Off to Kalamunda we go

After exploring Perth for over a month, including a stay in Fremantle Prison (The Spookiest Halloween), and without much luck on the job front, it was about time for a change. I convinced Amy that we should look into finding work in exchange for accomodation by signing up to Helpx. Through there we found a lovely couple to stay with in Kalamunda and so off we were on our next adventure.

Whilst staying with our hosts, we worked a few hours a day in their garden doing weeding, and helped out with housework on a few shifts where it was too hot to work outside.

Our hosts' adorable dog Peppy 

From where we were staying it was a half hour walk up a hill into Kalamunda town, so we became very fit walking up and down it most days, along with the weeding work! 

On our second trip into town we decided we needed a nice cold drink before heading back so we went to the pub, The Best Drop Tavern. This was a mistake as we ended up going back several times during our two week visit to Kalamunda and became regulars haha. Especially as there was the chance to win over $2000 dollars on a Sunday night. Unfortunately we didn't win but at least we had full bellies from the delicious chips and chocolate cake. 

On our first visit to The Best Drop Tavern, we noticed some old fashioned cars pulling up out the front, which we realised was part of the Friday evening markets. We had a wonder round and enjoyed hearing the brass band playing before heading back to the house. The timing was perfect as the sun was just starting to set so we had a very picturesque walk and took loads of photos.

One of the evenings, we went to Mundaring Weir where we saw some beautiful blue water, a pretty rose garden, and some brightly coloured parrots. We even saw a kangaroo with her baby in her pouch.

The Bibbulmun track is a famous hiking trail that spans over 1000 kilometres from Kalamunda to Albany, so on our first day off, me and Amy decided to spend a few hours walking some of the track and back. However we did get a bit lost and ended up coming back a different way to what we intended but at least we made it back safely in the end. You can find out about the Bibblumun people and the track's history here.

On some of our other days off we headed to Stirk Park, where we hung out on the picnic tables having our lunch, listening to music, and playing cards. We also visited the Chatterbox Cafe where I had a yummy cold coffee with whipped cream and a lump of ice-cream.

Because Kalamunda is in Western Australia, it's a good place to see the sun set. Our balcony looked out to the west, so every night we got to watch the sky as it changed colour and saw some pretty spectacular sunsets. Our time there also coincided with the International Space Station so we could see that shining bright in the night sky as well which was cool.

If you're interested in visiting Kalamunda, the 299 bus from Elizabeth Quay station in Perth will take you to Kalamunda town in roughly 50 minutes. If you want to know more about our Helpx experience check out Amy's post here.

J :)