Perth minus Mum

First impressions of our mum-less home were not favourable. No pool, no playground, no kids; rather Spartan. Not so much a campground as a retirement village. But as they say: Never judge a retirement village by its toy room. They also say: If the dentures fit, wear them. With most of our neighbours we had a monopoly on the toilet block and camp kitchen. 

Each afternoon at dusk the resident Bandicoots would emerge from the sand dunes on the hunt for food scraps. There are dozens of species of little marsupials which have eluded us on our travels, so it was a buzz to have the little critters sniffing around the tent.

When Dads are in charge, stuff happens. We do stuff. Not so much house work, just stuff. Get out early, get out often. It’s a philosophy that may end in bankruptcy and residential squalor if it was allowed to continue for more than a few weeks. But, let’s face it, who would be crazy enough to leave their children with their husband for that long? Exercising my autonomy early we set the controls for the heart of Perth city with a trip Scitech: A place where kids rub shoulders with nerds in the name of Science. Where science nerd Dads go, even without their kids. If only my University physics classes were held here, it may not have taken me 6 years to graduate.

Sunday in Perth saw us team up with friends from Uni days at their church and then lunch by the river.

Big city playgrounds are always worth a look. A bit of free entertainment at the expense of the local tax payers never fails. Perth has Kings Park with it’s views of the skyline. Sadly, the much hyped park with the volcano proved to be closed; something about a lava refill.

The mint is worth a look if just for the gold pouring demonstration. Heating a gold bar in the furnace and pouring the glowing red liquid from the crucible to the mould, then watching return to solid gold. I got me a little case of gold fever just watching. According to the scales in the museum, the combined current value of the kids is just under $3 million. I think I’ll wait a year or 2 before I cash them in.

After possibly one of my favourite Dad weeks ever we excitedly drove to the airport to collect our little jet setting Mummy. With Mum safely back in the nest we sampled the delights of Cottesloe Beach, Fremantle and the city centre before exiting the big smoke.