Author's notes: Thanks to Janette, who did the final edit (and picked up all my typos) and Maree for her suggestions on where to send the BWGs in Perth!
Hope you enjoy these three days in Perth!
Perth, Australia
It was just getting light as the plane landed, and Trixie heard the intercom click on. Then she heard the captain's voice.
"My crew and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Perth, Western Australia. It is currently 6.50 am, and the temperature outside is 10o. The forecast is for fine weather, with evening showers. Thank you for flying with Qantas, and we hope you enjoy your stay."
"Could we actually have got further from Melbourne than Perth?" Jim was talking to Trixie over the roar of the engines. She smiled at him. Ever since he'd discovered the destination of their mystery flight, he'd been hugely impressed, as had Honey. It was actually one location in the world that they were visiting before their father!
The seven BWGs hurried off the plane when it stopped, not wanting to waste a moment of their three days in Perth. They'd bought only carry-on luggage, having left the bulk of their stuff in Melbourne with friends of Neil and Peter's. It had been Honey's idea, and Brian and Mart had both voiced their approval. Di had been none too impressed to consider the possibility of three days with only one small carry-on case, but Dan had offered to pack some of her things in his bag. He figured that he wasn't going to need too much for three days!
"Ok, so where are we staying?" Trixie turned to Jim as they headed towards the taxi stand. He consulted the information he'd been given at the Crown Casino.
"Burswood Resort Casino." he read, then shrugged. "It's the place the Crown Casino recommended, anyway. And I figured that since we didn't spend anything on the plane tickets, we could afford to splurge on the hotel."
There was a taxi-bus at the stand, and the seven Americans headed towards it. The driver grinned at them as Brian stuck his head through the open window. "Where to, folks?"
"Burswood Resort Casino." Brian was climbing into the front seat of the mini-bus as he spoke, the others climbing into the back.
"Burswood. Alrighty then." The driver clicked the meter on, and then headed towards the taxi rank entrance. It was blocked by another car. The driver was busy putting suitcases into the trunk, and a pretty dark-haired girl was waving in the direction of another dark-haired girl. They looked so similar that Trixie assumed they were sisters. The second girl didn't appear to be paying attention, so the first headed over to her, and led her back to the car, helping her into the back seat. She flashed an apologetic look to the BWG's cab driver as she climbed in too. The car then pulled out on the road, the mini-bus following.
"Where you folks from?" the driver asked.
"New York." Diana replied.
"Here for long?"
"Three days." This time it was Mart who answered.
"I'm sure you'll have a good time." And the taxi driver fell silent.
Burswood wasn't that far from the airport, they soon discovered, set in a beautiful garden by the river. The hotel itself was a stunning glass creation, and Honey and Di both exclaimed at its appearance as the taxi pulled into the parking lot. They piled out quickly, paid the driver in the plastic money, and headed into the resort. They knew it was technically too early to be checking in to their rooms, but thought they'd give it a try anyway, heading towards the main reception desk.
"I'm sorry sir," the receptionist said to Jim after he'd explained that they wanted to check in. "Check in time is 2pm. We won't have your rooms available until then." Trixie tuned out the receptionist's voice, instead looking around the vast reception area of the hotel. The winter sunshine was streaming in through the glass roof, casting gentle shadows on the large ponds inside the foyer. Several glass elevators were shooting up and down to Trixie's right, appearing to leap right out of the ponds. Trixie was watching a little boy in the elevator, his face breaking into a smile as the glass box sped skywards, when she was jolted by another person. She turned quickly, automatically opening her mouth to apologise, and came face-to-face with one of the dark-haired girls they'd seen at the airport. She gave Trixie a filthy look, and Trixie's apology died on her lips. The other dark-haired girl rushed in quickly, flashing an apologetic smile at Trixie, and tucking her hand under her sister's arm, leading her away, moving towards the reception desk. Trixie was curious about them now. Up close, they looked enough alike to be twins, save for the fact that one looked incredibly sour, while the other was happy.
"Aren't they the girls form the airport?" Honey had moved close to Trixie, motioning discretely in the direction of the two dark-haired girls.
"I think so." Trixie replied.
Di had joined them now, also gazing at the two dark-haired young women. "I'm sure I know them from somewhere." she mused.
As the three American girls watched, Happy Twin approached the reception desk with a smile. Sullen Twin stayed where she was, glowering at everyone around her.
"Good morning, Jason," Happy Twin said.
"Good morning, Miss Wothersford." Jason, the receptionist, replied. "What can we do for you this morning?"
"I'd like to check Mr Wothersford's daughter in, please." She motioned at Sullen Twin, and Jason replied with a smile.
"Certainly miss." Within a minute, she had a room-card in her hand.
Di was still trying to work out why she recognised the two girls, when a dark-haired man strode across the foyer. He was impeccably, and expensively, dressed, and several well-dressed young men trailed behind him. He was carrying nothing. Most of his young followers were loaded downwith briefcases and paperwork.
"Good." The man boomed. "She's arrived, Elizabeth. How was your flight, Eloise?" The first comment had been directed at Happy, the second at Sullen.
Eloise didn't answer, scowling in the man's direction and turning her back. Elizabeth smiled and murmured, "Yes sir." The man didn't really seem to be paying all that much attention to either of them. Di snapped her fingers.
"That's Jonathon Wothersford. He's one of Daddy's business associates. I think he knows your Dad too, Honey. I've met him once before, with his daughter." And Di motioned at Eloise. "She's the grumpy one."
As they talked, Jonathon Wothersford had headed back across the foyer, his entourage in tow. Eloise had shrugged off Elizabeth's offers of assistance, and was stalking towards the elevators, glaring daggers at the bellboy with her luggage. Her parting comments had been perfectly audible in the large foyer. "I'm taking a nap. After a flight like that, the last thing I need is your company, Elizabeth."
"What a nasty girl!" Honey whispered. They continued to watch Elizabeth. The dark-haired girl sighed loudly, and closed her eyes briefly. Then she turned and headed in Trixie's direction.
"I'm terribly sorry about my cousin," she said with a smile, motioning in the direction Eloise had taken. "She'd had a long flight, and she just wasn't watching where she was going. I hope she didn't hurt you when she walked into you."
"Not at all." Trixie replied. "I was lost in my own world too. I wasn't really watching where I was going anyway."
Elizabeth squinted at Trixie, Di and Honey, as though trying to remember something. "Didn't I see you guys at the airport before?"
"Yeah. We arrived this morning, from Melbourne. But we're from New York."
"What are you here for?" Elizabeth asked, and then flushed, apologising instantly. "I'm sorry, that's none of my business. I didn't mean to be rude, I'm just curious. Perth's a long way from New York."
"We're here for summer break. We just finished high school." Honey explained. "My father organised for us to come to Melbourne, and then my brother won us mystery flights at the casino. And so we're here."
"You must have a very nice father." Elizabeth smiled. "What a graduation gift!"
"We can't check in till two." Jim was approaching them as he spoke, and his gaze settled on Elizabeth. "Oh, hello."
"Hi." She grinned back, and then turned to Honey as Brian, Mart and Dan also joined them. "Exactly how many of you did your father send on holidays?"
"Seven of us." Honey replied with a shrug.
"You have a really nice father!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She paused. "I'm Elizabeth Wothersford, by the way. Well, actually, I prefer Lizzie. Lizzie Ford. Much less of a mouthful!"
"I'm Honey Wheeler, and this is my brother Jim Frayne, and our friends, Brian, Mart and Trixie Belden, Di Lynch and Dan Mangan."
"I've met your uncle before." Di added. "And your cousin. Jonathon Wothersford does business with my father, Edward Lynch."
A look of recognition flashed across Lizzie's face. "Right." And then she turned to Honey. "And Matt Wheeler's your father, right?" She grinned at them. "My uncle does business with your father as well." She paused, and looked towards the reception desk. "Let me just see if I can help you with your little checking in problem. Won't be a minute."
She headed back to Jason the receptionist, and a hurried conversation ensued. Most of it was unintelligible, but Trixie did catch the words 'friends of Mr Wothersford's', and 'personal favour to my uncle'. It seemed to work, because Lizzie returned a couple of minutes later, three room-cards in hand.
"There you go." She handed the cards over with a smile. "You can ride up
with me, if you want. I'm on the same floor."
They headed towards the elevators en masse, and were quickly deposited on the fifth floor. Lizzie directed the four guys to the left, and then led the girls off to the right, showing them their triple room on her way back to her own. They invited her in, and Di turned to her with a smile.
"Are you from Perth Lizzie?" The dark-haired girl nodded.
"Sort of. I grew up on a farm near York. It's inland a couple of hours. I started boarding school in Perth when I was 11. I lived here till I finished high school. I'm living in Sydney at the moment, working for my uncle. I'm supposed to be on holidays this week."
"Could you tell us what's good to see?" Honey asked. "We've only got three days, and we don't want to miss anything."
"Hmm." Lizzie paused for a moment. "You were in Melbourne before, right? So you've already been to the footy then?" She grinned as they nodded. "Who did you see?"
"Carlton and some stripy team." Honey said.
"Our friends told us to hate the stripy team." Di added helpfully.
"Collingwood." Lizzie supplied. "My Mum hates Collingwood too. She's a rabid Eagles fan. The Eagles are the Perth team," she explained. "And the Dockers are the Fremantle team. They're the two teams from the West." She shrugged. "Ok, no more football. Subi Oval or the WACA would be dull after the MCG anyway." She paused. "You could go up to the hills. Maybe have a walk along the Bibbulmun Track. Check out Freo, and Subi, and all the markets. Maybe take a day-trip to Rotto." She screwed up her nose. "You should've come for summer. The beaches are great."
"We could still go see the beach." Honey suggested. "Even if we don't go swimming."
"I know!" Lizzie clapped her hands. "You could go have breakfast at the Blue Duck! It's in Cott. Overlooks the water. And it's really good. I'll ring and make reservations for you." Lizzie was reaching for her cell-phone even as she spoke. She had it halfway to her mouth when she stopped. "Sorry. I'm forgetting where I am. I'm not working. Sorry." She grinned sheepishly. "I work as Eloise's personal assistant. I organise her life for her. And sometimes I get carried away and try to organise everybody else as well."
"You work for your cousin?" Trixie asked incredulously. Lizzie nodded.
"Yeah. I'm a poor relation. Grandmother disowned Dad when he married my mother. Grandmother didn't approve. So Uncle Jonathon got the business, and Dad worked on a farm." She shrugged with a grin. "My parents are still happy together, and I've had a great life. And Eloise is a rich, spoilt brat who uncle Jonathon doesn't know what to do with. I've been working with her for nearly three years, ever since I finished high school. I keep her out of mischief. And by December, I'll have earned enough to go to uni. I'm going to study medicine."
"My brother's pre-med." Trixie said. "The dark-haired one. He loves it. Says it's tough, but that he wouldn't be doing anything else."
"I've wanted to be a doctor my whole life." Lizzie said. "I just had to save up to do it. But I know I'm going to love it."
"I'm sure you will." Honey replied, with a smile. "Now, tell us more about this Blue Duck. I'd love some breakfast!"
Half an hour later, they were in a taxi, heading towards Cottesloe. Lizzie had indeed made them breakfast reservations at the Blue Duck, and the girls had invited her to join them all. After checking that Eloise was still napping, Lizzie agreed, and had organised a cab to take them there. As they drove through the city, she pointed out some of the sights.
The first thing Trixie noticed about the city was that there wasn't many skyscrapers. There were some, but not a lot. And the city was right on the Swan River, named for the black swans that swam on it. They passed the ferry station on their way through the city, as a ferry came in from South Perth. "What a cool way to get to work!" Dan exclaimed, as they watched the passengers disembark.
"We could maybe go up to King's Park on the way back." Lizzie suggested, pointing up to the park above the city. They could see a structure on the side of the hill, which Lizzie told them was the War Memorial.
Lizzie had been right about the Blue Duck café-it was right on the beach in Cottesloe. They sat inside and watched the waves as they ate their breakfast. On the beach below them, several swimmers braved the cold water. As they enjoyed their breakfast, Lizzie offered suggestions of what they could do during their time in Perth.
In the end, the seven Bob-Whites decided to see a little of the 'countryside' first, after Lizzie told them about Mundaring Weir. She'd made several phone calls during breakfast, and organised them a van and a driver for the day, and the driver had met them at the café. Lizzie herself had disappeared before breakfast was over, called away by her cousin before she'd even finished her meal. With a sigh she'd stood up, and wished them all a good day in the hills.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Di had exclaimed.
"I can't, sorry. Eloise wants me to do some stuff with her." Lizzie had shrugged. "I've got to get back."
"I thought you were supposed to be on holidays." Jim had said. Trixie, Honey and Di had told the four male Bob-Whites that Lizzie worked for her cousin, and they'd asked her about it over breakfast. She'd told them that she was on holidays, spending time with friends and family in the West. However, Eloise had decided to change her winter plans, and fly into Perth from Sydney that morning.
"Yes, well, that doesn't really bother Eloise. She's bored and I'm here." And she had grinned at the looks on the faces of her new American friends. "It's fine. Whenever I get a little annoyed by my cousin and my job, I just think of the three magic words."
"Calm blue ocean?" Mart had suggested. Lizzie had laughed at him and shook her head.
"Nope." She paused. "Dr Lizzie Ford." And she had grinned. "I'll see you later." She had headed out the door.
It took about an hour to get from Cottesloe to Mundaring, a small town nestled in the hills east of Perth. Their driver took them straight out to the Weir, and the seven Bob-Whites had a lovely morning wandering through the surrounding bush, and looking through the museum. The Weir itself was very impressive, and the water level was fairly high. Matt, the driver, seemed to know a bit about the place, and he passed on his information to the Bob-Whites.
"The Weir overflowed a few years ago." He said. "It looks really impressive. Loads of people came out to see it. It doesn't overflow too often." Matt had also pointed out the large silver water pipelines that headed away from the weir, taking water to Kalgoorlie, a mining town several hours inland.
After their morning at the Weir, the seven Americans had lunch at the nearby hotel, which was practically empty. The friendly receptionist suggested to them that they might want to have a look at the Bibbulmun Track, a walking trail that passed nearby. The entire track covered hundreds of kilometres, from Kalamunda, a nearby town, to Albany, in the south of the state.
"Look at this place!" Jim was wandering along the Track, looking up at the tall trees around him. Matt had driven them to the nearest Bibbulmun campsite after their lunch.
"The woods around here look different from home, don't they?" Honey said to Di.
"It's nothing at all like the game preserve." Dan agreed.
Matt laughed at them. "Australia doesn't have woods, guys. It's the bush. You should come back and walk the track sometime. My brother and I did it one year. Took six weeks, but we loved it."
"I'd love to do that." Jim commented. "It must be fantastic to walk all that way, and camp out under the stars. I've got to come back here one day!"
After Mundaring, they headed back into the city, and Matt took them out to Subiaco, a suburb near the centre of the city. They had a good time wandering through the markets and checking out some second-hand book stores. Matt recommended they visit an icecream shop on Rokeby Road, which they did, before heading back to Burswood in the very late afternoon.
There was a note from Lizzie under Trixie, Di and Honey's door.
Guys, got plans for tomorrow? We're going to Margaret River for the day, if you want to come. Wineries, caves and good food. Give me a buzz if you want to come.
Lizzie's cell-phone number was underneath.
"Where's Margaret River?" Di asked, as they headed towards the guys' rooms to show them the note.
"Don't know." Trixie shrugged.
"It's somewhere south of here." Mart said, when the girls got to them. "I thought it was quite a long way from the city. Maybe I'm wrong."
But he wasn't. They checked a map that Brian had bought in Subiaco, and discovered that Margaret River was about 300 kilometres south of Perth.
"We'd waste half the day travelling!" Di moaned.
"Not if you're flying you won't." It was Lizzie's voice, coming from the open doorway. She grinned at them. "I see you got my note. I just came by to check. Eloise wants to go, so we're flying down in the morning. Uncle Jonathon's got his own plane, and I've organised some cars and drivers for when we get there. It's a great place, and the wine's excellent. We're going for lunch." She grinned at them again. "It's no hassle. The plane is going anyway. And if you guys come, the plane will be full, not just taking Eloise and me." The seven Bob-Whites all looked at each other, impressed. Flying south for lunch sounded like fun!
"What time do we leave?" Mart smiled in response.
They arrived in Margaret River early the next morning, having been woken up before the sun was fully up by Lizzie. They'd been driven out to the airfield where her uncle was keeping his plane, about twenty minutes from the hotel. The flight had been fun, albeit a little noisy. With nine of them on board, plus the pilot, it had also been a little snug, but since the flight was only an hour long, nobody had minded.
Jim had sat up from with the pilot, who had pointed out landmarks on their way south. They'd all been able to hear him over their headphones. Only Eloise had refused headphones, instead plugging in to her brand-new discman. She'd slept most of the way to Margaret River, obviously not impressed with the early hour.
A large van and a driver was waiting for them at the airport. It was really just an airstrip, about ten minutes out of town. Another plane was parked off to one side when they arrived. Obviously, someone else had had the same idea for a day trip as they had.
The pilot stayed with the plane, the rest of them piled into the van. It was quickly decided that they would head out to some of the caves first, then have a look around town. Even Eloise agreed to the plan, smiling sweetly when her cousin suggested they go to Caves Road. There were several limestone caves nearby. Trixie, Di and Honey had all noticed that Eloise's personality had improved markedly since she'd realised just how cute Dan was! She was busy trying to engage him in conversation, which was keeping her amused. Dan was also quite entertained by her, so the other just let them be.
They had fun in the caves, following a tour which came complete with electronic headset that was triggered by sensors in the cave. The cave was fairly empty of tourists, and they had a great time, looking at all the stalactites and stalagmites, and the other beautiful rock formations. It had been raining outside when they'd gone into the cave, but the small stream flowing along the floor of the cave was the only indication that the day was wet.
"At least there's no sink hole in this cave, hey Trix!" Honey commented, with a grin. Then she told Lizzie about their last visit to a cave, when visiting Trixie's Uncle Andrew.
"I wish I'd had adventures like that at fourteen!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Except for the nearly drowning part, of course." And she smiled at Trixie.
Their next stop was lunch. Eloise had selected the restaurant, a place called the Berry Farm. Lizzie's eyes had lit up when Eloise had suggested it.
"Oh, it's the best!" she exclaimed to the seven Americans.
Lunch at the Berry Farm was a raucous event. Eloise obviously visited frequently, and was well-known by all the staff, as was Lizzie. They ordered strawberry champagne for their new friends before lunch, insisting that the Bob-Whites all try at least a little, as it was a restaurant specialty. Mart was especially impressed by the food, sampling three different dishes before declaring himself satisfied.
After lunch, they headed to the nearby wineries. Lizzie called first at her uncle's favourite winery to pick up a crate of wine for him, and then took them out to Leeuwin Estate, one of the most spectacular wineries in the region. The restaurant and its surrounds were beautiful, and recently refurbished. They were taken on a tour of the place, while Eloise told them about the last concert she'd been to at Leeuwin. Yearly concerts were held on the large outdoor stage.
After their tour, the five girls settled themselves in the wine-tasting bar, while Jim, Brian and Mart selected wines to take home to their fathers. Dan joined them, intending to buy a bottle for his uncle. Lizzie grinned at them, and then turned to the three female Bob-Whites.
"Do any of them actually know what they're supposed to do to taste wine?" Trixie grinned wickedly in response.
"Jim might. Brian's got no clue, and neither's Dan. And I would bet Mart knows nothing, but he's likely to use really big words and just try and confuse the bartender."
Lizzie looked at her cousin with a grin. "Why don't you go show those boys how it's done then, Eloise?" Eloise smiled prettily in response.
"You mean I should put some of my expensive education to good use, cousin dearest." Her voice was teasing, and she headed off towards the bar with a flick of her long hair.
"Does she actually know what to do?" Di asked with a smile.
"You better believe it. Uncle Jonathon's a bit of a wine connoisseur, and he insisted that she develop an appreciation for wine. She's done a few wine courses, and, of course, she does like to show off her knowledge. She thinks it's fun."
Eloise had reached the bar as Lizzie spoke, and they watched her study the wine list, indicating to the bartender which she would like to taste. She joined the four male Bob-Whites then, instructed them all on how to properly taste wine. Eloise's comment on the wine drifted back to her cousin and the three Americans on the couch. "Mmm. Herbacious."
They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the stores and galleries in Margaret River. There were so many beautiful things on display, and they all found themselves wanting to spend 'just a little more time' in the pretty town. Lizzie laughed at them, eventually pointing out that if they didn't head back to the plane, the pilot would leave without them.
Brian rode up front with the pilot on the way home, enjoying the very different look of the land in the evening darkness. Margaret River was quite a distance from Perth, but, even so, they didn't fly over too many other towns. When he looked down from the plane, he could usually see only darkness, broken occasionally by the lights of cars on the highway, and by the towns of Busselton and Bunbury. It was quiet a change from living in New York, where there were lots of small towns close together.
It was late when they got back, and they'd all eaten so much at the Berry Farm that none of them felt like eating dinner. The night before, they'd gone out into Northbridge, the clubbing district, to dinner at a restaurant Lizzie had recommended, and then out dancing at a club. They'd had a great time, and sampled a couple of different Australian beers. Dan and Mart still considered Carlton Cold the best. The three girls had stuck with Illusion shakers, even though Di had been tempted to try one of the other cocktails on offer.
Tonight, they were too tired to go out, so Eloise suggested they head into the Casino. After changing into fancier clothes, they headed towards the poker machines, cups of twenty cent pieces in hand. Trixie's money lasted the longest, but even she was out of change by eleven, so they headed back upstairs, knowing they had a busy last day in Perth.
Lizzie had organised them a day trip to Rottnest Island, known as 'Rotto' to the locals, for their last day. She wasn't going herself, and neither was Eloise, who'd sniffed and muttered something about 'primitive forms of transport' when the topic of Rotto was raised. Lizzie had just grinned at the Bob-Whites and told them that they'd understand when they got there.
The Rottnest ferry left from the pier in the city, and headed down the river to Fremantle, before heading out to sea. It wasn't raining, but the sea was choppy, and they sat right by the windows, enjoying the view.
"I wonder if Lizzie organised another driver for us." Di said, and then grinned. "You know, I was horrified when she said she was Eloise's personal assistant, but we've managed to let her organise our whole time here!"
"She's done a good job, hasn't she?" Brian added. "Maybe we should invite her out to dinner tonight, just to say thank you."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Honey agreed. "And maybe after, we could go and see King's Park. We still haven't got there yet."
"It must be a wonderful view from on top of that hill." Jim commented. "We could take some photos in front of the city."
The ferry ride wasn't that long, and they were soon disembarking at Rottnest Island. Mart had gotten up early that morning, and found a guidebook about the Island. He was reading to them from the book as they headed off the boat.
"The Dutch explorers who first landed on the island mistook the small marsupials who lived here as rats, and named the island 'Rat's Nest'. The name was later anglicised to 'Rottnest'. These small animals are quokkas, and are a popular attraction. The island was first used as a penal colony, and is now a well-loved holiday spot." He paused before reading the next line. "There are very few cars on the island. If you want to look around, hire a bike." He looked up in disgust. "A bike?" Di laughed.
"So, that's what Eloise meant by 'primitive transportation'." she giggled.
"I haven't ridden a bike since I was fourteen!" Trixie moaned.
"Give me a horse any day!" Dan added, pointing out the bike-hire stall nearby. The other six Bob-Whites followed him over to it, and they hired themselves bikes.
They spent the morning riding around the island. It wasn't that big, and they found plenty to amuse themselves. They headed up to the lighthouse, and went to see the guns that had been placed on one of the hills during World War II. By lunchtime, they were all saddle-sore, and headed back to the bakery, to sample the treat Lizzie had told them that they could not miss while on Rottnest-jam donuts.
"This is heaven!" Mart exclaimed, his mouth filled with half a donut. Another four were on the table in front of him, and he shot Trixie a dirty look when she tried to take one of them. "Go buy your own, squaw!"
"You're going to explode if you eat that many donuts!" she protested, knowing full well that her brother was perfectly capable of eating that much. And he finished them all off quickly, heading back into the bakery for a meat pie. Both Mart and Dan had loved the pies they'd sampled at the footy in Melbourne, and were taking every opportunity that had to eat them while in Australia.
They caught a mid-afternoon ferry back to the city, and spent a few hours wandering about in the centre of Perth. Since they'd already been to Melbourne, Lizzie had told them not to bother with shopping in Perth, but had recommended that they check out the art gallery and the museum. The museum was particularly impressive, especially the top floor. The skeleton of a blue whale was suspended from the ceiling, taking up most of the room. Laughing, they took turns posing in front of the enormous skeleton, before heading on to the rest of the exhibits.
Lizzie and Eloise met them at the hotel restaurant at seven. Trixie had called Lizzie from Rottnest to suggest dinner, and she had loved the idea. As they looked over the menus, Lizzie and Eloise both laughed at Mart and Dan, who were exclaiming over the fact that kangaroo was on the menu here!
"Have you ever tried it?" Eloise asked.
"I refuse to consume marsupial!" Mart retorted.
"Have you ever eaten it?" Dan asked. Eloise nodded, Lizzie shook her head. "Why not?" he asked her.
"I don't like the idea of eating the animals on our coat of arms. I don't eat emu for that reason either. And anyway, I watched way to much Skippy as a kid. Can't go dining on Skip, now can I?" Eloise and Lizzie both laughed, and then noticed the looks on their friends' faces.
"You've never heard of Skippy?" Eloise asked. As the Bob-Whites shook their heads, she continued. "It was a kid's show. Skippy the bush kangaroo. He was kind of like the Australian answer to Lassie. He was always helping out people in need." And she grinned. "Lizzie loved Skippy. I thought it was a dumb show."
"And that's why you'll eat him, and I won't!" Lizzie replied with a smile,then turned to Mart. "If you don't want the kangaroo, try the crocodile. It's really good!"
"I have even less intention of consuming reptile!" was his quick response.
After dinner, Honey asked Lizzie about going up to King's Park before they headed out to the airport. There was still several hours before they were due to fly out. They were leaving on the midnight horror, which would arrive in Melbourne early the next morning. Their flight back to the States was booked for later that day.
Lizzie and Eloise both agreed that a visit to King's Park would be a great way for their friends to end their stay in Perth, and Lizzie headed off to organise a cab for them. They would go to the Park, then swing back past Burswood to pick up their luggage on their way to the airport.
The view from the park was spectacular, taking in the whole of the Swan River, the city centre, and a lot of the surrounding suburbs. They had the cab drop them off by the War Memorial, and then they wandered past the Eternal Flame, and headed down to the base of the Memorial. Eloise and Lizzie led them to where lists of names were engraved on the wall, pointing to the one that read 'Wothersford, Donald J.'
"That's our great-grandfather." Eloise explained. "He died in the first world war."
Before they left the park, Eloise said there was something else she wanted to show the Bob-Whites, and she led them back up the hill to two long, curved marble benches.
"Sit here." she directed Jim, Honey and Mart, pointing to the end of one of the benches. She took a seat at the other end. Lizzie had motioned for Dan, Trixie, Di and Brian to sit at one end of the other bench, as she settle herself opposite them.
"What are we doing?" Jim asked Honey quietly. She shook her head. And then Eloise's voice replied.
"Listening to me." Her voice was soft but clear, and Jim looked up, expecting to see her standing right near him. Instead, she waved at him from the opposite end of the bench.
"How can we hear you?" he instinctively called the question out to her, and she grinned.
"Just speak normally. This is the Whispering Wall. You can sit at opposite ends and have conversation. It's got something to do with the curvature of the bench, and the stone that it's made from. I don't know how it works, I just know that it's fun."
On the other bench, Lizzie was having a similar conversation with the other Bob-Whites. They were all grinning, finding the Whispering Wall to be an entertaining thing. As Jim watched, Trixie leapt up from her seat on the other bench and headed towards Eloise. And then they heard her voice clearly.
"Isn't this great! Imagine all the things that this wall's heard!" Dan, Di and Brian were following Trixie over, and were soon sitting on her end of the bench, and the Bob-Whites talked to one another through the Whispering Wall.
"I'm so glad you won this prize, Jim." Di said. "I've had so much fun in Perth!"
"And I'm so glad Honey's father decided to send us to Australia in the first place!" Dan added. "I have got to come back here again. Spend more time."
"Next time, we could see more of the country." Brian commented.
"We could go to Margaret River again!" Jim suggested.
"Shop longer in Melbourne!" Di added.
"Eat pies and sauce!" was Mart's comment.
"See more footy!" Trixie spoke up, and Dan and Brian both looked at her strangely. "Hey, that Kouta was gorgeous, and I loved their shorts!" Di and Honey both voiced their agreement, and the four male Bob-Whites shook their heads.
"I just think that next time we should come back in summer." Dan said.
"Yeah! The beach!" Honey added.
"Yeah, girls in bikinis!" They all laughed at Dan's comments.
Two hours later, they were on a plane, bound for Melbourne, having farewelled Lizzie and Eloise at Burswood. After a quick stop to pick up their luggage, they were back at the international airport, and heading towards the departure gates, and their next destination.
"Well, we managed to have a good time in Australia without finding a single mystery!" Trixie exclaimed as they waited for their flight to board. "That must be a record for us!" The others laughed at her. And then Dan grinned at her.
"I wonder if we'll be so lucky in Arizona, Trix."
"I think we'd be lucky if we find a mystery." Honey added.
"Haven't you had enough mystery and intrigue yet?" Brian demanded.
"Brother dearest," Trixie said. "A girl can never have too much mystery!"
Author's (extra!) notes:
Mart's 'tourist guide' of Rottnest is paraphrased from the Western Australia Online
website at http://www.visitwa.com.au/
The Bibbulmun Track is a popular walk trail in Western Australia, and can also be found
online at http://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/
The Mundaring Weir (and the nearby Mundaring Weir Hotel) are both beautiful places to
spend an afternoon. And the 'friendly receptionist' at the Hotel is my Mum! Just thought
I'd work her into my contribution to the road trip!
Oh, and thanks also to my friend John the pilot, for flying hubs and I to Margaret River
for lunch recently, and giving me a little bit of story inspiration!