Leah Down Under

Just when I've started to take being in Oz for granted, I have one of those weekends where I'm slapped in the face and woken back up. This past Monday was Labour Day in Western Australia, so I took advantage of the holiday weekend by tagging along with Seb, Seb's roommate, Rob, and four of their friends on Rob's boat. We pulled out of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, cruised down the Swan River towards Fremantle, and headed out into the open ocean to Rottnest Island. We anchored in Marjorie Bay and spent two glorious days laying in the sun, surrounded by gleaming white yachts. Our boat, more than 100 years old, was not so gleaming. And it tops out at 8 knots, turning what is typically a half-hour trip to Rottnest on the ferry into a three-hour adventure on the high seas. Nevertheless, the boat has much history and character and its lack of luxury certainly didn't put a damper on the beautiful surroundings. Photos in the "marjorie bay" gallery.