to live.

Perth City from South Perth, Western Australia

Perth City from South Perth, Western Australia

When you arrive in Perth and take your first walk through the city you will be amazed how clean the city is! It is a relatively small city so you can pretty much walk to everywhere, although there are CAT buses that you can jump on and off and its free ?

 Elizabeth Quay & The Bell Tower, Perth, Western Australia

Elizabeth Quay & The Bell Tower, Perth, Western Australia

Some people say WA stands for Wait Awhile but that is another of its charms. You are never rushed its a more laid back style of living.

Once you have your own transport a whole new world opens up for you. Within 30-40 minutes drive the vast array of experiences waiting to be explored are amazing.

To the west we have some of the best beaches on offer,

Our Beaches, Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia

Our Beaches, Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia

east we have wineries, the hills and farmland,

Entopia Wines, Swan Valley, Perth, Western Australia

Entopia Wines, Swan Valley, Perth, Western Australia

to the north we have the Yanchep National Park, a natural bush experience

Natural Bush Experience, Yanchep National Park Perth, Western Australia

Natural Bush Experience, Yanchep National Park Perth, Western Australia

along with pristine beaches and some of the biggest sand dunes you’ll find anywhere outside of the sahara desert

Fun in the Dunes, Lancelin, Perth, Western Australia

Fun in the Dunes, Lancelin, Perth, Western Australia

to the south we have Mandurah and Rockingham, large coastal communities with a large variety of ocean based activities.

Fun on the Ocean, Indian Ocean, Mandurah, Western Australia

Fun on the Ocean, Indian Ocean, Mandurah, Western Australia

If you are prepared to venture further a field there are many more adventures waiting.

Places to Explore, Murchison River, Kalbarri, Western Australia

Places to Explore, Murchison River, Kalbarri, Western Australia

Our fair city is growing at a rapid pace and new and exciting things are being added all the time, we will even have a Ritz Hotel in the not too distant future ?

Water Park, Elizabeth Quay, Perth, Western Australia

Water Park, Elizabeth Quay, Perth, Western Australia

So I choose Perth because it doesn’t feel crowded or overly busy, because there are endless natural experiences on my doorstep and the food and drink offerings are expanding all the time ?

Ocean Tranquility, Yanchep, Perth, Western Australia

Ocean Tranquility, Yanchep, Perth, Western Australia

What are your favourite Perth experiences, or if you are moving here what are you most looking forward to?

Thanks for reading, Maggie ?

The Hen – A New Pub in the Swan Valley

The Photo Tour

Photo Tips ~ Links ~ Directions

Entrance & Grounds, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Entrance & Grounds, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

While visiting Mash Brewery for lunch a few weeks ago we came across a new pub in the Swan Valley right next door to the Duckstein (must go there again sometime soon) called “The Henley Brook” (a.k.a. “The Hen”).

This is our Photo Tour of “The Henley Brook” in which we hope to give you a visual guide of our visit along with short notes describing our personal experience at this exciting new venue.

Entrance & Grounds, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Entrance & Grounds, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

“The Hen”, as it’s affectionately called, is found on a large property on West Swan Road with lots of open grass areas for families to enjoy, plenty of parking and a humorous “Hen” theme used extensively throughout the venue.

We always love a good story tied in with a bit of history and The Hen certainly delivers both. The Hen’s story relates to the original settlers that owned the property, the Edwards family.

Known as The Hen, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Known as The Hen, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

The original Edwards family home still exists at the back of the property and is now heritage listed. It was built back in 1849 by Richard Edwards and his sons, one of the first families to settle in the Swan River Colony.

You can’t beat a great story behind a venue, for us it adds an emotional attachment and shows that the owners care about more than just the money ? Check out The Henley Brook website to read their story.

Log Fire, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Log Fire, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

The pub itself is beautifully rustic inside & out with a log fire in the centre adding to the traditional “local pub” friendly atmosphere that us Poms remember so fondly from back in the “good ol’ days” before we move out here to paradise ?

Indoor Seating, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Indoor Seating, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

There’s plenty of seating without feeling like your cramped up in a chicken coop (pun intended ?) and there’s a traditional style bar along the length of one wall.

Comfy Seating, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Comfy Seating, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

There’s also the comfy seating area to relax in if you’ve run round like a headless chicken all day with great views of the extensive grounds provided by the large windows situated around the building.

Outdoor Seating, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Outdoor Seating, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

The outdoor seating is also spacious & rustic and situated near to a large area setup for the chicks (& kids) to play in.

Beers on Tap, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Beers on Tap, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Moving on to the more important aspect of any pub, it’s selection of beers, or more importantly, it’s selection of Craft Beers!

This is where The Hen really stands out from the flock.

Beers on Tap, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Beers on Tap, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Whilst not a brewery itself The Hen includes in it’s beer selection the largest range of locally brewed Craft Beers I have seen in any pub around Perth.

As you can see from the chalk board behind the bar they have embraced local Craft Beer in a big way and include beers from many of the popular local breweries including Little Creatures, Mash, Colonial, Feral, Nail & Last Drop.

Our Beers, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Our Beers, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Not only has The Hen embraced local Craft Beers but they also stock a variety of bottled Craft Beers from around the world.

It’s going to take a while but we’re going to have to work our way through all those Craft Beers. By the end of it we may even have learned something about beer tasting beyond the novice level that we’re at now, I’m pretty sure I can already tell a Pils from a Pale Ale!

To start our Craft Beer Journey at The Hen we both tried something new to us. Maggie went with the Last Drop Pils which she really enjoyed. Ironically we hadn’t heard of the Last Drop Brewery before (despite it being the oldest operating brewery in WA!!) so it was a pleasant surprise to discover a new local brewery to visit.

I picked the Nail Stout much to Maggie’s dismay when she tasted and subsequently tried to steal it! It was beautifully smooth and tasty (insert knowledgeable beer tasting comments here) and definitely one of the best Stouts I have ever tasted!

Our Lunch, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Our Lunch, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Of course lunch cannot consist of beer alone and there were plenty of tasty looking dishes on the menu.

As we often do we went with a selection of smaller plates to share to avoid over eating and get a bit of variety.

First I picked the Chilli Salt Squid with a salad of lychee, pickled radish & lime aioli. The mix of flavours was a delight and the addition of the lychee made it an amazing dish.

Maggie went with the Texas Hickory BBQ Lamb Ribs as her selection and it turned out to be the sticky, messy, tasty & indulgent dish that BBQ Ribs always should be.

For our third dish we went with the Lemon Prawn Arancini Balls with red pepper & basil coulis and confit garlic. This dish was a disaster! Well, when I say disaster it was really yummy and we loved it but there was not enough of that amazing confit garlic! Someone tell the chef to triple the garlic next time!

Looking Peckish, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Looking Peckish, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

One thing you’ll probably notice as you look around The Hen is all the hens! They’re everywhere and I’m pretty sure that this one with our table number on her back was definitely eyeing up our ribs

I know normal hens don’t eat meat but those ribs were very tasty and who knows what a metal hen will eat, when it gets a little peckish!!!

Eye of the Hen, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Eye of the Hen, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

The great thing about being a photographer is that you’re always looking to find quirky subject matter for photos. Apparently this habit of taking photos of almost everything in sight can be a bit annoying to people with you who aren’t photographers ?

I called this one “The Eye of the Hen”, who knows, maybe someone will write a song about it ?

John the Friendly Patron, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

John the Friendly Patron, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

We were all set to leave when this guy asked us as we walked past his table “are you connoisseurs?”.

Note entirely sure what he meant we entered into a conversation with him (Maggie talks the way I take pictures <ducks quickly>) resulting in us not leaving for another 30 odd minutes while we had a great chat with John the Local from Ellenbrook.

It turns out that John the Local really appreciates his beer so we had a lot in common from the start.

Awesome Staff, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Awesome Staff, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

It also turned out that John knows some of the staff very well and he introduced us to the extremely enthusiastic barman, Josh. Of course I had to grab a picture of Josh with Nicole, one of the waitresses. I have to say that Josh was definitely the more eager of the two to get in front of the camera but they both looked great in the shot ?

It was obvious by watching and talking to the staff at The Hen that they are happy & enthusiastic about their jobs which adds a lot to the natural ambience of the venue and certainly makes it a place we will be returning to often ?

Cocks, Hens and Nests, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Cocks, Hens and Nests, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

On the way out we had to pay a quick visit to the toilets and we loved the sense of humour and consistency with the whole Hen theme that went into naming the Hens (Ladies), Cocks (Gents) & Nesting (Parenting) rooms ?

Hens Everywhere, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

Hens Everywhere, The Henley Brook, Swan Valley, Western Australia

We also noticed this cute Hen on the way out guarding the entrance, she must be the GuardiHen

I hope you enjoy a visit to The Hen as much as we did ?

Cheers
Dave

Photo Tips

All images in this article I took on my iPhone 6s and processed in Lightroom CC & ON1 Photo 10.5

Watch out for upcoming guides on how I use Lightroom CC, ON1 Photo 10.5 & Adobe Photoshop CC to process my images.

Free trials are available for both Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop & ON1 Photo 10.5 at the following links:

Directions

John Forrest Waterfall & Walk Trail – Part 2

The Photo Walk – Part 2 (read part 1)

Environment ~ Photo Tips ~ Shop ~ Links ~ Directions

You can find Part 1 of this blog here to read about our trip to the foot of the falls.

There was definitely a lot more action at the foot of the Falls though they were far from being at their most exciting I suspect we missed their best performance by a few weeks.

Bottom of the Falls, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Unlike my last waterfall trip I actually remembered to bring my tripod with me this time and not leave it in the boot of the car, so this was a great opportunity to play around with some longer shutter speeds.

Bottom of the Falls, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Armed with my Tripod plus ND8 & Polarising filters I was able to get some nice long exposures of up to 3 secs, even though it was early afternoon with very little cloud cover.

Bottom of the Falls, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Bottom of the Falls, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Having got some nice wide angle long exposure shots I decided to switch to my 70-200 lens and try to get some higher speed close-ups of the water crashing over the rocks.

Water Rapids, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Water Rapids, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Water Rapids, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Water Splashes, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Water Splashes, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Water Ribbon, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Shortly beyond the foot of the Falls the river transforms back into a quiet, peaceful vision of beauty. Such a stark contrast to the chaos occurring just a few feet away, nature is always so full of surprises.

Serenity after the Falls, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Having got some great photos and made a new Magpie friend we decided to head back to the car so we climbed back up to the top of the Falls and retraced our steps back to the car park.

On the way back I spotted the ruins of one of the old railway buildings which looked ideal for a grungy & moody image.

Ruins of a Railway Building, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Just as we got back to the visitor area a friendly hiker mentioned to us that there was a Roo with her baby just up ahead. Awesome, I can never resist the chance to get some wildlife shots and apart from our friendly Magpie the wildlife had been a bit reticent to show itself.

Mum & Baby Roo, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Mum and baby proved to be very accommodating and I managed to get some gorgeous shots of both.

These sorts of shots may look easy to just snap away but can actually be quite technical to get the depth of field and shutter speeds just right.

It’s always important to make sure you focus on the animals eyes, of course this can be tricky when there are two sets of eyes of equal importance! Getting just the right depth of field to keep both animals in focus but blur out the background is crucial.

To complicate matters the light was starting to drop of making it harder to get the shutter speeds I needed to freeze any motion so I had to up my ISO to 800 to allow for the already reduced depth of field from a 200mm lens and give me shutter speeds of at least 1/200th sec, which was still pushing my luck.

Mum & Baby Roo, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Mum & Baby Roo, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

We’d had a great day out and got some great shots so to top it off we decided to sit under the trees, relax and have a quiet beer with nature. What I love about just sitting in the outdoors is that you start to notice all the things that you’d normally miss. The birds ignore you and just do their thing, kangaroos wander past, even the insect life seems to have more purpose.

At one point two kangaroos suddenly hopped out of the bush with the back one barking very loudly and the front one seemingly running away, I don’t think I’ve heard a Kangaroo make a noise before. We guessed that it might have been some kind of mating activity, but who knows ?

As the light started to fade and the temperature cooled more kangaroos appeared leaping through the bush at high speed. Not one to miss an opportunity up came my camera with my 70-200mm lens and I started snapping away just in case I was lucky enough to get an interesting shot. The light was too low to stand a chance of freezing any motion and it all happened to fast to change my ISO so the shots all came out a bit blurry.

Not to be put off I picked the best one and added a bit more motion to the background and turned it into and action shot with a bit of a surreal look to it. Best part of the shot is that you can just make out a baby joey in the pouch of the roo at the back, probably my favourite shot of the day ?

Speedy Roos, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Abstract Red Tipped Leaf, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

Cheers,
Dave

Environmental Issues

When visiting natural environments such as this please be respectful of the flora and fauna, take your litter home and treat the environment with respect.

Leave No Trace
Take Nothing but Pictures
Leave Nothing but Footprints
Kill Nothing but Time
Keep Nothing But Memories
Burn Nothing but Calories

Original Quotes
“Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints.”
~ Quote: Chief Seattle (Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, c. 1786 – June 7, 2023)
“This we know: the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth.”
~ Quote: Chief Seattle (Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, c. 1786 – June 7, 2023)
“We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.”
~ Australian Aboriginal Proverb

Photo Tips

All images in this article were either taken on an iPhone 6s or with Dave’s Canon 5D MKII with an EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens or an EF 70-200mm f4L USM Lens and processed in Lightroom CC & ON1 Photo 10.5 & Photoshop CC.

Get Good Photo Editing Software
You will need to post process your images to get the most out of them. Software tools such as Adobe Lightroom & On1 Photo 10.5 are affordable and essential for getting the best out of your photos.

Free trials or licensed products are available for Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop & ON1 Photo 10.5 at the following links:

Related Clothing & Photo Products

As usual we’re planning a whole range of clothing & products featuring our “John Forrest” images.

Meanwhile you can take a look at all of the amazing images and products that we currently have available in our shop, all based on Dave’s photography.

Moonscape, Bunker Bay, Margaret River - Round Beach Towel

Moonscape, Bunker Bay, Margaret River – Round Beach Towel

Parking & Facilities:

There is a very large amount of parking around the visitor area as well as a many barbecue & picnic areas, toilets information boards and a Tavern. This is also the starting point for all of the walk trails in the area.

Walk Trails:

There are numerous walk trails that you can follow from the visitor area including the popular Eagle View Walk Trail:

  • Eagle’s View Walk Trail. 15km return, Class 4, allow 5hrs
  • John Forrest Heritage Trail. 10.5km return, Class 3, allow 3hrs
  • Wildflower Walk Trail. 4km return, Class 2, allow 1.5hrs
  • Glen Brook Trail. 2.2km return, Class 2, allow 45mins
  • National Park Falls Trail. 2km return, Class 2, allow 1hr
  • Jane Brook Promenande. 1km return, Class 1, allow 30mins

Check out the links below for more information about John Forrest National Park and it’s walk trails,

If you’re looking for more interesting walk trails around Perth then make sure to check out “The Life of Py” Hiking, Photography & Travel Blog he’s done a great job of documenting a lot of our local walk trails which we will be working our way through.

Directions

John Forrest National Park is located in Hovea in the Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia.

Like Lesmurdie Falls it is also situated on the Darling Scarp, one of Australia’s largest geological fault lines and the iconic entrance to the region known as Perth Hills.

To get into the Park take one of the 3 junctions off Great Eastern Highway onto Park Road.

The first turning onto Park Road will take you on a longer scenic drive through the beautiful forest, whilst the second turning onto Park Road is the fastest way to get to the visitor area and car park.

There is a fee for entering the visitor area which usually works on a trust system and costs $12 per car unless you have an Annual All Park Pass (as we do) which costs $55.

 

John Forrest Waterfall & Walk Trail – Part 1

The Photo Walk – Part 1 (read part 2)

Environment ~ Photo Tips ~ Shop ~ Links ~ Directions

About 6 months ago we were at John Forrest National Park to see if the waterfall was as lively as Lesmurdie Falls had been and to enjoy a day out in one of Perth’s most beautiful and oldest National Parks.

Water Ribbon, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

First, A Little History

Forest Path, John Forrest National Park, Western Australia

John Forrest National Park was the first area to be given National Park status in Western Australia in 1900 though it was originally named Greenmount National Park until it was renamed in later years to honor Lord John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia.

During the Great Depression sustenance worker’s built gardens, picnic shelters & even swimming areas which can still be seen around the visitor area. Sadly most of the bridges built across Jane Brook are in need of repair and not currently usable.

There also used to be a railway line to the Park which was part of the original route of the Eastern Railway that now runs from Freo to Northam. In the early 1900’s visitors regularly traveled out to the Park from Perth by rail for a day out in the forest. Sadly this is no longer possible as the rail link was rebuilt through the Avon Valley but you can now walk much of the abandoned railway line by following the 59km Railway Reserves Heritage Trail which passes through the Park.

Before heading out on any of the trails it’s worth having a look around the picnic area and seeing the landscaping that was done, it is a unique piece of history and an interesting place to explore with some amazing photo opportunities.

(more…)

A New Brand and a New Lifestyle

A New Brand and a New Lifestyle

Welcome to our new lifestyle …

Lesmurdie Falls, Lesmurdie National Park, Kalamunda, Western Australia

Lesmurdie Falls, Lesmurdie National Park, Kalamunda, Western Australia

Firstly let us introduce ourselves, we are Dave & Maggie Catley of MADCAT Photography living in Perth, Western Australia.

We have recently been questioning our direction in life and looking for a way to make our journey together in life as rewarding as possible, and this is it!

Not only are we mad about where we live we are also Maggie And Dave getting About in WA, hence we are literally MAD About WA and we want to share our experiences in this amazing place with everyone else.

Sunset, Bunker Bay, Geographe Bay, Western Australia

Sunset, Bunker Bay, Geographe Bay, Western Australia

We have also recently been looking inward at ourselves in an effort to discover how we can make the rest of our lives as happy, healthy & long as we possibly can and we would also like to share the new lifestyle we are creating along the way.

Dave’s Photography will continue to be a big part of what we do and we will be showcasing the places we love to visit, eat, drink, relax and have fun in.

There will be healthy tips such as how we cold brew our own herbal teas and make our own yogurt and why we believe meditation is the best thing since sliced bread.

White Thunder 4, Indian Ocean, Perth, Western Australia

White Thunder 4, Indian Ocean, Perth, Western Australia

Then again there will be fun stuff such as our love for local craft beers, tasty cuisine and fun events.

What there won’t be is a trail of criticism and negativity, this is a reflection of our lives and we want it to be positive & fun. If it wasn’t enjoyable we simply won’t talk about it.

All that being said, this is not only about our lifestyle, it is also about our livelihood and we plan to bring the wonders of Western Australia for you to enjoy in your own lives.

Samu, Monkey Mia, Shark Bay, Western Australia

Samu, Monkey Mia, Shark Bay, Western Australia

Of course we will be continuing to sell Dave’s Fine Art Prints along with a myriad of photographic products such as:

Our dream is to enrich our lives and your lives with the natural beauty around us and the wonderful creations of the people around us, we hope you will join us on our journey to help make the world a happier place …

The Secret Garden, Gwelup, Perth, Western Australia

The Secret Garden, Gwelup, Perth, Western Australia

We are continuously looking for more places to visit, eat, drink, relax in and around Perth & Western Australia and any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Who knows, there may even be some freebies in your future!

Looking forward to seeing you all out and about in this wonderful place we call home.

Dave & Maggie

 

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