A much brighter day but a sharp wind saw us out and catching the bus opposite our accommodation heading for Cottesloe Beach.   The original plan had been to go to Penguin Island a boat trip away.  However, our on-going quest to see penguins in Australia was once again thwarted as rough seas had demolished the jetty on Penguin Island ……..

So Cottesloe Beach it was to be.  After a short bus ride we were delivered to Cottesloe town and headed over the railway line and over the hill to the beach.

  Here we found a number of surfers in the water looking, I thought,  like sharks themselves in their black wet suits and surf boards.  I have to report that Keith saw no similarity at all.  Having watched the surf for a bit, we decided to walk back to Fremantle along the path parallel to the Ocean.  It was a very pleasant stroll of about 5 miles and very satisfactory apart from the frequent note in the hedgerow drawing our attention to the need to ‘Beware of Snakes’.   Great! I had not expected to be threatened with challenging wild life at this early stage of the trip.  I have to report there was in fact no sign of wild life.  Ho hum.

Our Ocean stroll took us eventually back over the railway line away from the sea and back into Fremantle.  We popped back home for a sandwich before heading out again, determined to see the sun set over the harbour……..

…. and what a sunset it was!

  We sat at the Bathers Beach House Cafe and watched elegantly dressed wedding guests gather for a sunset wedding with eye wateringly high stilettos and the nervous laughs of those unused to such grand attire (it was probably the altitude).  Just as the sun hit the horizon the bride arrived as we turned away from the ocean and home to supper.

Our last evening in Freo.  As we took a final  look out over the Indian Ocean and the golden reflection of the sun in the water, we marvelled again at the good fortune of two very ordinary kids from not the necessarily best side of the tracks and how far we had come……..

How lucky are we.

Tomorrow Perth.