Alcoa Discovery Tour, Perth Summer 2013

With youths in tow, I decided that our holidays should include an educational element.  Following some research, I found out that industrial giant Alcoa offers an educational tour at two of its facilities in Western Australia.  Alcoa is involved in bauxite mining.  Bauxite is the key ingredient for the production of aluminium.  Taking into consideration distance, I decided on the tour conducted at Pinjarra - about 20 km from Mandurah.

Departing from Joondalup at 8 am, we barely made it for the tour after making a wrong turn just before the exit to Pinjarra.  We arrived at 9.30 am and found that the ferry picking other visitors from Mandurah had just arrived.  The Alcoa Discovery Centre is located together with the Pinjarra Heritage Railway Station. 

After registration, our guide Rhonda brought us for a tour of the refinery plant, north of Pinjarra.  Unfortunately, photography at the plant was not allowed.  The scale of the refinery is large and it was surprising that the mined bauxite is transported down from the mining area at the top of the Darling Range by a system of conveyor belts. 

Following the refinery tour, we proceeded to observe the mining operations at Huntly mine.  The trip to Huntly took about 30 minutes.  The mining were super-sized.  The dump trucks alone was about 1.2 times the height of our minibus.

Besides mining, Alcoa is also huge in ensuring that its mining operations has minimal impact on the local eco-system.  This is important as the Darling Ranges is considered a key water catchment for the Peel region.

After the mining tour, we proceeded a lookout point where we viewed the rehabilitated Jarrah forest under by Alcoa.  The tour ended at 1 pm.

Road Trip to the Pinnacles - Perth Summer 2013

We made a side trip to the Pinnacles on 10 Dec 13.  I took advantage of the relatively new Indian Ocean Drive (IOD) and headed for Cervantes, a two-hour journey north of Joondalup.  IOD, opened in 2010, afford a leisure drive with its low traffic and a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean as we neared the Pinnacles.  IOD, otherwise known as Route 60, starts from Yanchep and stretches beyond Cervantes.

 

Along the way, we spotted some large wind turbines which I guessed are part of the Emu Downs Wind Farm.

The Pinnacles, part of the larger Namburg National Park, is a natural wonder sculptured by erosion over an extended period.  The yellowish limestone formations gave a impression of a desert landscape if not for the Indian Ocean situated closed by.  To get to the Pinnacles, turn right into a two-way side road about 10 km south of Cervantes.

The park is designed for vehicle drive through to views the different linestone formations.  The more adventurous can always walk around the park.

Next, we proceeded to Cervantes to see the Lobster Shack and also visit Lake Thetis.

 

The entrance to Lake Thetis is located before the main town.  The unsealed bumpy road also leads to Hansen Bay Lookout.  The weather that day was terribly hot but fortunately there was a strong cool breeze when we visited the lake, known for its stromatolites formation.  Other places to view stromatolites would be at Shark Bay further north and south of Perth, near Mandurah.

 

On our way back along IOR, we visited the Gravity Discovery Centre at Military Road.  Military Road can be assessed from Gingin Brook Road if heading south from IOR towards Perth.

 

Sojourn to Perth

Last week (9 to 16 Dec 13), I took a week-long holiday in Perth with my family, mom, nephew and niece.  We stayed at a company-owned bungalow at Joondalup Resort.  Joondalup is located about 25 km north of Perth.  Apart from the unfortunate heat wave, the stay was pleasant as the bungalow is nested within the renowned Joondalup golf course.  

We left Singapore by SQ at 0010 hours and arrived at Perth International just before 0600 hours.  As we are not due to check-in at 1500 hours, we rested at the airport before picking up our rental vehicle.  Based on locality, we proceeded to Guildford which is situated not far from the airport.  Guildford is the perfect start off point for the visit to Swan Valley as it is where the Swan Valley Visitor Centre is located.  


Next, we set off for Sandalford winery which is perhaps one of the larger wineries in the region. It has a spacious ground comprising the vineyard, a well-stocked cellar door and a restaurant. There is also a alfresco dining area completed with overhanding vines, some of which are a century old.

 






As we did not want to travel several hours to the Margaret River region, the next best thing to do was to visit the Swan branch of the famous MR Chocolate Company.  The attraction is the free sampling of its chocolate chips (Dark, milk and white) as well as a viewing of its production process.  Other than chocolates, the ice cream is delicious and value for money in Singapore context (about S$6.50 for two large scoops).



  




Lastly, we proceeded to the Caversham Wildlife Park where one can feed free roaming kangaroos of all sizes, cuddle koala, have picture taken with wombats and other reptiles, and watch an outback farm show complete with sheep shearing.  Personally, I find Caversham caters for a complete Australian wildlife experience compared to places like Cohunu  and other animal attractions near Perth.

 

Before checking in, we stopped over at Lakeside Joondalup for lunch and grocery shopping.  The kids took the opportunity to shop for clothings at Target, Kmart as well as BigW.  Contrary to what we may think, there are spectacular bargains at these giants.

Agra Fort

If you are in Agra, the other site besides the Taj Mahal which should not be miss is the Agra Fort. Agra Fort, also a World Heritage site, was the seat of the Mughal empire. This is where, Emperor Shah Jahan who was responsible for the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned by his son. Although imprisoned in the Red Fort, it offered a perfect view of the Taj Mahal as the fort is located about 2.3km northwest from the mausoleum.

Picture of the Taj Mahal from the entrance of the Agra Fort for tourists.Arrive late in the afternoon close to the closing time at dusk.
Heading towards the entrance which is divided by a moat.
Entrance to Agra Fort with the chain to the draw bridge visible.