Perth - Canning River, birds, sweets and beers

Welcome everybody,
My host family lives in Manning which is in the Southern suburbs of Perth. The Canning River is within 10 walking minutes of the house and when I have a few spare hours and don't want to sit in front of my little laptop anymore I go for a walk along the river, most of the time accompanied by my dear camera. I discovered that lots of birds are around this area and so I started looking more closely for them.

I will find out the names of all the birds that I took pictures of and maybe make a post just about them. Let's see how it goes and if anyone except Markus is interested in it (which I doubt as well as he HATES birds). Anyway, this is the Canning River.

What I have also noticed on the East Coast and I think also in Adelaide are these training tools in parks for everyone to use for FREE. I like this. Australians really like to do lots of things outside and want people to go out and about.

This is my favourite spot at the moment to stalk birds and take pictures. It is about a 20 minute walk from the house. It is on a loop walk in the Andrew Thomson Conservation Reserve.

I also started to systematically go after typical Australian sweets. So this is Lamingtons Cake which is absolutely wonderful!!! I like this cake with coconut and cream and jam. Why doesn't the rest of the world sell this?

And this might sound like I am an alcoholic but I am also now systematically going through the typical Australian brewed beers that I haven't drunk yet. This Swan Draught is actually quite nice.

Whereas this Emu Bitter, well, is a bit too bitter for me. I should have gone for the Draft or Export. Oh, by the way, I didn't drink these beers in one sitting (you already thought just that, right?). I eat one sweet and one beer per evening (unless I have to drive somewhere). So almost every day I have something to look forward to :-)

The loop walk goes in parts past some really nice looking houses (or should I say even villas?). Near my favourite birdwatching spot these two beauties keep a close eye on me (I want this Husky).

There are really nice spots along this loop walk and also little jetties to sit and relax on a sunny day. How nice!

On one of my walks a friendly woman told me a bit more about the birds in this area and pointed this swamphen out to me. She suggested some other boardwalks along the river and where to find rare ospreys (I hope this are not the same like the ones on Rottnest Island). I am definitely going to watch out for them!

TimTam's are famous Australian sweets and I have already eaten the Original and the Dark Chocolate version of them. This Choc Orange was the next I wanted to try. And, it reminds me of Jaffa Cake (and I LOVE Jaffa Cake). There are some other varieties but I am not sure if I like the sound of them.

I like the design of this signs for the different loop walks that are available around the river. This is a walk towards the West, so in the complete other direction to my favourite spot.

How strange that Australia has such a unique flora and fauna. Especially near a beautiful important river and still, there are people out there destroying it deliberately. Well, one will never learn...whereever in the world.

Then I followed this sign down a track that didn't look like it has been used very often lately. Also, the signs for this loop walk stopped at a little lookout where I had a closer look into the water and was shocked to see this brownish jelly fish. AHHHHH!

After poking it with a stick it was clearly dead. I carefully avoided any water contact and slowly walked towards this bird to take a close-up picture. How beautiful and elegant it walked through the lagoon.

Then I wanted to walk down another track that I found but this branch across the track reminded me of how I learned in the Para Wirra park near Adelaide that sometimes tracks have to be closed for different reasons and one method is to cover them with big branches and leaves. Well, I think this is not the best job done as it really is not obvious if the branch lies there on purpose or by coincidence.

Anyway, I walked back the way I came and along the street until I found the (probably former) other end of the loop walk. I walked down there and here is the picture to the other side where I walked before.

This is the sign for the loop walk that I normally follow to get to my favourite spot. I haven't managed to make the full round yet as I always stop for quite long times to catch a picture of the fast moving birds and then I have to quickly walk back to the house.

Oh yes, Cherry Ripe. Apparently the oldest chocolate bar of Australia. I like it but I prefer Lamington Cake and Tim Tam.

And some Tasmanian brewed beer with the extinguished Tasmanian Tiger on the label. The beer was OK but I wouldn't drink it again. The tour guide Renate in Tasmania told us that there is some kind of "beer border" in Tasmania. I think (but do not quote me on this one) in the South you drink Cascade and in the North James Boag. And it is an unwritten law to NEVER EVER disobey this imaginary border. Or was it the other way round?

Anyways, I think this bird-watching, sweets-eating and beer-drinking will keep me occupied in between looking after the children and in between doing some really exciting things here in Australia. Like my next stop: Surfing lessons at Scarborough Beach!
Yours bird-watching-sweets-eating-and-beer-drinking Stefanie